INI file hacks. Lilwolf, you might like:)

[SirPoonga]

Hey, I have two ini file hacks for people if they want.

First is a normal ini file, the ones that go in the mame folder.
It is a horizont.ini and vertical.ini.  whatever is in the horizont.ini file will affect only horizontal games, an you can figure out what vertical.ini does.
Why would you want to do this?  One reason (main reason I did this) is in the vertical.ini file you can put a "ror 1".  Then every vertical game will automatically be rotated.  great for you cocktail cabinets.
Now, I submitted this to mame, nicola thinks it isn't a good idea and it wouldn't be that used much.  This shows me mame devs only think about the game itself, not preserving gameplay and environment!!!


The second hack, which I was told to not even try to submit it.  that doesn't mean it may or may not already be submitted.  I was just told form the dude that helped me figure it out to not submit it.  It's a ctrlr ini file addition.  For a controller with this hack you can make a buttonX.ini where X is a number.  Example, button6.ini will only affect 6 button games.  I use this on my cabinet to remap controls.
here's what I do.  Normally my buttons are like
456
123
For 6 buttons games (general fighters, keep in mind individual game config will override any ini file) I remap to
123
456
I also have a button4.ini to map my  buttons to
XX4
123
That way neo geo games are more natural to play in that setup.  Most neo geo games I play don't even use all 4 buttons anyways, but for the few fighters I play:)

If you are interested in these hacks, let me know.

[rampy]

i'm interested in the 6 button one.. is it just an .ini change or does it require changes to the mame src/compiling etc... ?

Rampy

[SirPoonga]

These hacks require a change to to the mame source.
Even if you don't know how to program, I can step you through it, it isn't that hard, just adding some lines in the right place:)

I'm thinking of putting two write-ups on my webpage about these.

[rampy]

It's not the complexity of the code change/compiling that would bother me.  It's needing for each new version of mame (or doing it for multiple mames if I need to use an older mame for a specific game/group of games) to do a recompile instead of just downloading the stock binary.  

That said, I think your suggested changes are of interest.  Sorry they weren't well recieved by mamedev.    but I guess that' s how forks start =P
( a disagreement between devteams/people as to how a program should work )  

*shrug*  Are you sure they'd not be intersted in the 6 button one?  Does everyone like their SFII punch and kick buttons juxtaposed? (yes I know they can be remapped... but for every 6 button game, bah!)

rampy

[SirPoonga]

*shrug*  Are you sure they'd not be intersted in the 6 button one?  Does everyone like their SFII punch and kick buttons juxtaposed? (yes I know they can be remapped... but for every 6 button game, bah!)

I didn't say the devs were against the idea.  I just said the dude that helped me told me not to submit it.  however, I don't think Nicola is really into putting anything into mame that helps out BYOAC.  Even though ctrlr is in there.  I just get that feeling.

It's not the complexity of the code change/compiling that would bother me.  It's needing for each new version of mame (or doing it for multiple mames if I need to use an older mame for a specific game/group of games) to do a recompile instead of just downloading the stock binary.  

Happens alot.  I have to recompile each new mame to add:
Analog mame
pong
These hacks I made
test driver, other unsupported games
asteroids sound fix (though I hear the rumor is it will be fixedin next version)
Get rid of the "press any key" for a bad rom so FEs that hide the cmd prompt works better

[Lilwolf]

Cool!

the 6button thing was 100% way I spend so much time playing / copying the default.cfg files around..

but now that I have it, I use it in a bunch of places.

Like when I'm using a 4player control panel, 2player games use the middle joysticks...

and 4way joysticks games use up notleft notright when using a normal control panel... but doesn't do anything if I'm running my 'classic' control panel (4way, with asteroid buttons, with a 4way diagonal for qbert).

So, I would have been REALLY interested... but now I can't get rid of my other functionality... unless we added more code to mame that is

[SirPoonga]

Ok, I updated my website with the hacks.

Let me know if you like the idea?  would use the idea?

I'm thinking FE devs would like this too, then they don;t have to detect if the game is vertical to rotate automatically:)

How are the prefab controllers setup?
I know the hotrod is
 123
7456

What or the others setup like?  xarcade, slikstik?

[SirPoonga]

Cool!

the 6button thing was 100% way I spend so much time playing / copying the default.cfg files around..

but now that I have it, I use it in a bunch of places.

Like when I'm using a 4player control panel, 2player games use the middle joysticks...

and 4way joysticks games use up notleft notright when using a normal control panel... but doesn't do anything if I'm running my 'classic' control panel (4way, with asteroid buttons, with a 4way diagonal for qbert).

So, I would have been REALLY interested... but now I can't get rid of my other functionality... unless we added more code to mame that is

Explain a little better?  especially how you'd lose functionality?
I think I could do the same thing for the number of players too.

[SirPoonga]

Actually,  I could have it so there could be a joy2way.ini, joy4way.ini, joy8way.ini, joyD4way.ini, joyD8way.ini.
Though I don;t see a use for that

Also, I don't think it would be too hard to make a playerX.ini.  That could be used by those people making 4 player cps.  For for 2 player games, it;d set the controls to the middle two players.  For 4 players it could setup the controls in order player 1 on left and so forth.

[)p(]

Cool!

the 6button thing was 100% way I spend so much time playing / copying the default.cfg files around..

but now that I have it, I use it in a bunch of places.

Like when I'm using a 4player control panel, 2player games use the middle joysticks...

and 4way joysticks games use up notleft notright when using a normal control panel... but doesn't do anything if I'm running my 'classic' control panel (4way, with asteroid buttons, with a 4way diagonal for qbert).

So, I would have been REALLY interested... but now I can't get rid of my other functionality... unless we added more code to mame that is

Yeah...I do that to in my fe. But having Sirp's will be a great alternative to using the fe stuff. They most liley allrerady know about the ini files in mame and how to use them. So setting these up then for example in my fe 15|vertical|-rol| etc. will be easier for general users...

Peter

[SirPoonga]

I just got playerX.ini working.
maybe I will update my hacks page tomorrow.

[1UP]

*shrug*  Are you sure they'd not be intersted in the 6 button one?  Does everyone like their SFII punch and kick buttons juxtaposed? (yes I know they can be remapped... but for every 6 button game, bah!)

I didn't say the devs were against the idea.  I just said the dude that helped me told me not to submit it.  however, I don't think Nicola is really into putting anything into mame that helps out BYOAC.  Even though ctrlr is in there.  I just get that feeling.

It's not the complexity of the code change/compiling that would bother me.  It's needing for each new version of mame (or doing it for multiple mames if I need to use an older mame for a specific game/group of games) to do a recompile instead of just downloading the stock binary.  

Happens alot.  I have to recompile each new mame to add:
Analog mame
pong
These hacks I made
test driver, other unsupported games
asteroids sound fix (though I hear the rumor is it will be fixedin next version)
Get rid of the "press any key" for a bad rom so FEs that hide the cmd prompt works better

Huh?  Pong?  How do you add that!?

[SirPoonga]

Huh?  Pong?  How do you add that!?

Compile MAME Package 0.61
http://www.mameworld.net/mameinfo/

[Lilwolf]

I'm not sure how much smarts you have put in, but it sounds like you have a good start going if you can handle 4way joysticks also.

But the one thing added in the latest version of jfront was that you setup all your ini files (or cfg files) is that I could get them from different locations per control panel.  So you could have a different special setup for all 4way games for each control panel.

I haven't had time to look at yoru specific implimentation  but it sounds great!

[SirPoonga]

Yeah, you could do that with mame so to speak.  Just use a different ctrlr directory for each controller:)


playerX.ini hack uploaded