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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: jkimrey on April 13, 2019, 08:27:46 pm

Title: MAME + Stream Deck
Post by: jkimrey on April 13, 2019, 08:27:46 pm

I'm trying to use a Elgato Stream Deck with Mame to add controls that I don't have on my arcade.

For example, I'd like to map a key on the Stream Deck to Coin 1 and another key to Coin 2.

Stream Deck seems to be mapping the key correctly, as it works in other apps, but in MAME, when I go to settings and try to change the keymapping for Coin 1 (for example), MAME64 doesn't see the Stream Deck input; MAME64 only sees keyboard input.

Note that when I hit a button on the Stream Deck when on the search field in MAME64, it DOES show the assigned key (5) as input but for some reason it doesn't work for the Coin assignment...

Any suggestions on how I might get MAME64 to recognize the Stream Deck input?

Thanks

Title: Re: MAME + Stream Deck
Post by: Howard_Casto on April 13, 2019, 09:05:26 pm

First off, there are better, cheaper ways to add other functions to mame... I'd suggest you'd look into them first.  Probably one of the best old-school hacks is to hot-glue a bladed microswitch onto your coin door on the inside so that the plastic tab on the coin return switch trips it... boom, you've got inputs for the coin insertion that don't actually require you to insert coins.  Also see shift/shazam keys on the more popular keyboard encoders. 

With that out of the way, this is just a guess, but it sounds like the stream deck is using some sort of simulated (software-based) keyboard input.  Mame just doesn't cooperate with that.  If you can get the deck, via third party software, to use joystick buttons instead, mame WILL accept simulated joysticks. 

Title: Re: MAME + Stream Deck
Post by: jkimrey on April 13, 2019, 09:40:23 pm

Quote from: Howard_Casto on April 13, 2019, 09:05:26 pm

First off, there are better, cheaper ways to add other functions to mame... I'd suggest you'd look into them first.  Probably one of the best old-school hacks is to hot-glue a bladed microswitch onto your coin door on the inside so that the plastic tab on the coin return switch trips it... boom, you've got inputs for the coin insertion that don't actually require you to insert coins.  Also see shift/shazam keys on the more popular keyboard encoders. 

With that out of the way, this is just a guess, but it sounds like the stream deck is using some sort of simulated (software-based) keyboard input.  Mame just doesn't cooperate with that.  If you can get the deck, via third party software, to use joystick buttons instead, mame WILL accept simulated joysticks.

Thanks for the feedback.  So if I understand correctly, instead of software to convert joystick controls to keyboard mapping, I would need the opposite - software to convert keyboard keys to joystick (and button) controls?

Thanks

Title: Re: MAME + Stream Deck
Post by: nexusmtz on April 13, 2019, 09:55:25 pm

Try adding -keyboardprovider dinput to your MAME command. If that works, you can put it in your mame.ini. Read up on input providers to decide if that's a good enough solution for you.

Title: Re: MAME + Stream Deck
Post by: jkimrey on April 13, 2019, 11:34:55 pm

Will give that a shot - thanks.

BTW - do you know if making that change will cause issues with my iPac and LEDBlinky?

Title: Re: MAME + Stream Deck
Post by: Howard_Casto on April 14, 2019, 12:35:51 am

That's a good call, I keep forgetting about that.  It shouldn't effect them unless you are using multiple units and only want to use specific ones for mame.