The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Front End Support => MaLa Frontend => Topic started by: Afterburner1970 on January 01, 2018, 07:12:08 pm
-
Hi,
Hoping someone can help...... :'(
Just purchased Ultimarc's servostiks, followed Buick455's install instructions, but there wasn't a config button for joychoose.
I realised that this was due to running an old version of MaLa. I installed MaLa V1.74, and now have the option....everything configured, but when i reboot my machine this is the error i get
After days of formatting and re cloning drives, I finally worked out it was the joychoose file in MaLa Plugin folder .
Can anyone help, I know I'm close but this is driving me nuts.
Thanks
-
Hello AfterBurner1970,
Sorry you are having problems with joychoose. I know it doesnt work with newer versions of Mala because I think it was because of a different way the xml file was being written.
But I have not seen that error before.
Can you post or send me a copy of your joychoose settings?
If it is due to XML problems, I will dwell into it and see what needs to be done to fix it. It's been awhile since I messed with it.
-
Hi DaOldman
Many thanks for replying
Today I tried older versions of MaLa (1.04 and 1.05), but no luck.
Just so you know I'm running multiple emulators from MaLa, so I have it running through Mame.cmd to call up each different emulator.....and the OS is Windows XP and it is also "shelled".
Also, I'm not great at this stuff.....all I can do is follow instructions....(so you might have to spell it out)
I looked around the net for the windows issue, and people say its to do with the wireless network.....but this is a stand alone cabinet...no wireless network even installed
Hope this is what you need
-
Interesting. The -servo, is that the script you are using to run the servos? Maybe try removing the minus sign? (Just a wild stab.)
-
It was a cut and paste from here
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=144508.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=144508.0)
-
Looks good. Have you tried running the servos from the CMD window (or box).
You would navigate to the folder that has the joytray.exe program, then enter joytray -servo joy8way or -servo joy4way.
If it works from the cmd prompt than it is most likely a joychoose or mala problem.
Maybe we can narrow it down a bit if you can try this.
-
taking the minus out didn't help.
Do you mean putting that script in here
Sorry, but you'll have to really spell it out...this stuff isn't my forte
-
No I mean entering the commands in your dos box (also called CMD)
I think CMD is under programs in winXP.
Or you can try searching for CMD in the search box.
-
Ok, understood that one
Got the servos to move in the dos box... so the script is correct.....yes?
-
Yes, I would say so.
-
On the joychoose setup screen, there are test buttons, have you tried these?
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,113162.msg1201779.html#msg1201779 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,113162.msg1201779.html#msg1201779)
-
I got the joychoose program saved on my old XP machine, I may have to dig it out, dust it off, and see if I can recreate the problem you are seeing.
-
Yes. They work in joy choose when clicking “test”
-
That would be greatly appreciated. Do you think your newer program might help?
-
You talking about control choose?
-
You can try it. Be interesting to see if it gives same error.
-
Ok. Where do I download from??
Thanks so much for your help
-
Well, I think I had it stored in the file repository, but it is broken. Anyone out there have a copy they can post here?
If not I will try to get out the old xp machine and get a copy from there. (Probably be tomorrow though, its getting late here.)
-
Many thanks, DaOld Man
Much appreciated
-
I looked on the malafe.net site (had to use internet explorer, its blocking firefox). I thought I uploaded control choose to it, but evidently I didnt, cause i cant find it.
-
Yes, thats my findings too. Looks like you were PM people with the new file.
No stress, hopefully you'll find a copy
Thanks again
-
I looked through my messages, evidently i didnt save any with CC in them.
I will find it tomorrow.
-
Found it.
Not sure if this is the latest. Unzip it and place in the mala plugins folder.
I also included some txt files. cant remember for sure but I think they need to go in a folder called CTRLCHSE folder under the plugins folder.
Control choose may create this folder when you run it from mala. (Cant remember)
-
Thats very kind of you to dig them out so late at night.
will test later on, and update.
Thx
-
Morning.
Got it installed, but no idea how to configure it.
Sorry to be a pain on the ass.... could you run me through a “how to” please?
Cheers.
-
Yes its a bit more complicated than joychoose.
