Getting Launchbox to load different IPAC2 configurations

[Darkseid001]

I believe i was its been a few months since i tried messing with it. It kept crashing my computer insane crazy things would start to happen when it would try to load back to default mame settings i would loose control of the computer and it would be stuck in a loop

[Headrush69]

41 minutes ago, Darkseid001 said:

I believe i was its been a few months since i tried messing with it. It kept crashing my computer insane crazy things would start to happen when it would try to load back to default mame settings i would loose control of the computer and it would be stuck in a loop

Seems odd. I could understand a firmware upgrade causing problems if not done right, but downloading a profile seems strange to crash the computer.

i just upgraded to the multi-mode 1.52 on my iPac Ultimate and it doesn’t appear to apply the profile without forcing board reconfigure as well. Currently doing some more testing. 

PS I don’t change iPac profiles anymore, replaced it with using AHK key remapping. 

[Darkseid001]

3 hours ago, Headrush69 said:

Seems odd. I could understand a firmware upgrade causing problems if not done right, but downloading a profile seems strange to crash the computer.

i just upgraded to the multi-mode 1.52 on my iPac Ultimate and it doesn’t appear to apply the profile without forcing board reconfigure as well. Currently doing some more testing. 

PS I don’t change iPac profiles anymore, replaced it with using AHK key remapping. 

here is what andy sent me nothing is clear

I- PAC Firmware version 50 Enhanced ModesFeatures:•Traditional I-PAC keyboard mode unaffected. This is still the default.•Device mode can also be switched to Dual Directinput Game Controller or Dual Xinput Game Controller.•These modes appear as entirely different USB devices so there is no mixed-device confusion which causes issues in Retropie.•Selected mode is maintained after power off/on.•Standard Dinput and Xinput Game Controller modes are preset for ease of use without any configuration.•For advanced users who wish to create custom Game Controller configurations there are customisable game controller modes.•Modes can be switched by pressing Start1 (or user-set alternate I-PAC shift) and holding this, and Player 1 button 1 through 5, for 10 seconds.These modes apply to Player 1 and 2 controls.I-PAC ConnectionMode 2DinputMode 3XinputMode SwitchingHold Start1 and thisButton for 10 seconds with no other key activity.LeftDpad LeftDpad LeftRightDpadRightDpad RightUpDpad UpDpad UpDownDpad DownDpad DownSW 1Button 1AMode 1 (KeyboardUser Set)SW 2Button 2BMode 2 (Dinput Preset)SW 3Button 3XMode 3 (Xinput Preset)SW 4Button 4YMode 4 (Dinput User Set)SW 5Button 5Left RearMode 5 (Xinput User Set)SW 6Button 6Right RearSW 7Z LeftLeft TrigSW 8Z RightRight TrigCOINButton 7BACKSTARTButton 8STARTAHOMEBButton 7BACKSTART plus P1 RIGHTHOMESTART plus P1 LEFTBACK

 

 

Customising the board:WinIPAC can only be used for customizing when in Mode 1 but changes made will also apply when switched to modes 4 and 5.Chosen mode is maintained after power off/on. Using WinIPAC, any input can be configured to any control including keys, power/volume, gamepad (Xinput or Dinput) across both players.When this is done, keys configured as keyboard keys will respond in Mode 1, Keys configured as gamepad keys respond in modes 4 and 5.Note this feature allows the entire 2-player panel to be configured as a one-player game controller if required, implementing every possible control. Using WinIPAC, any key can be configured as mouse left or right button, Sleep, Wake, Vol Up, Vol Down. These will function in modes 1 and 4.On Board LED:When powered on, the LED will stay lit once the board has passed self-test and detected by the host system. When switching modes, the LED will flash off, the number of times according to the mode number selected, after the 10 second period.Automatic Mode Switching:This is intended for use when WinIPAC is used for downloading configurations on the fly.Mode will switch automatically under the following conditions:•If a keyboard-only configuration is downloaded and the board is currently in gamepad custom mode 4 it will switch to keyboard mode 1.•If a gamepad-only configuration is downloaded and the board is currently in keyboard mode 1, it will switch to gamepad custom mode 4.•If a gamepad-only configuration which includes an Xbox Home key is downloaded and the board is currently in keyboard mode 1, it will switch to gamepad custom mode 5.•If Winipac is started when the board is in Xinput mode it will switch automatically to keyboard mode. Note WinIPAC will self-close after switching.

