reprogramming Ipac for different games (why didn't i think of this sooner?)

[severdhed]

So i've been struggling to get Injustice Gods Among Us working with the controls on my cabinet for a while now.  I have an ipac 4 that i created a custom configuration for when i first got it and then setup mame to match it.  this has been working well, until i tried to get some different PC games working.  Most of them would let me remap the controls, but sometimes they wouldn't like specific keys.  To deal with this, i've been launching these games with an autohotkey script that launches the game, remaps several keys, then checks to see if the application is still running, and closes once it isn't.  This was worked for most games, but for some reason, i just could not get Injustice to work.  I eventually just quit trying and forgot about it. 

Today, i suddenly had a realization that I was going about it all wrong.  Instead of remapping keys with autohotkey, i can simply remap the keys on the ipac itself.  I  already have a batch file to launch each pc game, since that is the easiest way to get them setup in Mala.  I just now use the WinIpac software to make custom configuration files for the games in question. then in the batch file, it loads the config into the ipac, launches the game, and then it loads the mame config back onto the when the game exits. 

I didn't have time to go through all of my pc games and mess with it yet, and i'm not sure it is going to help with MK9 since i don't beleive it allows two players to share a keybaord.(it is using some virtual xbox 360 controller program)  but it worked very well for:

Injustice
Geometry Wars
PacMan Championship Edition
Shovel Knight


i'm sure this might seem obvious to you guys, but i just realized this today and it made my setup so much easier to work with.  I just wanted post this in case anyone else was in the same situation as me.

[SavannahLion]

You have to reload the ipac configuration each time you boot?

[severdhed]

no, the ipac keeps the configuration it has until you reprogram it with a different one.  i just have a few games that don't work well with my mame keyset, so i load a different keyset before launching that game, and then load my mame keyset once it exits. 

[michelevit]

you need to use a programmed called xpadder. It lets you run different game profiles. You can even toggle from within the game. You can use your joystick as a mouse or even use buttons to raise, lower volume.

Give it a try and you'll be impressed.

[vwalbridge]

you need to use a programmed called xpadder. It lets you run different game profiles. You can even toggle from within the game. You can use your joystick as a mouse or even use buttons to raise, lower volume.

Give it a try and you'll be impressed.

+1, Xpadder is the shiz

[DeLuSioNal29]

Now you tell me...  I just got my new iPac2 with the Paclink game adapters in the mail yesterday.    

Seriously though, I picked it up because of it's ability to mimic Xbox controllers natively.  I have a ton of stuff on Steam that would make things easier with those.  If all else fails I'll save it for a future Steam only widescreen pedestal cab.   

As for Xpadder, doesn't that only work with Joysticks or HID devices (like Xbox 360 controllers)?  I don't think it works well with keyboards.  In the past I've used Hyperspin (Hyperlaunch which is now Rocketlauncher) to auto remap the keys for certain games when they load (VVVVVV was one of those games for me).  Seemed to work OK.

D

[SavannahLion]

no, the ipac keeps the configuration it has until you reprogram it with a different one.  i just have a few games that don't work well with my mame keyset, so i load a different keyset before launching that game, and then load my mame keyset once it exits.

How is it stored? EEPROM? onboard Flash?

[severdhed]

I don't know how the iPac works. According to their webpage, it mentions having onboard flash ROM for retaining key sets

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[flylear45]

Older post but thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I am setting up my first 2 player CP with trackball using IPAC2 , and am thinking that since I will be using Retroarch for most everything outside of MAME that I will start off by remapping the problem Buttons 1,2,3 on the IPAC. Then I'll just do a general remap in MAME and pretty much be done for the bulk of what I need.

I'll be looking into KADE for future solutions I think. 

I'm uncovering a lot more than I anticipated trying to get this CP playing nice-nice after I thought I had a clue. I started using an Xbox 360 pad a year ago and none of this was an issue. LOL

You just can't play a decent game of Missile Command with anything other than MAME and a trackball, and now I am having a lot of fun with games from my youth that come back to life using proper controls. It's worth the headaches.

[flylear45]

Yeah, that didn't work. I am so sick of trying to keep up with Rocketlauncher vs. Hyperspin. It's becoming a trainwreck.