How to make Controllers only work in emulator and not in ES

[Vodkanakas]

So I've got 2 N64 Mayflash adapters that work great and a PS3 controller for playing everything else. but my problem is when i go to do anything in WiFi or retropiesettings the keyboard isn't whats making the inputs the controller is. So my question is if there is a way to make the keyboard the only input to ES but have the controllers work within the emulators itself?

[Capeman]

After setting up ES with the game controllers and keyboard (both), you should be able to go into the emulationstation input config file, which is the specific cfg file for ES that contains the button layout for controlling ES actions and scrolling (im not sure exactly the location offhand, but i know its in the emulationstation configs folder).

Find the bindings for the controller and delete all the input bindings. That should leave you with an ES that wont recogize inputs from the gamepads, but will still work with the keyboard.

[Capeman]

This is the file im talking about:
https://gist.github.com/neolao/e4d5960c4ee1e8ed5291

Here is a sample of a gamepad setup for ES:

	<inputConfig type="joystick" deviceName="GPIO Controller 1" deviceGUID="15000000010000000100000000010000">
		<input name="a" type="button" id="1" value="1" />
		<input name="b" type="button" id="0" value="1" />
		<input name="hotkey" type="button" id="6" value="1" />
		<input name="pagedown" type="button" id="5" value="1" />
		<input name="pageup" type="button" id="4" value="1" />
		<input name="select" type="button" id="6" value="1" />
		<input name="start" type="button" id="7" value="1" />
		<input name="x" type="button" id="2" value="1" />
		<input name="y" type="button" id="3" value="1" />
		<input name="down" type="axis" id="1" value="1" />
		<input name="left" type="axis" id="0" value="-1" />
		<input name="right" type="axis" id="0" value="1" />
		<input name="up" type="axis" id="1" value="-1" />
	</inputConfig>

You can likely just delete all the binds between the start and end tags and be left with something like this

	<inputConfig type="joystick" deviceName="GPIO Controller 1" deviceGUID="15000000010000000100000000010000">
	</inputConfig>

You'll want to leave tag with device ID though, or ES will forget the input and try to re-setup your controllers the next time it boots.

And since the es_input.cfg file doesnt affect the Retropad, gamepads should still work in lr-based emulators without issue.

[Vodkanakas]

Ok got it to not control the ES anymore which is great but after playing N64 i exit game and go to config controls cause some buttons are mapped wrong for emulator and RetroPie Setup is using the N64 as inputs and not the keyboard still. But this is a start. Thanks