Backdrops in mame2003-plus

Riverstorm

@UDb23 - Thanks for testing it. Typically when I test I use a keyboard and one controller. I spent a bunch of time yesterday deleting all the cfg files and looking at my RA config but I still couldn't get it working properly.

Then I updated everything current and it still wouldn't work.

Long story short I decided to use two controllers and it worked. From what I can tell if you use a "keyboard" for player 2 it seems jump and deploy the chute simultaneously. So people with 2 player cabs, the 2nd player might not work correctly. It seems buttons 1 and 2 are tied together. It didn't matter which button I pressed as either would do both actions at the same time.

As for the score, it's based on how long you free fall before the chute deploys and since the jump and deploy chute are tied together there's never a freefall so the score is 0 or if there's a few milliseconds of lag maybe 30 points or so.

When you get a chance would you be willing to test player 2 with a keyboard just to verify it is a bug?

@Clyde - It's been years since I had a full MAME setup until the Pi brought some interest back in it's perfect little package. :) I've been updating official MAME since the release of Donkey Kong just out of habit of keeping current. With everything it's 500 to 600GB or something astronomical.

People keep getting in the way? ¯_(ツ)_/¯

UDb23

@Riverstorm said in Backdrops in mame2003-plus:

When you get a chance would you be willing to test player 2 with a keyboard just to verify it is a bug?

Sure, will let you know.

Riverstorm

@UDb23 - I appreciate it. I know you were talking of updating the Sky Diver BD to HD so I figured you had it loaded too.

Gorf really looks great in HD. Incredible job working around the limitations. When I apply a shader it applies to the lighted buttons too which is fine. I got a little better understanding looking through the zips. I wish that was on another layer but it's just incredible how much better it looks in full HD. Really nice job.

UDb23

@Riverstorm said in Backdrops in mame2003-plus:
Glad you appreciate my efforts :-)

Sky Diver BD to HD so I figured you had it loaded too.

Not yet, but I think I found a way to use same approach as Gorf to SkyDiver.
Letter's contour must be part of the RA overlay, keeping the internal part transparent.
Mame artwork will then just be used to display internal letter colors that simulate lighting.
To get HD quality I need to convert the SKYDIVER text in vectors (not a big issue but take some time to clean up).

About 2nd player issue: do you use default mame keys for 2nd player on the keyboard?

Riverstorm

@UDb23 said in Backdrops in mame2003-plus:

About 2nd player issue: do you use default mame keys for 2nd player on the keyboard?

Yeah I deleted all my cfg files for troubleshooting so the default.cfg and skydiver.cfg files are created new. The default buttons for player 2 are a and s I believe for jump and and deploy chute on the keyboard.

grant2258

use game focus mode you probably have conflicts

Riverstorm

@grant2258 - Thanks, that seems to be the issue. I see what's happening now and I'll have to rethink the Retroarch and MAME mappings.

grant2258

not really if you set mame input to retropad and you have everything mapped in you ra config file there will be no conflicts as long as you have a hotkey set this way mame will ignore the keyboard requests all togther(everything you map in ra maps to a retropad function). This is more for an ipac setup though tbh but it can apply to a normal keyboard as well. The only way to disable the (ra retropad keyboard bindings) is keyboard only or game focus mode.

Riverstorm

@grant2258 - That sounds perfect but right now I have MAME TAB P2 Button 1 mapped to "a" and RA input_player2_a = "a". Also MAME TAB P2 Button 2 mapped to "s" and RA input_player2_b = "s" but they don't align hence the issue. Do you have the RA to MAME mappings so I can verify my inputs are matched correctly?

Riverstorm

It seems the RA A and B are flipped with MAME 1 and 2 so the inverse inputs are sending both button presses simultaneously which explains why either button works for both actions.

I use the TAB advanced functionality for single stick tank stick mappings which require NOT inputs. I would hate to loose the ability to play those games by going Retropad only as there's some classics.

grant2258

the problem is when you setup your joypad on a xbox360 a is marked button b on the controller thats probably causing the confusion.

https://retropie.org.uk/docs/RetroArch-Configuration/

your problem comes from using sim mode you keyboard and retropad dont match up.

