How to get Trackball and Spinner working in MAME?

[Mickelonis]

Here's a question:

I have a trackball and a spinner. I use maximus arcade as a FE.

I have no mame.ini file. I have never used one.... I just point Maximus Arcade to the mame.exe file that I compiled to use hiscore.dat.

With this in mind, how do I get my trackball and spinner working?

(trackball and spinner currently work fine as a mouse)

Thanks,

-Pete

[Paul Olson]

start MAME from the command line. Run mame -cc will create the config file for you then enable the mouse.

[Kman-Sweden]

What version of Mame are you running?

[jmike]

Yeah, I'm having the same problem but with the spinner only. You see I spin left and the PC reads it as going right. It's really hard to play arknoid on it this way. 

Also is there a way to set the speed for the spinner 


Any help would be appreciated.

[u_rebelscum]

With this in mind, how do I get my trackball and spinner working?

(trackball and spinner currently work fine as a mouse)

Hmmm.  Does that last phrase mean your mouse works in mame (assuming you also have a mouse), or that the TB & spinner don't work in windows?  Or do you just mean mame doesn't register any mouse when you try to remap?

Although it's better to do as Paul Olson said, you can also go to the mame folder, right click, select new, text file, open new file in notepad, add "mouse 1" (not including quotes), save, then rename the file to mame.ini.  (Make sure you aren't "hiding known extensions", though.)

Yeah, I'm having the same problem but with the spinner only. You see I spin left and the PC reads it as going right. It's really hard to play arknoid on it this way. 

Also is there a way to set the speed for the spinner 

Does "the PC sees it going right" include in windows, or just in mame?  If both in windows and mame are reversed, the best thing is to fix the spinner; this might be as easy as swapping the X1 & X2 (or Xa & Xb) wires.  But be sure not to swap either with the +5volt wire.

You can fix it in just mame, but... you have to do it for each game, and each game you fix will reverse any mouse/TB you want to use in that game.  Start game, tab, Analog Controls, go to Dial Reverse, and change it to what it's not.

For spinner speed, it's also done in the Analog Controls menu.  It's called analog sensitivity.  The Digital Speed is only for simulating analog signals for digital inputs (such as keyboard or 8-way sticks).

Another note, do NOT map your spinner to Dial Left, nor Dial Right.  These are for the above mentioned digital inputs, and should NOT be used if you have true analog inputs.

[jmike]

Actually it's a USB spinner (from Happ) can I still change those X1 & X2 wires? Also when used in windows it spins up and down    should it be going left to right, this might be the problem,

 

[u_rebelscum]

Actually it's a USB spinner (from Happ) can I still change those X1 & X2 wires? Also when used in windows it spins up and down    should it be going left to right, this might be the problem,

 

If it's going up down in windows (and not diagonal), you might want to fix it for windows (rewiring).  This way, it'll work in mame and most other apps. 

I don't know much about any happs spinners, though.  Can you take a pic of the board?  What is it called?

[Epyx]

As far as speed and sensitivity these can be controlled in 2 areas...directly in your windows mouse properties or better done within your in game menu under "analogue controls" (once you select mouse control etc)...you can set the speed, sensitivity etc.

Not sure about your Happ spinner but using my TT2 spinner for example a sensitivity of 6 is about right for games like Tempest...tweak it to your liking once and its done.

[jmike]

Sorry what I should have said is I bought the spinner from Happ but it's actually a SlikStik Tornado Spinner. I thought USB would be easy/just plug and play but I guess not 

You can find that spinner here
http://happcontrols.com/amusement/gameparts/95265700.htm

I appreciate all the help and advice 

[jmike]

  Rebel,
       I just found another posting where you adviced someone else with the same problem a while back.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=50641.120

I'll have to try it when I get home.

 

[mameapl65]

hi im having an issue with my trackball and spinner for mame 0.134   I bought a turbo twist spinner and an electric ice track ball.  both use usb inputs and work as mouse functions for windows xp.  Its when i go into MAME and try to use them on any game that they dont work.  Im very new to this whole world and dont know too much about command lines or programming.  If anyone knows a how to or step by step config post that would be great.  Thank you!   

also you can e-mail me at apl65@yahoo.com

my phone lets me know when i get e-mails so its the best way!    thanks again!

[Kman-Sweden]

hi im having an issue with my trackball and spinner for mame 0.134   I bought a turbo twist spinner and an electric ice track ball.  both use usb inputs and work as mouse functions for windows xp.  Its when i go into MAME and try to use them on any game that they dont work.  Im very new to this whole world and dont know too much about command lines or programming.  If anyone knows a how to or step by step config post that would be great.  Thank you!   

also you can e-mail me at apl65@yahoo.com

my phone lets me know when i get e-mails so its the best way!    thanks again!

Start a spinner or trackball game.
Hit TAB button to enter the mame menu.
Find the settings for Player1, "this game only".
Find an x- and/or y-axis hit enter to make them editable and turn the spinner or roll the trackball up and down or left and right.
Exit back to the game and give it another go.
Should work.

[u_rebelscum]

I think it's even easier than that.  Mame has the mouse inputs disabled by default.  Enable mouse in mame.ini (mameDev FAQ), or if you're using mameUI, enable it in the Options, Default Game Properties, Controllers, Enable mouse input.

I advise you do not enable multiplemouse., as then you'll have to do some remapping like Kman-Sweden  talked about.  (If you leave if diabled, and enable mouse, then the TB & spinner should both work.)  The  one problem with this disabled is both the TB & spinner will work at the same time all the time.