Guide: Setting Up a RetroPie controls using IPAC2 Controller - Extensive Tutorial + Preconfigured files

daubsi

Thanks for this fantastic explanation. I came a long way myself figuring all of this out the hard way, but your description is very vivid and easy to follow. Apart from setting the button mappings I have a different problem with my setup: Using the "attract mode" frontend for selecting the games an navigating between the emulators, the sensitivity of my IPAC and/or game buttons is much to high. For example, if I select "Quit" in retroarch to leave the emulator and return to "attract mode" the single short click on the "Quit" is enough to restart the game within the frontend. So it usually takes me a couple of start/exit repetitions until I hit the button so shortly that I stay in the frontend and can select another game. Also the up/down sensitivity in the menu is much to high, I often skip over the desired option.

Do you have a solution for this one too?

mexman_uk

What a fantastic guide @theink, I am just a few weeks in to Retropie and have been searching for knowledge. I have built my own bartop and am using the IPAC2 with illuminated buttons. I have had some artwork done by a local guy in the theme of Ghosts & Goblins, looks pukka :)

The controller options has been a pain and something I`m currently working on. Your config files and explanation is now giving me a foundation to getting this fixed.

One question and I`m sorry if it is a stupid one, my Arcade section is a mix of mame2003 and fba2012, where in the files are the buttons for insert coin and 1P / 2P start ?? I have gone over the retroarch.cfg and see all the mappings for all of the buttons except these, what am I missing ?? Many thanks in advance :)

caver01

@mexman_uk You should be able to find input_player1_start = "enter" for example inside the /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg and the coin buttons are actually the same as SELECT.

mexman_uk

@caver01 Perfect Many Thanks :) Works A Dream

pofrot

Thank you for this.
This really helped a proper noob like myself.

braintez

I know this is an old thread but just an update for those that are trying to figure out how to toggle the ipad2 to be recognized as dual gamepads: firmware version 1.50a of the ipac2 can now be downloaded and installed. It allows for multiple modes to be configured.

The default button configuration on Retropie can be used to setup 2 joysticks wired to an ipac2 in minutes.

DetroitKp

@braintez I set up two joysticks via keyboard mode on ipac. The next step is figuring out how to set it up so I can plug in usb controllers into the RPi for players 3 and 4. I wonder if I should go back and set up my joysticks via joystick mode in the ipac - for ease of designating controller order/preference. Thoughts?

StuMcBill

I’ve just came across this thread, I’m currently wiring up my arcade machine as per the attached button layout, with the buttons connected to the numbers shown on my ipac2.

Presumably I can follow this guide, using the pre-configured files, editing them to remove the buttons I've scored out above?

Also, I’m planning on using a pi 4 in my arcade, but will be setting up on a pi 3 at the moment, presumably I will be able to copy the .cfg files to the pi 4 and have it setup?

Thanks,
Stewart

caver01

@StuMcBill
If your numbering matches IPAC switch numbers, you have a player 1 and 2 layout just like mine. However, your mapping to A,B,X,Y etc. is different. It’s just personal preference. I started with MAME defaults, but arcade layouts don’t always line up with handheld controllers. I’d say, follow the notes here and learn as you go. You need to be able to adjust anyway, so at least you have a starting point.

steptoe

I'm using RetroFE for my bartop arcade, it was originally based on the PI3B but I used that for a KODI/RetroSMC set-up on the TV as I wanted pinball on my bartop and the PI just can't manage it, even with teh PI4 its just not possible to run any decent pinball emulation other that DOS pinball games and I wanted realistic pinball running Visual Pinball, PinMAME nad Future Pinball, hence resorted to building a Windows based system on Hyperspin but then moved over to RefroFE as the menu system was more suited to my needs

This will help me a lot as I have a huge number of buttons as I want to be able to access specific MAME options such as the cheat menu via buttons and also save/load states for console emulation and MAME

The arcade controls I ordered, the USB interface looks like itw ill just about cope with the minimum, but can't manage the complexity I want so also looked at either an I-PAC2 for each player or an I-PAC4 to run everything. The I-PAC2 with make set-up much easie but with teh extra cost of two interfaces

Great work and makes visualizing the control panel much easier as I'll be using 8 buttons per player and joystick

Flextrade

Hi
I have newly built a bartop arcade machine and am new to the retropie and its programming :D
I hope this thread is still active and someone can help me.
I red all config files here and understood all of it. I use these, shown in this thread, as well.
My problem is that the control only doesnt work in the main menu. Have the config file checked and find no errors. All "links" are correct.
Is there maybe another file I need to adjust?

Sorry for my bad english :D

Hope someone can help me :)

Thanks.

caver01

@Flextrade I don't know the details of your build, nor do you share whether you are using someone else's image etc., so depending on that, there are limits to how anyone can reasonably support your setup. . . but, I would recommend that on a new build you still go through the initial setup and configure controllers using the Emulation Station prompts for UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT and so on. That way, you are able to control menu navigation. After that, you can dig around in configs and make updates to align with the discussion as needed, but you still have gone through the setup process from scratch. Also, as you make adjustments, if functionality changes, you know why.

Flextrade

@caver01 thanks for the reply :)

sorry but I cant answer all your questions because I dont really understand them :D
I try my best!
details of my build? you mean the my arcade machine? I use a rasberry pi 3b and an I-PAC4 Board.
is image the retroarch.cfg? I use the ones from this thread.

example:
input_player1_select = "y"
input_player1_start = "h"
input_player1_left = "left"
input_player1_right = "right"
input_player1_up = "up"
input_player1_down = "down"
input_player1_a = "ctrl"
input_player1_b = "alt"
input_player1_x = "space"
input_player1_y = "shift"
input_player1_l = "z"
input_player1_r = "x"
input_player1_l2 = "c"
input_player1_r2 = "v"

input_player1_l3 =

input_player1_r3 =

and specific ones for the consoles (theyre working).
Only the one for the "main menu" isnt working and I dont understand why. The settings its using doesnt exist :D mixed up the buttoms randomly.

Another question, I dont find a thread supporting the n64 controls only changing them on the retropie itself.
Maybe does anyone know how to change the text above for n64 controls? Because these arent the buttons for the n64 controller.

Megapi

can i use you images for a you tube video
just the layout not the control schemes

theink

@Megapi
Please do.
Share a link when you are ready. Curious to see what you are brewing. :)

VideoArcade

thank you for the assistance on this. one approach I took was to modify the iPac2Controller keys to match the RetroArch config file. at that point everything just worked flawless. The iPac is worth it's weight in gold. thank you again.

VideoArcade

@flextrade did your issue get resolved?

goldorakiller

@theink
Can you share the source file of your instruction manual for your arcade ?
alt text
Thx in advance