Emergency! Mapping controls trouble in MAME

[killbill]

Hi Guys,

I'm having an arcade jam to celebrate the semi-completion of my new MAME machine.

Last night i stayed up until 3:30am perplexed why my P1 joystick and P2 buttons 5 and 6 are not working in MAME.

I'm using a Hotrod controller that I debodied.

I mapped the ctrlr to hotrod; but still not working.

Here is my mame.ini

### mame.ini ###

### Frontend Related ###

### Windows path and directory options ###
rompath                 roms
samplepath              samples
# inipath               <NULL> (not set)
cfg_directory           cfg
nvram_directory         nvram
memcard_directory       memcard
input_directory         inp
hiscore_directory       hi
state_directory         sta
artwork_directory       artwork
snapshot_directory      snap
diff_directory          diff
ctrlr_directory         ctrlr
cheat_file              cheat.dat

### Windows video options ###
autoframeskip           1
frameskip               0
waitvsync               0
triplebuffer            1
window                  0
ddraw                   1
direct3d                0
hwstretch               1
# screen                <NULL> (not set)
cleanstretch            auto
resolution              auto
refresh                 0
scanlines               0
switchres               0
switchbpp               1
maximize                1
keepaspect              1
matchrefresh            0
syncrefresh             0
throttle                1
full_screen_brightness   0.000000
frames_to_run           0
effect                  none
screen_aspect           4:3

### Windows Direct3D 2D video options ###
zoom                    2
d3dtexmanage            1
d3dfilter               1
d3dfeedback             0
d3dscan                 100
d3deffectrotate         1
d3dprescale             auto
d3deffect               none
# d3dcustom             <NULL> (not set)
# d3dexpert             <NULL> (not set)

### Windows misc options ###
sleep                   1
rdtsc                   0
high_priority           0

### Windows sound options ###
audio_latency           1
# wavwrite              <NULL> (not set)

### Input device options ###
mouse                   1
joystick                0
lightgun                0
dual_lightgun           0
offscreen_reload        0
steadykey               0
keyboard_leds           1
led_mode                ps/2
a2d_deadzone            0.300000
# ctrlr                       hotrod
paddle_device           keyboard
adstick_device          keyboard
pedal_device            keyboard
dial_device             keyboard
trackball_device        keyboard
lightgun_device         keyboard
digital                 none

### Mame CORE video options ###
norotate                0
ror                     0
rol                     0
autoror                 0
autorol                 0
flipx                   0
flipy                   0
gamma                   1.000000
brightness              1.000000
pause_brightness        0.650000

### Mame CORE vector game options ###
antialias               1
translucency            1
beam                    1.000000
flicker                 0.000000
intensity               1.500000

### Mame CORE sound options ###
samplerate              44100
samples                 1
sound                   1
volume                  0

### Mame CORE misc options ###
artwork                 0
use_backdrops           0
use_overlays            1
use_bezels              1
artwork_crop            0
artwork_resolution      0
cheat                   0
debug                   0
# debugscript           <NULL> (not set)
# playback              <NULL> (not set)
# record                <NULL> (not set)
log                     0
oslog                   0
skip_gameinfo           1
bios                    default
# state                 <NULL> (not set)
autosave                0

### Configuration options ###
readconfig              1
verbose                 0

It's not reading the hotrod.cfg control settings for some reason. 
As it is now, my p1 controls are:

up = KEYCODE_8_PAD
down = KEYCODE_2_PAD
left = KEYCODE_4_PAD
right = KEYCODE_6_PAD

but the only thing working in MAME are the up/down/left/right arrow keys on the keyboard.  The hotrod.cfg is correct.  It seems like it's not being read for some reason.

Can anyone help me out?  I'd be bummed if i had to cancel festivites tonight, because the damn controls almost work.  HELP!

[Howard_Casto]

Well.. it could be that your ctrlr entry is commented out in your mame.ini. 

Also in the current u builds (and I'm assuming from now on) ctrlr_directory has been changed to ctrlrpath. 

[killbill]

Wow, I'm a dumbass. 

Howard, thanks for your time.  I'm sure this is what's wrong.

Just goes to show, I was looking for something major and ended up being blind to the small apparent stuff.

Thanks.

[u_rebelscum]

Also in the current u builds (and I'm assuming from now on) ctrlr_directory has been changed to ctrlrpath. 

Both "ctrlrpath" and "ctrlr_directory" currently work, much like "-cc" and "-createconfig" both work but one is easier to type.

[Howard_Casto]

hmm... i don't see the point to that one, just confuses matters.  Good thing j5 now checks for both for backwards compatability reasons. 

[u_rebelscum]

hmm... i don't see the point to that one, just confuses matters.  Good thing j5 now checks for both for backwards compatability reasons. 

I think that's why mame has both, now.  I think the '-_directory' is supposed to indicate that it only takes one folder and '-path' means it can take multiple folders; IIRC ctrlr used to only be able to have one folder.  Whether mame keeps both is another issue.

Options with both path & _directory (what shows in mame.ini on left, alternative in parentheses):
artpath    (artwork_directory)
ctrlrpath    (ctrlr_directory)

Options with only path:
rompath    (rp)
samplepath    (sp)
inipath   

Options with only _directory:
cfg_directory   
nvram_directory   
memcard_directory   
input_directory   
hiscore_directory   
state_directory   
snapshot_directory   
diff_directory   
comment_directory   

And just for fun, the only option with four ways to do the same thing:
resolution0    (resolution)    (r0)    (r)

[Howard_Casto]

While I totally understand all of that, I'm a big fan of the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." philosophy.

I see the logic behind it and at least for options you'll be sending via the command line and not through the ini I appreciate the fact that I can abbreviate, BUT..... Whichever one is used in the ini is what most people will use.  Since both were left in there and it's been the other way for ages, I don't see the point in changing the one printed by the ini.  All it does is have people upgrade and run into misc issues not pertaining to mame, but other applications and front-ends that read the mame ini files.