Key mapping instructions

RetroArch General
#20

Vectrex Core and the Panasonic Core 4do. These are the only two cores I use and the other one changes when I remap I change Panasonic the core fir Vectrex changes and vise versa I am remapping buttons on my game cabinet

#21

Ok here’s what I did I have another computer with Retroarch on it ver 1.8.2 I downloaded the Vectrex core key mapped the keys and made sure that from game to game the key map is stable I even exited out of Retroarch and brought the Vectrex core up and the key mapping didn’t change(bear in mind when I did set up the key mapping I then went to quick menu>controls>save core remap file)

Now I bring up the 3DO core and proceed to key map those keys(the key mapping is different for Vectrex and For 3DO) I did quick menu>controls>save core remap file. And what do you know? IT DIDN’T SAVE!!! I attempted to save the keymap for the 3DO core at least three time and it failed. It keeps reverting back to the key map I created for Vectrex!!!

Any ideas???

#22

Try the following:

  • Rename your retroarch.cfg to retroarch.cfg.bak (to restore it after this test)
  • Start RetroArch
  • Go to Settings - Input - Port 1 Binds and configure your controls
  • Restart RetroArch
  • Start a game with the core you want to change the controls
  • Press your hotkey for the Quick Menu (default F1)
  • Change your controls
  • Save a core remap file
  • Check if in ``RetroArch/config/remaps/` a *.rmp file is generated

Now only the core with the saved remap file should have new controls. All other cores are using the ones you defined in Settings - Input - Port 1 Binds

#23

UPDATE 6:53 pm I followed your instruction above but I did check and the system is making an RMP file. One for 4do.rmp and vecx.rmp

And what ever keymap is for vectrex is the Same key map for 3DO I just tried deleting the remap files and I made sure that the remap files are not read only And made new remap files. And tried bring up a core It clearly says…GAME REMAP FILE LOADED

But it DOESNT MATTER both core Are mapped the same

#24

This forum software sucks for merging threads. It just plopped all of the posts from the last thread onto the end of this one >_>

C:\RetroArch is probably not a good place, as it causes weird permissions. Try moving your installation to somewhere user-writeable, like your Documents folder.

#25

  • Start RetroArch

  • Go to Settings - User - Language and change it to English to make sure you can follow my steps exactly

  • Set default controls in Settings - Input - Port 1 Binds

  • Close RetroArch

  • Start RetroArch

  • Launch a game with the GCE - Vectrex (vecx) core

  • Press (F1) to bring up the Quick Menu

  • Go to Controls - Port 1 Controls and change a few keys

  • In the Controls menu press Save Core Remap File

  • Close your game

  • Close RetroArch - DON’T CHANGE OTHER THINGS FOR NOW

  • Restart RetroArch and launch the game with GCE - Vectrex (vecx) again.

    • Does it have your changed keys preserved?

YES! They are save I have done this many times already!

  • Close the game

  • Start a game with a different core

    • Does the keys are different? e.g. how you set them globaly in Settings - Input - Port 1 Binds ?

At this stage before I remap this differnet Core 4DO, the keys appear mapped EXACTLY as I mapped them for Vectrex…

What you are not grasping is that when I bring up another core and make key map changes. It affects Vectrex

#26

Ok what I will do is uninstall retro arch from c: and reinstall it in my Hyperspin folder

#27

Where is that located? it needs to be somewhere in your user path.

#28

It will be in c:hyperspin\Retroarch

#29

I originally had Retroarch in my Hyperspin folder (months ago) before and took it out but before it worked fine I recently reinstalled retro arch back on my win 7 system as c:Retroarch But for this issue I will have it in the Hyperspin folder

#30

Can you please post the content of your VecX.rmp and the 4DO.rmp as well?
I have a slight suspicion…

#31

I noticed that has nothing in them zero blank I used word pad to view a blank page is coming up no data appears to have been written

#32

Strange, that was not what I had expected…
At least this should be inside if a remap is saved without changing anything:

input_libretro_device_p1 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p2 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p3 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p4 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p5 = "1"
input_player1_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player2_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player3_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player4_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player5_analog_dpad_mode = "0"

Can you download the 7z Retroarch and extract it in a location other than C:\, C:\Program Files or C:\Hyperspin.
https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/1.8.4/windows/x86_64/RetroArch.7z
Best to C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\Desktop
Try it from there please and make sure you change the key bindings in
Quick Menu - Controls - Port 1 Controls
and not in
Settings - Input - Port 1 Binds

If this doesn’t work than i am really out of ideas. :thinking:

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#33

Ok update 5.34PM after having uninstalled retroarch and re installed it into my hyperspin folder I went to the remap file for 4do input_libretro_device_p1 = “1” input_libretro_device_p2 = “1” input_libretro_device_p3 = “1” input_libretro_device_p4 = “1” input_libretro_device_p5 = “1” input_player1_analog_dpad_mode = “0” input_player2_analog_dpad_mode = “0” input_player3_analog_dpad_mode = “0” input_player4_analog_dpad_mode = “0” input_player5_analog_dpad_mode = “0”

for VECX input_libretro_device_p1 = “1” input_libretro_device_p2 = “1” input_libretro_device_p3 = “1” input_libretro_device_p4 = “1” input_libretro_device_p5 = “1” input_player1_analog_dpad_mode = “0” input_player2_analog_dpad_mode = “0” input_player3_analog_dpad_mode = “0” input_player4_analog_dpad_mode = “0” input_player5_analog_dpad_mode = “0”

under my previous install those files where showing 0kb now they read 1kb however,… the result is the same… I map the keys for Vectrex and they save I map the keys for 3do and they save BUT the key maps affects Vectrex as the Vectrex keymap appears EXACTLY WHAT I KEY MAPED for 3do! And of course I can rekey map Vectrex and correct it to what it should be BUT they key map for 3DO has changed to reflect what was key mapped for Vectrex A Dog Chasing its own tail!)

#34

OK let me get this straight,

Try it from there please and make sure you change the key bindings in Quick Menu - Controls - Port 1 Controls and not in Settings - Input - Port 1 Binds

I am assuming that I have a game loaded in and let’s say that game is a Vectrex game. I am also assuming that once I have the port one controls configured in other words mapped then I go to save core remap?

And then once that’s accomplished I bring up the core for Panasonic 3DO Do the same thing in quick menu and save Core map file there as well

Is that exactly what you’re asking me to do???

#35

Listen, like you i am not a native english speaker, but at least i am trying to help you in a friendly way, even when you’re not following my instructions.

You installed RetroArch in your hyperspin directory although i said to not doing so.

If the content of your remap file is showing nothing more than

input_libretro_device_p1 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p2 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p3 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p4 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p5 = "1"
input_player1_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player2_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player3_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player4_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player5_analog_dpad_mode = "0"

you dit it wrong

Your file looks like you tried to remap it from Settings -Input which is the wrong way.

settings
settings.gif976×778 1.36 MB

For remapping the controls for a specific core you do this in

Quick Menu - Controls

quick%20menu
quick menu.gif976×778 668 KB

Only from Quick Menu - Controls you get something like this:

input_libretro_device_p1 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p2 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p3 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p4 = "1"
input_libretro_device_p5 = "1"
input_player1_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player1_btn_b = "1"
input_player1_btn_y = "0"
input_player2_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player3_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player4_analog_dpad_mode = "0"
input_player5_analog_dpad_mode = "0"

To be clear: I tested this with RetroArch 1.8.2, RetroArch 1.8.3, and RetroArch 1.8.4 on Windows 7, with the PPA nightly RetroArch on Linux Mint 19.3 and even with the latest LAKKA on a Raspberry Pi 3.

On every system i got the results i expected

#36

I will try but

  1. I am in America and speak the kings English. And to be told there is a “language barrier” on my side Is a quick way to upset someone
  2. Don’t you think we have a bug here? Two computers. A win7 and a win 10 system both Not saving core overrides ?
  3. The win7 system I don’t have it set up with users and admins no passwords needed. So therefore I don’t put all my programs in the user folder.
  4. All of my other programs on both systems are not in the User folder some are in the windows folder some are just in c: in there own folder. Some are in windows folder All programs work fine!!!
  5. It should not be this hard or complicated to change key mapping.Why have TWO places to change key maps?!?!?
  6. I have been dealing with retroarch for three years and I have found it to be very complicated and cumbersome to work with. So pardon me if I appear frustrated!

I will deal with retroarch later today

#37

This is just how permissions work in Windows. RetroArch runs with user permissions so it needs to be in the user’s path or it can’t write things even to its own directory.

#38

I DONE WITH RETRO ARCH

My point in adding 3DO would have been “wouldn’t it be nice to have… I have Vectrex working the way I want and that was one of the systems I wanted to have

I went into quick menu>controls> port1 Controls> I need to be able to change button b from a 1 into alt key and only options are 1,2,3,4, ect

IMHO It doesn’t need to be this hard to change things! And I don’t need this aggravation

#39

Why didn’t you tell us that earlier?

https://docs.libretro.com/guides/input-and-controls/

RetroPad Concept

RetroArch controls map real-world controller buttons to a virtual controller called a “RetroPad” A RetroPad does not exist in real life, it’s a concept only within RetroArch. A RetroPad has an ABXY layout like a SNES gamepad plus four shoulder buttons and dual analog sticks like a Sony DualShock.

In Quick Menu - Controls you can only “remap” the keys you defined in Settings - Input

To change the main keys for a specific core you can do this with a bit of manual work:

  • Create a Save Core Overrides in Quick Menu - Overrides
    or generate one manually in your RetroArch /config/*YourCoreName*/*YourCoreName.cfg*

e.g.

/config
    └ VecX
        └ VecX.cfg

Enter the line (using a text editor)

input_player1_b = "alt"

or whatever key you want to change (you find them in your retroarch.cfg file) and save.
[Remember that this will get deleted if you save another override after that. Then you have to do this again]

RetroArch won’t save this from the GUI, so you have to make this manually. Maybe in a furter release this will be possible @hunterk ?

I hope this helps, otherwise i wish you all the best with other programs if you want to move along.
Have a nice day :slight_smile:

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