Mala now has LEDWiz support! (No mod chip required)

[edge]

Thanks to the wonderful work of Swindus, the latest version of Mala has added "plugin" capability (info here).  With this, Mala can easily talk to external applications to drive behaviour based on Mala events.  The options are endless!

One of the new plugins adds full LEDWiz support to Mala (info here).  This does not require the IoWarrior mod chip that loadman refers to -- this works with the LEDWiz as is.

To fully benefit from the new functionality, you need to create CFG files to tell Mala how your LEDWiz is wired, what colors you want, what controls you want, etc.  To help with that, we have created the Mala LEDWizard (working name, might change ).

The first version of the application is almost complete.  Once I get Swindus & loadman's blessing, I will package it up for distribution.  I hope to have it out this weekend (or sooner!).

Below is a screen shot.  I will post more details soon.

Thanks.
Edge

(P.S.  I have not programmed in ages, so I still got a little rust to shake off.  I am open to all suggestions!)

[headkaze]

Wow I had no idea how complicated adding LEDWiz support to a FE could be! Considering that adding support for a BetaBrite sign takes one batch file command to send the .lcd file to the com port.

I would imagine if LEDWiz had some program that could generate lcd files for each game like Silver's LCDGen program it would be as simple to do it that way also.

[edge]

Tell me about it.

In order for Mala (or any FE) to light up your control buttons properly, it needs to know:
- Controls for each game (controls.dat)
- How the LEDWiz is wired (ie, RGB Button1 is wired into my first LEDWiz at Inputs 1,2,3)
- What each button on your control panel is used for (ie, RGB Button1 is actually PLAYER 1 Start)
- Etc...

It was like putting a puzzle together to get all the pieces to work...

I tried to make the app as easy as possible.  I am looking forward to user comments.

[swindus]

I would imagine if LEDWiz had some program that could generate lcd files for each game like Silver's LCDGen program it would be as simple to do it that way also.

There is no need to generate those files, the plugin does the lightning 'on the fly' with the information from the config file. If you want you can overwrite the MaLa default lightning with game or emulator specific config files. For example for special colors for a particular game or emulator.

[loadman]

The application is almost complete.  Once I get Swindus & loadman's blessing, I will package it up for distribution.  I hope to have it out this weekend (or sooner!).

FYI This is just the initial release . More features wil be added to future versions. Suggestions Welcome

Wow I had no idea how complicated adding LEDWiz support to a FE could be!

FYI  The Plug-in System was deliberately set-up this was so that users/developers could add support for features/hardware without any need to have the MaLa code changed. Also sometimes 'real life' takes over so SWINDUS is unavailable for certain periods, this way seems to be a good solution..  and FUN 

Considering that adding support for a BetaBrite sign takes one batch file command to send the .lcd file to the com port.

Could you please send me those details so I/we can look at making a 'simple' plug-in for it in the future. I don't have a 'betabrite'..yet 

[headkaze]

There is no need to generate those files, the plugin does it 'on the fly' with the information from the config file. If you want you can overwrite the MaLa default lightning with game or emulator specific config files. For example when you want some special colors for a particular game or emulator.

It's great you've got a custom solution for Mala, but I was thinking if the same method used to send data to the BetaBrite signs was applied to LEDWiz then it would have been a five second job to add LEDWiz support to any front end.

BTW I'm not a Mala user

[headkaze]

Could you please send me those details so I/we can look at making a 'simple' plug-in for it in the future. I don't have a 'betabrite'..yet 

I explain how to do it for Youki here. It's very easy to do, like I said a 5 second job!

[loadman]

It's great you've got a custom solution for Mala, but I was thinking if the same method used to send data to the BetaBrite signs was applied to LEDWiz then it would have been a five second job to add LEDWiz support to any front end. BTW I'm not a Mala user

If you ever play with MaLa set-up with Hardware you may change that view. There is some pretty 'smart' code behind it so cools stuff happens depensing on what the FE is doing or what game is selected...

I explain how to do it for Youki here. It's very easy to do, like a said a 5 second job!