 

 

Xinput Mode Notes:Owing to the limitations imposed by the Xinput protocol, the following are not supported in Xinput modes but are supported in keyboard and Directinput modes:Mouse buttonsVolume up and down buttonsPower, sleep, wake buttonsLED control (I-PAC Ultimate I/O only)WinIPAC for configurationNo trackball/spinner supportAdditional Info:Note that a mode switch is essentially the same as unplugging a USB device and plugging in a different one, into the same port. It will take the host PC up to 30 seconds to notice this and initialize the new device.The mode switching can be confirmed by observing the on-board LED or “Devices and Printers” , the USB connect sound or other indication on the host.“Backdoor” Reset The board can be rest back into keyboard Mode 0 by pressing and holding the Start1 button on power up. This will work irrespective of the current board mode or input configuration. Note it must be a hard power-up or plug-in of the USB cab

 

[Darkseid001]

3 hours ago, Headrush69 said:

Seems odd. I could understand a firmware upgrade causing problems if not done right, but downloading a profile seems strange to crash the computer.

i just upgraded to the multi-mode 1.52 on my iPac Ultimate and it doesn’t appear to apply the profile without forcing board reconfigure as well. Currently doing some more testing. 

PS I don’t change iPac profiles anymore, replaced it with using AHK key remapping. 

and here is the email

Andy Warne <andy@ultimarc.com>

Fri 11/29/2019 9:20 AM

Instructions attached, I am in the process of updating the website.

 

From:
To: Andy Warne
Subject: RE: Minipac beta

 

Ok great thanks for the help do you guys have these directions written anywhere i can't seem to find anything clear anywhere. Also the ipc file needs to have a home key to switch automatically is that correct?

 

 

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

 

 

 

-------- Original message --------

From: Andy Warne <andy@ultimarc.com>

Date: 11/29/19 10:07 AM (GMT-05:00)

To:

Subject: RE: Minipac beta

 

Yes, but if you load in command line mode this is not necessary.

 

From:
Sent: 29 November 2019 14:47
To: Andy Warne
Subject: RE: Minipac beta

 

So having to force board reconfiguration is normal after loading the ipc file?

 

 

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

 

 

 

-------- Original message --------

From: Andy Warne <andy@ultimarc.com>

Date: 11/29/19 9:38 AM (GMT-05:00)

 

Subject: RE: Minipac beta

 

The board should switch automatically to mode 5 if you load an IPC file which has all gamepad controls including a home key.

 

You can either switch using the method you mention or “silently” using a command line winipac.exe <name of IPC file>

 

Andy

 

From:
Sent: 29 November 2019 14:21
To: Andy Warne
Subject: RE: Minipac beta

 

Hey Andy ok so what i have to do to make it work is load the ipc file force board reconfiguration then switch to mode 5 the ipc file will not stick unless i force board reconfiguration is this operating correctly? 

 

 

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

 

 

 

-------- Original message --------

From: Andy Warne <andy@ultimarc.com>

Date: 11/28/19 12:42 PM (GMT-05:00)

To:

Subject: RE: Minipac beta

 

There are over 500 users of this version and its now a production version.

 

The correct way to use the custom modes 4 and 5 is to create IPC files for each mode. So you would have one for keyboard (simply save the defaults to a file) and one for mode 4 and another for mode 5. Then WinIPAC can be run (invisibly if you wish) and the board will load the specified config and switch to that mode.

 

Note mode switching can take up to a minute to complete as the host has to detect the new USB device which has appeared.

