Predefined pushbuttons for start immediately 3-5 games - how to

[francmusic]

I plan to create Defender cabinet for Mame inside,but I wish to have 3-5 pushbuttons to start my favorite games immediately.
For example: 3 extra buttons for: Defender, Galaga, Xevious to start by "hardware choice". Of course with possibility of other Mame games selected with software menu of frontend.

It's possible? Which Mame or frontend version can do it?

Thanks for help

[Tiger-Heli]

Tough question - I don't know of a Mame version or frontend that supports this.

What I think you might be able to do -

Read up on Batchrun and Autohotkey -

I think (if you have enough extra keys on your keyboard encoder) -

You could say program your Defender button to send D - (and make sure D is not used in MAME).

Now you either run an AutoHotKey script that sends "C:\mame\mame.exe defender" or create a batchrun file defender.brs which does the same thing named defender.brs.

The problem is that would launch the game when you press the button with the command prompt window open, but not when your frontend has focus.

I can't recall if Batchrun has the ability to assign hotkeys to .brs files, but that would do what you want.

I am pretty sure AHK has the ability to launch apps instead of sending keystrokers when a key is sent, but not sure exactly how to do that, but that is the direction you want to go.

Hopeful, this will get you started and someone else will fill in the details for you!!!!

[ErikRuud]

If AutoHotKey can't do it (I am pretty sure it can), AutoIt can.

I prefer AutoIt over AutoHotKey

[Malenko]

if it doesnt work, and if youre using windows, you could just set up a shortcut on the desktop then double click the icon.  I know its not a solution to what youre asking, but it is an alternative.

[Havok]

AtomicFE can do this!

You can define up to three custom keys to run whatever games you want.

First, use AtomicKeys to map the custom keys to your buttons.
Second, define what each key does in AtomicManager under External Commands, User Actions.

The only limitation is that it will only work with keyboards\keyboard encoders, so no gamepads or gamepad encoders.

[HaRuMaN]

AtomicFE can do this!

You can define up to three custom keys to run whatever games you want.

First, use AtomicKeys to map the custom keys to your buttons.
Second, define what each key does in AtomicManager under External Commands, User Actions.

The only limitation is that it will only work with keyboards\keyboard encoders, so no gamepads or gamepad encoders.

You could setup Joy2Key, and get around the gamepad limitation.

[Havok]

You could setup Joy2Key, and get around the gamepad limitation.

Yep - forgot about that app...

[Tiger-Heli]

AtomicFE can do this!

You can define up to three custom keys to run whatever games you want.

First, use AtomicKeys to map the custom keys to your buttons.
Second, define what each key does in AtomicManager under External Commands, User Actions.

The only limitation is that it will only work with keyboards\keyboard encoders, so no gamepads or gamepad encoders.

You could setup Joy2Key, and get around the gamepad limitation.

Or RB2Joy or RBJoy - forget name - same idea, though.