8way pad -> 4way pad

da_seeb · Post by **da_seeb** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:15 pm

Hello,

I have some trouble with my gamepad. I have an 8 way d-pad on it.
so when I press a little bit more "right" than "up" zsnes recognizes this as an "right". This makes it very hard to play, because you always have to hit the pad very accurate.
Can I change this 8way pad so that it behaves like a normal 4 way pad? I don't need 8 directions for nintendo games.
I'm using Linux and ZSNES 1.5

sebastian

blackmyst · Post by **blackmyst** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:43 pm

There are no 8-way pads. They do not exist.

Every single modern D-pad works exactly the same as the old SNES or even NES D-pads. You have 4 directions, and each diagonal is simply a combination of two of those directions.

If you are experiencing any problems, it's because of the physical design of the pad (like the one on the Genesis, I hate that type) or maybe because of some other obscure little internal coding thing.

AntoineWG · Post by **AntoineWG** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 7:44 pm

Try recalibrating it in the Game Controllers dialog in the Control Panel. Also, if you're using any kind of keyboard mapping software that turns the gamepad presses into keyboard presses, don't. ZSNES works with nearly all gamepads that work with Windows.

da_seeb · Post by **da_seeb** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:19 am

I took a deeper look with jstest.

The middle positions, e.g. when I press between "right" and "up" cause two events. In this example "right" and(!) "up" is sended. So you're right this is a 4 way gamepad...

The model is a Saitek P580. Perhaps there's anyone out there who uses the same and can help.

I will try calibrating later when I'm at my windows PC, but I think this won't help here because it isn't recalibrated...

CaptNKILL · Post by **CaptNKILL** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:03 pm

This is why I've just settled with using 2 old Playstation gamepads on a USB converter (2 controllers, one USB port). The individual "buttons" on the d-pad are a thousand times better than any of the big fat soft D-pads on modern controllers (at least the ones I've used).

IMO there is no better controller for emulators than a PS1 or PS2 controller. Tons of buttons (enough for an SNES or Genesis plus turbo or any other emulator functions you want), start and select buttons, perfect d-pad for 2D games and analog sticks for arcade emulators.

I've used a dozen or so PC gamepads over the years and the d-pads have all felt extremely sloppy.

SquareHead · Post by **SquareHead** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:12 pm

CaptNKILL wrote:This is why I've just settled with using 2 old Playstation gamepads on a USB converter (2 controllers, one USB port). The individual "buttons" on the d-pad are a thousand times better than any of the big fat soft D-pads on modern controllers (at least the ones I've used).

IMO there is no better controller for emulators than a PS1 or PS2 controller. Tons of buttons (enough for an SNES or Genesis plus turbo or any other emulator functions you want), start and select buttons, perfect d-pad for 2D games and analog sticks for arcade emulators.

I've used a dozen or so PC gamepads over the years and the d-pads have all felt extremely sloppy.

I have to agree with him. The only thing I have ever been happy with on my computer besides my logitech dual shock rip-off, are my psx controllers connected to my pc.

Stifu · Post by **Stifu** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:18 pm

I hate PS pads...
I have Saturn USB pads, and they're my favorite. The D-pad doesn't suck, and you've got 6 buttons on the front, for Mega Drive games or Capcom fighting ones.

Gew · Post by **Gew** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 1:29 pm

blackmyst wrote:There are no 8-way pads. They do not exist.

Every single modern D-pad works exactly the same as the old SNES or even NES D-pads. You have 4 directions, and each diagonal is simply a combination of two of those directions.

I wish to contest this statement.

I have a Logitech Dual Action controller pad, which was very popular in the mid 2000's. Now, as you can see on the specifications in the link provided, the pad is "very precis" with eight different angles on the D-pad. This is perhaps great in games that actually has a way of configuring all eight angles. However, no popular NES/SNES/SEGA/N64 (or even PS2/GC/Wii) emulators has this kind of options. As a result, in-game movement is stuck as soon as you slide the D-pad slightly against any of it's four corners. Very irritating. I've found a thread online that describes how to solder the actual circuit in an 8-way D-pad, some kind of cross-wiring that makes every angle work correctly. However, this feels like above my class. Any idea on other solution, except just buying another controller? Has anyone heard about any software way of fixing the 8-way issue?

Cheers!

