FBA vs. MAME

[markwkidd]

@robertvb83 said in FBA vs. MAME:

@markwkidd they are each seen as a seperate gamepad

Great. I wanted to know what part of the code that this investigation would begin with.

Here's what I think is the situation: I don't think the code we have accommodates the Robotron input scheme but if you're willing to come over to github and work through it with me I believe there are at least two possible tidy approaches to solving this that are ultimately not going to take more than an hour or two to figure out.

Could you please post an issue in github with the words Robotron controls in the title? https://github.com/libretro/mame2003-plus-libretro/issues

[grant2258]

@markwkidd said in FBA vs. MAME:

the co

mark its the same controller as im using its a gamepad input :)

[markwkidd]

@grant2258 said in FBA vs. MAME:

@markwkidd said in FBA vs. MAME:

the co

mark its the same controller as im using its a gamepad input :)

That can't hurt! @grant2258 this is what I mean by two possible ways to fix this:

• I think there is some unused MAME code which we might be able to activate
• Or we might just look at the MAME code and port/move it to the libretro input processing in mame2003.c

[robertvb83]

@markwkidd done git hub issue

i dont know what you are talking about, but please tell me what i can do to help :-)

[UDb23]

@robertvb83 said in FBA vs. MAME:

how exactly did you manage to configure robotron to use p2 Joystick as second Joystick for p1?

There is an option specific for dual joystick games in lr-mame 2003.

The other way to do that is to use the Mame TAB menu to remap input of joystick 2 to joystick 1 (gamepad 1 in your case). Have you tried already?

[robertvb83]

@udb23 the option in lr mame is not working for me because i use seperate usb controllers for p1 and p2...
however via mame menu i finally made it work!

@grant2258 oh my god you are right it is working! via mame menu i can assign the p2 buttons totally flexible. i did not know about this possibility i always used retroarch menu...
THANK YOU! i was close to giving up here after searching the compkete internet (grant was pointing me into that direction ib github issue discussion)
its so cool to play robotron now like its meant to be played!

[markwkidd]

Sorry we're now hopping back and forth between here and github.

In conclusion @robertvb83 , do I understand correctly the "Right Stick to Buttons" option is not relevant to setting up the joystick on a player 2 for games like Robotron? (From its name I would have not expected so but sometimes things have different/additional functions . I have never used that core option!)

[grant2258]

@robertvb83 said in FBA vs. MAME:

@udb23 the option in lr mame is not working for me because i use seperate usb controllers for p1 and p2...
however via mame menu i finally made it work!

@grant2258 oh my god you are right it is working! via mame menu i can assign the p2 buttons totally flexible. i did not know about this possibility i always used retroarch menu...
THANK YOU! i was close to giving up here after searching the compkete internet (grant was pointing me into that direction ib github issue discussion)
its so cool to play robotron now like its meant to be played!

@markwkidd done you a solid he made this automatic for you. if you compile the source it will just work needs testing in other dual player player games though nice job mark!

to test you will need to delete your cfg/robotron.cfg

[grant2258]

@robertvb83 said in FBA vs. MAME:

@udb23 the option in lr mame is not working for me because i use seperate usb controllers for p1 and p2...
however via mame menu i finally made it work!

@grant2258 oh my god you are right it is working! via mame menu i can assign the p2 buttons totally flexible. i did not know about this possibility i always used retroarch menu...
THANK YOU! i was close to giving up here after searching the compkete internet (grant was pointing me into that direction ib github issue discussion)
its so cool to play robotron now like its meant to be played!

Yes this is one of my concerns of moving over to a complete retroarch input system.

It will rip apart a perfectly working flexable system (tab menu) and doesnt have the functionality to do all the options the mame tab can do(yet). Retroarch is also not very user friendly to remap easily imho but thats just my thoughts.

Im curious how fba handles this situation

[markwkidd]

Edit: Nevermind. My proof needs to be in the pudding.

[markwkidd]

One more update. There is not a going to be a default mapping for the dual-joystick setup after all, but I did just add a core option that you can toggle to enter "Dual Joystick" mode for this kind of configuration. It is labelled "Dual Joystick Mode (Players 1 & 2)" in the RetroArch menu.

This core option uses a new way of integrating the libretro and MAME input systems that I am very excited about.

It's kept me up late tonight working because unlike similar past efforts to provide alternate modes for input, this core option keeps the MAME remapping menu up to date and accurate as you toggle the Dual Joysticks back and forth.

[robertvb83]

@markwkidd said in FBA vs. MAME:

Sorry we're now hopping back and forth between here and github.

