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    Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

    Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?

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    hotkeybindingsretroarch.cfgretroarch
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    • CapemanC
      Capeman @Dinierto
      last edited by Capeman

      By default, any setting you put into a system specific retroarch.cfg file will override the settings in the ALL file.

      And yes, the retroarch joypad settings have assignments for every hotkey and they can be removed or changed in that file. If you want to set hotkeys for all emulators to be the same, that is where you should do it.

      A good rule of thumb is you shouldn't be making any changes to in game controls or hotkeys in any retroarch.cfg, you should rely on the joypad auto-mapped files for global hotkey changes (on a per controller basis), and remap files (.rmp) for system specific changes to in-game controls.

      Vector Artist, Designer and Maker of Stuff: Laser Cut Atari / Pixel Theme Bartop

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      • D
        Dinierto
        last edited by

        Hmm that's good to know. Sounds like that could be exactly what I need. So what would be a way to return all my individual system retroarch.cfg files to their default and have the 'All' config take over?

        CapemanC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • CapemanC
          Capeman @Dinierto
          last edited by Capeman

          @dinierto said in Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?:

          Hmm that's good to know. Sounds like that could be exactly what I need. So what would be a way to return all my individual system retroarch.cfg files to their default and have the 'All' config take over?

          I wouldn't even use the All config to bind hotkeys... in fact, other than adjusting some global settings like custom folder locations or video settings, i wouldnt touch retroarch.cfg at all.

          I strongly recommend adjusting these setting on a controller by controller basis in this folder:
          opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch-joypads

          The button layouts of controllers (for action buttons zero thru 10) can vary heavily by controller brand, if you adjust these by controller in the folder above, then you're not locking your configs to one layout. If you do this in the ALL config, you're basically stuck using one controller and any change will break your previous setting.

          Vector Artist, Designer and Maker of Stuff: Laser Cut Atari / Pixel Theme Bartop

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          • dankcushionsD
            dankcushions Global Moderator
            last edited by

            every time you reinstall a system a default retroarch.cfg-rp-dist file is created in its /opt/retropie/configs/SYSTEM/ folder. delete the retroarch.cfg there and use that instead. you'll have to repeat that for every system you've got issues with.

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            • D
              Dinierto @dankcushions
              last edited by

              @dankcushions thank you! If I switch back to that .cfg will the 'all' resume precedence? Even if I don't use it for mapping it would be nice to change options globally

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              • D
                Dinierto @dankcushions
                last edited by

                @dankcushions said in Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?:

                every time you reinstall a system a default retroarch.cfg-rp-dist file is created in its /opt/retropie/configs/SYSTEM/ folder. delete the retroarch.cfg there and use that instead. you'll have to repeat that for every system you've got issues with.

                Okay I tried this but there were only three systems that had that file. The Arcade system, FBA, and PSX. I tried copying one of those over a retroarch.cfg from NES, but it didn't change anything. I've edited the retropad controller file in opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch-joypads but that doesn't seem to have any effect either. Editing the retroarch.cfg in the ALL folder doesn't seem to be of much use since you can only put in one set of buttons. This is very frustrating and I'm sorry if I sound like an idiot. Could I get some assistance please?

                dankcushionsD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • dankcushionsD
                  dankcushions Global Moderator @Dinierto
                  last edited by

                  @dinierto you have to reinstall each system before the file will appear.

                  honestly if you’re having all these problems and have changed many files, it might be easier to just start again from scratch rather than unpick the mess.

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                  • D
                    Dinierto @dankcushions
                    last edited by

                    @dankcushions said in Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?:

                    @dinierto you have to reinstall each system before the file will appear.

                    honestly if you’re having all these problems and have changed many files, it might be easier to just start again from scratch rather than unpick the mess.

                    I've put way too much work into my current setup so I'd rather not do that. I haven't even changed anything other than the files I've been told to in this post

                    dankcushionsD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • dankcushionsD
                      dankcushions Global Moderator @Dinierto
                      last edited by

                      @dinierto i've given you instructions on how to revert all retroarch.cfg files. once we're back to that state we can diagnose.

                      i don't really understand your initial issue. why do you want to change the hotkey buttons? can you give an example of what you'd want to change on your two controllers? i don't think adjusting retroarch.cfgs should be the approach.

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                      • D
                        Dinierto @dankcushions
                        last edited by

                        @dankcushions said in Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?:

                        @dinierto i've given you instructions on how to revert all retroarch.cfg files. once we're back to that state we can diagnose.

                        i don't really understand your initial issue. why do you want to change the hotkey buttons? can you give an example of what you'd want to change on your two controllers? i don't think adjusting retroarch.cfgs should be the approach.

                        It's not my solution, that's what I was told to do in this forum.

                        I have 2 different controllers. Because hotkeys are set to actual buttons, and not retropad buttons, if I switch controllers the hotkeys don't work right. For example, if save state is set to button 10, button 10 is different between two different controllers. I've edited the autoconfigs but it didn't help.

                        dankcushionsD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • dankcushionsD
                          dankcushions Global Moderator @Dinierto
                          last edited by

                          @dinierto said in Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?:

                          @dankcushions said in Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?:

                          @dinierto i've given you instructions on how to revert all retroarch.cfg files. once we're back to that state we can diagnose.

                          i don't really understand your initial issue. why do you want to change the hotkey buttons? can you give an example of what you'd want to change on your two controllers? i don't think adjusting retroarch.cfgs should be the approach.

                          It's not my solution, that's what I was told to do in this forum.

                          I have 2 different controllers. Because hotkeys are set to actual buttons, and not retropad buttons, if I switch controllers the hotkeys don't work right. For example, if save state is set to button 10, button 10 is different between two different controllers. I've edited the autoconfigs but it didn't help.

                          you should have two separate autoconfig files if it's two separate controllers, right?

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                          • D
                            Dinierto @dankcushions
                            last edited by

                            @dankcushions said in Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?:

                            @dinierto said in Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?:

                            @dankcushions said in Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?:

                            @dinierto i've given you instructions on how to revert all retroarch.cfg files. once we're back to that state we can diagnose.

                            i don't really understand your initial issue. why do you want to change the hotkey buttons? can you give an example of what you'd want to change on your two controllers? i don't think adjusting retroarch.cfgs should be the approach.

                            It's not my solution, that's what I was told to do in this forum.

                            I have 2 different controllers. Because hotkeys are set to actual buttons, and not retropad buttons, if I switch controllers the hotkeys don't work right. For example, if save state is set to button 10, button 10 is different between two different controllers. I've edited the autoconfigs but it didn't help.

                            you should have two separate autoconfig files if it's two separate controllers, right?

                            Correct, and I've changed them so that the appropriate buttons correspond to the appropriate hot key in each

                            dankcushionsD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • dankcushionsD
                              dankcushions Global Moderator @Dinierto
                              last edited by

                              @dinierto that's the correct solution, so i can only guess that there's something in a retroarch.cfg somewhere that's conflicting.

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                              • D
                                Dinierto @dankcushions
                                last edited by

                                @dankcushions said in Better way to change hot key bindings for multiple systems?:

                                @dinierto that's the correct solution, so i can only guess that there's something in a retroarch.cfg somewhere that's conflicting.

                                That's my only guess too but I don't know enough about that specific issue

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