I-PAC shift function vs. KeyWiz Shazaam Function for Howard C.

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Tiger-Heli:
(continued)

I agree with HC that IN PRACTICE there is not much difference between the KeyWiz and using a DEDICATED shift button on the I-PAC, other than I have 32 remaining inputs on the KeyWiz and only 27 on the I-PAC (and 27 is one input shy of a 4-player 3-button panel).

The Shazaam! button does not work the same and doesn't work the same as assigning multiple inputs in MAME. For example,

The Shazaam! button works with another button on Key Down, the I-PAC shift function works on Key Release. Also, we had all heard the horror stories of how pressing P1 Start and P2 Start at the same time ends a game with the I-PAC (and this happens more often if you just map 1&2 to UI EXIT in MAME, because this is sent immediately). A shazaam! button eliminates this b/c it only sends the shifted input, and so there is no possibility of accidently sending a shift key by pressing the wrong key combination (there is no Shazaam function assigned to another button, which I could accidentally press in normal gameplay).

A further advantage of RandyT's design are the adapters mentioned above. Using this method, for example, I can have all 32 KeyWiz buttons assigned to inputs. Now I add a button for Coin1 and map it to Shazaam!-P1B2="5" (and the same theory applies for Coins 2 through 4, Start 1 through 4, Pause, and Escape). The disadvantage is that when I insert a coin, the P1B2 action also occurs, so the P1 character jumps. However, I have no extra buttons on my Panel and more importantly, I just press the Coin1 button to insert a coin, without having to remember "ok, now I want to put a coin in, so I need to press Shazaam! and then P1B2, because that's where my shift input is".

RandyT, please advise if I misunderstood how the adapters work.

RandyT:

--- Quote from: Tiger-Heli on February 20, 2003, 07:00:56 am ---\
The disadvantage is that when I insert a coin, the P1B2 action also occurs, so the P1 character jumps. However, I have no extra buttons on my Panel and more importantly, I just press the Coin1 button to insert a coin, without having to remember "ok, now I want to put a coin in, so I need to press Shazaam! and then P1B2, because that's where my shift input is".

RandyT, please advise if I misunderstood how the adapters work.

--- End quote ---

You were close! But the first line of the above paragraph is incorrect.

The only time this would send an additional keycode, is if you were trying to use one of your "special" buttons as a dual purpose button. You could never have the scenario of P1 "jumping" as that function would not be assigned to a Shazaaam! keycode. An example:

1) You have your "P1Start" button wired as a "special" button, which means that it is shared with a normal input whose "Shazaaam!" keycode is ";" You would also set up your application so that ";" performed the function you wanted associated with "P1Start".

2) Pressing this button by itself immediately sends ";", with no delays and no other keycodes. Unless you are at the main screen with credits racked up, this will do nothing. As this is an "odd" character, chances are next to nil that this will have any effect in an outside application either.

3) If you press another button, while holding this one down, the Shazaaam! keycode for the other button is sent immediately and on key down.

4) You can hit as many keys as you want while holding the "P1Start" button down to send as many Shazaaam! keycodes as you like.

5) In this manner, "P1Start" can take the place of a dedicated Shazaaam! button. The only extra character that would ever be sent when used as described above would be the ";" character, which wouldn't do anything except in a very specific circumstance.

If you have separate "special" buttons for every extra feature you want to use, you could basically forget that the Shazaaam! even exists. In other words, it works to do what you want it to, but you don't have to think about it :). No extra keycodes are sent when set up this way.

If I'm still not being clear on this, please let me know. It's important that folks understand how this works and the benefits it provides :) .

Randy

Tiger-Heli:
I think I have it, and I think I see a problem:

My idea was, for example, to have P1B4-Shazaam! set up as COIN1="4", P4B4-Shazaam! Set up as Coin4="8", and have the Coin Buttons wired up as special buttons.

My incorrect assumption was that when I pressed the COIN1 Button, the KeyWiz would send LShift first and then 4.

If I understand correctly, pressing Coin1 will immediately send ONLY "4" (as desired), but if I press Coin1 and Player 4 simultaneously presses --BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--, "8" (coin4) will be sent instead of P4B4.

This could be disastrous if one of my Shazaam buttons is mapped to Escape or Pause :-((

Do I have it right now?

rampy:
Well.. FWIW I just ordered one.. and I will do a review. I do not have an ipac to compare it to (just a sidewinder hack)... but I can be a reasonable test case for ease of installation, ease of use... compatibility, etc...

So... Randy quit posting messages and go process my order (just teasing) =P

Rampy

RandyT:

--- Quote from: Tiger-Heli on February 20, 2003, 09:44:17 am ---I think I have it, and I think I see a problem:

My idea was, for example, to have P1B4-Shazaam! set up as COIN1="4", P4B4-Shazaam! Set up as Coin4="8", and have the Coin Buttons wired up as special buttons.

My incorrect assumption was that when I pressed the COIN1 Button, the KeyWiz would send LShift first and then 4.

If I understand correctly, pressing Coin1 will immediately send ONLY "4" (as desired), but if I press Coin1 and Player 4 simultaneously presses --BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--, "8" (coin4) will be sent instead of P4B4.

This could be disastrous if one of my Shazaam buttons is mapped to Escape or Pause :-((

Do I have it right now?

--- End quote ---

Yes, this is correct.

But since the Shazaaam! feature supports multiple simultaneous keypresses, you could have those functions mapped in software so they wouldn't trigger unless 2, 3 or more specific buttons were pressed at the same time.

Which leads me to another way the dual-purpose key can be set up in software. In the example I gave earlier, the dual purpose button was mapped to ";". If the software you are using supports multiple key mappings, you could make every extra feature to equal ";" + (keycode). No extra keycodes. :)

RandyT

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