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Button Mapping Graphic Display
u_rebelscum:
--- Quote ---I dunno...this all makes my head hurt! :( I'll leave it to the techies, they seem to be on the right track.
--- End quote ---
Sorry, my answers are always waaay too long. :-/
Recap: the cfg files are hard to read, and the only data they have that my file doesn't is: that user's non-standard input settings at run time. A good reason for the FE to use the cfg files when mapping the buttons, but not to build the original DB.
And what SteveJ34 said too. Now I shut up and keep the answer short. :-X
darkmanx:
Im no expert or anything, but I do have another idea which seems simpler to me.. I dont know what language FE's are usually coded in or anything but.. I do know visual basic.
Now say you create your form with a layout of pretty much any control someone would conceivably have represented by a picturebox or label or whatever you want for each control. If you want it simple you could do that with a generic layout, or you could make it so the user could add/remove/move any control type they want.
The info would be stored in an .ini file or something. To show which controls are used for each game you simply have one picture of the control dimmed, and another lit up to show it as used in that game; also you could have a label for each that tells what it does. Of course the biggest part is gathering all the info for so many games.
But once you get past that it seems simple to me. When a person clicks the name of the rom it highlights the controls for that game and also calls up the description of what the control does from the .ini. also, you could just have a generic "type" of layout as some of you have suggested already.
One thing im not sure of how to do but could probably be figured out without too much trouble is.. entries in the .ini to save the positions and labels for all the buttons. probably not too hard but surely tedious. but anyway, this is just a brief example of what the code could be like, bare with me if it seems confusing. explaining code isnt as easy as writing it.
first people set thier custom controls.. a section in the ini (programmable through the GUI of course..:
[default controls]
picture1= butn1
picture2= butn2
etc...
after they select all thier buttons and whatnot they can be referenced in the ini later on..
ok say this is for street fighter..
you have info in your ini for each game name like:
[streetfighter]
butn1=xx
butn1label= fierce punch
butn2=xx
butn2label= medium punch
etc.. for each input the person has.
then when the list is clicked, it will call up each setting from the .ini file. if there is no setting for a particular button, it is dimmed. if there is it gets highlighted and the label is applied.
also, a seperate program could be writtin to input the default entries into the ini file.
well i dunno its just an idea. any thoughts or questions about it feel free to let em fly.
SirPoonga:
Anyone start anything yet?
mrC:
..Second that...
This is such a cool idea and you've all gone so far
towards a logical solution! Pleeeease makes this happen... ;)
As a big fanboy of this thread I'd love to see this project
come to fruition. But, alas, as I have no db or programming skills, I will just keep up high hopes.
*crosses fingers* 8)
slug54:
Just thought I would put up a couple of screenshots of
the front end I'm designing for my cab.
Thought it might give somebody some ideas or help with visualising this project.
The mouse pointer doesn't show in these screen captures but when the mouse moves over a button for a game the screenshot changes and the control panel graphics change to match the game. It also will show any special instructions you want for each game.
I don't pull the info from mame or anything
I just go into the configuration menu and use drop down menus to select the controls that are used for each game and also use drop down menus for the controls descriptions IE shoot , turn, Punch or you can type whatever you want for a label like "Rotate Claw"
for tempest. I only show my top 75 favorite games
with this format at the momemt. If you wan't to play
something different I have a button that will launch mame32 for all the remaining games.
the graphics are pretty crude for the C-panel at this point, I've been working more on the functionality of it.
This is definitely not ready for prime time.
Here are the pics.
http://home.insightbb.com/~anson66/tempest.gif
http://home.insightbb.com/~anson66/defender.gif
http://home.insightbb.com/~anson66/centipede.gif
http://home.insightbb.com/~anson66/configure.gif
Yeah thats a modified Arcade Jukebox Skin if anyone was wondering.
If anyone has any questions or comments just let me know
Slug54