Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: soslo on August 13, 2003, 06:17:26 pm
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Thanks to a few ppl on here, I put the data from the online list of controls [
http://www.cosmicbreaks.com/images/arcade_stick/Controls_0.60 ] into a database and have pulled it into an Excel spreadsheet.
Now it is much easier to sort...I know the list is outdated somewhat, so I would appreciate any modifications/updates. Please post them or email them to me - DO NOT CHANGE THE SPREADSHEET AND SEND IT BACK TO ME.
I am storing the data in a database, and updating the spreadsheet will not help me because the data is normailized and uses keys for the different tables. Just write down what changes need to be made and I'll change them in the DB, then create a new spreadsheet from the updated data.
The data is easy to sort...just highlight everything, click data > sort, then select the columns you wish to sort by.
Please post changes, or email them to me and I will update the DB, and put the new spreadsheet here. I will not make changes from an updated spreadsheet.
I am using this sheet to help me pick games for my cab that will definately work with the controls I have...perhaps there are other uses.
If there is a better source for this info, please let me know and I won't waste any more time working on a problem someone else has solved.
If someone can host my SQL Server DB and some ASP pages, I'll write up a few pages for entering/updating/displaying the data in real-time. I do this all day at work, but I don't have a way to host anything.
NOTE: This is an excel spreadsheet - so rename it from .txt to .xls
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I have some info at my site's download page (http://urebelscum.speedhost.com/download.html).
"Mame .70u1 inputs; tab delimited text file with evey game and it's inputs"
It's more database oriented (vs spreadsheet), and lists the minimum data per input. But it does list every input in every game, as of mame ver. 0.70u1.
My freeware spreadsheet doesn't read your excel file (reads up to excel 4.0) so I'm not sure what is included in it. I'll have to borrow a friend's comp to check it out. Any suggestions on free spreadsheets that read currect excel files?
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doesn't MS offer a free excel viewer?
edit: here is the URL for their free viewer;
http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/default.aspx?Product=Excel&Version=95|97|98|2000|2002&Type=Converter|Viewer
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"viewer", damn I was looking the wrong words. :-\ I tried "reader", "file", and "xls" under download--excel search, and no luck.
Thanks! Downloading now. :)
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Cool info to have. A buddy of mine is trying to figure out what controls he'll need to have for his future CP, so this'll come in handy. Thanks, soslo!
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You're missing all of the really crazy control types (some of my favorites!). Here are some of the crazier ones, that might be really important when planning a control panel:
SDI Strategic Defense Initiative
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Cool, thanks guys! Here is the new version (rename from .txt to .xls). This also has a list of known (to me)control types - please feel free to chime in with others (and the games that use them).
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And here is just the first page in tab delimeted format for the guys without Excel
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Soslo,
I was going to write something similar... however, I work with Apache/PHP. I can provide you some space and we can work on an Open Source app + open database for Mame roms.
I've been doing some checking around, and it doesn't seem that anything from Mame.dk is readily available (understandable) -- and there's not anything really updated on ROM sets that can be easily manipulated. As you've found, Mame.dk doesn't have all the information you'd like on controls (among other things as well) - so it may be time to have a comprehensive database.
I can provide you with some webspace and a MySQL server... but no ASP or MSSQL. If you're willing and able to work with PHP :)
Either way, I'll probably work something up based on this data and see how it goes from there.
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Inaba, check your PM
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Soslo,
I was going to write something similar... however, I work with Apache/PHP. I can provide you some space and we can work on an Open Source app + open database for Mame roms.
I've been doing some checking around, and it doesn't seem that anything from Mame.dk is readily available (understandable) -- and there's not anything really updated on ROM sets that can be easily manipulated. As you've found, Mame.dk doesn't have all the information you'd like on controls (among other things as well) - so it may be time to have a comprehensive database.
I can provide you with some webspace and a MySQL server... but no ASP or MSSQL. If you're willing and able to work with PHP :)
Either way, I'll probably work something up based on this data and see how it goes from there.
The control part is already being done by me and HC. Though I could use some help. I'm learning PHP.
http://fe.donkeyfly.com Go there, register, and PM me. I'll show you what I have done so far. In fact I am working on the submission wizard right now, just taking a break.
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Soslo,
I was going to write something similar... however, I work with Apache/PHP. I can provide you some space and we can work on an Open Source app + open database for Mame roms.
I've been doing some checking around, and it doesn't seem that anything from Mame.dk is readily available (understandable) -- and there's not anything really updated on ROM sets that can be easily manipulated. As you've found, Mame.dk doesn't have all the information you'd like on controls (among other things as well) - so it may be time to have a comprehensive database.