Thanks GameEX man!   

[swindus]

It's great you've got a custom solution for Mala, but I was thinking if the same method used to send data to the BetaBrite signs was applied to LEDWiz then it would have been a five second job to add LEDWiz support to any front end.

BTW I'm not a Mala user

FYI, I know that you are not a MaLa user. 

I think I have misunderstood the sense of your previous post. Sure, such a method would work with any frontend. But you still have to know which button ist connected to which output on the LEDWiz.

[headkaze]

It's great you've got a custom solution for Mala, but I was thinking if the same method used to send data to the BetaBrite signs was applied to LEDWiz then it would have been a five second job to add LEDWiz support to any front end.

BTW I'm not a Mala user

FYI, I know that you are not a MaLa user. 

I think I have misunderstood the sense of your previous post. Sure, such a method would work with any frontend. But you still have to know which button ist connected to which output on the LEDWiz.

Mala still looks like a great FE, no doubt about it

The way I invision a global solution that would work for every FE would be like this.

- There is a program like LCDGen that you use to configure all your buttons and connection outputs to the LEDWiz.
- You press a "generate" button and it goes through controls.ini and generates binary files for each ROM that is the raw data required to light up the buttons for that game.
- To have the controls light up, you simple launch a batch file before the MAME game that sends the appropriate lcd/binary file to the com port the LEDWiz is attached to.

This is basically how the BetaBrite sign method works. And this would mean all FE's could have LEDWiz support by adding a simple batch command before running each Mame game.

[swindus]

Here you go.

Take this little command line tool to send a config file for one game to the LEDwiz. The format of the config file is the same like the game config format of the MaLa plugin. Have a look in the plugin docs. You can find an example in the zip file too.

The application takes 3 parameter on the command line:
LEDWizLighter.exe 1942 2 0
1942: config file name, results in: 1942.cfg
2: Global Pulse Speed (1-7, default 2 if empty)
0: Fast Com Switch (0 or 1, default 0 if empty)

To switch all LEDs off use AllLedsOff as first parameter:
LEDWizLighter.exe AllLedsOff

Place the exe in one folder with all config files or the config files cannot be loaded by this app. And of course you need to register the needed ocx ....

Works like the plugin with up to 16 devices and has full RGB LED support.

Have fun!

http://mala.arcadezentrum.com/LEDWizLighter.zip

PS: Everybody can use it for free! 


 

[edge]

I would imagine if LEDWiz had some program that could generate lcd files for each game like Silver's LCDGen program it would be as simple to do it that way also.

Here you go.

Take this little command line tool to send a config file for one game to the LEDwiz. The format of the config file is the same like the game config format of the MaLa plugin. Have a look in the plugin docs. You can find an example in the zip file too.

Wow.  That was quick Swindus!    I love how things evolve.

This approach broadens the potential usage of these LEDWiz CFG files:
- With our Mala LEDwizard, you can create game specific LEDWiz CFG files (ie, 1942.cfg).
- You can then use Swindus' LEDWizLighter to light up your buttons when you launch your game (via a batch file).

Very interesting...

[loadman]

Works like the plug in with up to 16 devices and has full RGB LED support.

Have fun!

http://mala.arcadezentrum.com/LEDWizLighter.zip

PS: Everybody can use it for free! 

WOW Cool.... so other FE's could use this even DOS like ones that were running under WIN98 DOS mode I guess (to have the OCX running)?

versatility plus!

[headkaze]

Swindus, I have to say that is a really nice of you to do that

 

I don't have a LEDWiz to test this, but do people have to generate a config file for each ROM? Like I mean do I need to write some special program to generate the configs? If there needs to be one, I don't mind writing one for the community, but I would need to know the format.

Thanks again!

Here you go.

Take this little command line tool to send a config file for one game to the LEDwiz. The format of the config file is the same like the game config format of the MaLa plugin. Have a look in the plugin docs. You can find an example in the zip file too.

