Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: UncleToyBox on September 13, 2017, 09:27:48 am
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I'm building an all in one arcade experience cabinet where monitor 1 is rotated in portrait mode and at a 30% angle to play pinball games. Monitor #2 is typically used for backglass and attraction animations but I also realized it's the perfect distance away for light gun games.
I purchased a pair of Aimtrack light guns which are recognized by my system but only seem to have the option to calibrate to Monitor #1, which is the playfield.
Does anyone know if there's a registry change or something that would allow me to configure the Aimtrack light guns to calibrate on Monitor #2?
I'm running MAME .179 along with VPX behind a PinballX front end.
The system is Windows 7 64 bit with a mid range video card.
Because of requirements for VPX, I need to keep the playfield as monitor #1, rotated 90 degrees from the backglass. The pinball emulation is the primary purpose of this machine with the video games and light gun games being secondary. Once I get this working, I plan to get a bigger display for the backglass and rebuilding the head. Getting the light gun to work on Monitor #2 is the priority for now.
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You built more than one of those?
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That's the only one I've built so far.
I think of it as a work in progress with lots of little tweaks planned for the future.
Adding the light guns is something that popped into my head a few weeks ago so I picked up a pair of the Aimtracks without considering there might be an issue calibrating to monitor #2.
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Oh, haha, I didn't notice that was a mirror next to it! :cheers:
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You should be able to change your Primary/Secondary monitor within windows itself. My guess is you would need to use some clever AHKscript to set the horizontal monitor to be Primary when you launch a shooter game then change it back again when you exit. Bugger knows how you would do that but that is probably the method.
Found this which says has options for swapping primary/secondary but may depend on OS in use.
https://autohotkey.com/board/topic/22372-dual-display-toggle-display-properties-replacement
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That's an approach I hadn't thought of.
Switching the monitor values when a game launches might be something I can automate... it's certainly worth looking into.
Thanks for that idea.
Will add this to the list of things to look into tonight when I'm poking around in the system.
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I think the method mentioned above would be the way forward.
Awesome looking machine though dude!
Just to give you warning though that mirror may give you problems with the aim traks as it looks close!
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If you're looking for feedback, try to find a better way to integrate that control panel. It looks like an afterthought.
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There was originally artwork in place for the control panel that integrated much better with the rest of the machine. Unfortunately, I was impatient and used a dull forstner bit to drill the holes and made it almost unusable... almost. The grey vinyl sheet made a good enough cover to get it functional. I will need to replace that entire sheet at some point in the future. Right now, my priorities involve several improvements to the head unit (bigger display, better positioning of speakers), improved main display mounting (cover with glass, trim the sides to match the incline of the monitor, put some T molding on the edges, and to get the light guns working.
I'm sure there will be other little improvements along the way.
Right now, it plays like a dream though... especially pinball games... it's hard to see but there's an analog plunger and a nudge sensor to give it very realistic game play. I find the inclined monitor more natural to play on than other virtual pins I've tried as well.