X-Arcade Tankstick issue with BigBox

[flatuswalrus]

Hi everyone,

I am having some difficulties with getting my X-Arcade Tankstick to work in BigBox. I have not long converted from Hyperspin, where the X-Arcade was self explanatory and a breeze. Though, unfortunately I am not finding it so here.

I have gone to BigBox > Options > Controller > and ticked "Enable Game Controllers" and "Use All Controllers". Where it says "Device:" there is nothing there. Is that because these options only apply to an actual game-pad controller instead of the X-Arcade which is mapped as a keyboard? If so, does that mean in the options I do not worry about "Controller Buttons" but just "Keyboard Mappings" instead?

Also, regarding controls, using Nestopia as an example. I have gotten to the stage with BigBox where I can launch Nestopia full-screen into a chosen game but have no idea how to exit out of the emulator back into BigBox. Is someone able to point me in the right direction? Because at least to me it certainly is not obvious how (I am probable just a doofus).

I have found other topics in the forum here about the X-Arcade from years ago but there were of little help as they were from a time where LaunchBox/BigBox seemed to not have compatibility issues with the X-Arcade?

Thank you in advanced.

[Lordmonkus]

The X-Arcade stick is recognized as a keyboard, go to the keyboard section and bind your stuff there.

[flatuswalrus]

How does BigBox exit an emulator? I have read people saying you have to handle that through the emulators themselves but Hyperspin exited everything with ease upon selecting which button you wanted to do it with. I know BigBox is not Hyperspin, but does it not have an option or the ability to assign a button to exit emulators?

[Lordmonkus]

On the keyboard it's the Escape key which is not a key on the X-Arcade sticks if I remember correctly so the easiest way around that would be to use an AHK script in the Edit Emulator window > AHK Script tab.

Here's one from the AHK Script thread specifically for the Tankstick;
 

~4 & 2::

Duration=0

Loop

{	Duration ++

	If !GetKeyState("4","P") || !GetKeyState("2","P")

		Break

	If Duration > 2

	{	

        Process, Close, {{{StartupEXE}}}

		break

	}

	Sleep, 1000

}

return

I will pass this along to @Jason Carr though to see if he can put in something to help with this rather than an AHK script.

[flatuswalrus]

5 hours ago, Lordmonkus said:

On the keyboard it's the Escape key which is not a key on the X-Arcade sticks if I remember correctly so the easiest way around that would be to use an AHK script in the Edit Emulator window > AHK Script tab.

Here's one from the AHK Script thread specifically for the Tankstick;

Thank you for your reply. So I go to: LaunchBox > Tools > Manage Emulators > Retroarch (or whichever emulator I want) >then past that in the "AutoHotkey Script" and change the "4" and "2" to whatever I want if I want them different?

EDIT: Also, whilst on the topic of the X-Arcade. I simply am unable to figure out how to input controls for each individual platform in Retroarch and I can find not one easy step by step guide on the internet, at all. Surely there must be one and I have just not found it. When I load a core then go to Quick Menu > Controls all it pretty much seems to do is let me change one of the User Device Types to "RetroPad" or "None". How in God's name is one to input their wanted controls? I have seen people mentioning editing .cfg files but is this really how you have to do it with Retroarch? I am starting to think that the devil himself has created Retroarch just to torment us.

Edited March 10, 2018 by Dane

[Retro808]

1 hour ago, Dane said:

Thank you for your reply. So I go to: LaunchBox > Tools > Manage Emulators > Retroarch (or whichever emulator I want) >then past that in the "AutoHotkey Script" and change the "4" and "2" to whatever I want if I want them different?

EDIT: Also, whilst on the topic of the X-Arcade. I simply am unable to figure out how to input controls for each individual platform in Retroarch and I can find not one easy step by step guide on the internet, at all. Surely there must be one and I have just not found it. When I load a core then go to Quick Menu > Controls all it pretty much seems to do is let me change one of the User Device Types to "RetroPad" or "None". How in God's name is one to input their wanted controls? I have seen people mentioning editing .cfg files but is this really how you have to do it with Retroarch? I am starting to think that the devil himself has created Retroarch just to torment us.

