Help with Keyboard support (Pixel C)

RetroArch Android devices
#1

Hey guys, new user of retroarch, Robert Broglia’s .emu series don’t work on my new tablet because of a black screen issue (I messaged him a few weeks ago with no response).

I’m trying to get the keyboard made for the Google Pixel C to work with Retroarch. I have games running perfectly in the cores for GBA, NES, and a few others, that isn’t the problem. When I go into the settings gear along the bottom and go into input>Input User 1 Binds> Bind All I can successfully bind all the keys I need to keys all across the keyboard, including [ctrl], [alt], and […] combos (a feature on the pixel c).

After starting a game, which runs flawlessly by the way, none of the inputs work at all. Only the on screen inputs work.

I checked the core settings for input handling and everything looked fine, I tried disabling and re enabling auto detection and nothing happened. Lastly, I tried everything I could with the nightly build and nothing happened. Retroarch binds fine in the GUI, but the cores ignore the input.

Any ideas?

#2

here are some screenshots, let me know if i have something configured incorrectly http://m.imgur.com/bNcyYaI http://m.imgur.com/Ycu3732 http://m.imgur.com/MOfFh64

#3

Hmmm none of us has a keyboard centric device so I’m not sure what the problem is. KB support was just recently added

#4

That’s interesting… I know that every other emulator I’ve tried so far has support for it (a really old snes9x.emu build on broglia’s page works for some reason… but such a build doesn’t exist for the other emulators)

I for sure can tell you it’s just a standard bluetooth keyboard with the only special part being that it auto paired when they touched for the first time and it wirelessly charges… it shows up as a bluetooth device.

There is also a ‘pixel c keyboard’ assistant app and an IME just to make it use a ‘bt keyboard’… any bt keyboard should technically have the same support as this one…

I’d want to push for this as a feature but since you said that support was only just added I might ask where I can look for info on how to get said keyboard support to work? As I said in the original post, keys from the keyboard would bind just fine but just… nothing would be recognized when running a core.

#5

Also I’m willing to get a bit more invested in this situation. Give me the proper know how and I can get you logs, dumps, whatever you need to get this working.

on the other hand, if those on the development team are preoccupied with other things, i fully understand… you’re doing the work of gods for the low price of free+tips. It just means I’ll need to find another emulator for my tablet.

#6

It was added by diablodiab a couple of weeks ago, so if you’re using the version from the Play store, I don’t think it’s in there yet. You can try using one of the nightlies to see if it treats you any better, or just wait for the next point release, which should be coming soon.

#7

Okay, I see the problem.

This is caused by the way keyboards are currently detected in the Android version. Right now, the keyboard implementation is targeted for cores that emulate computer systems, where you normally need a keyboard (C64, Amstrad, Amiga, ScummVM). It is not ready for those situations were you want to map the keyboard to gamepad keys for use in console emulators etc.

I’ll look into this.

#8

Thank you diablodiab!

The only reason I expected this to be implemented by default is because of the way I play most emulators on a computer- with a keyboard. For some reason RetArch can see my keyboard, and can bind fine, but then when it tries to use it it just says ‘what? keyboard? i don’t need that’

You’re a godsend. If you can get this working, give me a link to a donation box for you and I’ll buy you a sandwich, a drink and some chips.

#9

in the meantime i thought i’d verify just to show that heck yeah the pixel c keyboard works great in scummvm potentially making it my weapon of choice if I was gonna go back in time and plow people’s minds

Still can’t really see why the keyboard wouldn’t work before considering that by default RetroArch for android has keyboard keys bound to the retropad by default?

#10

hey diablodiab the new build works perfectly! drop me a donation link and I’ll give ya $10. You really helped me.

In case this gets removed in a later build, I have the apk for this build saved aside just in case it causes problems with other users and needs to be cut.

#11

Hi Jack,

Good to hear that it the new build fixed the problem.

Monetary donations are not accepted in this project, so you don’t have to worry about donating anything :slight_smile: You actually assisted me in debugging the keyboard driver by reporting this problem, so thank you.

#12

Alright, well you made me happy. Today is my birthday so this update was just in time :slight_smile: