Controls Viewer

[Terry]

The controls viewer is a great utility that I have added to my cab.   I have been slowly updating the controls.ini file that was created by Howard.  I am adding the games on my cab that are currently not on the list.

Just thought I would ask if anyone has put together a more complete list?

Thanks

[Minwah]

You should go to http://fe.donkeyfly.com and add info to the controls.dat project so everyone can use it.    The INI file can be generated there-and-then so it is up to date.  Note that you must be very sure the info you add is correct...

[cdbrown]

You can find a more recent control.ini file here but unfortunately it is no where near complete.

Did you create your own picture of your CP to use, or just used the pic supplied?

[Terry]

I would be more than happy to share my control.ini file.  I will check out to see what others have, and if I can contribute I will.

I took a high res picture of my control panel at just the right angle, and then in photoshop I added all the permanent labels.  I then cut out the panel and put it on a black background.  It works really well since my panel is out of oak plywood, and I don't have any other graphics on it.  My only complaint is that I can not resize the button label text, and it is a bit small.  But this version of Johnny 5 is still a beta, so I can't really complain about it.  I am very happy with what I have!

Thanks for the control.ini info.

[Howard_Casto]

Just thought I would ask if anyone has put together a more complete list?

I take insult to that comment.  The 400+ games already supported are a result of constant hard work by a handful of very dedicated volunteers.  This is over the course of several months in secret and several more months public.  We have to research each game, not trusting any of the "normal"  game information soruces and instead having to find original manuals and other documentation and comparing it with the actual source code of mame to make sure the input methods match.  Your not going to find a more complete list... or even a less complete list anywhere.  That was the entire point of the project.  

Regardless the ini file format is proprietary and only fully understood by yours truely.  The xml format is also proprietary and only fully understood by sirpoonga. So even if you do find an alternate source, as it would be generated by hand, it probably wouldn't have the correct structure to use it in the viewer.


I don't mean to be rude, but as you unitentionally were I guess we are even.  

It's real easy to users to underestimate the amount of work it takes even for the most modest of projects, so I can understand why you asked.  But this is a MASSIVE project,  if you want more entries then your best bet is to do some entries and encourage others to do so as well.

[SirPoonga]

The project is currently down pending server upgrades, should be back up in a couple of days.  Then you can contibute

[cdbrown]

As part of the contributors (even from way back when it was in it's infant stage) I can tell you that I spent a lot of time checking through various sources to ensure the most accurate information would be submitted for each game.  I can only guess that it would have taken SirP and Howard at least 10 times longer to get everything set up and working - let alone checking all the submissions.  

I do hope that when the mamehost server get's upgraded and submissions are open again you will add those games you have so that it will be available to everyone.  It will also mean that I don't need to do those games  

Cheers
-cdbrown

[Howard_Casto]

Don't misunderstand cd... i wasn't tooting my own horn, I was tooting yours and the other volunteers.  sirp and myself don't mind the hard work because we knew what we were getting into.  

[cdbrown]

Well - i was tooting my horn as well as yours  .  I know a lot of work has gone into this in terms of programming, checking and contributing.  I was agreeing to everything you said.  I like being part of this project trying to give something to the mame community and doing something that I think will be a fantastic addition to my cabinet (when it is operational).

I was also hoping that Terry might be able to submit (when the project is up again) the games that he has added and thus being part of the project as well considering how the control viewer and ini file have benefitted him.

[Terry]

 if you want more entries then your best bet is to do some entries and encourage others to do so as well.

I am terribly sorry for being unintentionally rude, and I can see how my comment could have been taken that way.   When I asked this question, I was thinking on the lines of what you stated above.  I have added many of my own entries, and was asking if anyone else has done the same, just not in the best way.

Anyway, I appreciate all the hard work you and others have done.   And I truely benefit from it by having a great running cab with some very nice features.

I would like to contribute some of my efforts back into this project.  I didn't know about the controls.dat forum, so many forums, so little time!

Thanks!

[papaschtroumpf]

Yeah, one of my initial reaction was to ask for a way to support a separate INI file for my own "unofficial" settings, so I could do something "good enough" for my cab, even if it's not worthy of being entered in the real database because it wasn't fully researched.
But then, it kinda beats the purpose of the project of  "doing it right", so I think things are fine the way they are, and I need to get off my butt and contribute...

[SirPoonga]

Part of fudging the data is understanding the ini file format and what constants we use.  We have an FE Dev pack that explains that.


However, IF you have game info that isn;t in the syste right now I suggest adding it.  Well, when the system comes backup

http://fe.donkeyfly.com is back up.