MAME button config question

[NTSC-J]

This has been driving me bonkers, maybe you guys can help.

I wanna play Gunbird 2 on MAME with auto-fire. The problem is, the shot button also doubles as a secondary attack when you hold the button down, so if I set it to auto I can't use that attack. If I set shot to, say, buttons A and C on my Saturn pad, I still can't set auto-fire to only one of those buttons since MAME sets auto to one of the buttons in the game, not auto to one of the buttons on my controller (does that make sense?). It basically means I now have A and C as rapid shot, not one rapid shot and one the regular shot with the charge attack like I want.

Setting the auto to toggle doesn't work because it's too distracting having to switch back and forth all the time.

Help me shmups.com, you're my only hope.

[Ghegs]

Can you use XPadder (or a similar program) to map the keyboard controls to your joypad? Just map the fire button to two different buttons and activate the turbo function on one of them.

[NTSC-J]

I'll try that one, but I read that joy2key can't be used with mame so I dunno if this one will work either.

I'll give it a shot, tho, thanks!

[Mortificator]

Your solution is to use custom buttons. Not all builds support them, but I know MAME Plus and Shmupmame do. Start the game in MAME, press Tab to open the menu, and select Custom Buttons. P1 Custom 1 will already be highlighted, so press the 1 key on your keyboard. The number 1 will appear in the field to the right; custom button 1 for player 1 now performs the same function as the game button 1, shot.

Back out of the custom button menu and go into Autofire Setting. Turn autofire ON for P1 Button 1 and leave autofire OFF for P1 Custom 1.

Finally, exit the autofire menu and select Input (this Game). Assign P1 Button 1 to the button on your controller you want to use for auto-shot, and assign P1 Custom 1 to the button you want to use for the charged shot.

[NTSC-J]

on your keyboard

Holy shit! Are you a wizard? That custom button option has been laughing in my face all this time and always seemed like the solution but I could never figure out how to map it.

You`re a beautiful man, Mortificator.

[RNGmaster]

If I decide to play GB2 on a pad, this will probably delay the onset of arthritis in my left ring finger about 10 years. Thanks.