 

Andy

 

From:
Sent: 28 November 2019 17:30
To: Andy Warne
Subject: RE: Minipac beta

 

Hey thanks for the file but it really dosen't work well probably shouldn't be called beta. It switches to different modes inconsistently and when i made a custom xbox and switch to the mode 5 it works great but when i switch back to mode 1 keyboard it keeps the xbox settings and then randomly selects icons on my desktop and makes my mouse act all weird so its an un installment for me 

 

 

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

 

 

 

-------- Original message --------

From: Andy Warne <andy@ultimarc.com>

Date: 11/27/19 12:04 PM (GMT-05:00)

To: '

Subject: RE: Minipac beta

 

Yes I sent the Mini-PAC version.

 

 

 

From:
Sent: 27 November 2019 16:40
To: Andy Warne
Subject: Re: Minipac beta

 

Hey andy did you send me the file for minipac? Thats what i have thanks

 

 

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

 

 

-------- Original message --------

From: Andy Warne <andy@ultimarc.com>

Date: 11/27/19 4:10 AM (GMT-05:00)

To: '

Subject: RE: Minipac beta

 

 

 

I have attached this version, and the instruction sheet.

 

Regards

 

Andy

 

From:
Sent: 27 November 2019 04:36
To: andy@ultimarc.com
Subject: Minipac beta

 

 

 

Hi any could I get the minipac beta mode switching with input thank you

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[Headrush69]

5 minutes ago, Darkseid001 said:

here is what andy sent me nothing is clear....

That is just a copy and paste of the instructions from the Ultimarc web site.

From my testing I was able to see some of the issues you stated as well. Without going into great detail, seems to me that's it's best to pick a mode (keyboard, Dinput, Xinput) and stick with that.

I don't think mode switching is a good idea when using from a front-end like LB. The issue is Windows can take time to see the changed device, which doesn't make for a good end user experience. Having said that, loading a gamepad profile using the command line works, and the iPac will change modes, but often I'm left with gamepad controls that do not work. (They do appear as Dinput or Xinput controls though)

I'm sticking with staying in Keyboard mode. Loading profiles from command line while in keyboard mode still seems to work perfectly. As noted above, I found using AHK remapping easier than needing to change profiles though. Is there a specific emulator you HAVE to use gamepad or keyboard mode only?

Edited February 5, 2020 by Headrush69

[Darkseid001]

On 2/5/2020 at 4:32 PM, Headrush69 said:

That is just a copy and paste of the instructions from the Ultimarc web site.

From my testing I was able to see some of the issues you stated as well. Without going into great detail, seems to me that's it's best to pick a mode (keyboard, Dinput, Xinput) and stick with that.

I don't think mode switching is a good idea when using from a front-end like LB. The issue is Windows can take time to see the changed device, which doesn't make for a good end user experience. Having said that, loading a gamepad profile using the command line works, and the iPac will change modes, but often I'm left with gamepad controls that do not work. (They do appear as Dinput or Xinput controls though)

I'm sticking with staying in Keyboard mode. Loading profiles from command line while in keyboard mode still seems to work perfectly. As noted above, I found using AHK remapping easier than needing to change profiles though. Is there a specific emulator you HAVE to use gamepad or keyboard mode only?

Was trying to load custom xinput for teknoparrot because the default xinput is set to d pad i made a custom using the thumb stick

[Darkseid001]

Well back and forth with andy he said he has a new firmware that corrects the issues so i load the new firmware and try again nope same exact shit it just will not auto switch when you load an all game pad file as advertised i even asked him exactly how to write the code and he will not give a clear answer so i just don't know im going to keep trying looking for answers but im not confident.

[Whistler NL]

On 2/5/2020 at 10:32 PM, Headrush69 said:

That is just a copy and paste of the instructions from the Ultimarc web site.

From my testing I was able to see some of the issues you stated as well. Without going into great detail, seems to me that's it's best to pick a mode (keyboard, Dinput, Xinput) and stick with that.

I don't think mode switching is a good idea when using from a front-end like LB. The issue is Windows can take time to see the changed device, which doesn't make for a good end user experience. Having said that, loading a gamepad profile using the command line works, and the iPac will change modes, but often I'm left with gamepad controls that do not work. (They do appear as Dinput or Xinput controls though)

I'm sticking with staying in Keyboard mode. Loading profiles from command line while in keyboard mode still seems to work perfectly. As noted above, I found using AHK remapping easier than needing to change profiles though. Is there a specific emulator you HAVE to use gamepad or keyboard mode only?

