ACT LABS LIGHTGUN Problem MAME RECENTLY?

[studmuff]

My ACT LABS Lightgun was working great in MAME32 v116 on my old computer.  I ran out of memory and to make long story short I bought a new computer with new graphics card (NVIDIA 8600 GT).  The operating system for both is VISTA.  I went on to use MAMEUI32 v126u1.  I used headkaze's complier - no problems.  I started testing out my lightgun - not working.  Reconfigured with TAB key - got gun working pretty gun.  Reset my computer - then the lightgun won't respond and I had to reset the inputs for the gun with the tab key, however, it took forever for MAMEUI to recognize the lightgun.  Reconfigured with tab key again and it was very hard to get mame to recognize the gun with the P1 button, and x and y lightgun analogs.  In MAMEUI32 I have the use of mouse selected (checked) for inputs and I have Lightgun controller selected as a lightgun, not a mouse (have tried it as well as mouse).  In MAME32, I had lightgun option selected as a lightgun as well.

Here is what is weird to me:
In MAME32 116:
Lightgun P1 button: Mouse 3 Button 0
Lightgun X & Y Analog : Mouse 3X and Mouse 3Y respectively
In MAMEUI32:
P1 Button: Mouse B0 Gun 2 B0
Light gun X Analog: Gun 1X Gun 2X
Lightgun Y Analog: Gun 1Y Gun 2Y

It use to be so easy to setup the lightgun in MAME32 after I shut down my computer and it just doesn't seem to be as easy in MAMEUI (takes for ever to try and set it back up b/c it doesn't seem to recognize the gun right away).

Can anyone tell me why it is different in MAMEUI and why I keep having more trouble with the lightgun in it?  The lightgun works in the desktop fine as a mouse but doesn't seem to be picked up by mameUI.
Is there a way to save the mouse inputs in Vista so that when wondows is shutdown or restarted, the mouse inputs remain the same ( lightgun would always be mouse3, trackball mouse2, etc).
Any help for suggestions would be awesome.

[studmuff]

After doing some research I found info about this on the actlabs website.  here is a link if anyone is having the same problems:
http://www.act-labs.com/LightGunSetUp/LightGunSetUp.htm
I will config tomorrow morning and see if it helps.

[studmuff]

OK I went in and configured mameui32.ini as specified in the above link.  I still get the:
P1 Button Mouse BO Gun 2 BO
GUN 1X Gun 2X
GUN 1Y Gun 2Y

IF anyone could help I would be most appreciative.

[sac01]

I have been having this problem since something like Mame v 111 or so myself... I posted on here when it first started happening, but seemed like I was the only one.  I actually stopped updating Mame in my cabinet because of it. 
 
 It's as if there is a crossed connection between the 2 lightguns.  I get the same thing you posted, lightgun 2 shows up with some light gun 3 movements, and vice versa.

 I just tried that info for the newer Mame versions on ActLabs site you posted, and still same problem. 

Wish I could be of more help to you.  But I do feel little better that it's not just me 

[studmuff]

The Gun seems to be working fine under these inputs:
P1 Button Mouse BO Gun 2 BO
GUN 1X Gun 2X
GUN 1Y Gun 2Y

Not sure why, but it works.

[sac01]

Yeah I've been able to set up one gun no problem like that, problem comes when I try to set up 2 guns under the newer mame versions...ah well, I could just run 2 versions of mame if I really feel the need to upgrade I guess.

[divemaster127]

So you did get both guns working in vista correct.  Are you running vista 32 or 64 bit
dm

[sac01]

I'm running winxp, both guns work fine for windows, never had a problem.  They both work in all the pc games that support lightguns, as well as acting as mice on the desktop.  They both work perfectly well with older versions of MAME as well.  Something happened around v111 or so and they won't work correctly after that.

[Dan]

I also had lightgun issues when upgrading to MAME build 126.  I couldn't figure out how to configure mame.ini so that my gun would reload when I shoot offscreen.  I never had this issue with an older build of MAME and I never changed my mame.ini file.  Here's how I solved it.  I followed all the steps in the lastest guide that is linked to on the Act Labs site, but I set LIGHTGUN to 1 and MOUSE to 0.  Once I set MOUSE to 0, it worked perfectly!  I'm using XP BTW.  Hope this helps.

Peace \/
Dan

[sac01]

Thanks, I'll give that a go tonight.

[studmuff]

I just wanted to give an update on my act labs lightgun with MAME.  I upgraded to 132u3 (mameui32 version) and my actlabs gun is working extremely well with the lightgun games.  It is not perfect but close.  I think it was the version I was using before but not exactlt sure.  I really read the addendum on the actlabs site for setting up the gun.  This seemed to help.  It also helped setting up the x and y axis first and then the trigger button.  Also make sure you fire the gun on the axis first (while in the tab menu) and then select the axis in the tab menu and fire again in the same spot. 

Tom.

[nickynooch]

I wish someone put up a video of how to make actlabs guns work on youtube.  I am about to set up mine and hearing all these horror stories of the setup, I'm nervous haha.  Hopefully it isn't as hard as everyone else is saying.  Wish me luck.