Gew · Post by **Gew** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 1:34 pm

blackmyst wrote:There are no 8-way pads. They do not exist.

Every single modern D-pad works exactly the same as the old SNES or even NES D-pads. You have 4 directions, and each diagonal is simply a combination of two of those directions.

I wish to contest this statement.

I have a Logitech Dual Action controller pad, which was very popular in the mid 2000's. Now, as you can see on the specifications in the link provided, the pad is "very precis" with eight different angles on the D-pad. This is perhaps great in games that actually has a way of configuring all eight angles. However, no popular NES/SNES/SEGA/N64 (or even PS2/GC/Wii) emulators has this kind of options.

Well, Snes9x actually has the ability to configure e.g. "Up left", but using set keys in i e.g. Super Mario will still result in a stuck movement. As a result, in-game movement is stuck as soon as you slide the D-pad slightly against any of it's four corners. Very irritating. I've found a thread online that describes how to solder the actual circuit in an 8-way D-pad, some kind of cross-wiring that makes every angle work correctly. However, this feels like above my class. Any idea on other solution, except just buying another controller? Has anyone heard about any software way of fixing the 8-way issue?

Cheers!

kode54 · Post by **kode54** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:15 pm

And ZSNES already treats POV hats like normal direction pads, combining the diagonals into both of the appropriate direction pad presses.

Gil_Hamilton · Post by **Gil_Hamilton** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 5:25 am

Gew wrote:
blackmyst wrote:There are no 8-way pads. They do not exist.

Every single modern D-pad works exactly the same as the old SNES or even NES D-pads. You have 4 directions, and each diagonal is simply a combination of two of those directions.
I wish to contest this statement.

That's a shame, because you're wrong.

I have a Logitech Dual Action controller pad, which was very popular in the mid 2000's. Now, as you can see on the specifications in the link provided, the pad is "very precis" with eight different angles on the D-pad.

And just like an SNES pad, a GBA pad, a Genesis pad, a Saturn pad, a PS1 pad, and (almost) every other d-pad in existence, it has four switches underneath that cap.
The diagonals are combinations of two different cardinal directions.

This is perhaps great in games that actually has a way of configuring all eight angles. However, no popular NES/SNES/SEGA/N64 (or even PS2/GC/Wii) emulators has this kind of options.

You don't map diagonals, because they don't exist on either the Logitech gamepad or the original device.

Well, Snes9x actually has the ability to configure e.g. "Up left", but using set keys in i e.g. Super Mario will still result in a stuck movement.

You're doing it wrong. The diagonal mappings are for people playing with a keyboard, where there are limits to how many and which combinations of keys they can press at a time.

As a result, in-game movement is stuck as soon as you slide the D-pad slightly against any of it's four corners. Very irritating. I've found a thread online that describes how to solder the actual circuit in an 8-way D-pad, some kind of cross-wiring that makes every angle work correctly. However, this feels like above my class. Any idea on other solution, except just buying another controller? Has anyone heard about any software way of fixing the 8-way issue?

Whatever you're looking at isn't what you think it is. Or is done by complete idiots.

I don't deny that Logitech makes some terrible d-pads(in fact, their current ones have no pivot point, making it very easy to mash all 4 switches at once and very hard to do a rapid reversal of direction), but they aren't eight-switch. Which is a pity, since an 8-switch gamepad would be perfect for emulating the Intellivision's 16-way controllers. It's the only d-pad I know of that ISN'T 4-switch/8-way.
They're four-switch, which is eight-way. JUST like the SNES.

I don't know why you bumped a six-year-old thread to argue this point. Especially to argue it wrong.

blackmyst · Post by **blackmyst** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:56 pm

Wow, I can't believe it's been 6 years since I posted that.

Have fun hunting for those diagonals, rofl. While you're at it, why don't you try and fix your game pad's analogue stick as well, it's showing only 4 directions in the controller properties!

Post by **grinvader** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 7:43 pm

blackmyst wrote:analogue stick as well, it's showing only 2 axes in the controller properties!

Fix'd.

kode54 · Post by **kode54** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 12:53 am

He is right, sort of to an extent. If some a controller represents its direction pad as a POV hat, it does have 8 distinct directions, only one of which may be pressed at once. And if some program is stupid, it may try to treat the four compass point directions as up/down/left/right without treating the diagonals as pairs of directions.

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