I'm trying to get Street Fighter V Arcade Edition to work on my Cabinet with the IPAC2. Is it true that if you use it with the IPAC2 you will only be able to play with 1 Player? Because SFV only allows keyboard mapping for 1 Player. If you want 2 player experience you do need some kind of gamepad connected.

[Darkseid001]

On 2/25/2020 at 4:35 AM, Whistler NL said:

I'm trying to get Street Fighter V Arcade Edition to work on my Cabinet with the IPAC2. Is it true that if you use it with the IPAC2 you will only be able to play with 1 Player? Because SFV only allows keyboard mapping for 1 Player. If you want 2 player experience you do need some kind of gamepad connected.

Depends on the firmware you have installed multi mode firmware comes up as 2 keyboards or 2 din or 2 xinput depending on how you set it up x input default uses dpad or you can create a custom profile and load that when you play the game

[lovewiibrew]

On 2/5/2020 at 12:48 PM, Headrush69 said:

Seems odd. I could understand a firmware upgrade causing problems if not done right, but downloading a profile seems strange to crash the computer.

i just upgraded to the multi-mode 1.52 on my iPac Ultimate and it doesn’t appear to apply the profile without forcing board reconfigure as well. Currently doing some more testing. 

PS I don’t change iPac profiles anymore, replaced it with using AHK key remapping. 

Do you use AHK to put it into Xinput mode, or is that not possible still?

[Headrush69]

6 hours ago, lovewiibrew said:

Do you use AHK to put it into Xinput mode, or is that not possible still?

No, AHK just remaps keys.

I leave my iPac in keyboard mode rather than XInput controller mode. This allows me to use both my arcade controls and a XBOX controller at the same time for one player.

Also, Windows can take some time seeing the iPac change when switching input modes. Not a good end user experience for an arcade cabinet waiting for device manager to 
"catch" up.

[dluxpnw]

I've been stuck in D-input mode since I switched the 1at time. Can't get it to go back to keyboard or switch it to x-input (my preference) for the life of me.

[stino2004]

Has anyone got mode switching to work?  I basically just want to switch to the different default keyboard, dinput, and xinput configs depending on what emulator I'm opening.  My plan was to use the default keyboard layout for my main config for navigation within launchbox and most emulators and then switch to dinput or xinput default configs when necessary and switch back to the keyboard config upon leaving the emulator/game that required dinput/xinput.  I'm currently running the latest firmware on my minipac (v1.55) and can do the mode switching manually without issue via the steps below, but am looking for a script/batch file I can use via launchbox or rocketlauncher to execute the mode switching automatically.  Any help is much appreciated.

Mode Switching
Hold Start1 and this
Button for 10 seconds with no other key activity:
Start1+P1SW1 > Mode 1
Start1+P1SW2 > Mode 2
Start1+P1SW3 > Mode 3

[kidshoalin]

1 hour ago, stino2004 said:

Has anyone got mode switching to work?  I basically just want to switch to the different default keyboard, dinput, and xinput configs depending on what emulator I'm opening.  My plan was to use the default keyboard layout for my main config for navigation within launchbox and most emulators and then switch to dinput or xinput default configs when necessary and switch back to the keyboard config upon leaving the emulator/game that required dinput/xinput.  I'm currently running the latest firmware on my minipac (v1.55) and can do the mode switching manually without issue via the steps below, but am looking for a script/batch file I can use via launchbox or rocketlauncher to execute the mode switching automatically.  Any help is much appreciated.

