Tracker Hero AGA Beta released

[Megaboz]

I heard about this thread from Robert, and I just wanted to pop in to say what the PSX64 Interface (The one I made for C64/Amiga/Atari/etc, the one that works with Shredz64) does and doesn't do, specifically in regards to what might be useful for Tracker Hero.  I'm not trying to plug my product, so I'm not going to go through all the features (macros and other crap) or anything, but I do think collaboration is always a good thing, and we should be helping and sharing with each other.  

When a normal controller (non-guitar) is plugged in, it does:

1. Work on a Atari style DB-9 computer, so C64, Atari, Amiga, SMS, etc
2. Support two buttons on two button systems (Amiga).
3. Maps directions to directions, X to fire 1, Square to fire 2

When a guitar controller is plugged in, it does:
1. Map the colors Green, Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange in order of U, D, L, R, Fire 1
2. Map no strum to Pot 1 value of 90, strum up to value of 47, strum down to value of 21
3. Map whammy to Pot 2 (from 45->80 or so in values)
4. Map lifting the guitar up to pot 2 (overrides whammy value with 20).

It doesn't (in either mode):
1.  Support the CD32 protocol.

By making use of the pot lines, you can encode more data as well as support the fluid motions of the whammy bar.  Besides being the only method of getting more info to the C64 than what is supported by digital buttons, I figured this was the best way to go.  

Anyway, if that works for Tracker Hero, that's great, and if not, that's no problem too.  I'd love to help to get support for it into the program, but if the interest isn't there, that's fine too.  I'm easy - I just don't want this to be a sore point for anyone.  I did this to do something neat and make friends in the retro community.

[Megaboz]

Thanks Cammy and Megaboz for all the useful info!

In theory PSX64 will work fine with Tracker Hero when using the PS2 guitar if in the game you turn on the Dance Mat Mode (Not the Guitar Mode). This is because PSX64 maps guitar buttons to directions and in the Dance Mat Mode directions are mapped to the game actions.

The real problem could be that the directions are not matched in the same order, making it difficult to play. But this issue is easy to fix in the code adding another control option.

Megaboz or anybody, if you know the exact mapping of the guitar buttons to the pad directions please write it down

Thanks!

Cool!  Basically, I just went in order of the buttons with UDLRFire, so its:

Green = Up
Red = Down
Yellow = Left
Blue = Right
Orange = Fire 1

(And then strumming/whammy/lift on the pot lines)

Hopefully that order works out of the box!

[Megaboz]

Excellent!! Great thanks!

I will make another build today supporting the PSX64. The only info left is what signal is sent to the Amiga when strumming, is it Fire 2? or what?

Strum signals are sent to the Pot X register on Paula.  Also, because of the variable nature of the resistance, I usually program in a +- 10 range for reading the values, so 80-100 is rest, 37-57 is strum up, and 11-31 is strum down.  Hope that helps -

[Megaboz]

Let me know too if I can help test it with a PSX64, I can try it out on my A4000 when I get home in a few hours

[Megaboz]

I tried it out - first off, game looks great, nice job!  The PSX64 support looks like its almost there - in keyboard mode it works fine (e.g. button ordering is correct), but in guitar mode the strum isn't working.  I verified the adapter was putting out the expected pot values and it was.  Let me know if I can do anything else.