JoyToKey questions. Looking for some config help.

[rfancella]

Hi all,
Anyone using JoyToKey?  I have v5.7 installed and am trying to setup a shift key.  Not sure if I even understand what that function of JoyToKey is, but I am hoping it allows you to hold down a button and hit another to output a third.
Example:  I have an XBox360 controller I am building into a one player CP.  I would like to use the Back button as select in most emulators and the Start button as a Start.  To Exit the emulator I would like to hold down the Back button and hit Start to output Esc.  Like my IPac does.  Is this possible?
When assigning a button, I click the Special tab.  The drop down box for SHIFT function has nothing but Disabled.

Any help would be great!

Thanks,
Ron

[bb_neo]

Hi

 

This is of course possible and you can even hold more keys to output a ESC key for example. ( I use 4 buttons to EXIT a system). However keep in mind that the BACK button from your XBox controller will only have that SHIFT function assigned and the normal "Select" function will not work.

 

It is weird that the drop down box for SHIFT only shows DISABLED. It normally should show all your Joysticks. I an on version 5.6 but I think 5.7 is is the same.

 

Try to add more virtual joysticks.

 

You may also use RocketLauncherUI to create custom EXIT keys. Quit easy to setup and I will work for every System.

 

Let me know how it goes.

[rfancella]

Hi,

Thanks for your prompt reply!

 

That was it. I only had one Joystick enabled. Now I understand how it works. You set the shift key and it changes to the other Joystick setup as long as the button is depressed.

 

I also see what you mean by not being able to use the first key as a select. It doubles the key press. But I set it up that way anyway to see.

 

It appears to work in HS.  I'll give it a full go in the emulators also.

 

Thanks,

Ron

 

Hi

 

This is of course possible and you can even hold more keys to output a ESC key for example. ( I use 4 buttons to EXIT a system). However keep in mind that the BACK button from your XBox controller will only have that SHIFT function assigned and the normal "Select" function will not work.

 

It is weird that the drop down box for SHIFT only shows DISABLED. It normally should show all your Joysticks. I an on version 5.6 but I think 5.7 is is the same.

 

Try to add more virtual joysticks.

 

You may also use RocketLauncherUI to create custom EXIT keys. Quit easy to setup and I will work for every System.

 

Let me know how it goes.

[dinodino]

Hi Ron,

 

If you want to be able to assign keys to button combinations without losing the function of individual buttons, then I suggest you do not use virtual joysticks.

 

With virtual joysticks, as mentioned, you "lose" a button to shift all the other buttons to a second set of mappings.

 

But what you are describing is that you want:

Button A = Key A

Button B = Key B

Button A + Button B = Key C

 

Right?

 

I wanted to do exactly this on my cab .. in fact exactly what you describe! (but using PS3 controllers).  Took me a while to figure it out, but you use "Button Mapping" to do this with JoyToKey (I am using v5.6 BTW)...

 

Do it like this:

On the options tab:

1) Choose a number of joysticks that matches your "real" sticks you want to use. Configure your controllers to map properly to these joysticks.

2) However, choose the number of buttons to configure that is GREATER than the actual number of buttons on your controller

3) Click the "configure button mapping..." button, then setup one of the "extra" buttons to map to a combination of 2 of your "real" buttons

4) go back to the joystick's tab, and then setup the key that you want to send when this "phantom" button is triggered with the 2 button combination you defined.

 

I use another button combination like this (select + "X") to send the "P" key needed to get to hyperpause.

 

Works a treat.

 

Hope this helps.

 

dino 

[rfancella]

Dino,

 

Again, another great reply!  Thank you!

 

Both ways seem to work, but here are the results of both.

 

I set it up as a SHIFT function.

So Joystick 1

Button 9 = Shift to Joystick 6

Button 10 = 1

Joystick 6

Button 9 = 5

Button 10 = Esc

 

Press Button 9 and the output is "5".  Good.

Press Button 10 and the output is "1". Also good.

Hold Button 9 (blink, output is "5") and hit Button 10 and the combined output is "5Esc".  Bad.  But it works.

 

Setup using Button Alias (Mapping).

All done on Joystick 1.  I do like that.

Button 9 = 5

Button 10 = 1

Button 32 = Esc

Map Button 9 + Button 10 = Button 32

 

Press Button 9 and the output is "5". Good.