Yes, just paste that script @Lordmonkus gave you into the AHK tab of the edit emulators. I have a Tankstick and that is the script I use. As you said change the "4" and "2" to what you want. That script is set to right pinball bumper and player 2 start.

In Retroarch quick menu will not work to change key bindings for the tankstick since it is a keyboard not a controller. Just load a core or a game and go into the full menu (not quick menu) go over to the gear icon and then go into the input and set your controls there (input player 1 and input player 2). Then once done back out of the gear icon setting and go into Quick Menu and choose "Save Core Override" this will set it for the core and not affect to base controls you may have set. 

Also any emulator that allows you to set an exit command I do so in the emulator as well such as Mame and Retroach. Not needed as the AHK works but I set it for when I am testing in the emulator. 

[flatuswalrus]

1 hour ago, Retro808 said:

In Retroarch quick menu will not work to change key bindings for the tankstick since it is a keyboard not a controller. Just load a core or a game and go into the full menu (not quick menu) go over to the gear icon and then go into the input and set your controls there (input player 1 and input player 2). Then once done back out of the gear icon setting and go into Quick Menu and choose "Save Core Override" this will set it for the core and not affect to base controls you may have set. 

Ahh, finally! Thank you. Crazy how I could not find that simple little bunch of information anywhere. Now I just have to figure out the convoluted input setup as I enter down on the down-key for User 1 Down D-pad for the Game Boy Advance and it programs it as keypad2 for example. Haha, good times.

Edited March 10, 2018 by Dane

[Lordmonkus]

Yeah unfortunately the X-Arcade sticks seem to be geared more towards use with Mame which is an absolute breeze to setup with it. Other emulators which expect a normal controller have a much easier time of things.

I have an Tankstick as well but I have only set it up with Mame since I prefer a control pad for console emulation myself.

I have passed this thread along to Jason so hopefully it's something he looks into soon and adds in a controller automation close emulator button combo like with regular controllers. 

 

[flatuswalrus]

5 hours ago, Lordmonkus said:

Yeah unfortunately the X-Arcade sticks seem to be geared more towards use with Mame which is an absolute breeze to setup with it. Other emulators which expect a normal controller have a much easier time of things.

I have an Tankstick as well but I have only set it up with Mame since I prefer a control pad for console emulation myself.

I do have 2 x PS4 controllers on their way in the post which I purchased about a week ago. Though predominantly I prefer the arcade stick. Even as a kid I preferred the stick(s) that were available for any given console.

I have passed this thread along to Jason so hopefully it's something he looks into soon and adds in a controller automation close emulator button combo like with regular controllers. 

Thank you very much, that would be great.

[Lordmonkus]

I added this to the Small Things list as well since it really is something small and should be there.

 

[flatuswalrus]

1 hour ago, Lordmonkus said:

I added this to the Small Things list as well since it really is something small and should be there.

Thank you kindly, greatly appreciated.

[breite07]

Hello,

Where is there an option to set up the keyboard in the latest Launchbox/Big Box build.

I have used a TankStick successfully in the past but the update created some issues.

Actually the update caused me not to be able to boot. The suggestion (from another thread) was to reinstall Launchbox from the Update folder.

The reinstall solved the problem but undid my entire configuration.

Now I need to redo everything.

First up, getting the tankstick to work again.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Lordmonkus]

3 minutes ago, breite07 said:

Where is there an option to set up the keyboard in the latest Launchbox/Big Box build.

The same place it always has been.

[TwilightHitman]

Hello,

I realize this topic thread is quite old.

Has anyone noticed scrolling issues with the X-Arcade stick? When I hold the down or up direction on the stick, it will only scroll one game at a time. This can be quite tedious and time consuming. However if I hold down up or down on my keyboard, it will scroll through games continuously. I'm connected to the PC via PS/2 connection. It's currently in Mode1. 

Is there something I'm missing?

Thanks