Shift and Shazham Key Setup

[SteveJ34]

Stupid question I'm sure but.....

I used a Hagstrom encoder in my original upright project.  For my current bartop projects, I was going to hack a keyboard but of late I'm leaning toward just getting a couple of Keywhiz Ecos or IPAC VEs.

One advantage, I think, is the Shift/Shazham key functionality that would enable me to decrease the number of buttons on the control panel.

Can someone clarify my understanding that a button can be wired as both an action button and the shift/shazham key with a secondary assignment possible for all other keys?

Example: Player 1/Button 1 could be shift key and then with this held you can map any other button to MAME controls like Tab, ESC, etc?

This would eliminate some buttons on what will already be  limited CP space based on the project size.

[Tiger-Heli]

Stupid question I'm sure but.....

Only stupid question is the one you don't ask . . .  okay enough triteness, maybe.

I used a Hagstrom encoder in my original upright project.

I'm sorry . . .  (just kidding).

For my current bartop projects, I was going to hack a keyboard but of late I'm leaning toward just getting a couple of Keywhiz Ecos or IPAC VEs.

If you were going to hack a keyboard, you might want to consider the new $20 KeyWiz Eco 2 - message thread here

One advantage, I think, is the Shift/Shazham key functionality that would enable me to decrease the number of buttons on the control panel.

Can someone clarify my understanding that a button can be wired as both an action button and the shift/shazham key with a secondary assignment possible for all other keys?

This would eliminate some buttons on what will already be  limited CP space based on the project size.

You can definitely do this, I have some more detailed info at  
http://www.mameworld.net/tigerheli/encoder/shiftkeys.htm

Some things to consider -

On the KeyWiz encoders, by default the Shift key is a separate button, it doesn't do anything by itself, but accesses additional features when pressed with another button.

I actually like this approach but others hate it.  It means an extra button on your CP, but no chance of hitting the (say, shifted ESC buttton) by accident.

If you hate it, there is an alternate wiring method on my page which makes it work similar to the I-PAC, except that it sends the normal first key and shifted second key instead of just the second key.

For that matter, for those that prefer it, you can do the same thing with an I-PAC by setting the shift key to NONE, but you lose one input.

The KeyWiz does not allow you to assign shifted inputs to the joystick movement inputs.

Both the KeyWiz and the I-PAC VE's lose their configurations on power-down, however, the KeyWiz has all default keys assigned a value, so you can use the default set.  With the VE, the extra keys are not programmed by default so if you use them, you have to load a config file at boot-up.  (The KeyWiz can load a config file at boot also, if you want to use a custom set.)