Controller Automation Not Working

[minipierre]

I've searched the forums but can't seem to find anyone else with my problem. I can't seem to get controller automation working (to exit emulators).

I have turned controller automation on, in Launchbox and in BigBox. I am using a 360 wired controller, and have selected this on the controller automation dropdown list. I have turned off the use multiple controllers option. Both programs are running with administration rights.

I am using the back key as the hold key and the start key as the 'close active window' option. Yet nothing happens on any emulator apart from RetroArch (where I have set the same buttons to exit but within RetroArch itself).  I have sorted a workaround (using an autohotkey script) but this sometimes close down the emulator and launchbox/retroarch!

I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas/suggestions?

Edited August 7, 2018 by minipierre

[Retro808]

What systems are you having issues with. I have not used a 360 controller in while, but it should work. I know we have some mods and members that use Xbox controllers regularly so they will likely chime in. 

Also, it is recommended to not run LB with admin rights. Doing so can cause issues with programs/emulators that require elevation. 

[minipierre]

Thanks. Hopefully someone can identify what the problem might be.

At the moment epsxe, Model 2 and Mame. If I don't run with admin rights a lot of things wont launch

[Retro808]

38 minutes ago, minipierre said:

Thanks. Hopefully someone can identify what the problem might be.

At the moment epsxe, Model 2 and Mame. If I don't run with admin rights a lot of things wont launch

You should be able to run them fine. None of my emulators, game exe files, or Launchbox/BigBox are run as admin and they all launch fine. 

For Mame if you open Mame and hit tab you can set your exit command inside. It will allow you to hit 2 buttons at one time to set a combo. 

You can try pasting this AHK in the Auto hotkey tab of the other emulators. LB controller automation I believe uses "escape" to close the emulators. So this should help. 

$Esc::
{
    Process, Close, {{{StartupEXE}}}
} 

 

[Padrin0]

For my setup, Controller Automation works in LaunchBox mode but not in BigBox mode.  This is too bad because it would be nice if exiting a game would always work the same.   So, I have used hotkeys within the emulators (when available) to assign an exit button (or combo of buttons) to exit. For snes9x, go to page 4 of hotkeys and you find an exit.  In mame you can assign a button combo to exit a game etc.

[neil9000]

Just now, Padrin0 said:

For my setup, Controller Automation works in LaunchBox mode but not in BigBox mode.  This is too bad because it would be nice if exiting a game would always work the same.   So, I have used hotkeys within the emulators (when available) to assign an exit button (or combo of buttons) to exit. For snes9x, go to page 4 of hotkeys and you find an exit.  In mame you can assign a button combo to exit a game etc.

Automation needs to be setup in Bigbox as well. Launchbox and Bigbox are separate there.

[Retro808]

3 minutes ago, Padrin0 said:

For my setup, Controller Automation works in LaunchBox mode but not in BigBox mode.  This is too bad because it would be nice if exiting a game would always work the same.   So, I have used hotkeys within the emulators (when available) to assign an exit button (or combo of buttons) to exit. For snes9x, go to page 4 of hotkeys and you find an exit.  In mame you can assign a button combo to exit a game etc.

Controller automation should work in BigBox as well. Did you open setting in BigBox and set your controller automation mappings?

[Padrin0]

Just now, neil9000 said:

Automation needs to be setup in Bigbox as well. Launchbox and Bigbox are separate there.

Yes, I did that.  Set it up in both.  But for whatever reason, it just does not work when using BigBox.

[neil9000]

4 minutes ago, Padrin0 said:

Yes, I did that.  Set it up in both.  But for whatever reason, it just does not work when using BigBox.

Hmm, it shouldn't be any different, they are set up separately, but use the same code as i understand it. So if it works in Launchbox there is no reason why it wouldn't in Bigbox.

[Retro808]

10 minutes ago, Padrin0 said:

Yes, I did that.  Set it up in both.  But for whatever reason, it just does not work when using BigBox.

Is it just the exiting of emulators that doesn't work? Does the controller work in BigBox for things such as moving or selecting items? Try enabling "Use All Controllers" in BigBox.

[Padrin0]

UPDATE: Wow, this time it works Retro! I re-did the setup and changed "Use All Controllers"  then it worked.    So, now I have a consistent way to exit emulators.  Not sure why this option "Use All Controllers" was needed in BigBox but it seemed to fix it. I now have my first emulator fully working exactly how I want.  My next test is to see if this thing will even run on the POS Dreamcade Reply. I also have to figure out if SNES games are saving. They do not appear to be saving and always start from scratch.

