Mapping Controller for LaunchBox

[rydin4life]

I'm running Launchbox on two PCs at the moment, one that I'll use in my upcoming Recroom Master's Gameplay cabinet build and one that mimics it, just used for testing purposes.  I want to set up an Xbox controller on the test PC just so I can get a feel for using LaunchBox and MAME in general.  How do I go about mapping the controller to work within LaunchBox so i can scroll through games and select one to play?  I imagine this will be similar to how I'll map the control panel joystick and buttons once I get the cabinet built, but I'm not sure how to start.

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by rydin4life

[Retro808]

In Launchbox under >Tools>Options there is a section for mapping Game Controls. You can move around in Launchbox with a gamepad, but it is more useful with a keyboard.

[rydin4life]

Thanks @Retro808

I didn't really want to use the keyboard when I get my cabinet built, was hoping to boot right into Launchbox and just control with the joystick, but I'll see how it goes.  Is BigBox better setup to handle joystick and arcade controls better than regular Launchbox?

[Retro808]

1 minute ago, rydin4life said:

Thanks @Retro808

I didn't really want to use the keyboard when I get my cabinet built, was hoping to boot right into Launchbox and just control with the joystick, but I'll see how it goes.  Is BigBox better setup to handle joystick and arcade controls better than regular Launchbox?

Yes, it is a bit easier to move around in BigBox with a controller/Arcade controls. BigBox is really more of the arcade cabinet version on Launchbox. So I would recommend that more for a cabinet. You can move around in Launchbox with a controller. I do it with an Xbox One and an 8Bitdo controller so it is not impossible or cumbersome. However, LB is more like the pc front end version and BB the arcade cabinet frontend version.

[rydin4life]

13 minutes ago, Retro808 said:

Yes, it is a bit easier to move around in BigBox with a controller/Arcade controls. BigBox is really more of the arcade cabinet version on Launchbox. So I would recommend that more for a cabinet. You can move around in Launchbox with a controller. I do it with an Xbox One and an 8Bitdo controller so it is not impossible or cumbersome. However, LB is more like the pc front end version and BB the arcade cabinet frontend version.

Makes sense, thank you.  I just played around and have my xbox one controller working to play games in MAME on my PC, but I don't have it working within launchbox quite yet.  I am going to pay for BigBox and use that on my PC that's going into the Recroom Maters Cabinet.  

Once I have that cabinet, I suppose I just plug in the control panel to my PC, open BigBox and configure the controls from there?  Once I have that, I still need to go into MAME to configure the game controls though, correct?

Once I'm done playing, I suppose there's not really a way to shut down the PC itself with the control panel, I'd still need to exit BigBox with the mouse/keyboard and close down windows.  Am I understanding this correctly?

[Retro808]

45 minutes ago, rydin4life said:

Once I have that cabinet, I suppose I just plug in the control panel to my PC, open BigBox and configure the controls from there?  Once I have that, I still need to go into MAME to configure the game controls though, correct?

Correct on both questions. For game play all controls need to be configured in the emulator. What you map in BigBox is only for moving around in BigBox.

45 minutes ago, rydin4life said:

Once I'm done playing, I suppose there's not really a way to shut down the PC itself with the control panel, I'd still need to exit BigBox with the mouse/keyboard and close down windows.  Am I understanding this correctly?

No, you can shutdown the pc directly in BigBox. There is a menu item to allow shutdown. 

[Biz101782]

New to Launchbox.  How do I set the controls in the emulators?  I am lost here.  thanks for the help

[Retro808]

4 minutes ago, Biz101782 said:

New to Launchbox.  How do I set the controls in the emulators?  I am lost here.  thanks for the help

Launch the emulator and most will have a menu item to map controls. You may have to look around in the emulators UI, but usually you will see an option. For example Retroarch when you launch it without a game or core under the Gear icon you will see the "Input" option. Mame you can edit the cfg file or launch it without a game and choose "Configure Options" then "Device Mappings". It just depends on the emulator.

[Biz101782]

55 minutes ago, Retro808 said:

Launch the emulator and most will have a menu item to map controls. You may have to look around in the emulators UI, but usually you will see an option. For example Retroarch when you launch it without a game or core under the Gear icon you will see the "Input" option. Mame you can edit the cfg file or launch it without a game and choose "Configure Options" then "Device Mappings". It just depends on the emulator.

