Roto-X Mechanical Rotary Joystick software - Bug Found??

[Games001]

I have a pair of mechanical Rotary Joysticks, wired to a Roto-X GGG GP-Wiz40 MAX controller board.  The only problem is that I can't seem to get the dang things to spin properly in MAMEUI32.

The spinner effect is showing up in the Game Controller Windows XP menu, showing the 1st stick as always on 17,18,19 buttons (as it turns)... but when in game in MAME, the spin begins once I turn the stick then the spin goes on endlessly until I turn the other direction.

I know GGG has a Roto-X software program in the works, but it seems to not be ready for the public.  Anyone have any ideas of how I can master this damn spin and get a 'single' turn per click of the stick???

[isucamper]

I have a pair of mechanical Rotary Joysticks, wired to a Roto-X GGG GP-Wiz40 MAX controller board.  The only problem is that I can't seem to get the dang things to spin properly in MAMEUI32.

The spinner effect is showing up in the Game Controller Windows XP menu, showing the 1st stick as always on 17,18,19 buttons (as it turns)... but when in game in MAME, the spin begins once I turn the stick then the spin goes on endlessly until I turn the other direction.

I know GGG has a Roto-X software program in the works, but it seems to not be ready for the public.  Anyone have any ideas of how I can master this damn spin and get a 'single' turn per click of the stick???

What joysticks are you using?  Happ? 

Not sure, but it could be your analog settings in MAME.  Which games are you trying to play?  Only the SNK ones truely support 1-click/1-turn, although you should be able to get pretty close on all the others.  Try playing with the speed and sensitivity settings in the analog settings box in MAME. 

See this thread:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=76828.0

[Games001]

Actually, being HAPP Rotary Mech's, I spoke with Randy T this morning and he provided me with the Roto-X program meant for his GGG GPWiz-40 MAX control board.  Works fine now, just minor MAME tweeks and each game runs as expected.

Thanks Isu and Randy T.

[Games001]

Correction to the above.

It seems that MAME and the Rotary Sticks/Roto-X program don't get along at times.

I have noticed that when restarting the system, I have a proplem with rotary games spinning like mad (max speed, endlessly spinning) without human input.

Upon reloading the Roto-X Profiler and 'resending' the layout to the GGG GP-Wiz40 Max board, the MAME games seem to return to normal activity.

No word back from Randy T on this issue yet.

[mytymaus007]

im having same problem with my rotaries using the roto x filer can t seem to figure out the optimal settings i set the analog in mame to 0 speed and 100 sensitvity but still no luck anyone know the optimal ROTO X settings

Tim

[isucamper]

im having same problem with my rotaries using the roto x filer can t seem to figure out the optimal settings i set the analog in mame to 0 speed and 100 sensitvity but still no luck anyone know the optimal ROTO X settings
Tim

the 0/100 trick only works on SNK games, and it only works with certain versions of MAME (try .123, I know it does NOT work in .127 or .128)

also, I've noticed that the interface does not remember programmed settings over a boot.  this isn't an issue for me as I use a command file to configure the profiler upon execution of the games that use it

i'm really happy with this interface and have been using it for a month.  it works perfect for all SNK games and Frontline and Tin Star.  other rotary games require quite a bit of tweaking, and you can't really get them perfect, but they are playable. 

[Games001]

Camper,  can you post or PM over the file you use during your boot phase to program the Roto-X at each restart?  Might be a helpful program to anyone using the GGG controllers.

[mcoaggie]

I know this is an old thread but some of guys logged in recently so perhaps you will see it.

I have a similar problem to the first post. 

I have a pair of snk Rotary Joysticks (ls-30), wired to a Roto-X GGG GP-Wiz40 MAX controller board.  I using 2p right now.
In Windows XP game controller the rotary clicks are 26,27,28 (I could be one off here) however the joystick leaf switchs do not show up as x,y they show up as z and rotary something (is this wrong?).

I did run GGG Roto-X software and I changed the inputs on time soldiers but I have not changed anything else in mame, roto-x profiler.

In time soldiers I click once to the right and it just spins and to the left it seems ok.

Anyone have a tick list or help on how to get this to work correctly?  Is my gamepad registering correctly?
What settings in mame?  What settings for Roto-X? 

I can make a bat file to run for the profiler on boot if that helps?

