mame keeps changing input settings

hoeveler

I don't even know exactly how to search for help or phrase this, but I've tried resetting the inputs for emulation station, but every time I enter them again I've noticed it keeps adding a new gamepad (I'm now up to 6!) and now in the lr_mame2003_plus emulator it's not registering the buttons correctly. For example I'm trying to use 720°, and the select button is adding coins, and the start button is starting P1, but now the spinner is working instead of the joystick, the jump button is set to the start button, but the kick button is set to A button.
WHY is this so hard to keep straight?! Furthermore, when I hit TAB to go into the mame settings to adjust, and I go to UI Select, then hit what I have previously assigned in emulation station as the P1 select button, and now it shows in the mame settings as RP2 Select. Is that Player 2 select? WHY?!?
Sorry but managing the inputs and keeping them consistent has become a MAJOR pain. Thanks for the help!

mitu

Please add some info about your setup, as detailed in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first.

The fact that the gamepad number changes in EmulationStation's input configuration dialog is an indication that your gamepad keeps disconnecting and re-connecting, getting a new 'number' each time. This may affect the mapping in the emulators (mame2003-plus included). You can check this from the terminal using dmesg -w, that would show such events (connect/disconnect).

Mame2003 is also a particular libretro core, which allows input configuration in both the libretro input system and using the MAME menu at the same time. I think by default the internal MAME menu is not active though - did you enable it from the Core Options ?

hoeveler

@mitu thanks for your help - I definitely need to check if I've enabled the MAME menu via the core options. I'm sure that's what's going on, although I've tried to set everything back to defaults, clear out .cfg files that I was able to find, etc. I've probably made a mess of it and just need to get everything back to defaults and start over. The hardest part I've been seeing in my research is getting spinner and trackball working correctly as the default player controls for games like zempest and marble madness without messing up the other games.
I will edit this with more information if I can learn where to find it:
Pi Model 4B+
Power Supply used: USB 5v 1.5A 7.5W
RetroPie Version Used: 4.8
Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website
USB Devices connected:

Two 4-port USB3 hubs - plugged into 2x Pi USB ports
Seagate 1TB portable HDD - plugged into Pi USB port
HID 1241:1122 (RetroArcade.us trackball) - plugged into Pi USB port
HP Keyboard - plugged into hub
Ultimarc LED Controller - plugged into hub
Ultimarc SpinTrak (Spinner) - plugged into hub
Ultimarc UltraStik - plugged into hub
NVIDIA Controller v01.04 - was plugged into hub but recently added via bluetooth.

Controller used:
ideally the NVIDIA Shield controller, UltraStik, SpinTrak and Trackball plus one Ultimarc Mag-Stik Plus but having a hard time assigning them all consistently

I think it's unfortunate that RetroPie doesn't seem to be assigning udev rules by default so that this sort of thing isn't an issue. Unplugging and replugging USB devices while building a cabinet is very common.

dankcushions

@hoeveler deleting cfg files is a big no-no. you'll revert to retroarch defaults which are unsupportable/conflict with retropie. a verbose log would help narrow down what are missing, but if you have been deleting random ones it might be tricky to unpick the mess.

hoeveler

@dankcushions oh, I didn't mean I deleted the files, just "cleared out" the controller info where I found it so that it would reset. Also probably not the best idea but I'm trying to reset things without having to reinstall for the 2nd time! Is it not possible to clear settings back to defaults? I've backed up my files, I just need to know which ones to replace to clear out the controller settings that keep doubling up every time a controller gets unplugged.

dankcushions

@hoeveler it really depends on what you've cleared out and where. again, a verbose log should confirm the files it's looking at.

Is it not possible to clear settings back to defaults?

yes: https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/26514/completely-reset-all-controller-configs/2?_=1668190456098

but again, if you've changed config files, changed things in the retroarch/MAME UI, created overrides/remaps, etc, then this will not unpick those.

the config hierarchy in retropie is necessarily complex and can lose integrity rapidly without doing things in the way it expects.

hoeveler

@dankcushions Thanks, resetting the configurations tools > emulation station seemed to help for emulation station, but as you explained that doesn't clear out any emulator-specific configs.
I know you said deleting .cfg files was a big no-no, but I deleted the rom name specific config files in the folders within

/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/mame-libreto/mame2003-plus

(but ONLY those named the same as the game ROMs)

EDIT: and now my arcade games that were going wonky are functioning correctly! NOW I need to get back to figuring out how to assign the spinner to tempest for example, without messing anything else up.

X Natedd

Did you ever get this issue fixed? I am having literally the SAME EXACT issue. Retro Pie on a Pi3b+.