Changing MAME Controls (F2 service menu key to something else)

[spacegoogie]

Hello All,
I'll make this quick and simple as possible. Why is it when I program The default "F2" key function to lets say "kbd c"  it only works on a
few of the games? Like Pit Fighter, when kbd c  is pressed nothing happens but if I press F2 I get the service menu. If I press kbd c in one of the mortal kombat games (not all of them) it works.
So why is the key press I re-assigned  for another button  not working like it should but F2 a key that's not even assigned anymore to the "service menu" working like the keys were never changed? In the MAMEUI32 config screen I go to input (general) >  other controls > service and change  F2 to kbd C. I have checked the  MAME default.cfg and it shows
</port>
            <port type="SERVICE">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_C

I also deleted all the NVRAM files and everything in the CFG folder. What am I missing?

Thanks for all the help!

[Thenasty]

it should work. If its a BUG, then it would have been there for YEARS cause no one that i know of ever want or changed the F2 to something else.
You're the first i'm afraid.

[spacegoogie]

it should work. If its a BUG, then it would have been there for YEARS cause no one that i know of ever want or changed the F2 to something else.
You're the first i'm afraid.

I decided to change it because there is a button that releases its self when the coin door is open, So I set it up (tring to get it to work right) So if I want to access the service menu I don't need a keyboard I can just open the coin door.

[Howard_Casto]

Remap the key inside your coin door to F2 then... problem solved. 

But seriously the problem probably isn't the remapping, it's the way the service button operates.  Each and every game is different.... in some games you hold service.... in others you hold service and then restart the game.  In others you tap the service key.  Some games don't even have a service menu.  Also, and here's the one that is probably throwing you off... the key isn't always called "service"  every once in a while it's "service0" or "service1" or what have you because there are multiple service buttons for that game.  Before you ask it's possible to remap them all, but in some cases you won't be able to navigate about in the service menu because there is both the regular "service" key AND "service0" or what have you.

I can tell you ahead of time that one button is not enough.  If were are talking every single game in mame, you need 4 or 5.  There's the key to get into the service menu, adjustment keys (up, down) and typically a "enter" or "service 2" key. You'll probably want a reset key as well as most games require a restart.  And which one does what varies from game to game.  Now most of these keys can do double duty and you can re-map them to your gameplay buttons, but service 2 and reset will need dedicated buttons at least.

Hope that helps, and seriously though, it would be a lot easier just to remap that button to f2, it's one less thing to worry about.

[spacegoogie]

Remap the key inside your coin door to F2 then... problem solved. 

But seriously the problem probably isn't the remapping, it's the way the service button operates.  Each and every game is different.... in some games you hold service.... in others you hold service and then restart the game.  In others you tap the service key.  Some games don't even have a service menu.  Also, and here's the one that is probably throwing you off... the key isn't always called "service"  every once in a while it's "service0" or "service1" or what have you because there are multiple service buttons for that game.  Before you ask it's possible to remap them all, but in some cases you won't be able to navigate about in the service menu because there is both the regular "service" key AND "service0" or what have you.

I can tell you ahead of time that one button is not enough.  If were are talking every single game in mame, you need 4 or 5.  There's the key to get into the service menu, adjustment keys (up, down) and typically a "enter" or "service 2" key. You'll probably want a reset key as well as most games require a restart.  And which one does what varies from game to game.  Now most of these keys can do double duty and you can re-map them to your gameplay buttons, but service 2 and reset will need dedicated buttons at least.

Hope that helps, and seriously though, it would be a lot easier just to remap that button to f2, it's one less thing to worry about.

Thanks for the input, When I press F2 on the keyboard I get a service menu for that game I know has a service menu that works with F2, I press kbd c ( the key that f2 is mapped to) I don't get anything. So the games I am trying this with do have a service menu with the default f2 key. Why will it not work with a different mapped key?
 

[Howard_Casto]

You aren't understanding.... you didn't remap the f2 key to the c key you remaped the input with the description "SERVICE" to the c key.  Huge difference. 

Yes, f2 will probably get you into the service menu on 99% of the games out there, but the thing is that f2 key isn't necessarily binded to a input called "SERVICE" The f2 key is almost always the key binded to whatever input is used to get into the service menu but it isn't always called service and since you only remapped the "SERVICE" input all these other games are still using f2 as you haven't remapped their inputs.  Understand now?

Like I said, re-program your keyboard encoder to use the f2 key, it will save you a TON of work. 

[spacegoogie]

I'm using the guts of a tankstick. Problem fixed   I just cracked open my mini usb keyboard and just found the two points for the F2 key and soldered the wires on to it.
Thanks for the help.

[Howard_Casto]

Glad you found a solution.  The devil is in the details you know.