Mode Switching
Hold Start1 and this
Button for 10 seconds with no other key activity:
Start1+P1SW1 > Mode 1
Start1+P1SW2 > Mode 2
Start1+P1SW3 > Mode 3

follow this Solution

it works 

I have extension controller witch is ipac mini

this works so you never have to change your keyboard mode on retroarch 

also I can use the joystick (IPAC MINI) or my xbox one controllers at the same time

mame will work with keyboard mode out of the box

 

[stino2004]

1 hour ago, kidshoalin said:

follow this Solution

it works 

I have extension controller witch is ipac mini

this works so you never have to change your keyboard mode on retroarch 

also I can use the joystick (IPAC MINI) or my xbox one controllers at the same time

mame will work with keyboard mode out of the box

 

yeah the problem with this solution is my issues are outside of RetroArch.  I have my keyboard mappings setup fine for RetroArch so any game/emulator I use within it works fine but if I want to use a PC game or non-RetroArch emulator (i.e. teknoparrot) I need to use either dinput or xinput.  So I still need a way to dynamically setup the xenstion controller mode depending on the emulator/game I'm using. 

[Headrush69]

4 hours ago, stino2004 said:

Has anyone got mode switching to work?  I basically just want to switch to the different default keyboard, dinput, and xinput configs depending on what emulator I'm opening.  My plan was to use the default keyboard layout for my main config for navigation within launchbox and most emulators and then switch to dinput or xinput default configs when necessary and switch back to the keyboard config upon leaving the emulator/game that required dinput/xinput.  I'm currently running the latest firmware on my minipac (v1.55) and can do the mode switching manually without issue via the steps below, but am looking for a script/batch file I can use via launchbox or rocketlauncher to execute the mode switching automatically.  Any help is much appreciated.

Mode Switching
Hold Start1 and this
Button for 10 seconds with no other key activity:
Start1+P1SW1 > Mode 1
Start1+P1SW2 > Mode 2
Start1+P1SW3 > Mode 3

Could you not write a simple AHK script to send Start1 key down, than send the P1SW# key down, delay for 10 seconds, than send the P1SW# key up, and finally send the Start1 key up.

Than just call add this as an additional app that runs before each game/system needed?

Quote

Send {Start1 down}

Send {P1SW1 down}

Sleep, 10000

Send {PS1SW1 up}

Send {Start1 up}

Substituting the keys you have set for P1SW1 and Start1

Edited January 29, 2021 by Headrush69
Add example

[stino2004]

7 minutes ago, Headrush69 said:

Could you not write a simple AHK script to send Start1 key down, than send the P1SW# key down, delay for 10 seconds, than send the P1SW# key up, and finally send the Start1 key up.

Than just call add this as an additional app that runs before each game/system needed?

I have tried a couple scripts but they don't seem to work.  Not sure if the firmware on my controller requires the input to actually come from the device instead of a script or if my scripts are incorrect.  I have attached the 3 scripts I created to switch each mode but haven't been able to get them to work.  I'm running the latest version (1.1.33.02 )of AutoHotKey in 64 bit mode as Administrator.

 

 

 

Dinput.ahk Xinput.ahk Keyboard.ahk

[Headrush69]

41 minutes ago, stino2004 said:

I have tried a couple scripts but they don't seem to work.  Not sure if the firmware on my controller requires the input to actually come from the device instead of a script or if my scripts are incorrect.  I have attached the 3 scripts I created to switch each mode but haven't been able to get them to work.  I'm running the latest version (1.1.33.02 )of AutoHotKey in 64 bit mode as Administrator.

I don't want to mess with my iPac testing, but you might need a small sleep after the iPac shift key (Start1) before the P1SW# key to get it to register correctly.

[stino2004]

On 2/5/2020 at 11:48 AM, Headrush69 said:

Seems odd. I could understand a firmware upgrade causing problems if not done right, but downloading a profile seems strange to crash the computer.

i just upgraded to the multi-mode 1.52 on my iPac Ultimate and it doesn’t appear to apply the profile without forcing board reconfigure as well. Currently doing some more testing. 

PS I don’t change iPac profiles anymore, replaced it with using AHK key remapping. 

do you have any examples of the AHK scripts you used to map the keyboard inputs into xinput?  I've been trying to use ipac profiles to switch between xinput and keyboard modes for my minipac but haven't been able to make it work.

[JoeViking245]

1 hour ago, stino2004 said:

xinput and keyboard modes for my minipac

Can the mini even be switched to Xinput?