The application takes 3 parameter on the command line:
LEDWizLighter.exe 1942 2 0
1942: config file name, results in: 1942.cfg
2: Global Pulse Speed (1-7, default 2 if empty)
0: Fast Com Switch (0 or 1, default 0 if empty)

To switch all LEDs off use AllLedsOff as first parameter:
LEDWizLighter.exe AllLedsOff

Place the exe in one folder with all config files or the config files cannot be loaded by this app. And of course you need to register the needed ocx ....

Works like the plugin with up to 16 devices and has full RGB LED support.

Have fun!

http://mala.arcadezentrum.com/LEDWizLighter.zip

PS: Everybody can use it for free! 


 

[swindus]

I don't have a LEDWiz to test this, but do people have to generate a config file for each ROM? Like I mean do I need to write some special program to generate the configs?

Yes, like the LCDGen application.

If there needs to be one, I don't mind writing one for the community, but I would need to know the format.

Have a look at the MaLa LEDWiz plugin docs. You can find an example of a config file in the zip file too. Its a simple text file, something like that:

P1_START,1,SINGLE,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,48
P1_BUTTON1,1,SINGLE,0,0,0,0,0,0,3,48
P1_BUTTON2,1,SINGLE,0,0,0,0,0,0,5,48
P1_BUTTON3,1,SINGLE,0,0,0,0,0,0,7,48
P2_START,1,SINGLE,0,0,0,0,0,0,9,48
P2_BUTTON1,1,SINGLE,0,0,0,0,0,0,11,48
P2_BUTTON2,1,SINGLE,0,0,0,0,0,0,13,48
P2_BUTTON3,1,SINGLE,0,0,0,0,0,0,14,48
....

[headkaze]

Thanks swindus, I'll check the docs

[edge]

I don't have a LEDWiz to test this, but do people have to generate a config file for each ROM? Like I mean do I need to write some special program to generate the configs? If there needs to be one, I don't mind writing one for the community, but I would need to know the format.

Headkaze,
I was planning on adding that functionality to the LEDWizard as well.  Please keep me posted on your progress, and I will do the same. 

[mr.Curmudgeon]

This latest flurry of development has left me a bit confused.

At this point, is it possible to light up each specific control configuration (on a per game basis), with the correct (illuminated) RGB button color?  Or is that somewhere down the line?



mrC

[edge]

At this point, is it possible to light up each specific control configuration (on a per game basis), with the correct (illuminated) RGB button color?  Or is that somewhere down the line?

Here's what you can do now with the Mala Plugin:
- Light up the correct controls per game (ie, in 1942, P1Button1(fire) and P1BUTTON2(loop) will light up)
- Specify the default colors for your RGB buttons (ie, Player 1 Button 1 is always blue).
- For a specific game, you can override your default button colors and specify a diff color (ie, in 1943, I want my buttons to be RED, not blue).

Mrc - I hope that makes sense.  Let me know.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

- For a specific game, you can override your default button colors and specify a diff color (ie, in 1943, I want my buttons to be RED, not blue).

One question, is this a manual override? (ie: must be configured for each game), or can it get this info form controls .dat?

Wasn't there another front-end that lit the controls with the correct color (powermame?) How was that handled?

mrC

[edge]

One question, is this a manual override? (ie: must be configured for each game), or can it get this info form controls .dat?
Wasn't there another front-end that lit the controls with the correct color (powermame?) How was that handled?
mrC

It's a manual override for now because controls.dat does not contain color info.  It knows what controls are used for each game, but not the color of the button.  I know HowardC mentioned he is starting a colors.ini file that will house this type of info.  To my knowledge, that does not exist yet.  When it does, we can add it in ledwizard as well.

As for Powermame, I have never used it so I cannot comment.  I thought it did the same thing - lit the proper controls - without knowledge of what color it should be.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Thanks for the clarification!

[Howard_Casto]

One question, is this a manual override? (ie: must be configured for each game), or can it get this info form controls .dat?
Wasn't there another front-end that lit the controls with the correct color (powermame?) How was that handled?
mrC

It's a manual override for now because controls.dat does not contain color info.  It knows what controls are used for each game, but not the color of the button.  I know HowardC mentioned he is starting a colors.ini file that will house this type of info.  To my knowledge, that does not exist yet.  When it does, we can add it in ledwizard as well.

