Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: sureshoe on October 16, 2019, 08:36:15 am
-
My cabinet has 4 players with lots of buttons (good and bad). I'm running out of keys to map and as my kids have been playing NFL Blitz, a strange popup appeared when they mashed keys. I tracked it down to the backslash key - which apparently shows the 3dfx debugger? I found this thread, but no answer:
https://www.reddit.com/r/MAME/comments/aoun78/what_is_this_screen_called_that_pops_up_in_mame/
Now, I feel like NFL Blitz is stuttering... have I turned on debug mode or something accidentally? Are there settings where I can disable this? I can't find it.
Also, while mashing keys - holding down a button mapped to the L key and pressing other keys will cause weird game pausing (like I'm "rewinding"). I have gone through all the menus and blanked out any key configs I can find that hint of this.
Nothing is mapped to backslash or L in mame on-screen. Any help would be appreciated.
-
Get a joystick encoder that supports 4 players via one USB connection. In Windows you are asking for trouble with a keyboard encoder and that many players.
-
Hmm, OK - I'll have to check that out.
I do find it odd that there are key mappings in Mame that I can't find though. Are there forums or somewhere else I can check to track these down? My Google-fu is not proving very effective.
-
I do find it odd that there are key mappings in Mame that I can't find though. Are there forums or somewhere else I can check to track these down?
Some buttons aren't mapped by default in MAME, but there are I-Pac defaults for them.
Change out the modifier keys to avoid problems.
1. Overlapping defaults
There's an overlap in the I-Pac4 defaults for P2B5-P2B8 and P3 Joystick. (both use I, K, J, and L)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=155224.0;attach=361823;image)
2. Modifier keys
Good advice from BadMouth here (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,149393.msg1559496.html#msg1559496).
There are five default MAME "modifier" keys that can cause problems:
- P1B1
- P1B2
- P1B4
- P3B1
- P3B2
Scott
-
For the modifier keys - I'm hoping I'm not being dense here, but in MAME, I'm not using either SHIFT, CTRL, or ALT.
On the Ipac, I have gone through and disabled the SHIFT function, that caused me a lot of grief originally.
The main thing now is the backslash - which I'm just not using now. That apparently kicks off a 3dfx debugger, and I can't figure out how to disable that function, so the backslash is off limits.
The 3 player left/right are still a bit of an issue. When mapped to J or L, I get odd behaviors on NFL Blitz where part of the screen flickers. I'll post some more detail later, I just haven't had a chance to isolate each behavior. It's a bit maddening.
So on the modifiers - am I being dense, or is this what you're referring to? The Shift, CTRL, ALT, and Ipac shift? I think I've explicitly set everything else.
-
The 3 player left/right are still a bit of an issue. When mapped to J or L, I get odd behaviors on NFL Blitz where part of the screen flickers.
No idea what is causing that. :dunno
So on the modifiers - am I being dense, or is this what you're referring to? The Shift, CTRL, ALT, and Ipac shift? I think I've explicitly set everything else.
Modifier keys and IPac shifted functions are separate subjects.
Modifier keys combined with other keys can trigger unwanted Windows functions.
- "ALT" + "TAB" ==> change focus to another window.
- "CTRL" + "w" ==> close window.
IPac shifted functions are a way to access admin functions without having to press dedicated admin buttons on your control panel.
- When you press P1 Start, the IPac starts looking for another button press.
- If you release P1 Start before pressing a button with a shifted function ==> "1".
- If you press a button with a shifted function before you release P1 Start, the shifted function keystroke is sent.
-- P1 Start + P1B1 ==> "5".
- List of default IPac shifted functions here (http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac2.html).
- There's a list of PROs and CONs regarding shifted functions in the FAQ. (See wiki link above.)
Scott
-
Yeah, I actually think I have all the modifier stuff sorted out. I banged my head on that a while ago.
I actually think there may be some weirdness or buginess in Blitz, because I haven't seen this in other games, but I truthfully haven't fully debugged (it's a 2 player game, I'm not going to hack the 3 player control).
Interestingly - I found a related thread that's old where he complains about the J-key and vanishing sprites, but doesn't get an answer.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MAME/comments/5s0sx9/weird_problem_with_nfl_blitz/
I'm probably going to look at tweaking it to use gamepad encoding on the ipac or look at getting a joystick encoder like pbj mentioned (although not sure what that involves).
-
If you can flash the ipac to simulate joysticks, do that. The encoder I had in mind was the Paradise Arcade Lono but it looks like that's off the market. I have one in a box I've never used and you can't have it.
-
If you don't mind "rolling your own", another 4 joystick gamepad alternative is the KADE maxArcade based on the MattairTech MT-DB-U6 (https://www.mattairtech.com/index.php/development-boards/mt-db-u6.html) board. (Select "Atmel DFU" bootloader)
- Uses KADE Loader (http://kadevice.tk/loader-software/index.html) software.
- There are 3 pre-configured maxArcade firmwares. Use "USB/HID Joystick x 4".
- Pinout here (http://kadevice.tk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=4125&p=7135#p7135).
- You might want to use euro-style terminal strips for easy connect/disconnect.
Wires from controls ==> euro-style terminal strips ==> jumper wires ==> MT-DB-U6 board
Scott