How do you close emulators without a keyboard?

[nealosis]

I've got my HTPC all setup and it works great until the kids play an emulator, like Dolphin. Games work great but there's no way to close Dolphin using a XBOX controller so they have to come get me and I have to plug in a keyboard just to press the escape key! I looked all through the Dolphin settings and I don't see any way to close the emulator using a controller. In LaunchBox I saw a tab on the emulators that referred to autohotkey so I googled and tried to add some values there but nothing seems to work.

; Attempt 1 -- Select + Start should press escape 7 & 8:: send, {ESC} return ; Attempt 2 -- Do we need 'joy' prefix maybe? joy7 & joy8:: send, {ESC} return ; None of the above worked so lets see if AHK actually works at all and send just ESC on SELECT press to test joy7 :: send {ESC} ; Nope -- none of these statements do anything when pasted in the LaunchBox > Tools > Manage Emulators > Dolphin > Edit > AutoHotKey Script

Do I need to install AutoHotKey to get these AHK commands in LaunchBox to work? All I need to be able to do is send the ESC key when certain buttons are pressed (right now I'm trying to use SELECT+START). This setup we have is so perfect, or it would be if there was a way to close emulators (or even the active window) based on a combination of key presses on a controller.

[m3TTwUrsT]

huhu dolphin already has hotkeybinding integrated..... i use my f710 logitech controller for playig and closing the dolphin emulator with Start+Select. here is how: first start dolphin Option --> hotkey Settings right click on Exit button to Open for more inputs! Now you get this windwos and u can press one button (e.g. Start) and on the right AND & (+ another button you wish) In the end it should work to close the emulator with Start + Select ( in my case) Hope this helps!

[SentaiBrad]

There is also a built in solution in LaunchBox and BigBox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGj6tKxCKbM

[m3TTwUrsT]

omg i didnt see the last VIDEO. I AM AN IDIOT!!!!! Haha ok there we go ;-)

[SentaiBrad]

Nah, you're not an idiot. Knowing that an emulator has it's own method is still really good to know because sometimes Controller Automation doesn't exactly work the way it's supposed to or some emulators have dialogue boxes that need to be clicked on to go away. Sometimes pressing your Controller Automation buttons again will make the dialogue go away, sometimes there are options to remove the dialogue or the emulator has it's own close function that bypasses the dialogue.

[Bedwyr]

Tagging for later on the video. Currently what I do is use Retroarch's "shift" button. Forget what it's called, but I click down on the right stick of my 360. So RS+start goes into Retroarch, RS+dpad for savestate functionality (down save, up load, left and right for change state). Then for other emulators I use Controller Companion shortcuts to do the same thing.

[nealosis]

Absolutely fantastic responses everyone. I'm good to go now! Works like a charm.

[SentaiBrad]

Bedwyr said Tagging for later on the video. Currently what I do is use Retroarch's "shift" button. Forget what it's called, but I click down on the right stick of my 360. So RS+start goes into Retroarch, RS+dpad for savestate functionality (down save, up load, left and right for change state). Then for other emulators I use Controller Companion shortcuts to do the same thing.

That's pretty much controller automation, but RA's is a bit more powerful.