[isucamper]

First of all, Games001.  I missed your message back in January.  Sorry.  Did you get it figured out?  I can post the commands I'm using if you still need it (I'd pull it now but my cab is not on my network at the moment).

mcoaggie.  first, the leaf switches should show up as whatever you wired them to on the interface.  second, have you downloaded the Roto X profiler configuration tool?  see the "roto x specific features" section on this page:

http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_81&products_id=235

sounds like you may just have the featured disabled.  you can turn it on with the profiler.  if it's on, a left turn should register only button 25 (i may be off one ) and a right turn should only register button 26.  Map these as your increment and decrement buttons in MAME.  What version of MAME are you running?  It might not support 1-click / 1-turn.  Especially for time soldiers, this was added only recently to MAME. 

[mcoaggie]

Thanks isucamper.  I somehow missed that the P2 joy shows up as Z, X for directional.  Rotary is showing up in mame as 25,26.  I put roto X in the mame directory now and tested with better results. 

Little confused on version.  What version of mame would be best for rotary (time soldiers, ikari, gondomania).  I saw a few old custom builds (<.91) with some rotary "fixes" but I read somewhere in the forums mamev123 was the last fully rotary supported version so I had been using it.  After your post I tried version 133.

After running roto-x (default settings), mamev133, configuring inputs it worked much better.  I have an issue with the click registering and perhaps that is the 1 click support.  I tried a few games and I always get a click skip or register.  So it will move more than a click.  The digital speed is set to 1.  I tried the sensitivity from 50 - 150 and that did not seem to change much.  I can usually spin all the way around in less than 12 clicks. 

Any pointers?  And if you have the time I would be interested in the commands so I would not have to run this thing as eventially I'd have a shell for windows to exectue mame.

[isucamper]

version .133 should work perfectly for all rotary games.  it worked for most games in .123, then it got broken, then fixed for everthing in version .131

set you digital speed to 0 and your sensitivity to 100.  this enables the 1-click 1-turn functionality

not sure if i'll have time to look tonight and get the commands, but I'll try

[isucamper]

Just realized I could get the commands off of my back up drive.  Here's more RotoX configuration info that you'll ever need:

So I have my frontend (Mala) running a big script file instead of a MAME executable.  This way, I can have the script call out multiple versions of MAME as well as execute other commands (such as the roto profiler) as needed. 

So if I pick Ikari Warriors, for instance, the following lines of my script file will execute where "%1" is the rom name passed to the script by Mala:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...

if "%1" == "ikari" goto ikari

...

:ikari
Roto_X_Profiler_b1.exe /ON 3 /OFF 2 /R2 1 /R1 1
vmame131.exe %1 -video ddraw -nohwstretch -switchres -resolution 384x288 -nosleep -noreadconfig -joy -record lastgame.inp
exit
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This will set the ON pulse to 3, the OFF pulse to 2, and set each rotary stick up for SNK style rotary inputs (/R2 1 and /R1 1).

When I execute Frontline or Wild Western, I use this command:

Roto_X_Profiler_b1.exe /ON 8 /OFF 2 /R2 2 /R1 2

Notice that the it sets up both rotary sticks in Frontline mode (/R2 2 and /R1 2).  Also, I found I needed a much longer pulse for Frontline.  The interface should actually send an always on signal when in Frontline mode, but it doesn't, which is actually messing me up more and more the better I get at these games (how's that firmware fix coming Randy??).  I still need to tweak the pulse a bit, because even with this longer pulse, I still miss a turn every once in a while. 

Also note that assigning the buttons in MAME for Frontline style games is much more convoluted than SNK games.  Instead of simple increment and decrement inputs, you've got to assign up/down/right/left to each of the 4 individual inputs that the interface will send when in Frontline mode.  And you've got to get them in the right order through trial and error.  Further complicating matters, if you try and assign the player 1 rotary inputs (which comes up as like button 14-17 when in frontline mode) there is a bug in MAME where it will not remember the setting of Button16 after quiting the game and restarting.  To get around this, use the player 2 rotary inputs (which come up as like 24-27 when in frontline mode) with your player 1 stick. 

I'm sure all this is pretty hard to understand... but I'm rushed, and its hard to explain.  I can try again later in the week if it's still murky. 

[mcoaggie]

 
So I am back to just using v133 now.  After chaning the Rotary inputs to your suggestion, it worked like a charm.  Finally I was able to play time soldiers.  First time in at least 16 years.  Now I need to finish the wiring and mount the pcb. 

The commands are my next endeavor and I think you've provided exactly what I would need.  I haven't tried any frontline games yet. 

I haven't settled on a front end but I started using Mamewah, might try mala next.  It looks like with any frontend I'll need to use a loader script. 

Excellent info and thank you camper.