Press Button 10 and the output is "1". Also good.

Hold Button 9 (blink, output is "5"), hit Button 10 (blink, output is "Esc") and let up the Buttons (blink, output is "5") and the combined output is "5Esc5" or "5Esc1". Worse.

 

I'll have to test on a couple systems.  But so far, I am liking the first option.

 

Anyone have any additional thoughts?

 

Will XPadder work better for this function?

 

Thanks,

Ron

 

 

Hi Ron,

 

If you want to be able to assign keys to button combinations without losing the function of individual buttons, then I suggest you do not use virtual joysticks.

 

With virtual joysticks, as mentioned, you "lose" a button to shift all the other buttons to a second set of mappings.

 

But what you are describing is that you want:

Button A = Key A

Button B = Key B

Button A + Button B = Key C

 

Right?

 

I wanted to do exactly this on my cab .. in fact exactly what you describe! (but using PS3 controllers).  Took me a while to figure it out, but you use "Button Mapping" to do this with JoyToKey (I am using v5.6 BTW)...

 

Do it like this:

On the options tab:

1) Choose a number of joysticks that matches your "real" sticks you want to use. Configure your controllers to map properly to these joysticks.

2) However, choose the number of buttons to configure that is GREATER than the actual number of buttons on your controller

3) Click the "configure button mapping..." button, then setup one of the "extra" buttons to map to a combination of 2 of your "real" buttons

4) go back to the joystick's tab, and then setup the key that you want to send when this "phantom" button is triggered with the 2 button combination you defined.

 

I use another button combination like this (select + "X") to send the "P" key needed to get to hyperpause.

 

Works a treat.

 

Hope this helps.

 

dino 

[dinodino]

Hi Ron,

 

So in other words, you are getting a "false trigger" off the individual buttons before the button combination sends "Esc"? So just curious... If the end goal is to send "ESC", which presumably is just going to exit anyway, does it matter if a 5 or 1 is sent first?  

 

On my system, in actual use I might be getting the extra false buttons but I honestly can't tell because I see no Ill effects. I press and release the two buttons at the same time. Although one button might register a few fractions of a second before the other, Hyperspin, PinballX, HyperPause and all emulators react as desired.  If there are any extra buttons sent after (for example if a finger lingers on one of the buttons longer than the other while releasing) this does not seem to trigger anything in the software because I imagine the delay while exiting is sufficient enough that it's not picked up.

 

After re-reading your original post I see that pressing both buttons simultaneously is slightly different than what you had in mind - hold #1 & the press #2.  Is that a showstopper?

 

Regards,

dino

[rfancella]

Dino,

 

I guess I should have been a little more clear. 

That is what I meant by "It works".  Both ways do work.

It's the OCD part of me that is not liking the overall effect, though not visible from HS.

It just doesn't work the way the shift function of the IPac does.  With the IPac, if you hit the sift key, it sends it's key value on key-up.  Meaning, if you have "1" assigned to it, the "1" is passed when you let go of the key.  If you hold down the shift key, nothing is sent untill you hit another key or let it up.

With JoyToKey, when you hit the sift key, it's value is sent when the key is pressed.  If held down, the value is still sent.

 

But, yes, you are correct.  It does work.  It does not seem to effect the fuction or estetic (sic) of HyperSpin.

 

That all said, I still need to do some additional testing.  I was just wondering if XPadder does the same thing or has the same functions?

 

Thanks,

Ron

 

 

Hi Ron,

 

So in other words, you are getting a "false trigger" off the individual buttons before the button combination sends "Esc"? So just curious... If the end goal is to send "ESC", which presumably is just going to exit anyway, does it matter if a 5 or 1 is sent first?  

 

On my system, in actual use I might be getting the extra false buttons but I honestly can't tell because I see no Ill effects. I press and release the two buttons at the same time. Although one button might register a few fractions of a second before the other, Hyperspin, PinballX, HyperPause and all emulators react as desired.  If there are any extra buttons sent after (for example if a finger lingers on one of the buttons longer than the other while releasing) this does not seem to trigger anything in the software because I imagine the delay while exiting is sufficient enough that it's not picked up.

 

After re-reading your original post I see that pressing both buttons simultaneously is slightly different than what you had in mind - hold #1 & the press #2.  Is that a showstopper?

 

Regards,

dino