Software Support > controls.dat
controls.xml outdated
headkaze:
--- Quote from: u_rebelscum on September 04, 2008, 01:17:59 pm ---I'm very interested, but I doubt I'm dedicated enough to keep it going for the required years. :-\
--- End quote ---
I think our main goal at the moment should be to get it updated to the current version of Mame. I've started writing the app and quite a ways through already (using alot of code from CPWizard and ColorsIni) so I should have a beta ready in the next few days. I'll PM you about it soon.
SirPoonga: Can I somehow get the latest ControlsDat developers kit off you? I can only seem to find an old copy and I'm not sure if somethings changed. Also it would be great to get a hold of Controls.xml if you have done any more updates since 0.111.3? Also it would be handy to be able to check out the form you had for entering controls.
SirPoonga:
If that was the latest on site you have it. The fe dev kit and xml was all generate on site.
What's out of date?
TheShanMan:
SirPoonga, I was hoping you'd respond to my idea - would you be in support of an unofficial controls.dat and the promotion of records to the official version upon proof (see prior posts for more detail)?
I'd bet that one way or another some sort of unofficial controls.dat will happen due to demand. I would hope it would happen with your blessing and tight integration with the controls.dat engine, rather than by forking in a way which is less beneficial in the long run to the official controls.dat.
arzoo:
I figure I might as well chime in here seeing as LEDBlinky relies on the controls.dat data. For LEDBlinky's purposes, I feel it's more important to cover as many games as possible regardless of the pure authenticity. Programs like LEDBlinky and CPWizard are designed to help play the games - so whether a button is spoken or labeled as "bomb" or "nuke bomb" is not really important as long as the user knows what the button does. That said, I do feel we should retain an official (verified) set of data as a reference. But I like ShanMan's concept of an amended (unofficial) version of the data for use by apps such as LEDBlinky and others.
Headkaze - count me in if you need help with the data entry app or supporting the data.
headkaze:
Okay here are some screenshots of the app I'm writing. It is coming along really well and actually nearly ready to go.
It has some features that should help with data entry such as:
- Shows which games have a ControlsDat entry, which don't and also shows parent ControlsDat info for clones.
- Filter the list, showing only ControlsDat games, all games or parents only
- Sort games by any column including Name, ROM, Source, CloneOf, RomOf, Parent, Constants, Controls, NumPlayers, NumButtons, Alternating, Mirrored, UsesService, Tilt, Cocktail and MiscDetails.
- Launch the game directly for testing
- View the control panel
- I am intigrating colors.ini so the color data can be filled in at the same time and this will also be included in future Controls.Dat releases. You can select from color swatches or pick a color from the CP and it will select the closest color in the swatch
- Copy/Paste/Delete Controls.Dat entries so you can copy entries that are the same such as mahjong games etc.
- View Dip Switches for games which can help determine if it has cocktail mode, alternating game play and services.
- I'm also considering adding the ability use the dip switches and default Mame data to help create a default ControlsDat entry for a game. So when you create a new one all the data found in Mame is used to start you off, then you can add/remove/edit controls as you need.
- I will also probably add a flag which can be used to set a game to "Verified or UnVerified" so you can just quickly enter a game and flag it as UnVerified to look at it later.
- Finally it will have an "Export Controls.xml" and probably the old format as well. I will probably also add the ability to export only verified games or to include unverified.
- I may have the ability to upload entries to a website and Tom Speirs has mentioned he is happy to host any webspace needed for this project. But really I am mostly aiming for a pure offline data entry program that will be used by a dedicated person who is willing to spend the time to update the entire dat file rather than having multiple people and all the problems with verifying and maintaining that data.
Anyway here are some screenshots. I want u_rebelscum to check it out when it's done as he's one of the most knowledgable persons about Mame controls (and my No. 1 choice for doing the first update to the current Mame version). If people have any ideas on how to improve on it feel free to let me know but I will make an official post about it when it's finished.
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