In conclusion @robertvb83 , do I understand correctly the "Right Stick to Buttons" option is not relevant to setting up the joystick on a player 2 for games like Robotron? (From its name I would have not expected so but sometimes things have different/additional functions . I have never used that core option!)

yes correct this option is not relevant for my use case it is relevant if you have for example an xbox controller you can assign the right Joystick to button functions i guess (i dont use this). but no button binding from differen gamepads to one player is possible in retroarch

[robertvb83]

@markwkidd wow that sounds really really cool! because i think most noobs like me do not understand that there is a mame menu beyond the retroarch menu. it can be confusing, so such a switch you are talking about seems the perfect solution, you never know if peopledo things completely different and you keep everything as is but with a nice option.

i will test if i have time, can i just update mame2003-plus via retropie?

[markwkidd]

@robertvb83 said in FBA vs. MAME:

@markwkidd wow that sounds really really cool! because i think most noobs like me do not understand that there is a mame menu beyond the retroarch menu. it can be confusing, so such a switch you are talking about seems the perfect solution, you never know if peopledo things completely different and you keep everything as is but with a nice option.

i will test if i have time, can i just update mame2003-plus via retropie?

If you have a chance to test it that would be very greatly appreciated. Yes you can just update the core via RetroPie-Setup.

Do you have experience setting RetroArch core options? In this case it would be best to change the option only for the games that need it. Setting that option should be the only configuration involved, and it should adjust the mapping to be just the same as what you did manually in the MAME menu earlier.

[robertvb83]

@markwkidd said in FBA vs. MAME:

@robertvb83 said in FBA vs. MAME:

@markwkidd wow that sounds really really cool! because i think most noobs like me do not understand that there is a mame menu beyond the retroarch menu. it can be confusing, so such a switch you are talking about seems the perfect solution, you never know if peopledo things completely different and you keep everything as is but with a nice option.

i will test if i have time, can i just update mame2003-plus via retropie?

If you have a chance to test it that would be very greatly appreciated. Yes you can just update the core via RetroPie-Setup.

Do you have experience setting RetroArch core options? In this case it would be best to change the option only for the games that need it. Setting that option should be the only configuration involved, and it should adjust the mapping to be just the same as what you did manually in the MAME menu earlier.

now i feel a little dumb... i deleted the /roms/mame-libretro/mame2003-plus/cfg/robotron.cfg EDIT: and the default.cfg (undo the mame menu config)
i then updated mame2003-plus from source, now in RGUI i have the option available 2 Joystick mode. i can set it to enable then i create game override file.
but nothing happens...
i then close the game (start+select) and restart robotron... in RGUI the option is disabled again...? what do i do wrong... seems not so intuitive for me

[markwkidd]

@robertvb83 said in FBA vs. MAME:

@markwkidd said in FBA vs. MAME:

@robertvb83 said in FBA vs. MAME:

@markwkidd wow that sounds really really cool! because i think most noobs like me do not understand that there is a mame menu beyond the retroarch menu. it can be confusing, so such a switch you are talking about seems the perfect solution, you never know if peopledo things completely different and you keep everything as is but with a nice option.

i will test if i have time, can i just update mame2003-plus via retropie?

If you have a chance to test it that would be very greatly appreciated. Yes you can just update the core via RetroPie-Setup.

Do you have experience setting RetroArch core options? In this case it would be best to change the option only for the games that need it. Setting that option should be the only configuration involved, and it should adjust the mapping to be just the same as what you did manually in the MAME menu earlier.

now i feel a little dumb... i deleted the /roms/mame-libretro/mame2003-plus/cfg/robotron.cfg (undo the mame menu config)
i then updated mame2003-plus from source, now in RGUI i have the option available 2 Joystick mode. i can set it to enable then i create game override file.
but nothing happens...
i then close the game (start+select) and restart robotron... in RGUI the option is disabled again...? what do i do wrong... seems not so intuitive for me

This isn't happening in standalone RetroArch but grant is also having the same issue with retropie. The way it should work is that the new core option should be set to enabled on a per-game basis for those games that need it. While it's on you don't need to do a custom config.

This is working right now for standalone RetroArch so there is probably a fix. Apologies that you are stuck with us for a minute.

[markwkidd]

grant found the error @robertvb83 -- it was a serious typo on my part, but not the kind that causes a compiler message. nasty!

If you give us one more recompile then it should be possible to save an individual game core option for robotron with the command at the top of the the RetroArch GUI options screen, as normal.

Note that I am using outrun for my testing. Not the most appropriate game for dual joysticks!

[robertvb83]

@markwkidd is it already online can i compile now?

[grant2258]

@robertvb83 said in FBA vs. MAME:

@markwkidd is it already online can i compile now?

yes ive compiled and tested its working

[robertvb83]

@grant2258 wow you guys are damn fast :-). ill try in a minute
EDIT: tested and working. so cool! i think it reall makes things easier. no messing around with the sort of hidden mame tab nenu, very convenient solution.