WOW New LightGUN Info !!! Woot!!! :)

[Silver]

Hi all. New to this forum. Got my two Topguns and I love them. Mostly playing HOTD 2 and 3 at the moment. I have noticed an odd issue though. If I boot my machine with one or both plugged in, it boots really slowly. Even going into my BIOS settings, the screen draws painfully slowly. The fact that it affects the initial boot process means it can't be drivers. In fact, once Windows is up, it's all fine. Has anyone else noticed this?

I've had this on one machine - but its not the guns its the motherboard. It will go really really slow like you said into the bios if you plug in ANY usb device apart from a mouse or keyboard. Even if you plug the same mouse/keyboard in via a hub, it will slow to a crawl. Its a chipset/bios issue.

Incidentally, I first tried to install the LED strips horizontally and had no luck at all. When it would calibrate, the accuracy was terrible. I wouldn't recommend ordering these guns if horizontal mounting is your only option.

Some people on here have set up with the strips horizontal and had it working fine. Some even suggested you could follow the "normal" calibration process (instead of rotating it all 90 degrees).

[ErikRuud]

Hi all. New to this forum. Got my two Topguns and I love them. Mostly playing HOTD 2 and 3 at the moment. I have noticed an odd issue though. If I boot my machine with one or both plugged in, it boots really slowly. Even going into my BIOS settings, the screen draws painfully slowly. The fact that it affects the initial boot process means it can't be drivers. In fact, once Windows is up, it's all fine. Has anyone else noticed this?

I may be being paranoid, but I had a hard disk die a week after installing the guns. Anyone else having hardware problems?

Incidentally, I first tried to install the LED strips horizontally and had no luck at all. When it would calibrate, the accuracy was terrible. I wouldn't recommend ordering these guns if horizontal mounting is your only option.

Horizontal mounting works just fine!  You really don't change the calibration sequence at all.  The first shot is at the "Top" of the LED stand with three sets of LED's (Upper Right or Lower Left depending on which way you mounted the strips) Then the Center of your screen, Upper Left, Upper Right Corner of your screen, Lower Right Corner, Lower Left Corner.

You need to read through the thread, or the sites that summarize the thread.

http://www.silverfoxy.f2s.com/Topgun.html

http://erikruud.freeservers.com/arcade/lcdtopgun.html

[cjdshaw]

ErikRuud: I've read this thread and those pages very thouroughly. I tried the order you suggested, plus loads of others, and it just wouldn't calibrate reliably. It may work for some, but not others. I was just suggesting that people are careful about ordering if they won't be able to mount vertically.

Silver/Smog: I've turned off USB boot support. I don't want to turn off BIOS USB support entirely because I only have a USB keyboard so I won't be able to turn it back on. I already have a USB HD and game controller plugged in which don't slow the boot at all. My mobo seems particularly to have a problem with these guns. I'll see if there's a BIOS upgrade. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Smog]

Well, guns are strange USB periphaerals .. you know they miss the handling of a lot of data packets otherwise you would not need a specific HID driver like mine to make them work, they would go with the windows' generic one. Maybe this pisses off your mobo, so maybe an upgrade can solve it.

[jcrouse]

Silver/Smog: I've turned off USB boot support. I don't want to turn off BIOS USB support entirely because I only have a USB keyboard so I won't be able to turn it back on. I already have a USB HD and game controller plugged in which don't slow the boot at all. My mobo seems particularly to have a problem with these guns. I'll see if there's a BIOS upgrade. Thanks for the suggestions.

I am experiencing the same thing. I previously had many different type USB device connected and not connected, including a Mini-iPac. It is not all devices. After installing one of the guns my boot time went from about 30 seconds to about 150 seconds. FWIW, my mobo is an Asus AXN8-X Deluxe.

John

[struby]

Ok, I got 1 and 2 guns to work fine on my xbox, so the guns should be ok, but on pc, here is my problem:

With 1 gun, everything works ok, except every like 30 seconds or so, the gun will just make the usb ubplug sound and stop working, and the make the plugged-in sound like 5-10 seconds later and start working again.

I am not sure if this happened with 2 guns or not, but here is my other 2 gun problem:

When playing a game, zero point for instance and on my desktop with the mouse one, the mouse doesn't follow the curser, and neither to the in game crosshairs, they just wait until I shoot and end up there.  And the player 2 gun does not seem to shoot when I pull the trigger, but I still have to check config on that, so not so big a deal for now.  Edit:  Both shoot now, but the crosshairs follow neither gun.

[Cananas]

I am not sure if this happened with 2 guns or not, but here is my other 2 gun problem:

When playing a game, zero point for instance and on my desktop with the mouse one, the mouse doesn't follow the curser, and neither to the in game crosshairs, they just wait until I shoot and end up there.  And the player 2 gun does not seem to shoot when I pull the trigger, but I still have to check config on that, so not so big a deal for now.  Edit:  Both shoot now, but the crosshairs follow neither gun.

You have enabled dual_lightgun support and is normal that you gun don't track the cursor. Respect to the player gun 2, you must remap the trigger button to the trird muse button in order to work. The same remap is neccesary in Mame. This because the dual_lightgun features.

Derrick is working on a new lightgun driver for Mame that will permit 2 or 3 guns tracking at the same time.

[struby]

alrighty, so put the player 2 trigger at mouse button 3 and the triggers should both work, and there is no tracking in 2 gun at this point correct?, I now encountered another problem...
In Terminator 2 for some reason, though I calibrate it is totally off where I am aiming, I don't even think it consistantly misses by anything, it just seems wacked out.  i even tried recalbrating and everying.

Edit:  And now, I went back to 1 gun, it doesn't track anymore, but I didn't look too far into that yet.

[jcrouse]

Lets go boys and girls. Someone try the new software/driver package in the next hour so I know the status when I get home from work.

Chop Chop,
John

[aljupy]

@Smog

My compliments. Thanks for your Hard Work with LCD TOP GUNS.  I can play with Two of them without get one of them stuck on the Edge

I like a lot the way you handle it in this release. I just have to click the "LCD Top Gun mode" and then I can forget everything. Just a Hardware Calibration when a game changes resolution or size screen.

The only bug in this release is that sometimes "Windows  XP" says me that found an error in guncon2controlpanel.exe (I can not  remember at this moment the name of the exe of the guncon2controlpanel.exe  ) But it does nothing to anywhere. So It is GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME!!!!

WOW NICE SUPPORT!!!! (A shame that now I´m at work )

P.S.:Now for 2 Mice tracking..... I think I should start to study how to use advancemame. In my Xbox I can Track two cursors at same time. But last release was mameOX 0.84 and I think that was the last one.
Is not anyway to "easy advancemame for dumps?" I´ll chek it in advancemame Webpage. I do not like to write old DOS command lines to run each game.

[Silver]

In Terminator 2 for some reason, though I calibrate it is totally off where I am aiming, I don't even think it consistantly misses by anything, it just seems wacked out.  i even tried recalbrating and everying.

Remember you must do THREE levels of calibration.

Calibrate the gun itself (via holding down A+B)
Calibrate the driver (calibration in Wingun, or selecting TopGun mode in Smogs new driver)
Calibrate with the in-game Calibration screen in Terminator2.

I suspect you have missed #3 - enter the service mode to find the calibration menu while running the game.

[Silver]

I just have to click the "LCD Top Gun mode" and then I can forget everything. Just a Hardware Calibration when a game changes resolution or size screen.

You should not have to re-calibrate the guns for a screen change. In fact, using the pre-set Topgun mode  in Smogs driver, you should only ever have to hardware calibrate the guns once - ever. (Assuming you don't move the stands).

I calibrated mine 2 weeks ago, and have them unplugged most of the time. Stick it back in, and its working perfectly calibrated, instantly. I let mame change to whatever screen res it wants - it makes no difference.

[struby]

Ok, so far thanks for the help, but here is where I am at now, I can get 1 gun to function in Terminator 2, but when I put on dual light gun mode in mame, through I have done all 3 levels of calibration, both crosshairs remain in the corner, and won't move.

[Smog]

@aljupy

thanx man. Can you be more precise on the bug ? Did you notice after what operation end /or in which circumstance it happens ?

Just a Hardware Calibration when a game changes resolution or size screen.

Well, as silver said ... recalibration should not be needed after screen res change neither with lcd or normal guncon2.

Now for 2 Mice tracking..... I think I should start to study how to use advancemame. In my Xbox I can Track two cursors at same time. But last release was mameOX 0.84 and I think that was the last one.

You'd better wait for the next mame release to see if rawread will be supported, however configuring advance is not that hard and actually is the ONLY way to have good experience with guns IMHO.

P.S.:
None of you has got a copy of the .9 beta 2 release ?

[ChodTheWacko]

If I boot my machine with one or both plugged in, it boots really slowly. Even going into my BIOS settings, the screen draws painfully slowly. The fact that it affects the initial boot process means it can't be drivers. In fact, once Windows is up, it's all fine. Has anyone else noticed this?

Incidentally, I first tried to install the LED strips horizontally and had no luck at all. When it would calibrate, the accuracy was terrible. I wouldn't recommend ordering these guns if horizontal mounting is your only option.

http://www.wizardsworks.org/chod/gun/topgun.htm

Answers in short
1)  Yes, some motherboards have errors POSTing due to the power drain.
      On my motherboard, any high powered usb device (including my force feedback wheel, and /or these guns) will cause problems if they are plugged in during post.    try plugging the guns in after booting.

2)  I've done horizontal mounts using a variety of screen sizes with no problem at all.
     Did you mount the bars in the right direction?     
     I added a picture to my topgun page.

[Silver]

P.S.:
None of you has got a copy of the .9 beta 2 release ?

I do - I've emailed it to you.

[Silver]

http://www.wizardsworks.org/chod/gun/topgun.htm

2)  I've done horizontal mounts using a variety of screen sizes with no problem at all.
     Did you mount the bars in the right direction?     
     I added a picture to my topgun page.

(From site)

"One review noted they had better success however by using both LED stands, and calibrating one gun to each set of stands"

Have you got a link to this review? I find it unbelieveable that having 2 sets of stands on at the same time don't confuse the gun (by seeing too many sources).

[tibbs68]

Henry from EMS has e-mailed me to confirm that in their next TopGun driver release there should be an option to start the drivers at Windows start up as opposed to being automatically in test mode.

This should help those of us
a. using the EMS drivers satisfactorily (minority!)
b. booting into our Frontend via a shortcut in Windows startup

[Smog]

Unless EMS decide to make a real driver nothing will help enough.

[Smog]

Anyone who want to test a modified version of FCE emulator with rawread (maybe it fixes the offset problem) please contact me. I cannot do it right now.

EDIT: Forgot to say that you obviously must have my driver installed and windows XP.

[Farmboy90]

Anyone who wants to test a modified version of FCE emulator with rawread (maybe it fixes the offset problem) please contact me. I cannot do it right now.

I just PM'ed you.  I can test it out.

[BioFreak]

There are a lot of really good responses to this topic.
I'm looking to compile info from people that are using the new guns.

If you have a second please post or pm me with the following

Monitor type:
TV, Arcade CRT, PC CRT, LCD, HDTV, Projector

Interface type:
PC or Console

Initial response on the gun:
Works Great, Works OK, Doesn't Work.

Just a single line would work fine:
example:  PC CRT, PC, Works Great.

I'll post the info I compile in a week or so.

Thanks gang.

[Minwah]

Bio...if I may say so you should probably remove the 'CRT' option as it is confusing...add in 'PC CRT' and 'Arcade CRT'...TV is already covered.

Also, 'PC' would be better than 'CPU' (since consoles have CPU's).

Anyway, for me:

Arcade CRT, PC, Works great

[Cananas]

PC CRT, PC, Works Great.

[tibbs68]

Arcade CRT, PC, Works great (EMS drivers)

[Lilwolf]

Blank wall works here... Not as useful but it works.

Projection screen works well also (but you have the leds in the middle... thinking of trying to cut a screen and mount them behind it.  Would be pretty cool!

[ChodTheWacko]

There are a lot of really good responses to this topic.
I'm looking to compile info from people that are using the new guns.

If you have a second please post or pm me with the following

Monitor type:
TV, CRT, LCD, HDTV, Projector

Interface type:
CPU or Console

Initial response on the gun:
Works Great, Works OK, Doesn't Work.

Just a single line would work fine:
example:  CRT, CPU, Works Great.

I'll post the info I compile in a week or so.

Thanks gang.

CRT Monitor - XP - works great
LCD monitor - XP - works great
TV via svideo out - XP - works great
Blank wall i.e. Front Frojector - XP - works great

[ChodTheWacko]

Have you got a link to this review? I find it unbelieveable that having 2 sets of stands on at the same time don't confuse the gun (by seeing too many sources).

That would be Lik-sang's review:
http://www.lik-sang.com/news.php?artc=3798

See the 'Two Players Action' section.

Since the first step is to shoot the top left LED group, I guess that somehow syncs up the gun and that set of LEDS (maybe it detects the frequency of that group and uses it as a baseline?)

[ChodTheWacko]

I'm browsing reviews to add to my page, and one site noted problems using a widescreen tv.

Has anyone tried a widescreen tv/monitor, and did it work?

 - Frank

[BioFreak]

Bio...if I may say so you should probably remove the 'CRT' option as it is confusing...add in 'PC CRT' and 'Arcade CRT'...TV is already covered.
Also, 'PC' would be better than 'CPU' (since consoles have CPU's).

A couple of great points, I've updated the request.
Thanks.

[mrcram]

I installed smogs driver and it tracks with the mouse awsome but how the hell do I get the trigger button mapped to my q key. there is no option for this! q is the shoot button or button 1 or how do I change mame32 to work with the lightgun?

[Smog]

You can't map a button to the "q" key. I can add all the key but it is a very strange request ... "q" key there must be surely an easier way to solve your problem .. try to explain exactly what is your goal and not what you wnat to do to reach it ...

[mrcram]

You can't map a button to the "q" key. I can add all the key but it is a very strange request ... "q" key there must be surely an easier way to solve your problem .. try to explain exactly what is your goal and not what you wnat to do to reach it ...

I am trying to play area51 and it tracks good but button 1 is the shoot button, how do I get the trigger on the gun to be button 1.  I have it button 1 set up on mame as "q". but on the goncun control panel I can only select alt and number keys.

[Derrick Renaud]

[Since the first step is to shoot the top left LED group, I guess that somehow syncs up the gun and that set of LEDS (maybe it detects the frequency of that group and uses it as a baseline?)

No frequency involved.  Each separate bank of 3 LEDs are in series.  Then all 5 banks of 3 are in parallel.  They then get powered directly by 5V.  No dropping resistor needed.   They just supply an IR light source.

The camera in the gun picks this up.  Pointing at the first bank just gives the gun's firmware it's reference point.  You can mount the stands standing up, lying down, reversed, whatever, so it just needs to confirm the point of reference.

D.

[aljupy]

You can't map a button to the "q" key. I can add all the key but it is a very strange request ... "q" key there must be surely an easier way to solve your problem .. try to explain exactly what is your goal and not what you wnat to do to reach it ...

Just a Joke (Forgive me  mrcram): Maybe "q" is for "qonecting to my qaffe machine" 

@SMOG The only  two bugs that I found were:

1)When I press "A" Button with my LCD TOP GUN, Windows XP sp2 tells me that found a error on Guncon2panel.exe . It is not important, because it does nothing...everything is running fine without freeze anything. THIS JUST HAPPENS WITH GUN1

2)I can not save the button mapping on my GUN1. Example: I can not assign MOUSEBUTTON2 (the reload button in many games) to the "C" button of my LightGUN1. All the buttons on the gun1 are ALWAYS the default buttons. I can not change them. It is not quite important, because I can Reload with "B" button of my LightGun1. THIS JUST HAPPENS WITH GUN1. With Gun2 I can change and map everything.

On a side note: How could I learn to Hide cursor in order to play  FCE ULTRA or SNES9x  LightGun games??. If there is any link to learn it, it would be enough, I´ll folow it. I see an option, but I do not know how to use it. (I think I´m little dumb)

I do not know if I should report it in Bug´s section of your forum 

[Smog]

@aljupy

Well I think you should just to avoid to go OT on here.  However ...
For bug 1: Found and fixed.'til next release copy the file wheel.gif from guncon installation directory to your windows\system32 directory to fix it.
For Bug 2: Did you save the settings for GUN1 BEFORE switching to gun 2 ? Saves are independent you need to save onece for each gun.

[aljupy]

Well I think you should just to avoid to go OT on here.  However ...
For bug 1: Found and fixed.'til next release copy the file wheel.gif from guncon installation directory to your windows\system32 directory to fix it.

It seems very easy Thanks!!!

For Bug 2: Did you save the settings for GUN1 BEFORE switching to gun 2 ? Saves are independent you need to save onece for each gun.

I JUST Connected Gun1 and it saved nothing....BTW this afternoon (Assuming that we are in €urope) I´ll try more deeply . Maybe my PC is going crazy, as you know......every PC is a different world.

Is it possible to "Hide Cursor" with some key? I would like to play FCE ULTRA without seeing my mouse cursor.  Maybe it is my Pc´s fault, because I enable that option....I´ll give a try with that too.

THANX!!!

[jcrouse]

I am still experiencing this with the Asus A7N8-X Deluxe. Even the memory check at post is slow. If I go into the BIOS is moves like a snail.

Any ideas?,
John

[daveg2000]

Damn!   

My Gun just showed up at my house, and I have to leave for Bowling league in 10 minutes...!!! 

I dont want to socialize tonight!!  haha

And after I get home, I probably won't be in any shape to tackle
this project...

oh well.. I guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow night.   

[Silver]

I am still experiencing this with the Asus A7N8-X Deluxe. Even the memory check at post is slow. If I go into the BIOS is moves like a snail.

Any ideas?,
John

I've found another motherboard this happens on all the time - Asus A8R-MVP. Even if I go through a self-powered hub. Its because the bios is trying to enumerate and identify all the usb devices (it wants to tell you mouse and keyboard etc...). I went to the asus support forum and noticed lots of posts for this motherboard of people having horrendeously slow boot times with certain USB devices attached - it seems anything it does not recognise kills the machine. Very poor - I suspect its dodgy bios code, no update for me though.

My other (older) asus motherboard is fine booting with them.

Only think I can think of is changing USB options in the bios or updating the bios.