As for Powermame, I have never used it so I cannot comment.  I thought it did the same thing - lit the proper controls - without knowledge of what color it should be.

Rather than making a full plugin... it might just be simpler to make a plugin that simply calls the j5 beta with the "-justlight" flag.  It isn't lightning fast or anything but j5 has the manual color override and the most accurate parsing of the controls.dat.  The other benefit is that users don't have to setup their light layouts twice. 

Feel free to play with it if you have the urge, just a thought.

[loadman]

This does not require the IoWarrior mod chip that loadman refers to -- this works with the LEDWiz as is.

Just to clarify even further, the mod chip is still a very valid choice if you don't need/want RGB and Intensity levels on your LEDS and the software for it is complete and built into MaLa (lots of options). As is the MaLa Hardware (which I have) to drive LCD as well.

Having said that Edge and I will build up the LedWiz Plugin in the future to add more features.. Suggestions welcome

Rather than making a full plugin... it might just be simpler to make a plugin that simply calls the j5 beta with the "-justlight" flag.  It isn't lightning fast or anything but j5 has the manual color override and the most accurate parsing of the controls.dat.  The other benefit is that users don't have to setup their light layouts twice. 

Nice thinking

[edge]

Update:
Version 1 has been released.  Details here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=59376.0

[Popcorrin]

I have been using the ledwiz plugin with mala and everything works great except when using it with powermame.  I noticed when launching powermame and then returning to mala that the lighting no longer worked after returning from a game.  I tried setting the 'off while gaming' option in the ledwiz.cfg file and it didn't make any difference.

[loadman]

I have been using the ledwiz plugin with mala and everything works great except when using it with powermame.  I noticed when launching powermame and then returning to mala that the lighting no longer worked after returning from a game.  I tried setting the 'off while gaming' option in the ledwiz.cfg file and it didn't make any difference.

Bugger..

That was the reason that option of 'off while gaming'
was put there in the first place really, so a hybrid-mame version or a control panel display panel prog like johnny 5 could take the Led-Wiz after mala launches a game if you want

Can you tell me where I can get a version of Powermame that drives the Led-Wiz please so I can test this?

[Popcorrin]

You can download it from here, http://www.powermame.com/pmwiki.php?n=Main.Download

I am using the latest version 105.0.1b.

[squirrellydw]

Any chance you could have it say what the button does when it is lit up, like PowerMAME does?  For example the jump button lights up and then while it is lit you hear JUMP.

Oh, and I have a 3 sided cocktail table, any way to tell the LEDWiz plugin what control panel to use?  For example the 2 control panels on the end are for player 1 and 2 while the 3rd CP is for playing horizontal games for player 1 and 2.  Understand?

Just an idea, great job, I might have to switch.

[headkaze]

Any chance you could have it say what the button does when it is lit up, like PowerMAME does?  For example the jump button lights up and then while it is lit you hear JUMP.

What do you mean "hear JUMP"? Does it speak the action of each button as it lights them up with XP's speech engine? That's a pretty cool idea!

[squirrellydw]

Yes, that is exactly what it does.  the button stays lit while speaking its action than lights up the next button and speaks that action.  Gives you a quick idea of what is what.

[edge]

Yes, that is exactly what it does.  the button stays lit while speaking its action than lights up the next button and speaks that action.  Gives you a quick idea of what is what.

Very interesting....

Squirrellydw,
So what if...

- When you are in Mala, as you scroll through the game lists, the appropriate buttons are lit for each game.
- When you launch a game, Mala lights the buttons for that game, one by one.  As it lights each button, it "speaks" the action for that button (ie, JUMP).
- When playing the game, the appropriate buttons stay lit.
- When you exit the game, you come back to Mala as usual.

Would that work?

Loadman - I smell a new plugin... A combination LEDWizard + Speech. 

[loadman]

Loadman - I smell a new plugin... A combination LEDWizard + Speech. 

