TI Emulators and Joysticks, can we program buttons for REDO, BACK and Enter

[globeron]

Situation:

I am using a PC system connected to an LCD screen and running several TI-emulators

(e.g. Classic 99, V9T9, MESS with TI emulators, see http://www.globeron.com/freedownload/TI99EmulatorsMESS.mp4)

I could not get JS99er.net to work with Joysticks yet, and the other emulators do not work that well for games/speech/joysticks (TI99w4, Win994, etc.)

 

 

Joysticks that work are pictured below (Oker with wires and a wireless "FHSS" version), all working okay with the emulators,

but sometimes the movements hang a bit (It seems that MESS emulators work the best, most smoothly, like Parsec).

 

 

Problem

1. I do not want to have a cable running from the system to the couch (throughout the living room), so wireless Joysticks work

but when playing games I need to press "REDO", "BACK", "Enter", etc. which means a keyboard is needed (see picture wireless keyboard)

Next I need to select other games (which means I need a wireless mouse)

 

2. I end up with 4 devices (2x joysticks, keyboard, mouse, all having RF interference in 2.4 GHz)

and I need to switch between them.

 

Solution:

1. It would be good if the buttons of the Joysticks can be programmed for functions (like REDO, BACK, etc.) so that in the game we do not have to switch

2. and optional to switch between games, using the second "round controller" to select other games.

[sometimes99er]

Thanks for the video. Excellent.

 

As for the joysticks. I got a few and they're easy configurable with programs like this. Lots of profiles (one or more for each game etc.), setting of keystrokes etc.

 

 

[+retroclouds]

Thank you for providing the video. I like how you show the TI-99/4A revisions and the Geneve. Very cool!

[+RXB]

It would have to take a long time to set that up. I was going insane just with my limited MESS set up.

[globeron]

It would have to take a long time to set that up. I was going insane just with my limited MESS set up.

Hi Rich, it was a bit sorting out in the beginning, but I can help if you want to set it up. Ralf got it working as well and he is even do more things in the

MESS only command shell (but then it becomes a bit "MESS-sy".

[globeron]

Thanks for the video. Excellent.

 

As for the joysticks. I got a few and they're easy configurable with programs like this. Lots of profiles (one or more for each game etc.), setting of keystrokes etc.

 

 

 

thank you, I will try this if it works with my controllers!

[globeron]

Hi Rich, it was a bit sorting out in the beginning, but I can help if you want to set it up. Ralf got it working as well and he is even do more things in the

MESS only command shell (but then it becomes a bit "MESS-sy".

 

Part 2 --> MESS Emulator -> Geneve 9640 -> How to start TIMODE using the GPL interpreter + a familiar celebration at the end. www.globeron.com/freedownload/TI99EmulatorsMESS-part2.mp4

[globeron]

Today I coincidentally found the software that works with the USB controllers to map the keys

(similar as the software sometimes99er, but that seems to work only with logitech controllers?)

 

This software works so far with any other controller, maps the joysticks functions and keys to keyboard keys

and you can create different profiles (e.g. Classic99, JS99er, V9T9, MESS) depending how the keys are assigned.

 

http://joytokey.net/en/download

Typically mapping of joysticks:

Joystick 1 keyboard keys to map: (up=E, down=X, left=S, right=D, fire=Q) or in Classic99 the arrow keys

Joystick 2 keyboard keys to map: (up=I, down=M, left=J, right=K, fire=Y) or sometimes use the arrow keys on the keypad (8,2,4,6)

 

with joytokey it is also possible to use combinations, like FCTN-= (QUIT), in Classic 99 you need to map ALT and =

or REDO (FCTN-= ) = ALT 8

or BACK (FCTN-9) = ALT 9

and mapped keys like 1,2,3 (so that you can select options in games like Car Wars, Blasto)

 

example config for the Oker wireless USB joysticks using Classic99 Joy2key-classic99cfg.zip

mapping is only done once you are in the TI-game.