Run Mala.
Right click and get into the plugins sections.
Click on control choose then the configure button.
You will need to create a new action by clicking New button.
Now you should see several tabs. Mame Controls should be up front, if not click that tab.
Now select = (If Control =) Then select joy8way (If Control = Joy8way)
In the boxes below "Then Run" you can browse to the where the program to run the servo is. You can also type in the complete path, included the .exe program, but dont include the -servo parts.
In the optional argument box, put the -servo Joy8way (Cant recall exactly the command but you get what I mean.)
You should be able to test by clicking the test button. Now click OK and repeat the process for the 4 way joystick.
This program may not be completely finished, and if you can get the joychoose to work I recommend you use it. But maybe this will give you some trouble shooting help.
Also, you need to disable joychoose while using control choose, and vice versa. You can do this by either moving the unwanted plugin out of the mala plugins folder or changing its name to something like joychoose.tmp.
Good luck, and please post if this makes any different results.
-
Also, if you dont see any controls in the controls dropdown, (such as Joy8way), then make sure you placed the controls.txt file I posted, into the mala/plugins/ctrlchse folder.
Please give me some feedback on this, I would like to finish this project up but its been a long time since I worked on it. I think I dropped it when mame.xml problem arose with joychoose.
I just installed it on my win10 with an older version of mame on it, and it works for me, I called a program I have on my desktop.
If you still get the error try running a different program, one you know works, to see if it will run it.
You can try that with joychoose too.
-
I had big plans for this plugin. It would do what joychoose did, except with a lot more different control options, plus it could rotate the monitor by calling MRotate (or any other program that does that sort of thing).
My idea was to have a lot more actions and options in a single plugin.
And by using the controls.txt file, you could change the control types whenever the xml file was changed, so control choose wouldnt mysteriously break like joychoose did.
Now why did I drop the ball and not finish it? Maybe lack of community interest, not sure now.
it may not be nailed shut, but it does work and hopefully will fix your problem.
-
That is exactly what I tried last night and nothing worked.... not even the test function. Those extra files self populated inside the MaLa plunging folder. I’ll have another look soon.
Fingers crossed
-
Ok, good news and bad
I had left a joychoose file in MaLa, removed that and it worked.
No windows error.
Servo changes when different games are selected.
But....upon rebooting my machine it doesn’t work.... and I’ve seen this before in my car racing machines too. It’s because my machine is running as a shell, the joy tray program never seems to be able to execute.
If I “control ALT delete”... select task manager......”new task”, typing in Explorer it “un-shells” and joy tray works.
Any thoughts?
I guess the only other way would be a command line.... but I don’t have any ideas how to set that up
-
Hmmm its beginning to sound like something is not getting shelled right in your setup. Maybe a function that windows needs is not getting loaded?
-
A quick search for 'winxp error /idlist' came up with this (which may not be what your problem is, but it looks like it is windows related):
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/R4myKCIHDmg
-
Have done all that. No change. But your control choose software worked (no windows error), but because windows is shelled the joy tray won’t excecute.
I’m thinking the only way to make this work is via a command line ... but no idea how to implement
This is from the Ultimarc site... but still has me confused
-
Control choose (and joychoose) issues the command line for you.
Maybe you should look at adding the -exit argument that the pic you posted suggests? Cant remember if control choose will do that but you can try.
-
Oh... that’s a shame.
No idea how to add the -exit command.... but I’m sure it’s all to do with windows being shelled.
Last ditch attempt will be to just select 4/8 way through a physical switch... but that would be such a shame, but better than nothing
Thanks for your help.
-
Thought about just loading windows normally and have Mala auto start? Thats what i do. There are tweaks where you can hide windows.
-
I did it that way years ago, but I’m so anal with this stuff that it wasn’t 100%
hidden, and it drove me nuts.
I would get the odd box flash for a Micro second, so that why I shelled it
Maybe I should revisit it again.... but at this stage the Servo motors aren’t even
moving full deflection to change from 4-8 way. Trying to solve that with Andy from
Ultimarc too!!
-
Ask him about the -exit command.
-
Ok. Will do