Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: PolybiusExtreme on March 26, 2026, 04:58:00 pm

Title: OutputHooker, a modern reimagining of MAMEHooker
Post by: PolybiusExtreme on March 26, 2026, 04:58:00 pm
OutputHooker

A modern reimagining of MAMEHooker, built for the latest Windows environments.
This tool acts as the essential bridge between emulators and your arcade hardware (Lightguns, LEDs,...).

Features

Windows Support:
Fully optimized for Windows 10 and 11, eliminating the stability and compatibility issues of MAMEHooker

Output Support:
Network - Receive output data over network connections for modern setups
Windows Messages - Full backward compatibility with the "old" Windows messaging system
This means that any emulator, launcher, or tool works with OutputHooker!

Hardware Support:
Lightguns with COM Port support (Blamcon, Fusion, GUN4IR, OpenFIRE, RS MX24, RS Reaper, X-Gunner)
Lightguns with TCP support (Sinden)
Positional Guns with USB HID support (Alien,...)
LEDWiz boards (Original, Clone, Pinscape)
Ultimarc LED boards
WLED boards (UDP Realtime)
Gamecontrollers with SDL3 support (Force Feedback)
Any hardware that receives TCP/UDP commands

INI Support:
MAMEHooker INI files and KeyStates are supported
OutputHooker features a built-in editor inspired by the original MAMEHooker workflow,
allowing you to configure hardware triggers without leaving the app

MAME Universal State Outputs (LUA) Support:
MAME LUA outputs (https://github.com/djGLiTCH/MAME-LUA-SCRIPT-STATE-OUTPUTS) by djGliTCH are supported

Getting Started

1. Download the latest build from the GitHub Release page (https://github.com/PolybiusExtreme/OutputHooker/releases)
2. Configure your emulator (e.g. MAME) to broadcast outputs via TCP or Windows Messages
3. Launch the application, start a game and use the INI Editor to define your hardware mappings

Watch your cabinet come to life!

Support

See the GitHub Wiki (https://github.com/PolybiusExtreme/OutputHooker/wiki) for detailed instructions.
Due to time constraints, I cannot offer any support.
I am just one man that wanted to build a modern MAMEHooker alternative for my selfmade Arcade machine.

Contributing

If you have suggestions, bug reports, or want to contribute to the code, feel free to open an issue (https://github.com/PolybiusExtreme/OutputHooker/issues) or submit a pull request (https://github.com/PolybiusExtreme/OutputHooker/pulls).

Credits

Howard Casto (MAMEHooker & MAME Interop SDK developer)
Ben Baker (MAME Interop SDK & Ultimarc SDK developer)
Aaron Giles (MAME output code developer)
6Bolt (Hook of the Reaper (https://hotr.6bolt.com/) developer)
Title: Re: OutputHooker, a modern reimagining of MAMEHooker
Post by: bobbyb13 on March 28, 2026, 02:17:54 am
I like it.
Cool work.
Always wanted to build a gun game machine so maybe it finally is in my future?
Title: Re: OutputHooker, a modern reimagining of MAMEHooker
Post by: abispac on March 29, 2026, 11:07:42 pm
awesome, maybe ill update my igrosoft setup and build another cabinet, although im not sure if this would work as think it was mame that handles the coint counting for those games, to bad im stuck with an old version of mame for that.Ill try and see if this works
Title: Re: OutputHooker, a modern reimagining of MAMEHooker
Post by: abispac on March 31, 2026, 04:22:09 pm
Instructions unclear, i fire up mame and outputhooker wont detect anything. Running mame and the hooker with admin privileges still nothing. Do i need to do something to tell the hooker so it detects mame? Thanks
Nevermind sorted out, testing it right now.
Title: Re: OutputHooker, a modern reimagining of MAMEHooker
Post by: abispac on March 31, 2026, 04:35:27 pm
Works great with igrosoft games
Title: Re: OutputHooker, a modern reimagining of MAMEHooker
Post by: PolybiusExtreme on April 09, 2026, 03:28:26 am
OutputHooker v1.1.0 released!

- Added "Launch Application" (apl) and "Close Application" (apc) commands
- Added KeyStates support

https://github.com/PolybiusExtreme/OutputHooker/releases/tag/v1.1.0
Title: Re: OutputHooker, a modern reimagining of MAMEHooker
Post by: PolybiusExtreme on April 14, 2026, 02:47:03 am
OutputHooker v1.2.0 released!

- Added LEDWiz support
- Added new "Ultimarc - Set RGB LED Color" command

https://github.com/PolybiusExtreme/OutputHooker/releases/tag/v1.2.0
Title: Re: OutputHooker, a modern reimagining of MAMEHooker
Post by: PolybiusExtreme on April 15, 2026, 05:44:09 pm
OutputHooker v1.2.1 released!

- Fixed a case-sensitive bug in the code

Please update to the new version!

https://github.com/PolybiusExtreme/OutputHooker/releases/tag/v1.2.1
Title: Re: OutputHooker, a modern reimagining of MAMEHooker
Post by: PolybiusExtreme on April 30, 2026, 02:03:07 am
OutputHooker v1.3.0 released!

- Added support for Sinden Lightguns (TCP)
- Added support for WLED boards (UDP Realtime)
- Added support for TCP and UDP commands
- Added support for command line arguments
- Added commands for all Lightguns
- Added COM Port placeholder %cp#%
- Added "Ultimarc - Set LED Fade Time" command

https://github.com/PolybiusExtreme/OutputHooker/releases/tag/v1.3.0
Title: Re: OutputHooker, a modern reimagining of MAMEHooker
Post by: PolybiusExtreme on May 18, 2026, 05:44:04 am
OutputHooker v1.4.0 released!

- Added support for positional guns
- Added support for SDL3 gamecontrollers
- Added "Connected Device(s)" window
- Fixed COM Port placeholder
- Fixed TCP read

Big thanks to 6Bolt!
Without him and HOTR, I probably would never have done OutputHooker.

https://github.com/PolybiusExtreme/OutputHooker/releases/tag/v1.4.0