MAME Controller Inputs - So confusing!

[sofakng]

Well, I'm totally confused on configuring MAME inputs.  When I load up a game and hit Tab I get a bunch of different options which include:

Inputs (general)
Inputs (this game)

I'm assuming that if I changed "Inputs (general)" that will change the default inputs for ALL GAMES.  Is this correct?

If I change the "Inputs (this game)" will that OVERRIDE the "Inputs (general)"?

I also notice I have a bunch of files in c:\mame\cfg.  Does MAME create one everytime I change the inputs for an individual game?

[simplygriff]

Well, I'm totally confused on configuring MAME inputs.  When I load up a game and hit Tab I get a bunch of different options which include:

Inputs (general)
Inputs (this game)

I'm assuming that if I changed "Inputs (general)" that will change the default inputs for ALL GAMES.  Is this correct?

If I change the "Inputs (this game)" will that OVERRIDE the "Inputs (general)"?

I also notice I have a bunch of files in c:\mame\cfg.  Does MAME create one everytime I change the inputs for an individual game?

Yes.  Everything you said is correct.

A lot of people suggeest using the ctrlr files to create your own configuration based on your cp.  I tried this and had a lot of problems with it becasue my inputs were apparently different between what win xp said and what mame said.  That's a whole other story.   They are revamping the ctrlr code in the latest versions of mame though.  It's a big mess from what I understand.  I just settled for using the tab menu to set up my games.  It's tedious but it's worth it not to have to fight for a whole night with my machine to get the buttons working like I want them to.  You may have better luck.  BTW, they changed the ctrlr code with version 0.84 so I don't know what version of MAME you're running but if it's before that you may not have a problem.  I'm using 0.82

[SirPoonga]

Input (Genera)l and Input (game specific) have always been in mame ever since I have used it.  


no, the new ctrlr stuff is an improvement, it was just a mess while they were fine tuning it.

[Howard_Casto]

I agree and keep in mind that I was it's biggest critic during the ironing out process.  

[sofakng]

Are there any tutorials or documentation on these ctrl files?  I'm at work so I don't want to download MAME, but if there is documentation just for the ctrl files please let me know...

Also... why not just use MAME to change the inputs for a particular game?  Wouldn't that be the easiest?

[simplygriff]

no, the new ctrlr stuff is an improvement, it was just a mess while they were fine tuning it.

I stand corrected.  Maybe one day I can get that figured out.  It would be very helpful.
-G

[SirPoonga]

I don't know if mame .85 updated the docs yet but take a look in the /mame/docs/ folder....

Also, if you did a search on the forum you'd find many resources, including this: http://www.mameworld.net/easyemu/mamecontrolini.htm
Now, remember, that's the old format.  As of .85 (actually something like .84u5) the files use the xml format.  You go through pretty much the same process but use a different format.  Look at the existing ctrlr files ie hotrod or slikstik to get an idea.

Also... why not just use MAME to change the inputs for a particular game?  Wouldn't that be the easiest?

ctrlr files can do something the TAB menu can't, it can define controls for a group of games.  You can create aneogeo.ini file to define all the controls for neogeo.  You can define a vector.ini to define the controls for all the vector games.  You can make a trackball.ini file for all the trackball games.  With my hacks which are included in No Name Mame you can make a vector.ini and a horizont.ini so you can remap controls based on orientation (good for cocktail cabs).  Als you could do button#.ini where # is the number of buttons.  So you could remap ALL 6 button games.
Also, before .84 ctrlr files was the only way a frontend would be able to know how your controls are configured.  cfg files were binary.  What made this important is if you used something like HowardC's johnny5 viewer.  The viewer reads your ctrlr files to correctly display the information based on you configuration.

[simplygriff]

On a related note... because I would really love to get this working...

I'm using MAME 0.82, MAMEwah 0.97, Win XP with a super dual box Playstation 2 to USB adaptor with 2 MAS systems sticks attached.  These work perfectly by configuring through the tab menu.

Mame sees my configuration as this:

640
312

WIndows XP sees my configuration (through the game controllers in control panel) as this:

751
324
or something like that (at work I don't have my notes with me.)

I seems like there is some kind of conflict going on between this.  I set up a ctrlr file called default in a folder called mycabinet.  I did this by taking the file that comes with MAME , deleting all the junk at the top and copying and pasting the joycodes I needed.  I had mame pointing to these files but the controls were all garbled.  It seemed to create a combination of  the two.  I don't know what could be the problem.  I worked on this for a night but got extremely frustrated and just deleted everything I did and went back to using the tab menu.  Any advice would be great.
-G

[SirPoonga]

You have two usb gamepads essentially, right?  They will not always come up in XP in the same order.  The only sure fire way of having USB devises come up in the same order it to plug them in order after a hard reset.

