Advance Mess and BBC Micro and joystick control

caver01

@spud11 said in Advance Mess and BBC Micro and joystick control:

@caver01 Hi. I added the \ back in on the second last line, but again it didn't work. There must be something fundamentally flawed with the script or perhaps how I've included it in the advmess.rc file.

There is some ambiguity in the documentation about simulate_event() vs. simulate_key(). I wonder if you can use simulate_event? Also, you might troubleshoot using a much smaller script, something that only types C or something shorter at first.

Also, I would probably try a script_play as I think this is what I did to get it to type scroll lock a while back.

It seems like a powerful feature. I wish we could get you up and running with it.

caver01

@spud11 Also, regarding flaws, these backslashes have to be correct as I have noted (add back the missing one on second-to-last line, and remove the trailing one at the end) or else the command will break the .rc file.

Another test would be to avoid the use of backslashes completely. Maybe TABs in the file is messing it up. I think my early script simply had everything on one line.

This would be a valid test:

script_play delay(20000); simulate_key(key_c,100);

Of course, it would only type the C key after 20 seconds, but it could be a start.

Is there something else in your .rc file messing this up? A wonky comment line or something?

edmaul69

@spud11 first off my problem. i cat get any games with more than one word in the name to work. so if say i name 3d Convoy to 3dconvoy and enter that name in advmess bbc commandline i get bad filename. if i name it convoy inside and outside of advmess i get file not found. do you know how i know what to name them?

now to make the config correctly. so i am not sure why you set up an emulators.cfg for 1 game? you can set it up for all games. open up your bbc micro's emulators.cfg file and change it to this:

advmess=  sudo /opt/retropie/emulators/bbcmicro/advmess bbcb -cfg /opt/retropie/configs/bbcmicro/advmess.rc -floppy %ROM%
default = "advmess"

now all of your games will work on 1 config.

spud11

@caver01 I'm now getting to the BASIC screen again (which is good), so the advmess.rc file is definitely working once again. (I suspect because I use Windows, the line endings had reverted to Windows rather than Unix format.)

But both the script_play delay(20000); simulate_key(key_c,100); and script_emulation delay(20000); simulate_key(key_c,100); don't produce anything on screen.

I've pulled the timings back a bit as follows: script_play delay(2000); simulate_key(key_c,100); and script_emulation delay(2000); simulate_key(key_c,100); . No go on these either.

I've then tried script_play delay(2000); simulate_event(key_c,100); and script_emulation delay(2000); simulate_event(key_c,100);

Neither work. What about the scroll lock issue? Perhaps I first need to try to get the emulator into partial emulation mode first? Not sure.

spud11

@edmaul69

I want to make sure that I can use my joystick for every game and I was finding that the advmess.rc wasn't saving any of my customised input configurations for each game.

The easiest way I could find to set up the joystick was to use xboxdrv. Because each BBC Micro game has a different keyboard setup, I can't use runcommand-onstart to invoke xboxdrv because runcommand-onstart includes system-based, not individual game-based, xboxdrv configurations.

To ensure that I could set up individual game-based xboxdrv configurations, I need to have separate bash scripts for each game which first invoke xboxdrv then commence advmess emulation.

edmaul69

@spud11 since you have it going to a specific .rc file wouldnt it just be easier to point to say thrust.rc for thrust and have the controls for thrust in that rc file and make one for each game than trying to setup xboxdrv for every game?

spud11

@edmaul69 Yes, it would but the individual game confis wouldn't save in advmess.rc.

edmaul69

@spud11 but if it saves it as a whole system in the config and not individual config it wouldnt matter if only one game is looking at that .rc file. which shouldnt have to be called advmess.rc either.

caver01

A couple of notes about the configs. . . I was going to have separate .rc files per floppy disk image for my AppleII MESS setup when I discovered that it was adding my keyboard adjustments with prefixes for each disk image file. That meant I could use one .rc file for everything. Once you have a prefix, you could theoretically use the same prefix for the scripts--one line for each disk image--assuming we get scripting working.

As for my scroll lock, I never did find it it. I think it got erased on an old SD card. In any case, I was getting out of full emulation mode on my keyboard only so that I could invoke the TAB menu and configure keys. I don't think this is an issue for what you are trying to accomplish.

spud11

@caver01 and @edmaul69 Agree with you both. Trouble was no changes were saving to the advmess.rc at all, so I couldn't rely on advmess for input changes. No idea what the problem was. I might have another go at it in a couple more days.

So with advmess messing up for me, it wound up just being easier to note the default keyboard controls for each game and then use xboxdrv.