 

Very flexible and easy to map. It is also possible to map mouse movements

(e.g. useful for both classic99, JS99er.net emulator, to select the software)

 

Note: make sure you do not close joytokey, but minimize it to the system tray, or just select the emulator.

 

PS, it also works with other emulators on websites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tursi]

 

 

Joystick 1 keyboard keys to map: (up=E, down=X, left=S, right=D, fire=Q) or in Classic99 the arrow keys

 

The Classic99 arrow keys are dual-purposed -- if you're using a real joystick, it will work better to configure it as a joystick in Classic99 and not keyboard. You can still map the additional keys as above, can't you?

 

If you're not having problems I guess I wouldn't worry about it, but it feels weird to have a joystick emulating a keyboard emulating a joystick.

[globeron]

 

The Classic99 arrow keys are dual-purposed -- if you're using a real joystick, it will work better to configure it as a joystick in Classic99 and not keyboard. You can still map the additional keys as above, can't you?

 

If you're not having problems I guess I wouldn't worry about it, but it feels weird to have a joystick emulating a keyboard emulating a joystick.

 

It is funny, but I left the settings at Joystick and had the Joy2Key working in parallel (was thinking about this as well),

but all worked without any issue so far. I like the REDO and BACK and 1,2,3 exactly what was needed to have the flexibility,

like in Barrage, Car Wars, Blasto.

 

(the only hick-up which I can expect is the 2.4 GHz for the Wireless controllers as I have a lot of WiFi, Bluetooth and other

devices operating in this frequency, but that has nothing to do with the emulator), I can test with USB-wired controller as well,

but all should be okay.

 

(I will do some more testing on Sunday)

 

but last night we did SNES emulators,

like these: http://www.letsplaysnes.com/play-super-mario-all-stars-super-mario-world-online/ worked seamlessly as well with the Joy2Key.

[+Schmitzi]

It would have to take a long time to set that up. I was going insane just with my limited MESS set up.

 

 

Hi Rich, it was a bit sorting out in the beginning, but I can help if you want to set it up. Ralf got it working as well and he is even do more things in the

MESS only command shell (but then it becomes a bit "MESS-sy".

 

Hi Rich,

 

if you let me know with which parameters you start Mess at the moment, maybe I can do something in the Batch

[globeron]

 

The Classic99 arrow keys are dual-purposed -- if you're using a real joystick, it will work better to configure it as a joystick in Classic99 and not keyboard. You can still map the additional keys as above, can't you?

 

If you're not having problems I guess I wouldn't worry about it, but it feels weird to have a joystick emulating a keyboard emulating a joystick.

 

>> First of all works okay when using Joystick mode with the Joysticks (either USB-wired (I am using Top Tech brand) or USB-wireless (Oker brand))

>> I can also test with real PS/4 Joysticks, but that will not make my kid happy.

 

>> When using Joy2Key (and settings are set to keyboard only), then everything works also okay.

 

>> But like you said, when it is in Joystick mode and using Joy2Key, we get the "Jumper" movie effects:

>> (or the person moving very fast in "X men days of future past"

 

>> Video with a short fragment Munch-Man-Jumper.zip

[globeron]

 

The Classic99 arrow keys are dual-purposed -- if you're using a real joystick, it will work better to configure it as a joystick in Classic99 and not keyboard. You can still map the additional keys as above, can't you?

 

If you're not having problems I guess I wouldn't worry about it, but it feels weird to have a joystick emulating a keyboard emulating a joystick.

 

 

>> Not sure if this is the right area to post it, or to post it in the development area? (e.g. to reach out to Rasmus?)

 

 

Just some idea:

This is also an interesting one, my Oker joysticks (like the PS/3 or PS/4) are Dual-Shock / Vibrating joysticks.

I was doing a TI-game (cannot remember) and for whatever reason it started to vibrate? (something triggered it).

 

 

Now, I do not think it is possible with TI-games where there is no access to the source code, because it

probably need to be programmed in the game itself, but maybe games like Road Hunter could make

use of it (when you crash at the side of the road or hit a car) ?