I can provide you with some webspace and a MySQL server... but no ASP or MSSQL. If you're willing and able to work with PHP :)
Either way, I'll probably work something up based on this data and see how it goes from there.
The control part is already being done by me and HC. Though I could use some help. I'm learning PHP.
http://fe.donkeyfly.com Go there, register, and PM me. I'll show you what I have done so far. In fact I am working on the submission wizard right now, just taking a break.
Are you planning on making the database and software open to the public? I plan on making the raw database available for download for use on other sites, as well as the software itself. Too many closed DBs already, no sense in hoarding this sort of information, unless you're intending to make a profit somehow, then it's understandable. But I have no plans to try and make a profit off this.
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You didn't goto fe.donkeyfly.com and read:) It's the controls.dat project. The project is to list and label the controls a game uses. (like labelling a button Jump). It's mainly for FE devs. There will be two version, an ini file and an xml file that will be generated from the MySQL database (which I finished designing two weeks ago). Do a search on here for controls.dat, you will see about a year ago we started talking about it.
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You didn't goto fe.donkeyfly.com and read:) It's the controls.dat project. The project is to list and label the controls a game uses. (like labelling a button Jump). It's mainly for FE devs. There will be two version, an ini file and an xml file that will be generated from the MySQL database (which I finished designing two weeks ago). Do a search on here for controls.dat, you will see about a year ago we started talking about it.
Ok... just read throuhg the site a bit. I'm a little confused on what you're trying to accomplish? It appears you plan on using this for FE development, yes? What is the end result envisioned to be? I can't quite put my finger on exactly what's going to be available as far as information goes, can you elaborate on it a bit?
I've been developing apps for PHP/MySQL for several years now, if you need any help or anything, let me know.
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I haven;t gotten around to moving all the threads on controls.dat to the controls.dat area. Alot of it is in the users area. Sorry about that. Check this thread out
http://www.fe.donkeyfly.com/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=45
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Isn't R-Type 8-way Joystick + 2 Buttons (It's listed as 4 buttons)
Yarb
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Myself and IIOIOOIOO have been working on a similar project, right now we're working on a way for people to submit control descriptions based on the game's info in our database. The database uses info from Mame's listinfo and KLOV's control descriptions (thanks to PacManFan's Gameplay.ini file) and is pretty much complete.
Here's a sample csv text file of the info I've collected, I've been working it through Excel and into XML for the submission system which should be ready (hopefully) in a week or two.
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Hey, that's the same thing that HC and I have been doing.
The submission system, at least for adding games, should be done very soon.
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Hey, that's the same thing that HC and I have been doing.
The submission system, at least for adding games, should be done very soon.
Whohoo! Looks like we might have a 'my ones bigger than yours' type schoolyard fight-out with these things!
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no, we don't need another catver.ini issue.
Anyway, the format HC and I are creating has been discussed here by the FE devs. It's what the FE devs want.
If you want to help look above.
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Yeah, that isn't to say that your efforts aren't appreciated, but so far 99% of the data you have in your format can be parsed directly from listinfo. The only new data you have is alternating and some odd ball type description? While these two bits of data are nice, they in no way reflect gameplay unless combined with more complicated data, which you guys aren't gathering (we are). So my quesiton is why are you doing your file manually when it could be parsed directly from listinfo?
As sirp said, the format we have created is based upon a lengthy discussion with the major fe developers out there. So if you are doing this file for them then don't bother and come help us. If your making it for another purpose then good luck to you.
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Actually, if anyone wants to beta test PM me. I have the wizards that users will use almost complete.
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Just because I've been overly quiet, I am uploading the major interface to the stub format JoyMonkey displayed tonight. He also made a gorgeous website for it btw. And yes HC, the info displayed in JoyMonkey's file IS mostly parsed from listinfo, with one other (I believe?) source combined with it. However, it is not "The File." Rather, it served as the baseline for a skeletal pre-filled file to save some time for users entering a game. I.E. if we know from easily parsed sources that SFII has 2 players simul, and 1 stick + 6 buttons for each player, we can assume the base controlset for the game. Note that this is just for prefill of the form. Users can easily add/remove controls to the controlset for a player, and clone either explicitly or implicitly between players. By building things up from a control/actiontype framework, it is very easy to translate the resulting format across to a graphical display of the information. I.E. a program can either display the controlset for a game textually, or another program can create customized CP snaps for the individual users machine, by... well, it's a longer process than I care to describe whilst so tired. But yes, I read the discussion on the FEDev forums re controls.dat or whatever it was called, and I devised this system as a direct response to that one :) But wait till monday, and assuming that JoyMonkey's host has the proper libraries installed on it you will see what I'm talkin bout.