u360s and mame32? (Problem solved) well not quite.

[Herk]

I think this is so obvious that maybe that is why I can't find any info on my problem.  Do u360s work in mame32.  What are the correct settings for them.  My u360s are configured properly in Windows and the ultramap program works fine as well.  The IDs are 1 and 2, as I have 2 u360s.  I am so lost right now.

Thanks

Herk

Edit =  title.

[fatfingers]

I see no reason why they shouldn't.  You do have to enable joysticks though.  Probably a menu option somewhere to do that.

[Herk]

fatfingers,

There are options to set to joystick, I have tried different combos including every option set to joystick.  I am still 

Herk

[u_rebelscum]

Are you talking about in the UI or in the games?  They are enabled and set up differently.  Games use "Default Games Properities", controllers, enable joysticks**; for UI go "Interface Options", Allow game selection by a joystick, exit mame32, restart mame32.

Assuming you are talking in game use, and you had correctly enabled joystick support, the sticks might be joystick 3 & 4 or otherwise not mapped to players 1 & 2.  Try remapping even you only have the u360 attached, but especially if you have other gaming controllers attached: (tab, inputs general, player 1/2, left, enter, u360 left, ect).

Someone who knows mame32 better than I can help you with using the joysticks in the UI.  IIRC, only the first joystick works, but this could have changed since I last used mame32.


**Do it this way since you are using the joystick for digital inputs; the "Controller Mapping" tab is for conditional enabling of devices if a game has the specified analog input.

[Herk]

u_rebelscum you,

I got them working 100%.  It appears that the u360s must be the first and second devices under Windows.  I had a couple of MadCatz controllers and a Logitech wireless freedom joystick hooked up before the u360s.  I unplugged those, let the u360s take first and second and voila.  I reset defaults in MAME32 and then checked off "enable joysticks".  Both u360s work and were tested on Galaga, PacManPlus and Crazy Climber (both sticks simultaneously).

Thanks for the help,

Herk

[Herk]

Hey helpers,

When I reconnect my controllers, the u360s don't work under mame32 again.  In windows, the "game controllers" screen lists items alphabetically.  This seems to screw up mame32's brains as it only likes to see the first and second connected device.  "u360" comes after "Madcatz" no matter which order I plug them into the usb ports.  Is there a way to reassign a usb device name, for example, aaa instead of u360, or am I missing something obvious again.

Thanks,

Herk

[2600]

You are plugging these in before you start MAME32?

Does MAME32 not see them or have you not remapped the controls to use the U360's and are assuming MAME32 knows exactly what buttons you want to use?

[Herk]

2600,

Before mame32 starts, yes.  In the "game controller" screen through the control panel of windows, it lists all game controllers installed.  Mame32 seems to default to only see the first two controllers in the list.  I need to force the u360s to the top two spots.  No matter when or in what order I plug the 4 devices in, the madcatz always take the first and second.  I plug #1 u360 in and it takes first position, I plug #2 u360 in and it takes second position, then I plug #1 madcatz in and it takes first position and bumps #1 u360 to second position and #2 u360 to third position, finally I plug #2 madcatz in and it takes second position and pushes #1 u360 to third position and #2 u360 to fourth position.  It uses this order no matter what.  That is why I thought changing the ID name of the controller alphabetically would help.  I don't have the programming knowledge to do this and the registry only allows "cosmetic" name changes, not hardware ID reprogramming.

Clear as mud?

Herk 

[Avrus]

A quick search of google reveals a potential solution in the first hit:

1) Unplug all devices from system
2) Plug-in the Mad Catz Andretti Wheel
3) Run the game controllers control panel
4) Click the "Advanced" button and set the wheel as the preferred device
5) Unplug the wheel
6) Plug-in the USB Gravis GamePad Pro
7) Run the game controllers control panel
Click the "Advanced" button and set the USB GamePad Pro as the preferred
device
9) Unplug the Gravis GamePad Pro
10) Now plug-in the wheel, followed by the USB GamePad Pro.

By setting both devices to preferred, we actually clear their previous ID
settings. By replugging them in the desired order, i.e. wheel then GamePad Pro, the wheel gets ID1 and the GamePad Pro gets ID2.
=====
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP
Associate Expert

So unplug all your gaming devices, plug in the 1st u360, then the second u360 as the steps illustrate above.

[Herk]

Avrus,

I tried that and no luck.  I tried it backwards and upsidedown just to rule out possibilities.  I also tried a program called JoyIDs which is supposed to automate the registry process of changing IDs.  No luck with that either.  I plugged my Logitech Freedom in and guess what, it takes top spot.  Alphabetically, (L)ogitech (M)adcatz (U)ltimarc.  I still guess that I need to change the hardware ID of the u360s to something like "aaaultimarc".  That is going to be in the form of a firmware upload to the u360s and a change to UltraMap to recognise the new name.

Any other thoughts?

Herk

[Herk]

Helpers,

I have done a bunch of trial and error and have come up with this so far.  No matter what id any game controller has, mame32 is defaulting to use the madcatz controllers.  The JoyID program shows the real windows assigned IDs and this is how I came to this conclusion so far.  I am now after an answer that will explain why mame32 defaults to a specific controller if it has nothing to do with IDs.  It has nothing to do with IDs because JoyID allows me to change the IDs and I have had them in all different positions.

Herk

[u_rebelscum]

I am now after an answer that will explain why mame32 defaults to a specific controller if it has nothing to do with IDs.

Mame and mame32 take the joysticks in the order windows "enumerates" them.  Quote from link: "Note    The order in which devices are enumerated by DirectInput is not guaranteed."

OTOH, it seems like there are a few "rules" on the order windows enumerates joysticks, but it's not consistent.  The order the sticks' drivers are installed has a high influence in my testing.  However, somehow some manufactures seem to sometimes come before or after others.  I think it has to do with the directInput instance ID (not JoyID) can be assigned by the driver, and that this instance ID effects the device list.  But none of this seems to be solid.

Anyway, AFAICT mame32 uses only the first two joysticks in the UI.  Try this:  with all joysticks plugged in, run any game (that you haven't remapped yet) and assign each joystick to a different input port.  It doesn't matter what to what but note which joystick to which input; I like using a game with lots of buttons and assigning the sticks to p1b1, p1b2, etc for simplicity.  Exit the game and open the cfg/gamename.cfg file.  What is the order?  Now unplug joysticks, start a different game, remap again, exit and open that cfg file.

If I'm right, there aren't much you can do but edit the source to make mame32 use more of the joysticks.  I might be able to help if you want, but I haven't looked at mame32 UI code in a long time, so no promises.

[Herk]

u_rebelscum,

Check this out.  I ran Simpsons 4player and I can map all 4 controllers, ruling out the possibility of any sort of hardware conflict.  But... Guess which controller comes up as the default (move joystick left then right screen)?  The Madcatz.  I don't think the time spent on customising a version just for me is necessary although I think it is great that you would even consider this as an option.  My final setup will include Mala, not Mame32, but that may be a while yet.  For now I can manually plug and unplug controllers, or even install a switch to ease things.  My kids and I only use the madcatz controllers for specific games such as NHL games.  I still think that windows is assigning IDs alphabetically, and a hardware name change is the answer.  I did read somewhere that hardware IDs are numeric as well and there is no standard for assigning them.  Maybe this is a question for Ultimarc?

Herk