Remapping keys for many games at once

[primetime34]

So I just built a 4 player cabinet.  When it is a one or two player game, I would like to use the two middle controllers as the main ones.  However, during four player games, I would like them to be in order 1, 2, 3, 4, instead of having 2 and 3 really be 1 and 2.  Is there some way to remap a massive amount of games all at once, but not all of them?  For example, remap the keys for all 4 player games without having to go into each one and do it manually?  Thanks.

[arzoo]

I too have a 4p cp and I like to remap the controls differently for single vs. 2/4 player games. I've been considering a plugin for MaLa that would allow you to specify different mame configs based on the number of players. If I get some time I'll try to put together a quick proto-type.

But of course you'll need to use MaLa as your FE

[squirrellydw]

and maybe based on orientation, horizontal/vertical?

[arzoo]

and maybe based on orientation, horizontal/vertical?

That's a good idea, but it will double the number of cfg files required...
1p_horizontal
1p_vertical
2p_horizontal
2p_vertical
Etc.

[squirrellydw]

well I just need up to two player since thats all my cocktail table can support if that helps.  

[primetime34]

I use Mamewah...any help for that??

[Howard_Casto]

Well I know how to do it, but it'd be a real pain in the butt. 

What you do is make two ctrlr files, one for 2 player games and one for 4 player.  Then you write a batch file that makes ini files for all the 4 player games and sets the "ctrlr" variable to yoru 4player ctrlr file and use the 2 plaeyr ctrlr file in your main mame.ini.

[primetime34]

Well I know how to do it, but it'd be a real pain in the butt. 

What you do is make two ctrlr files, one for 2 player games and one for 4 player.  Then you write a batch file that makes ini files for all the 4 player games and sets the "ctrlr" variable to yoru 4player ctrlr file and use the 2 plaeyr ctrlr file in your main mame.ini.

Any chance we could get you to write up that batch file??

[bfauska]

Could you do 2 installs of Mame in different directories and set one to sort for only 1 and 2 player games and the other for only 3 and 4 playergames and then use the lists as two different categories in your FE?  With this setup you would just tell each install of Mame to set the controls up the way you want for the games it is used for.

I haven't really thought this out but it seems like it would work. It would be like running some games off of an old release for better speed (which sounds like a common thing.)

I don't know, maybe there are some drawbacks I'm not seeing. 

Good Luck,
Brian

[primetime34]

Could you do 2 installs of Mame in different directories and set one to sort for only 1 and 2 player games and the other for only 3 and 4 playergames and then use the lists as two different categories in your FE?  With this setup you would just tell each install of Mame to set the controls up the way you want for the games it is used for.

I haven't really thought this out but it seems like it would work. It would be like running some games off of an old release for better speed (which sounds like a common thing.)

I don't know, maybe there are some drawbacks I'm not seeing. 

Good Luck,
Brian

That's a really good idea.....any thoughts by anybody why it wouldn't work??