Controls question

[stephenp1983]

could you use a joystick like this for games like starwars? http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2221,CONTENTID=6954

How would you set it up in the control settings in mame, as a mouse or what? Same question for a steering wheel, I'd like to have both of these controllers where I could just plug them into a usb port when I wanted to use them, but not have them in use all the time.

Is there a setting in mame that I could change in the general controls that wouldn't mess up my regular control settings or would I just have to change the controls in each game individually?

[Kremmit]

That's an analog joystick, so it should handle Star Wars just fine.  You don't have to configure it as a mouse or anything, you just have to tell MAME to enable joystick input, and it ought to work.  You may or may not want to flip the X-axis, depending on whether you want to play it flightsim style, or cannon-aiming style.

[u_rebelscum]

could you use a joystick like this for games like starwars?

Yes

How would you set it up in the control settings in mame, as a mouse or what?

Just like posted by Kermmit, just enable joysticks, except...

Same question for a steering wheel, I'd like to have both of these controllers where I could just plug them into a usb port when I wanted to use them, but not have them in use all the time.

If you always have both plugged in, you'll have to remap depending on how windows numbers them.  If the stick is joystick 2, then you'll have to remap starwars (and other analog joystick games); if the wheel is joystick 2, then you'll have to remap the driving games:  Tab, "Input (this game)", select the direction, enter, move stick/wheel, repeat last three.  (For more details on remapping, MameFAQ or easyemu.)

Is there a setting in mame that I could change in the general controls that wouldn't mess up my regular control settings or would I just have to change the controls in each game individually?

One thing you can do is set up two ctrlr files: one for the stick, the other for the wheel.  Then make game specific ini files with only one line in them "ctrlr stick" or "ctrlr wheel" (assuming you named the ctrlr files "stick.cfg" and "wheel.cfg").  Ctrlr files are a little harder to describe, so it will be easier for us helpers if you looked at easyemu's ctrlr page and the ctrlr files that comes with mame binary (in the ctrlr folder), and then asked specific questions if you have any.

You can also unplug the unused controller before you start mame instead of any remapping, but you have to remember to do so everytime you switch.

It's a little easier to do the ctrlr files IMO, but it is a little more learning up front.  [shrug]

[stephenp1983]

So basicly I would have a seperate ctrl file for each of my controllers.  I would have one for my main controller (two joystick, trackball, 4 way etc) that I would use most of the time, but when I wanted to use my flight stick I would just plug it in and change the ctrl file from within mame32.  Kinda like how xarcade is one of the configs you can select.  So basicly whenever you build your own controller your going to have to write a config for it to work best?  Is there a simple program that writes ctrl configs are is that done manually.

[stephenp1983]

I'm little confused in the difference between the ctrl files that you can select like if your using a xarcade you can choose it or a customed one that you create, and the cfg files that are include each seperate game and one default file.