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Off-Screen Reload Helper Plugin

docs/source/plugins/offscreenreload.rst

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.. _plugins-offscreenreload:

Off-Screen Reload Helper Plugin

.. contents:: :local:

.. _plugins-offscreenreload-intro:

Introduction

The off-screen reload helper plugin makes it easier to play games that require you to aim a lightgun away from the screen to perform actions (usually reloading). You can use a key or button combination to simulate aiming the lightgun away from the screen and pulling the trigger.

To configure the off-screen reload helper plugin, activate the main menu (press Tab during emulation by default), select Plugin Options, and then select Off-Screen Reload Helper. Configured off-screen reload helpers for the current system are listed, along with their activation sequences (initially there will be no off-screen reload helpers configured). Select a reload helper to edit it, or choose Add reload helper to set up a new off-screen reload helper. See :ref:plugins-offscreenreload-settings for details on editing off-screen reload helpers. You can delete an off-screen reload helper by highlighting it in the menu and pressing the UI Clear key (Del/Delete/Forward Delete on the keyboard by default). You can also delete an off-screen reload helper by selecting it to edit it and then selecting Delete reload helper from the menu.

This plugin works with games that recognise the simple condition of pulling the lightgun trigger while one of the lightgun axes reports its minimum value. This includes, for example, Lethal Enforcers and Virtua cop. Some games, for example Invasion: The Abductors, have more complex requirements to trigger reloading. Although this plugin is not suitable for use with those games, you can use the :ref:Input Macro plugin <plugins-inputmacro> to use a key or button combination to reload easily.

Off-screen reload helpers are saved in the offscreenreload folder in the plugin data folder (see the :ref:homepath option <mame-commandline-homepath>). A file is created for each system with off-screen reload helpers configured, named according to the system’s short name (or ROM set name), with the extension .cfg. For example, input macros for the parent version of Lethal Enforcers will be saved in the file lethalen.cfg in the offscreenreload folder in your plugin data folder. The off-screen reload helpers are stored in JSON format.

.. _plugins-offscreenreload-settings:

Editing off-screen reload helpers

The options for editing off-screen reload helpers are the same whether you’re creating a new reload helper or editing an existing one. An off-screen reload helper need an axis input (usually Y axis for the player’s lightgun), and a trigger input (usually button 1 for the player, corresponding to the lightgun’s trigger).

  • Select Reload combination to set the control (or combination of controls) you want to use to activate the off-screen reload helper. You will probably want to use a combination that isn’t being used for any other emulated input in the system.
  • Select Axis input to set the axis input (often Lightgun Y for the first player, or Lightgun 2 Y for the second player). Only non-wrapping analog inputs are supported.
  • Select Trigger input to set the trigger input (often P1 Button 1 for the first player, or P2 Button 1 for the second player). Only non-toggle digital inputs are supported. The plugin attempts to guess the trigger input when you change the axis input.

When creating a new off-screen reload helper, there is a Cancel option that changes to Create after you set the reload combination, axis input and trigger input. Select Create to finish creating the reload helper and return to the list of off-screen reload helpers. The new reload helper will be added at the end of the list. Press the UI Back key, or select Cancel before setting the reload sequence/inputs, to return to the previous menu without creating the new reload helper.

When editing an existing off-screen reload helper, select Done or press the UI Back key to return to the list of off-screen reload helpers. Changes take effect immediately.

When editing an existing off-screen reload helper, select Delete reload helper to delete it. The off-screen reload helper will be deleted immediately when you select Delete reload helper without requiring additional confirmation. You can also delete an off-screen reload helper by highlighting it in the list of reload helpers and pressing the UI Clear key (Del/Delete/Forward Delete on the keyboard by default).