Either forget mame input setting for the keyboad and use input = retropad that way it will only use what you binded to the retropad keys

or just use game focus mode this will unbind your retropad setting you made in ra.

you cant use kb only because you want to use a controller as well

another solution is dont map any retropad keyboard setting in ra for mame core only as it reads the keyboard itself and you can set it in the tab menu if the default isint right for you

Riverstorm

@grant2258 - Thanks for the suggestions. Yeah there's definitely more than one way to fix this issue as I thought about it last night. RA as complex as it can be at times provides a slew of flexibility. I definitely use a real stick for some games and analog on a controller is fantastic for others. I love how well Outrun plays now.

I can think of 3 or 4 ideas if you include focus mode but I hope to avoid that option as not to confuse the average gamer that just wants to come over and play games. That way they don't need to press a key every time they start the core.

The option that appeals to me right now is setting core or system (to cover all MAME cores) level RA keyboard inputs to 'NUL' and using TAB to keep single stick mappings for tank games like Vindicators, Ultra Tank, etc.

grant2258

I think Ra frontend should have an option to bind or not bind the keyboard to retropad this would save people having to do this it would hep with cores that need use the keyboard. hotkeys are easy as long as you assign a hotkey they wont activate unless the hotkey activiate + hotkey is pressed. but thats another subject all together. If we had that option none of these input modes would be needed for an option.

UDb23

@Riverstorm said in Backdrops in mame2003-plus:

I can think of 3 or 4 ideas if you include focus mode but I hope to avoid that option as not to confuse the average gamer that just wants to come over and play games. That way they don't need to press a key every time they start the core.
The option that appeals to me right now is setting core or system (to cover all MAME cores) level RA keyboard inputs to 'NUL' and using TAB to keep single stick mappings for tank games like Vindicators, Ultra Tank, etc.

As you're really experienced in controls it would be nice, if it doesn't take too much of your time, if you could share your special, per game, setups in a dedicated thread.

Riverstorm

@UDb23 - Almost everything I know/use is under the link @grant2258 posted above. Whoever the author is did a nice job. It's written and laid out very well. It covers global, system, ROM and core overrides. You also have core remap overrides. I would basically recreate that document to explain what I know. In addition to some odds and ends.

When I setup a per game config I use the TAB menu for Input (this game) and change what I want from the global settings. Most games are fine at the default settings as @grant2258 has them done very similar to MAME and they are a great foundation.

Games I like to override for example are pinball games. It's so much better if the flipper buttons are on the left/right shoulders or left/right triggers I think so I use per game configs in those cases.

If there's anything I can do to help troubleshoot any input issues just let me know as I would gladly help you for all you have shared with your artwork or I could open a new thread but you almost need to have a case scenario to help as there's so many things to explain and so many things that could go wrong.

I could try and explain my Sky Diver issue. I think it would help in understanding.

UDb23

@Riverstorm Understood. I used the TAB menu myself previously; thought showing "tricky" specific game's controller setup could be interesting. You're right, asking on specific issues is probably better. Also I haven't tried latest controls implementation by @grant2258 extensively, so maybe new defaults don't require any changes.

ward614

Has there been any thought into "interactive" artwork, such as the gamemode selection art in Lunar Lander? As is, there isn't a way to see what mode you are using in the game because in the original there was a light next to descriptions of each mode outside the screen.

Riverstorm

@ward614 - It does work now. You'll need to use Mr. Do's old artwork. Also you'll need to setup the Mode Select option key/button in the TAB menu to switch modes.

@UDb23 - I do think the larger default configuration options are good OOBE but I think tweaking the controls becomes a preference if certain keys just feel more comfortable. I do override the defaults for some racing and pinball games but not to many. If you do get into a game that you can't get tweaked properly through the TAB menu I will definitely help in any way I can.

quicksilver

@Riverstorm Would it be possible to start a new thread to discuss individual arcade rom configurations? I know I have run some games where it was very difficult to figure out a good mapping and I would find a discussion on the matter very useful.

Riverstorm

@quicksilver - Yeah if you want to start a thread I can definitely try and answer any questions. When it gets into some of the advanced m3plus configuration variations like legacy remapping and keyboard, retropad or simultaneous together it gets kind of complex. I've only used Analog and Digitalcontrol mapping extensively.

@grant2258 recently walked me through it and he he understands it to a tee and is actually the dev that coded it. I think I understand most of it pretty well but I am a little shaky when it comes to some of the digital and analog options.

I am just throwing that out there because I think it took me a few years to really get RA and how it's integrated into cores. I don't have a real good way to explain some of the concepts but I know how to fix them. Anyway I would definitely help if I can.