Force LR-MAME2003 to use Spinner (i.e., instead of Joystick)

aechadwick

I have a SpinTrak attached to an Ultimarc Ultimate I/O. I am using RetroPie 4.2. I run all my MAME ROMs in LR-MAME2003 or LR-FBAlpha (exclusively LibRetro so I can employ RGBCommander to control the button LEDs).

The spinner works perfectly for games expecting to use it—Tempest, Pole Position.

I would like to try using the spinner for a few other games—i think Asteroids would benefit from rotary control. (I’ve upset a couple people by suggesting this, “Asteroids doesn’t use a spinner!” the purists yell at me—i just want to try it! options are fun.)

I cannot figure how to make Asteroids “see” the spinner as an input.

I’m accustomed to changing controls via the MAME internal menu (Tab key), but that doesn’t work here...
Typical games present, like, “P1 LEFT — UP RetroPad LEFT,” and games expecting the spinner present “DIAL — LEFT” to which you can add “RetroPad LEFT” if you want. So it’s easy to add Joystick control to a spinner-based game, but trying to add Dial control does nothing: turning the spinner does not produce "LEFT," nor any result at all. The Menu just doesn’t seem to see any input there. So I cannot determine how to back the spinner into a game that doesn’t expect it.

Has anyone forced the spinner (or a trackball for the that matter) into a game? Tell me how to do it.

I have read the instructions on the wiki, but i don't think they address this particular conceit (I might be misreading).

jonnykesh

@aechadwick use advanceMame.

aechadwick

@jonnykesh right?? that would be the easy way! but advanceMAME doesn’t cooperate nicely with RGBCommander, and I am loathe to give up control of my LED buttons. Figured i’d put in due diligence on LR-MAME2003 first.

akafox

I am able to access the MAME menu with the TAB key in the lr-MAME2003 core and set the controls as if it were a "standard" MAME build and set controls.

However I don't have a spinner (I have a "hacked mouse") so I'm sure I can't help much here..have you tried to TAB into the menu and change input for this game only? (it's the second choice from the top.)

If that does not work I have to say jonnykesh is right on this one.

dankcushions

the original asteroids cabinet didn't use a spinner so it's not able to understand an analogue input. advmame should be the same here.

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aechadwick

@akafox the internal (TAB) menu comes up fine, i have modified several games’ controls that way, but it doesn’t recognize the spinner as input, for exactly the reason @dankcushions points out. Might be a lost cause here, but worth asking!

akafox

I would think by MAME's coding standards. If it didn't use a spinner for control then you're SOL on this one because it wasn't coded to use a spinner..thus as dankcushions pointed out:

@dankcushions said in Force LR-MAME2003 to use Spinner (i.e., instead of Joystick):

the original asteroids cabinet didn't use a spinner so it's not able to understand an analogue input. advmame should be the same here.

I will have to test and see if it will even use a mouse for input..I doubt that as well.

aechadwick

@akafox let me know what you discover. No stone unturned.

akafox

So the mouse does work without any set-up. Just know that the game conroller/keyboard works with it as well.

Yes that is what I said.. "you can use all three of them at the same time.."

I guess the "RetoPad" Left/Right has no bearing on the device used..anything that can go left or right is a "retropad"...

I have to admit though that Advmame does a much better job of displaying vector games than lr-2003. I could fix it on a pc with stock mame..not sure how to do that with a lirbetro core.

edmaul69

@akafox lr-mame2010 displays like a vector monitor too.

akafox

well I guess running 2010 core on the pi with an old game like that might not be too bad..I'll try it thanks. :)