So what is probably happening is it is swapping controllers are player 1.

[simplygriff]

I never unplug them.  They are always plugged in sitting on my dining room table.  Does it reset their location everytime I shut down and restart?  That could prove to be a big problem if I have this in a cab.  I plan on using these sticks because they will retain PS2 and Gamecube support.  I want them removable for that purpose.
-G

[SirPoonga]

Yeah, that's why, because you left them plugged in.  There's a way around this I think by setting priority on one in the control panel.  Not sure though.

[simplygriff]

Where do I set a priority?  I've never heard of that.  It would make sense to have that but I didn't know it existed for USB devices.  I've heard of that for like IP addresses and stuff.  

So which inputs should I use when I get this figured out?  The one MAME has or the one Win Xp has.  Or will they be the same  once I fix this?
-G

[SirPoonga]

Control Panel/Game Controllers/Advanced.

you may have something completely different.  I'd like to know what you mean by mame has different controls that XP.  Because is not possible, mame get's it control information from directx.  Directx gets it from the same place the control panel does.

[simplygriff]

I guess I mean that the button have different identifying numbers.  What I want to use as button 1 is seen through the tab menu in mame as button 6 and in the win xp game controllers it is seen as button 7 ( I think... it's definately not 6 but might not be 7.  Again I don't have my notes with me.)  This iand the layouts are the same the same on both controllers.  Joy 1 and Joy 2.  Thanks for trying to help me figure this out SirP.  I really appreciate it.
-G

[SirPoonga]

Ahhhh.  Does your joys have their own config util?  Or when you open up the properties in the game controlers control panel you get the generic XP thing?  For my logittech when I installed logitech software when you bring up the properties for that controller it uses it's own app with a graphic of the gamepad.  The button numbers it shows does not match what mame sees.  It's weird.

[daywane]

I have Mame 32 ver 56 with windows XP pro
with a usb adapt. to playstation (4 players)
I have a Playstation (2 player CP) (E-bay $25.00) and 2 normal ps1 game pads hooked up for 2 years and I have never had this problem....I would bet your driver is bad for your usb to ps gamepad or not xp compatable.

[simplygriff]

Ahhhh.  Does your joys have their own config util?  Or when you open up the properties in the game controlers control panel you get the generic XP thing?  For my logittech when I installed logitech software when you bring up the properties for that controller it uses it's own app with a graphic of the gamepad.  The button numbers it shows does not match what mame sees.  It's weird.

Yes it uses the default win xp properties uitlity.  And like your the button numbers don't match what mame sees.  I forgot to mention that I'm using joytokey as well to run MAMEwah with the sticks.  When I created the ctrlr files I made sure there were no conflicts between that and the buttons I set up though this could still be a source of the problem.  I'm hoping that Minwah's next update will resolve some of these issues.

dawayne:  That's a possibility.  I got my ps2 to usb adapter from electricquarter.com.  It was highly reccommended by people on this board.  It's the super dual box.  It did come with a disk with a driver on it.  maybe I'll try reinstalling that.  If I remember correctly the adapter just popped up as plug and play and I may not have installed the driver that came with it.  Good suggestion.
-G

[Minwah]

You have two usb gamepads essentially, right?  They will not always come up in XP in the same order.  The only sure fire way of having USB devises come up in the same order it to plug them in order after a hard reset.

I thought they are auto-arranged into alphabetical order in XP?  They seem to do that on mine anyway, regardless on plug-in-order...

[SirPoonga]

That could be, but we are talking about two of the SAME controllers.

[simplygriff]

That could be, but we are talking about two of the SAME controllers.

Yes plugged into 1 adapter in 1 USB slot.  They both show up as HIDxxxx  with the x's as numbers.  and the first is player 1 and second player 2.
-G

[CrispyXUK2]

ctrlr files can do something the TAB menu can't, it can define controls for a group of games.  You can create aneogeo.ini file to define all the controls for neogeo.  You can define a vector.ini to define the controls for all the vector games.  You can make a trackball.ini file for all the trackball games.  With my hacks which are included in No Name Mame you can make a vector.ini and a horizont.ini so you can remap controls based on orientation (good for cocktail cabs).  Als you could do button#.ini where # is the number of buttons.  So you could remap ALL 6 button games.
Also, before .84 ctrlr files was the only way a frontend would be able to know how your controls are configured.  cfg files were binary.  What made this important is if you used something like HowardC's johnny5 viewer.  The viewer reads your ctrlr files to correctly display the information based on you configuration.

Hi,

I'd like to have controls setup for different #buttoned games, how would I go about this? default controls are fine for 1-3 button games but I'd like to set controls universally for 4 button and six button games, can you help me?

Thanks