Posted by Cupcakus on 29, 2000 at 9:54 AM:
In Reply to: Re: Perfect interfacing(Trackballs & Spinners) posted by Darren Harris on 28, 2000 at 4:26 PM:
: Thanks Cupcakus,
: I have two original Atari Millipede trackballs and will be using one of them. As a result, the vanes of course will be exactly the same as they are supposed to be, but if I use the trackball's optics, I guess that it still won't take into account how MAME will interpret the signals. If I use a mouse hack, then that just introduces another variable.
: So I'm wondering if the following idea would work...
: I find an original Millipede arcade game. I mark and roll the trackball exactly 360 degrees, and note exactly how far across the screen the shooter moves. Armed with that information, and hoping that the shooter's travel distance remains constant regardless of how fast the trackball is rolled(360 degrees), I can then tweak in MAME.(I'm assuming that the X and Y axis will both be the same as far as speed and distance traveled).
: I don't know if this would work with a mouse hack, since it's specific and varying dpi/speed probably will not be the same as the Millipede game. And I just have to hope that MAME is flexible enough to overcome any differences in the specific and varying dpi/speed.
: Lastly, I still have to find someone who can tell me how to figure out the pin-outs for the Millipede optics.(Anyone?).
: Thanks
: Darren Harris
: Searcher7@mail.con2.com
You still will never get it perfect... for one... all cabinets are different,I've seen millipede cabinets that were converted from centipede and vise versa, I've seen cabinets repaired with different track balls then their original.
Secondly, I find trackballs have two measurements, small and big. If you move the trackball slowly to one side 360 degrees and measure how far it moves, it will almost always be different then if you fling it quickly 360 degrees.
And lastly, even if you did get accurate measurements for both types of trackball movement a mouse hack or encoder would more than likely not have the same ratio.
Just my $0.02