Multiple encoders.

[Sain]

Alright I have a question. I plan on building a 2 player cab down the road. However I currently plan on building 2 stand alone fighting sticks.


Now my plan is to have two USB ports on the outside of my cab hoping that I can plug in two extra control boxes and be able to play 4 player games. I would like to use an IPac for the cab and Cthulhu boards for the fighting sticks. Not sure if this is possible though. Not sure how well MAME or a comp handles multiple keyboards. Would this work with 3 IPacs as well? (An Ipac2 and 2 iPac VE). The cheaper alternative would be two hacked USB game pads.

Id prefer to use the Cthulhu boards cause it would allow me to use them on a console if the occasion ever occurred. Hacked USB controllers woulds be next But if need be I can use the IPA

Any insight would be great.

[u_rebelscum]

I don't know much about the Cthulhu board, but...

Short answer: yes you can do it and mame can work fine with it.


For a long answer, I need to know what does the Cthulhu board look like to windows?  gamepad?  keyboard?  (you hint keybaord, but it works on the PS3 as a gamepad, so )  Either way is fine for mame, but the how is a little different.   (Actually, both have a few options on how to do it.)  As for other games, they might have issues (more setup work) if the Cthulhu is a keyboard.

[Sain]

I think windows sees it as a gamepad.

Yeah I'm wondering about set up, with two of the same boards, Not sure if Mame will be able to tell the difference between exact boards. 

[u_rebelscum]

I think windows sees it as a gamepad.

Yeah I'm wondering about set up, with two of the same boards, Not sure if Mame will be able to tell the difference between exact boards.  

Gamepad: then Mame will be fine.  Windows might switch the two's numbers on reboot or after unplug/replug in special conditions.  This would just switch which player each pad controls in mame.  If you don't mind this sometimes happening, don't worry about it.

That's why ultimarc & GGG let you change their encoders' (USB product) IDs:  with different IDs; this way windows doesn't mix them up.  I'm not sure if the Cthulhu can be given different IDs, also.  (If they have different IDs, the borad you plug in first will control player 3, the second player 4, assuming you remap as follows.)


As for setup, you'll need to remap maps  inputs, so joystick #1 controls player 3, and joystick #2 controls player 4.  The easiest is plug in (install) all boards, enable joysticks (and maybe mice if you want) in mame, start any game, tab, select "inputs (general)", select to player 3, and remap them to use joystick #1 (stick and buttons).  Repeat for player 4.  Now you have to unmap those joysticks from player 1 & 2, since the the default is for kthe keyboard or joystick 1 to control player 1, ditto player 2.  Go to player 1, and map the correct stick and buttons on the main encoder.

I suggest backing up the resulting file in cfg folder, default.cfg, so you don't have to remap again (say, when you upgrade mame, or someone acciedentally messes up the mapping).