Confused on Retroarch config with Ultrastik and IPAC

[MydknyteStyrm]

I am trying to get retroarch to work with SNES emulation, and I want to use the control panel, not my xbox controller.

First, is it possible in RetroArch to use a USB and keyboard inputs simultaneously?
Should I use Xpadder with RetroArch? I cant seem to get anything working. I have 4 ultrastiks, and 2 xbox controllers.

The other issue I had was every time I started retroarch, it would recognize the two xbox controllers but not the ultrastiks, until i unplugged the x360 pads. Now I can select Ultrastik 1, but I still am nowhere.

Any insight that anyone can provide, I would be indebted. Ive spent the better part of two days just trying to get retroarch going.

Thanks!

[crispux3]

I'm just getting started into the hobby, but I've found that mixing my ultrastik and X360 controller is no good. Windows (xp is what I'm using) ALWAYS will assign the x360 controller a higher id, no matter when it is plugged in. Unless you're planning on keeping everything plugged in all the time, when you remove the x360 controllers, windows will reassign id's and mess everything up, and then mess things up again when you plug them back in.

Also, the ultrastik, if only connected via USB is detected as a gamepad in windows, not a hid device such as a keyboard. If you connect it to the ipac without USB, it'll be detected as keyboard directional keys. I'm not sure what happens when you connect it via USB and via IPAC at the same time.

Retroarch, I'd imagine, has support for both keyboards and gamepads, but you probably have to choose one or the other for each player. I've had trouble like that because since I only have my ultrastik connected via USB, my buttons function as key presses, but my movement directions function as an analog gamepad. Fortunately, most emulators let you mix and match, but some don't. Retroarch may not. You may be able to use the winipac utility to assign the buttons on your control panel to function as gamepad presses instead of key presses, and just load different ipac configurations on the fly with your frontend.

[vwalbridge]

Ive spent the better part of two days just trying to get retroarch going.

I feel your pain on getting retroarch working. However, I stuck with it and finally got it the way I want. I was able to get it to recognize my mini ipac and and external NES30 Bluetooth controller...at the same time interchangeably. See my Micro DK coleco build video in my signature.

Here is where retroarch has problems: It ONLY recognizes once device at a time...period.

In other words, you can use the keyboard by itself, or gamepad by itself. That's it. So to get around this issue you absolutely have to use Xpadder. Retroarch needs to remain in "keyboard" mode and then use xpadder to translate ALL joystick or gamepad movements to keyboard movements.

[MydknyteStyrm]

Thanks for the heads up. Due to the real PITA configuring Retroarch, Ive decided to stick with other emulators. Maybe one day I'll come back to RA.

[vwalbridge]

Thanks for the heads up. Due to the real PITA configuring Retroarch, Ive decided to stick with other emulators. Maybe one day I'll come back to RA.

I don't blame you at all for switching to other emulators. I would have too but retroarch was the ONLY emulator that native-ly rotated console games 90 degrees for me. For my application, iRotate would not work.

Obviously rotating mame is a snap, but I'm baffled why console emulators can't rotate without 3rd party software.

[yotsuya]

Obviously rotating mame is a snap, but I'm baffled why console emulators can't rotate without 3rd party software.

Probably because they emulate games designed for horizontal screens, so there really is no need for them to rotate (except when us niche enthusiasts come in to play).