a key combination for forcing closing an emulator?

[livelike]

Hi Loadman, could it be possible add as an option to map a key combination within MALA to force to close an emulator? I mean like an "closehook" or "exithook" if that's how it could be called. I have a tankstick that cant be programmed for a strange reason, the only preset that works is the default, so the ESC key, ALT+F4, an the other key combinations to close emulators do not work. I'm not in the US so sending the unit back as warranty is pretty expensive, and having a keyboard at hand just for closing emulators is kind of annoying, besides giving the cab a kind of a bad look.

I'm not sure if this is something easy to implement or not, but I wanted to ask. Thanks!

Any suggestions for other solutions are appreciated.

[loadman]

How do you close it now then 

[Spinach]

Can't be programmed?  Do you have a keyboard hooked up to the tankstick?  You need that to program (ask me how I know  )

[livelike]

Loadman: I'm manually closing the programs, I have a keyboard attached on the inside of the cab (between the PC and the xarcade), the problem is that the cab was not originally designed to use a sliding keyboard drawer, so I have to keep the coin door open showing all the guts of the cab, which other than a bad look to the cab is really anoying.  I was thinking that an force "closehook" or universal exit program, would be useful as it would not matter if the running emulator or app would use the ESC or anyother key combination to exit,.  The option to map this hook with a key combination, would be to prevent accidental closings. I could beta tester for option in my cab, if you are willing or think this option would be useful to other Mala users. 

Spinach: yes sir, I have a keyboard hooked up to the tankstick but its no good as the programming functions do not work as mentioned 

[loadman]

OK I am still a bit confused.

I assume you tried the HotKeys option in 'options/ other emu'  ?

[Spinach]

I think I read somewhere on the Tankstick if you are using only USBs you may have to try not using 2 next to each other.  Maybe that would help the programming? 

So you are saying of the 4 selections in the back (#1 being default and unprogramable) that #s 2 - 4 are just useless?  Maybe you should contact XArcade for some warranty/help info.  I understand they are quite helpful and willing to help their customers out.

[dkubarek]

So, Loadman, you say you can program Mala to close an emu with a combo of buttons? I have the X-arcade, too, and although you can program it, it defaults to the primary settings at power down (you just hit a button twice to get back, but confusing for some who walk in and want to play it). Can I make Mala hit what an emu thinks is "escape" when I press a combo? My solution was to just not use other emus, since I prefer console games with controllers, but it would be nice to add an emu.

[livelike]

Sorry for not replying sooner, but I'm out of town. I did a quick testing the first day, but it did not work as planned, I think the way the hotkey config. in Mala works, is that the key combination for the action "close" simulates only the "ESC" button, so if I were to map "Shift+1" to simulate "alt+f4", it will not work. I still need to test the "post" and "catch" commands. But as I mentioned, this was a quick test, as soon as I get time I will investigate more.

I remember that with Maximus Arcade, there is an option close or "force close" any program (kind of closing it with the task manager), that you could map, so there are no needs for "esc", "alt+f4's", etc. This is why I'm trying to do.

Also, I could not find a way to define a hotkey for MAME? is this option only for other emulators? this defeats my purpose as I will still need to have a keyboard at hand to press "esc" for MAME.

thanks

[loadman]

Also, I could not find a way to define a hotkey for MAME? is this option only for other emulators? this defeats my purpose as I will still need to have a keyboard at hand to press "esc" for MAME.

Don't know how other users use 'other emu' hopefully someone else can help you there

For mame you need to have a esc key (with a kepboard emcoder you can assign any button you want to be ESC) or a Joy to Key mapper.

[livelike]

mmm... I think the joytokey option will not work, as it only recognizes external joypads, but since the xarcade work like another keyboard, it would be like swapping keys, which I don't think joytokey allows. Too bad my controller, cant be remaped anymore.

I'll keep on looking if I find a workaround, maybe a keyboar remapping software will do. 

For mame you need to have a esc key (with a keyboard emcoder you can assign any button you want to be ESC) or a Joy to Key mapper.

[livelike]

Ok, I found a temporary workaround for the default xarcade key layout, its a freeware program called "HotkeyP", it allows you to define windows hotkeys for different actions.  In my case I'm using "Alt+1" to run the command "terminate process". This is basically what I meant by my suggestion for adding a force-close in Mala. 

here is the link to the software:
http://petr.lastovicka.sweb.cz/others.html

So far it works ok, but sometimes you have to double press the hotkey combination a couple times in order to function properly, I guess that when you run an emulator using Mala, this program would be running on the background as last on the list (first the emulator, then Mala and other win processes, and last HotkeyP).

Loadman, if "terminate process" is a standard action that windows has, could it be possible to implement this in Mala, to work as a close any program solution?. I'm not sure how difficult would be to implement this, but you may consider it for the to-do list, as it could be used as a global hotkey option, either for Mame, other emulators, music & video players, etc. 

Thanks!

[Space Fractal]

which key is used to quit in this controller?

[livelike]

for my xarcade, I'm using "Alt+1" due to the controllers default button configuration, Another combination could be "cntrl + 3", that would prevents to accidentally quit a game while playing, (on the xarcade, you would press on of the 1st player buttons on top and another on the left side).