About separate advmess.rc files, I need separate advmess.rc files for each game if I want to include a script_play like CHAIN "THRUST" or CHAIN "ELITE". I can't have both in the same advmess.rc file. Unfortunately, I can't get any of these scripts to work.

edmaul69

@spud11 i know individual configs dont work but with seperate configs it doesnt matter. so if it doesnt save configs at all did manually entering them in work? Im not talking about xboxdrv, im talking about advmess controller configs? If they do work, keep making seperate config files but just change the advmess controls for each config file for each game instead of trying to get xboxdrv to work.

spud11

@edmaul69 Yes, I manually changed the advmess.rc adapting your Apple II script, but I couldn't get it to work and I tried several different ways.

Basically, I think what I need is someone who's had changes made to the advmess.rc for the control schemes to show me what changes were made automatically in their advmess.rc for a couple of different BBC Micro games and then I can try again to make manual changes to the file.

While playing Chuckie Egg a couple of days ago, I unintentionally changed the sync_startuptime and that did appear automatically in the advmess.rc file as

bbcb[home_pi_retropie_roms_bbcmicro_chuckie]/sync_startuptime 75

But my attempts to replicate the syntax to try to change the controls manually in advmess.rc have failed.

I'd prefer not to use xboxdrv in this instance because it should be unnecessary but, as I can't get any changes I make to the control scheme via TAB to save automatically in advmess.rc, xboxdrv has been the only way so far for me to get the joystick to work and to "individualise" game control schemes.

caver01

@spud11 I guess I was saying that you COULD have multiple scripts in the same .rc file so long as they have an added prefix that calls out the system/floppy image to which they apply. It would be similar to how my apple II config saves keymapping:

apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[key_j] keyboard[0,1]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[key_rshift] 
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[key_ctrl] 
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[key_open] 
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[p1_button1] keyboard[0,lalt]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[p1_button2] keyboard[0,lcontrol]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[p1_stick_left] keyboard[0,right]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[p1_stick_right] keyboard[0,left]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[p1_stick_up] keyboard[0,up]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[p1_stick_down] keyboard[0,down]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_karateka]/input_map[key_esc] keyboard[0,p]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_lode_runner]/input_map[key_esc] keyboard[0,p]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_lode_runner]/input_map[key_a] keyboard[0,z]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_lode_runner]/input_map[key_u] keyboard[0,lshift]
apple2ee[home_pi_retropie_roms_apple2_lode_runner]/input_map[key_ctrl] keyboard[0,x]

caver01

@spud11 If you could only get it to save settings after making adjustments in the GUI menu, you would have an example of the syntax for your system/floppy combo.

I assume you are checking the advmess.rc file you are specifying in your -cfg parameter on your launch script, right, and not a .rc file that was created automatically in the default location?

How are you exiting? You cannot "crash out" or kill the process. You have to exit properly for advancemame to write the changes to the .rc file. This comes up sometimes, so mentioning it here.

edmaul69

did you have problems with saving on the original default advmess.rc? i assume yes. i use a custom made advmess 3.4 that someone fixed the controls not saving or player 2 controls being messed up and stuff on several consoles we use. feel free to test with it. bbcb may or may not save. but it certainly wouldnt hurt to try.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B91PCRsG5b5baDFlMWEycV9Id3M

spud11

@edmaul69 and @caver01 Thanks to you both I've now made some further progress - I can now save individual game settings in the admess.rc file and I've also got a script_play to work - up to a point.

I replaced the advmess executable with your version 3.4, edmaul69, and went back to using the runcommand method rather than using individual bash scripts for each game. In game, I can use the TAB menu to change keys on a per game basis which will save in the advmess.rc file.

The problem I have though with using runcommand and a centralised advmess.rc is that I have arcade joysticks. To exit all emulators I want to use the same method and I've also got kids who button mash. Using runcommand-onstart, xboxdrv is system-based rather than individual-game based. So for all emulators, I'm using select + right trigger to exit. With non-libretro non-Retroarch emulators like AdvMess, I can only use select + right trigger if I use xboxdrv so, although I can now save individual game settings in a central advmess.rc, I'm finding that I can't exit any of the games without a keyboard. With the BBC Micro games all having different keys, I'm a bit stuck if I continue to use runcommand and a centralised advmess.rc file. With individual bash scripts, though, pointing to individual .rc files for each game, I can set up xboxdrv tailored to each individual game's controls and also exit the games using the joystick without having a keyboard plus I should be able to use individual script_play commands. Unless AdvMess allows something similar to select + right trigger, I prefer the bash script method.

Turning to the script_play, the following works for Thrust, but only up to a point:

script_play delay(750); simulate_key(key_scrlock,75); simulate_key(key_c,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_h,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_a,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_i,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_n,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_space,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_quote,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_t,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_h,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_r,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_u,75); delay75); simulate_key(key_s,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_t,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_quote,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_enter,75); delay(75);

All of the characters appear on screen automatically without typing anything manually. However, the characters appear as follows: CHAIN :THRUST: instead of CHAIN "THRUST".

