JoeMatt
commented
6 years ago Certain games on certain systems are going to require different sets of combo's, if that's the way to go.
Honestly this could all be solved by just adding a custom controller mapping setting per core that supports combos. It's not a difficult feature to write, but it would be time consuming and tedious since you'd have to go into all of the current cores and re-write how they handle events. There's not a consistent protocol that they all follow. Plus adding UI, even if somewhat basic.
I mean, this will probably come but no one is exactly raising their hands to write it either. We don't even have CD switching support wired up yet, which is something I recently promised to do.
I'm just saying I wouldn't spend too much time coming up with bespoke customisations when a more generic solution would be the preferred and best option.
That being said, there's no reason why you can't make your own build with your own mapping the way you want.
For PSX for example, on each frame it scans the state of the buttons on a controller.
You could edit MednefenGameCore.mm
- (NSInteger)PSXcontrollerValueForButtonID:(unsigned)buttonID forController:(GCController*)controller
(You can see just how much MFi code there is for just in Mednafen alone.)
You could change the code there to respond to combos.
Let's say you wanted leftShoulder and X to be select. You would do something like,
- (NSInteger)PSXcontrollerValueForButtonID:(unsigned)buttonID forController:(GCController*)controller {
if ([controller extendedGamepad])
{
GCExtendedGamepad *pad = [controller extendedGamepad];
GCControllerDirectionPad *dpad = [pad dpad];
// First determine if any desired combos are active before
// moving on to individual buttons
BOOL selectCombo = [[pad leftShoulder] isPressed] && [[pad buttonX] isPressed];
switch (buttonID) {
// ... bunch of cases
case PVPSXButtonL1:
return [[pad leftShoulder] isPressed] && !selectCombo;
// && !selectCombo is to ignore standard left shoulder if a combo is pressed, or maybe not use
// it at all unless you have to start using delays or press them both on the same frame
case PVPSXButtonSquare:
return [[pad leftShoulder] buttonX] && !selectCombo;
// Again, see comment above on why this would be tricky with frame accuracy
case PVPSXButtonSelect:
return selectCombo;
// ... Rest of the cases and function
}You have to also handle what happens if X is already pressed and the combo button is pressed, you have to decide if you want to act as if that's the same as letting off X, in which case the code above works, or if you want X, the non combo action, to stay pressed, you have to now store the fact that it's pressed so PVPSXButtonSquare still returns true on each frame even though the combo is pressed, and then returning 0 when wither the combo initiator (left pad) or X is depressed.
See how it gets tricky really quick. Now do that for each system you want... gets out of hand. Best off just making a generic solution.
Another idea I had was to use https://github.com/robreuss/VirtualGameController and make something out of an Arduino (or raspberry PI which would be easier but those have to boot up), USB hub and send game commands over ethernet. I think it should be just as fast or faster than MFi bluetooth if both your Apple TV and the Arudino are on ethernet. I'm assuming this would be an ATV solution since you wouldn't have a portable solution, then again MFi controllers aren't really an on-the-go size device either. I have USB NES, SNES, Sega, N64 controller clones that are all standard class compliant Usb joysticks.
Another similar option would be to make something that took USB joystick commands in and sent USB keyboard commands out, piggy backing on the current iCade hack which is basically just faking a keyboard as using 'key stokes' as controls. I'd have to find a dev board that has both USB host mode and a bluetooth stack that isn't a nightmare.
I could actually probably prototype that using a Mac as a USB to Bluetooth keyboard dummy, but that would require making some kind of bluetooth app on OS X, and CoreBluetooth isn't a fun API to work with.
Either way, this would also require a custom mapping feature, since each controller will send different commands, but this would be a hell of a lot cooler than combo buttons, or worse, systems like Sega that have rows of 3 buttons across and are awkward no matter how you map an MFi controller in all the current models out there,
jasarien
sevdestruct
OKNoah
Dybuk
leolelego
In response to the discussion in #644 (upgrading this to a larger topic for all existing cores and new additions, not just PSX) and until we have button customization (#56) implemented…
Been thinking of a solve for buttons outside of the MFi controller default to make Start, Select (many systems) L3, R3 (PSX) and C buttons (N64) accessible on MFi controls like SteelSeries Nimbus or Gamevice which is what I am using.
#
What if we did something like this (names based on MFi and PSX layout button names), think of the L/R button combos as modifiers:
NOTE: This would be in addition to R Stick as C buttons and using □ and ▵ defaulted as most common used C buttons.
NOTE: above combo for Analog toggle button (PSX) is already implemented (notes in #826).
…The idea here is that controls are at least in a similar relation to their actual/original positions and relation to each other and the whole controller. Using all 4 shoulders mitigates accidentally triggering them (especially in fighting games).
The intent is to arrive at something fairly universal across the different systems. If we go with a custom mapping system (#56) then I would like to propose these as the defaults.
Perhaps, we can show something subtle on screen when the combo sets are pressed to inform users about the temporary virtual button mode they are in until they release the requisite combo sets (the L/R combos as modifiers).
#
[x] Toggles
not yet implemented in customize-able mapping layer, but hardcoded for now (notes in #826)
🚫 We DO NOT support unofficial builds installed from 3rd-party sites. (Official Install)
❓ Need help or have a suggestion? Join our Official Discord