Great thanks for the help with this.  One more Q:  how do I exit a game?  Is there an exit button similar to retropie/Emulation station?  Thanks

[Retro808]

In both BB and LB there is an option to set an exit in the keyboard/controller mappings. You just need to be sure to spend time looking around in settings and get familiar. 

[rydin4life]

Spent a lot of time in the settings tonight and got some things set-up, just trial and error and some time...can't wait to get the cabinet and go from there.  I did buy the premium license so I'll run Launchbox on my office PC and BigBox on the PC that's going in the cabinet.

[Biz101782]

I am still having issues setting up the initial controllers.  For example, I set up the controls and mapped them in Mame.  Then I set up and map the controls in Bog box.  However, after I select a game it is nearly impossible to play because the controls are all backwards.

every after I map the exit keys in big box it still will not exit.  Big box also freezes after I do exit a game (via a keyboard exit).  I have to ctrl+alt+delete you get anywhere.

do I have a problem with my controller? I am using a usb plug in controller.

thanks again for the advice.

[Retro808]

1 minute ago, Biz101782 said:

I am still having issues setting up the initial controllers.  For example, I set up the controls and mapped them in Mame.  Then I set up and map the controls in Bog box.  However, after I select a game it is nearly impossible to play because the controls are all backwards.

every after I map the exit keys in big box it still will not exit.  Big box also freezes after I do exit a game (via a keyboard exit).  I have to ctrl+alt+delete you get anywhere.

do I have a problem with my controller? I am using a usb plug in controller.

thanks again for the advice.

What version of Mame are you using? (Mame, MameUI, Arcade64???)

For exiting a game from Mame back to BigBox it is best to open Mame and set the command to Exit inside Mame as well. Map it to same button or buttons you set in BigBox.

[Biz101782]

I am running Mame.  Let me try setting up exit in make as well.  Keep u posted, thanks again.

Spoiler

 

 

[Biz101782]

I am in the Mame button configuration.  I don’t see an “exit” command.  Could it be called something else? Thanks 

[Biz101782]

Figured it out.  Thanks for help, we all good!

[venom.007.splash]

Hey i have an 8bitdo SF30 Gamepad, two of them i want to use it to play my Mame games or any other games i have install in LaunchBox. how do i set it up to work in each platform? do i need to try setting it up in LaunchBox first under tools - options - game controller under game controller setting i enable game controllers, refresh devices and i can see my 8 bitdo controllers showing up. one is showing up as XInput xbox 360/xbox One controller, and the other one when i plug in is showing up as pro Controller. i also check use all attach controllers and move over to Mappings. but under that setting i can not attach any buttons when i try to add one.

I'm i doing something wrong here or i'm i using the wrong controller? or do i need to try to mapp it in Mame emulator, i'm lost can you help me please anyone?

[neil9000]

4 minutes ago, venom.007.splash said:

Hey i have an 8bitdo SF30 Gamepad, two of them i want to use it to play my Mame games or any other games i have install in LaunchBox. how do i set it up to work in each platform? do i need to try setting it up in LaunchBox first under tools - options - game controller under game controller setting i enable game controllers, refresh devices and i can see my 8 bitdo controllers showing up. one is showing up as XInput xbox 360/xbox One controller, and the other one when i plug in is showing up as pro Controller. i also check use all attach controllers and move over to Mappings. but under that setting i can not attach any buttons when i try to add one.

I'm i doing something wrong here or i'm i using the wrong controller? or do i need to try to mapp it in Mame emulator, i'm lost can you help me please anyone?

You need to map in the emulators, the setting in Launchbox is just for controlling Launchbox.

[Kraventhegrunter]

I'm having issues using my arcade controls in game. I've mapped the controls, they work great for the menu, however when I launch a game the controls  only seem to fast forward and rewind the game. I went into retroarch adjusted the controller configuration, I get the same issue. I uninstalled retroarch, reinstalled it.... Same problem. I even downloaded a completely different version of retroarch and still have the same problem. Can someone help me with this please?

Thanks

[Ibdman]

On 2/22/2020 at 7:49 PM, Retro808 said:

Launch the emulator and most will have a menu item to map controls. You may have to look around in the emulators UI, but usually you will see an option. For example Retroarch when you launch it without a game or core under the Gear icon you will see the "Input" option. Mame you can edit the cfg file or launch it without a game and choose "Configure Options" then "Device Mappings". It just depends on the emulator.

So how would i launch retroarch alone to set these settings?