..Loadman has now gone away to Ponder suggestions......

[squirrellydw]

Yes, that is exactly what it does.  the button stays lit while speaking its action than lights up the next button and speaks that action.  Gives you a quick idea of what is what.

Very interesting....

Squirrellydw,
So what if...

- When you are in Mala, as you scroll through the game lists, the appropriate buttons are lit for each game.
- When you launch a game, Mala lights the buttons for that game, one by one.  As it lights each button, it "speaks" the action for that button (ie, JUMP).
- When playing the game, the appropriate buttons stay lit.
- When you exit the game, you come back to Mala as usual.

Would that work?

Loadman - I smell a new plugin... A combination LEDWizard + Speech. 

Yes, but I would change one little thing.  When you select the game also have all the buttons for that game light up first, then light each one and have it speak its action.

I think I might have to switch to MALA now.

[squirrellydw]

Mike use to have a demo of it in action on his site, but it looks as if the site is no longer

[edge]

I think I understand now, squirrelly.  Thanks for clarifying.  Sounds like a cool addition.  We have the 2 Mala plugins working seperately (LEDWiz and Speech).  Now we have to get them to talk to each other.  Shouldn't be that bad.     hehe.

[squirrellydw]

great look forward to it.  My cocktail table should be done by March and I should be able to start testing it by February.

[rockin_rick]

- When you are in Mala, as you scroll through the game lists, the appropriate buttons are lit for each game.
- When you launch a game, Mala lights the buttons for that game, one by one.  As it lights each button, it "speaks" the action for that button (ie, JUMP).
- When playing the game, the appropriate buttons stay lit.
- When you exit the game, you come back to Mala as usual.

Yes, but I would change one little thing.  When you select the game also have all the buttons for that game light up first, then light each one and have it speak its action.

This little change is closer to what (IMHO) I would want it to do, but I would make another small change to:

- When you are in Mala, as you scroll through the game lists, the appropriate buttons are lit for each game.
- When you launch a game, Mala lights all the appropriate buttons for the game - they should already be lit (no change necessary) from scrolling through the list.
- It then, one by one, "speaks" the action for that button (ie, JUMP) while flashing it at about 2-10 Hz.  When the one is flashing, the others that the game uses stay lit.
- When playing the game, the appropriate buttons stay lit.
- When you exit the game, you come back to Mala as usual.

This way, all buttons that are being used by the game never all go out, it's more easy to remember/relate the position of each to the others, it's easy to tell just how many are left to speak, and it looks cooler! (to me anyway...)

Perhaps the flash rate could be a user setting.

Maybe there could be some way to make it repeat speaking each button before starting the game.  For instance, if for some reason you missed what the first button said and would like it to repeat speaking all of them, (maybe) you could push a button or move a control to make it loop through each button again.  Alternatively, perhaps there could also be a skip button assigned.

The more I think about it, the more I think that it would be nice to have a way that it doesn't always speak the functions.  I can imagine that you will have some games that you play a lot and know what the buttons do, and don't want to waste time listening to it speak.  Perhaps when selecting the game, you can do something to indicate if you want to hear the speaking or not.  Maybe 2 different "enter/select game" methods?  Maybe have the FE remember how many times you've played a game, and if that amount is above a user set value, not speak?  That way, games you don't play much get the commands spoken, while games that you play more (and thus know the functions) don't waste time speaking.  This method falls through if you consider that while you play a certain game(s) a lot, perhaps you have someone else visiting who doesn't know the functions.  Maybe some way to take care of this, like a selection to "speak all" or to "speak not often played".  (This assumes that stats on play frequency are kept.)  Then you can just change that to "speak not often played" when only you are playing, and change it to "speak all" when you have friends over who probably don't know what the buttons do.  I suppose that if these options were implemented it would make sense to add a third option: "speak never".

Just brainstorming.... ideas?