If you press TAB, go to the Input (System) settings, you will find that quote (ie key_quote in script_play) corresponds to : not to ". There's no setting for ". It's possible to manually enter " by pressing shift 2 on a US keyboard, but I can't see any way of achieving " automatically. I don't know if there is a way past this problem. A pity because I've now got very close to automatically starting games for the BBC Micro in AdvMess.

caver01

@spud11 It sounds like the keypresses are reacting exactly as if you were typing on a BBC Micro. Quote is a shift 2 and colon is in the position where quote would be on a US keyboard. In other works, it seems to be working as designed. You are so close! I wonder if there is a way to add a shift key with an increase in the time it is pressed followed by a 2. Although, they may not be able to execute together. The script may simply wait until the shift key is done, then press the 2. I am stumped. You effectively need to press two keys at once, SHIFTmodifier+2.

Your need for special exit makes sense. That would have me leaning toward a runcommand-onstart too. However, there is the idea of a <CODE-AND> keymap in MAME and it probably works in MESS. Can you simply map an exit key in the GUI by pressing BOTH keys at the same time? It should detect this together.

I have examples of AND and OR mapping. For example, UP in QBERT:

qbert/input_map[p2_up] keyboard[0,y] keyboard[0,u]

Might something like that work?

spud11

@caver01 Hi. Thanks. I've done it. I've now got working BBC Micro emulation for Thrust where (a) the game starts automatically and (b) exiting the emulator is possible with the joystick in the same way as Retroarch/libretro cores.

I'm still using xboxdrv for exiting, but I will adapt your QBERT example to see if I can exit AdvMess without xboxdrv.

The script_play for Thrust needs to be as follows:

script_play delay(750); simulate_key(key_scrlock,75); simulate_key(key_c,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_h,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_a,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_i,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_n,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_space,75); delay(200); simulate_key(key_lshift,150); simulate_key(key_2,50); delay(200); simulate_key(key_t,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_h,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_r,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_u,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_s,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_t,75); delay(200); simulate_key(key_lshift,150); simulate_key(key_2,50); delay(200); simulate_key(key_enter,75); delay(75);

It is possible for parentheses/inverted commas (ie SHIFTmodifier+2) to be simulated on the BBC Micro command line with the following: delay(200); simulate_key(key_lshift,150); simulate_key(key_2,50); delay(200);

Note that there is no delay command between the shift key and the 2. Effectively, shift is being held down as the 2 is typed.

The script above can just be adapted for every game. However, it does mean that every game requires its own advmess.rc because every game is going to have a different script_play command.

At the moment, I'm still using individual bash scripts to invoke xboxdrv so I can exit cleanly without a keyboard. However, I've been thinking about runcommand and what @edmaul69 has recently said above.

Just thinking: as each game will need a separate advmess.rc, would something like this in emulators.cfg work?

advmess=  sudo /opt/retropie/emulators/advmame/bin/advmess bbcb -cfg /opt/retropie/configs/bbcmicro/%BASENAME%.rc -floppy %ROM%
default = "advmess"

I have not tested this as yet as I'm just pleased that I've got a configuration to work for one game that can be replicated.

The Holy Grail though would be to get some form of automatic configuration for starting BBC Micro games and for exiting the BBC Micro emulator using runcommand without a keyboard and without xboxdrv. Absent a specific libretro core for the BBC Micro, this would just about mean that everyone using RetroPie could emulate the BBC Micro without a lot of difficulty.

spud11

@caver01 and @edmaul69 This came as a bit of a nice surprise. I definitely don't need individual .rc files. Even the script_play command can be individualised in the general advmess.rc file eg for Thrust and Chuckie Egg.

bbcb[home_pi_retropie_roms_bbcmicro_thrust]/script_play delay(750); simulate_key(key_scrlock,75); simulate_key(key_c,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_h,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_a,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_i,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_n,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_space,75); delay(200); simulate_key(key_lshift,150); simulate_key(key_2,50); delay(200); simulate_key(key_t,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_h,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_r,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_u,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_s,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_t,75); delay(200); simulate_key(key_lshift,150); simulate_key(key_2,50); delay(200); simulate_key(key_enter,75); delay(75);
bbcb[home_pi_retropie_roms_bbcmicro_chuckie]/script_play delay(750); simulate_key(key_scrlock,75); simulate_key(key_c,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_h,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_a,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_i,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_n,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_space,75); delay(200); simulate_key(key_lshift,150); simulate_key(key_2,50); delay(200); simulate_key(key_c,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_h,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_u,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_c,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_k,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_i,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_e,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_space,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_e,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_g,75); delay(75); simulate_key(key_g,75); delay(200); simulate_key(key_lshift,150); simulate_key(key_2,50); delay(200); simulate_key(key_enter,75); delay(75);

So tonight I'll have a look and see whether I can get AdvMess to accept exiting using 2 joystick buttons and, if so, I've got everything I need and I should be able to just go back to using runcommand.

caver01

@spud11 glad you figured out the prefixes. I have been saying that all along. It is coming together!