Software Support > controls.dat

control.ini for consoles?

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tony.silveira:
yikes, i see what you guys mean.  we have to allow for the complexity but that doesn't mean we can't figure out the simple up front, which would cover 80% of console titles.  as long as we allowed the template to be liquid, we could add whatever we wanted as long as we kept it standard.

meaning, we can do 80% of titles with the basics:

P1_BUTTON1=
P1_BUTTON2=

as we get to more complex controls, we can figure out what label to add.  taking madden into consideration where the same button can be different, based on offense/defense/post-pre snap, etc., how hard would this be to implement into cpwizard?

P1_BUTTON1=change lineman [defense]{g}

P1_BUTTON1=snap ball [offense]{r}

so, when pausing the game and the cpwizard comes up to show controls, using the example, above the buttons, you would have all of the defensive controls listed in green (thats the {g}) and below that description, you would have the offensive controls listed in red {r}.

for the combo examples listed like mario or 1080, i really think we're overanalyzing how to assign/display combos, based on what/where the game is.

we should assign the primary function to the button.  within the ini, you could have a "SPECIAL COMBO/CONTROLS" line where we list all of the combos/special moves.

my thought with that info is if that line is populated, a separate window pops up when pausing, over, above, under, to the side of, wherever the user designs it in cpwizard.  so you see your cp with all of the primary functions, then you have a cheat sheet showing you combos and what not.  think of an N64 manual, they didn't list every combo on the graphic over the controller, they listed the main button functions, and, on the facing page, they would list button combos / actions.

taking that one step further, this "cheat sheet" pop up could even be used to show a scan of the actual manual page.

this is a bear of a project to think about but if we have ideas on how the complex stuff will fit in and we can agree on at least a direction, there's no reason we can't start on the simple stuff.

thoughts gentlemen?

garwil:
Using the Madden example, the best thing might be to set up the file as follows.



--- Code: ---<GAME Name="Madden">
  <CONTROLS>
    <PAGE Name="Offense">
       <P1_BUTTON1>Snap Ball</P1_BUTTON1>
       ...
    </PAGE>
    <PAGE Name="Defense>
       <P1_BUTTON1>Change Player</P1_BUTTON1>
       ...
    </PAGE>
  </CONTROLS>
</GAME> 

--- End code ---

Then have the viewing software use a button press to scroll through each page.

Special moves and combos could be included in the same way that commands.dat is included in CPWizard, we just need to adapt the file to fit in with the various types of controller.

arzoo:
I would suggest (and I hope headkaze agrees) that it would be best if the new data continued to use the same control types as defined by mame. If this project does get off the ground, the results will only be useful if the various utilities (CPWizard, LEDBlinky, etc.) are modified to use the data. And those modifications will be a lot easier if the data and structure remains consistent.

tony.silveira:
i agree arzoo.  my thought behind this is to make this in such a way that you guys can modify your apps easily.

what do you two think of my idea to assign the MAIN function to the button and having a 'cheat sheet' window (this is more for cpwizard) with all of the combos?  look at sirpoongas work for street fighter 2.  that game is ALL about combos and yet he simply has the main functions assigned to the buttons (i'm speaking of the ini file here).

i'm going to tackle vectrex tonight and have a control.ini done for that, post it here and see what you guys think.

t

EDIT:  vecControls.txt attached, rename the extension to ini and let me know what you guys think

arzoo:

--- Quote from: tony.silveira on October 06, 2009, 01:03:39 am ---EDIT:  vecControls.txt attached, rename the extension to ini and let me know what you guys think

--- End quote ---

Looks good! You could probably leave out some of the values like 'tilt', 'cocktail', and 'usesService' - I don't think they would ever have values for anything other than mame. For combo buttons you could do something like this:
P1_BUTTON1=kick
P1_BUTTON2=jump
P1_BUTTON1=flying kick
P1_BUTTON2=flying kick

One problem with the controls.ini format is it does not include button colors. This has been discussed in the past.

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