Rick

[headkaze]

- When you are in Mala, as you scroll through the game lists, the appropriate buttons are lit for each game.
- When you launch a game, Mala lights the buttons for that game, one by one.  As it lights each button, it "speaks" the action for that button (ie, JUMP).
- When playing the game, the appropriate buttons stay lit.
- When you exit the game, you come back to Mala as usual.

Yes, but I would change one little thing.  When you select the game also have all the buttons for that game light up first, then light each one and have it speak its action.

This little change is closer to what (IMHO) I would want it to do, but I would make another small change to:

- When you are in Mala, as you scroll through the game lists, the appropriate buttons are lit for each game.
- When you launch a game, Mala lights all the appropriate buttons for the game - they should already be lit (no change necessary) from scrolling through the list.
- It then, one by one, "speaks" the action for that button (ie, JUMP) while flashing it at about 2-10 Hz.  When the one is flashing, the others that the game uses stay lit.
- When playing the game, the appropriate buttons stay lit.
- When you exit the game, you come back to Mala as usual.

This way, all buttons that are being used by the game never all go out, it's more easy to remember/relate the position of each to the others, it's easy to tell just how many are left to speak, and it looks cooler! (to me anyway...)

Perhaps the flash rate could be a user setting.

Maybe there could be some way to make it repeat speaking each button before starting the game.  For instance, if for some reason you missed what the first button said and would like it to repeat speaking all of them, (maybe) you could push a button or move a control to make it loop through each button again.  Alternatively, perhaps there could also be a skip button assigned.

The more I think about it, the more I think that it would be nice to have a way that it doesn't always speak the functions.  I can imagine that you will have some games that you play a lot and know what the buttons do, and don't want to waste time listening to it speak.  Perhaps when selecting the game, you can do something to indicate if you want to hear the speaking or not.  Maybe 2 different "enter/select game" methods?  Maybe have the FE remember how many times you've played a game, and if that amount is above a user set value, not speak?  That way, games you don't play much get the commands spoken, while games that you play more (and thus know the functions) don't waste time speaking.  This method falls through if you consider that while you play a certain game(s) a lot, perhaps you have someone else visiting who doesn't know the functions.  Maybe some way to take care of this, like a selection to "speak all" or to "speak not often played".  (This assumes that stats on play frequency are kept.)  Then you can just change that to "speak not often played" when only you are playing, and change it to "speak all" when you have friends over who probably don't know what the buttons do.  I suppose that if these options were implemented it would make sense to add a third option: "speak never".

Just brainstorming.... ideas?

Rick

I like your idea about having the button being spoken as flashing leaving each one lit as it goes through.

I think to solve the problem when you don't want to hear all the buttons being spoken, just have a button press to skip it.

I've got the basic function working in my plugin test program (for another FE) so here are some of my tips for loadman..

Speak(action, 0) means that the thread will not continue to the next line until the word has finished being spoken. This is problematic (from my experience helping Tom write the Speech plugin for GameEx) since it was pausing the whole FE while the word is spoken, even when it's a dll and supposidly a separate thread. So we added SVSFPurgeBeforeSpeak and SVSFlagsAsync flags to the second parameter (ie Speak(ROMName,  SVSFPurgeBeforeSpeak | SVSFlagsAsync) so that it would allow you to select another game even if it's already speaking a game.

For this plugin I put the whole loop of hilighting and speaking the action in a thread, but I have a feeling this may still cause a pause in the FE. The good thing about using Speak(action, 0) means you can hilight the button and move onto the next only until after the action has finished being spoken. I have a feeling it may need to be changed to run Asyncronously and have a timer delay between speaking each action.

[loadman]

adding speech to the plug-in (0r anything) is very easy ....and I like the ideas being put forward....     

rockin_rick seems thinks the way I do.  Nice Brainstorm action  

They seem practical and fun....  Just like me 

Thanks Guys..  I will check out Headkaze tip to implement effectively

Just thinking out loud
* I will use the built in flash/ramp function in the ledwiz as that way there is less code involved and the flash/ramp rate will be user set by the ledwiz GPS

I will submit an application to the wife to get some quality coding time soon to work on this.

But I think this is going to happen.    The ideas are too cool to ignore.