Mame32 losing Configs when Swapping Control Panels

[markrvp]

I have multiple control panels.  On one panel, I am using a GP-Wiz 49 as the encoder - READ GAMEPAD ENCODER.  On another panel I have a Minipac - READ KEYBOARD ENCODER.  I need to use both types of encoders when swapping so I went into Mame32 and altered the default config so that . . .

. . . Pause = P or J1 Button 15
      ESC =  Escape or J1 Button 16
      Enter = Enter or J1 Button 17
      P1 Coin = 5 or J1 Button 18
      P1 Start = 1 or J1 Button 19

This works fine as long as the panel with the GP-Wiz 49 is installed.  When I disconnect this panel and connect the MINIPAC panel then the J1 Button options disappear.  I can re-connect the GP-Wiz 49 panel and they are still gone.  By tabbing into the controls you would see this:

Pause = P or
      ESC =  Escape or
      Enter = Enter or
      P1 Coin = 5 or
      P1 Start = 1 or

The word OR is till there but the "or what" is missing.  I can understand why the Joystick1 Button X code wouldn't show up if a GAMEPAD Encoder is not connected, but shouldn't they reappear when the GAMEPAD encoder is reconnected?  Why is the Default.cfg file being altered when the GP-Wiz 49 is disconnected?

Surely this doesn't mean that I will have to remap controls everytime I swap panels does it?

[Timoe]

I'll prolly have to see pictures of both the panels in question 

[markrvp]

bump

[Lilwolf]

mame32 probably shouldn't be used.  At least a frontend has the ability to have seperate settings for mame... or force settings...  But mame32 isn't really designed for that. 

its not all that cab friendly in general, let alone hot swappable control panel friendly.

[u_rebelscum]

I can understand why the Joystick1 Button X code wouldn't show up if a GAMEPAD Encoder is not connected, but shouldn't they reappear when the GAMEPAD encoder is reconnected?  Why is the Default.cfg file being altered when the GP-Wiz 49 is disconnected?

Surely this doesn't mean that I will have to remap controls everytime I swap panels does it?

The problem is that mame & mame32 aren't setup for hot-swapping joysticks.  Most PC software is like this; directX directInput can workaround it with extra coding, but the normal, MS suggested directInput way doesn't.

Try completely exiting mame/mame32 before swapping and see if that helps.  You also might try the same hot-swaps as you did before, but exit mame/mame32 and restart before opening TAB and see if the joystick is still there.  These are where a seperate FE might be better than the fused GUI of mame32: you can hot-swap inside the FE (without mame running), but you might have simular joystick problems within the FE.

FWIW, IMO you should use the ctrlr cfg to store general "permanent" hand changed inputs.  Mame/mame32 doesn't change them, and they transfer to newer mame's just as quitely as the cfg/default.cfg.

[Howard_Casto]

what he said....

[markrvp]

Thanks for the replies.  I will get to work on this right away.