Thanks Retro, I agree, seems very odd.  I will go through again and try All Controls.  As I remember, the other controller buttons worked in the interface but nothing from Controler Automation (i.e. Vol Up/Down did not work either).

 

Edited August 12, 2018 by Padrin0

[gbamaster2k]

I'm having the same problem. i tried reinstalling Launchbox and checked "Use All Controllers" it still doesn't work in BigBox. It woks on Launchbox.

[Kirkenjerk]

I am having an issue as well, my problem is the Controller Automation settings don't even exist within BB or LB for me. I do have a premium license as well and have that installed in LaunchBox.

I setup PCSX2 and would like to be able to exit a game and go back to the BB menu to choose a new game after hitting a specific button combination on the controller.

However, I have no options available to me to setup Controller Automation. I have keyboard automation options available to me within BB and those work when I use keyboard commands, but when I want to play on my TV (via Nvidia Gamestream) I have no way of exiting the current game via controller buttons.

I took a look at a forum post (included in the album for this post) and tried to locate the settings that the poster mentioned to no avail. If anyone has any idea what I am missing I would appreciate the help.

Screenshot Album

Edited October 22, 2019 by Kirkenjerk

[neil9000]

3 hours ago, Kirkenjerk said:

I am having an issue as well, my problem is the Controller Automation settings don't even exist within BB or LB for me. I do have a premium license as well and have that installed in LaunchBox.

I setup PCSX2 and would like to be able to exit a game and go back to the BB menu to choose a new game after hitting a specific button combination on the controller.

However, I have no options available to me to setup Controller Automation. I have keyboard automation options available to me within BB and those work when I use keyboard commands, but when I want to play on my TV (via Nvidia Gamestream) I have no way of exiting the current game via controller buttons.

I took a look at a forum post (included in the album for this post) and tried to locate the settings that the poster mentioned to no avail. If anyone has any idea what I am missing I would appreciate the help.

Screenshot Album

 

9 hours ago, gbamaster2k said:

I'm having the same problem. i tried reinstalling Launchbox and checked "Use All Controllers" it still doesn't work in BigBox. It woks on Launchbox.

Controller automation was recently overhauled and is just called "Mappings" in Launchbox now. @Kirkenjerk i see in your image that the mappings section is there clear as day. And here is mine for reference.

In Bigbox they are under Options/Controller Mappings.

They do need to be set in both Launchbox and Bigbox, you cant set them one place and have them work in the other.

[gbamaster2k]

12 hours ago, neil9000 said:

 

Controller automation was recently overhauled and is just called "Mappings" in Launchbox now. @Kirkenjerk i see in your image that the mappings section is there clear as day. And here is mine for reference.

In Bigbox they are under Options/Controller Mappings.

They do need to be set in both Launchbox and Bigbox, you cant set them one place and have them work in the other.

I do have it setup in Lb and Bb but it just doesn't work in Bb.

[kmancali]

I know this is a bit of an old thread, but I have the same issue. LB controller automation works, but not in BB. I am using an xbox360 controller and in MAME I can't exit a game using the "select/start" combo that I use in LB with no trouble.

In MAME itself, I am unable to configure an "exit" key combo either using the controller. There as well, I have to use a keyboard key "escape" to get out. 

I've thought about using xpadder, but it seems very finicky to setup and I don't believe will let you use a 2-key combo to trigger the "escape" key.

 

Any ideas?

[Lordmonkus]

You have to set the controller automation in BigBox as well, it has it's own setup for it in the Options menu in BigBox.

[kmancali]

6 hours ago, Lordmonkus said:

You have to set the controller automation in BigBox as well, it has it's own setup for it in the Options menu in BigBox.

Yes, I have done that as well. No matter what controller button I set for "exit", it doesn't work. The only way to exit from MAME is the escape key, which works perfectly as intended in BB.

[neil9000]

2 minutes ago, kmancali said:

Yes, I have done that as well. No matter what controller button I set for "exit", it doesn't work. The only way to exit from MAME is the escape key, which works perfectly as intended in BB.

The option is called "close active window" in Bigbox, "Exit" is to exit Bigbox itself. You also may need to actually set the exit in MAME itself, if so you need to set your combo to the "UI Cancel" option in MAME.

[kmancali]

22 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

The option is called "close active window" in Bigbox, "Exit" is to exit Bigbox itself. You also may need to actually set the exit in MAME itself, if so you need to set your combo to the "UI Cancel" option in MAME.

Thanks! That worked!