SNES Controllers overtaken by Xin-Mo controls

BrockBoyts

Pi Model: 2
RetroPie Version Used: 3.8.1
USB Devices connected: 2 Players Xin-Mo, USB SNES controllers and wireless keyboard
Controller used: 2 Players Xin-Mo and two USB SNES controllers

Hey everyone.

SETUP:
I have my 2-player Xin-Mo controls plugged into the "0" usb slot on the pi. I have a USB SNES controller plugged into my "1" usb port on the pi and another USB SNES controller plugged into my "2" usb port.

I have all my controls setup via the TAB menu in Mame and it works perfectly all the way up to 4 players.

ISSUE:
When I plug in a SNES controller I can navigate ES just fine. When I select a game in ANY emulator (I am using all retroarch emulators) the SNES contollers don't work but the Xin-Mo controls do. So I am thinking this has something to do with the USB port order that the controllers are plugged in.

DESIRE:
Be able to play with the SNES controllers OR the Xin-Mo controls for any system at anytime.

Any ideas?

ADDITIONALLY:
I went into /opt/retroarch/configs/snes/ and added these lines to the retroarch.cfg to change the USB port index.

input_player1_joypad_index - "1"
input_player1_joypad_index - "2"

This allowed the SNES controllers to work but it created two new problems.

The hotkeys do not work because they are still mapped to player 1 in the USB "0" index.
I can not play SNES with the Xin-Mo controls because the retroarch overwrites the player order index

lostless

By default, USB port order determines priority for the player numbers. Put the one controller you always want plugged in port 3. Then when you plug in any other controller into the other USB ports, they will take priority and move the other one down. I did this with my pistation (Pi in a psone case). The wired controller ports work, but are plugged into port 3, so if I want to use a wireless controller, snes ect. Those would become my player one, and bump player one port to player 2.

BrockBoyts

@lostless

Ok. So does that mean that the hotkeys will be assigned to the controller plugged into port 3 and then when I plug my usb SNES into port 2 it inherits the hotkeys and then when I plug a second USB controller in port 1 it will inherit the hotkeys?

I think the issue I was having with this is I always wanted my extra arcade navigation buttons to always have the hotkeys. I am assuming there is no way to bind hotkeys to port 3 no matter how many players I plug into port 2 and 1?

lostless

By default, Player one is in charge of hot keys. No matter what controller is player one. If the Xin-Mo is the only controller plugged in, no matter the port, it will be player 1 and 2. If you plug another controller in a lower port number, the Xin-Mo becomes players 2 and 3. ect. If you plug in a controller in a number higher than the Xin-Mo, it becomes player 3. The player numbers are not set by USB port, but by what retrarch sees first in priority. Your Xin-Mo acts as 2 controllers no matter where in the priority.
example
SNES USB in port 0 becomes player one.
Xin-Mo in port 1 becomes player 2 and 3
snes in port 2 becomes player 4.
Hope that makes sense.
so if you want the snes (or any other controller) controllers take priority when you plug them in, put the Xin-Mo on port 3

meleu

@BrockBoyts
The @lostless is right, the player1 is the only one who can use hotkeys, no matter what port it is connected to. It's a RetroArch feature.

Additionally, you can change the controllers "on the fly" going to
RGUI -> Settings -> Input -> Input User 1 Binds -> User 1 Device Index

Be aware that the change occurs instantaneously, in other words, if you change to Xin-Mo to SNES controller, the menu will be controlled by the SNES controller.

BTW: if you want to manage the input controllers for players 1-4 in a easy way and don't care about port numbers, maybe you like to take a look here:
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/1167/here-is-a-way-to-select-joystick-for-players-1-4-global-or-emu-specific

BrockBoyts

@meleu

Yeah, I saw the select 1-4 controller tool. I think I need to see that in action in a video before deciding to do it.

Doing it the way @lostless described works great except the hotkeys leave the Xin-Mo and go to the priority controller when plugged in. It's a minor inconvenience.

I want to leave this as streamline as possible since this will be in my office and lots of people who do not know how to use the Pi can still play it and navigate it in an intuitive way.