Am I The Only One? (Please Read Before Voting)

[GizmoTheGreen]

for all its worth i want the snes layout

 

[droneb]

just DIY because OP cannot sell em like that

 

[atomicthumbs]

we need a standard

how about confirm is "g", and cancel is L? 

N and 7 can be up/down select

 

[renegadechic]

look, they cant legally sell it the way everyone would like it. so we just need to hush up and get ready with a screwdriver and a little bit of a DIY guide for when we can fix it ourselves. 99% of people will make it the snes layout probably but its not worth going through the hassle and risk of potential legal action. i dont understand why we cant just get the hell over it with the understanding that everyones gonna DIY it anyway

 

[El Jefe]

cuz theres an issue with that, in that developers will be forced to develop for gp2x format, so they will assign functions to buttons based on position, but when you DIY it, the position has moved, so it may not be in optimal position as suggested by the developer. But I would like to have snes layout as well, if only for the nintendo emulators....

 

[renegadechic]

dont most games/emulators have a keymapping control system anyway? i know snes9x does

 

[Tom`]

look, they cant legally sell it the way everyone would like it.

Well, a while ago I did some simple trademark searches and I couldn't find the ABXY layout anywhere (the SNES 4-color button-inspired logo may be a different matter, but that's irrelevant here). Of course, I could have simply missed it, but I don't think it's likely: you certainly can't copyright or patent letters on a button - trademark law is the "weakest" of the three insofar as being able to trademark just about anything, but still I seriously doubt a specific button layout would be trademarked, simply because it would almost certainly be thrown out given that Nintendo would have a hard time convincing a judge that their products were being devalued simply by another device using the same button lettering (especially given that a lot of other devices use very similar layouts). Of course, IANALATINLA and all that.

 

[renegadechic]

interesting. now im just convinced that OP are being leaned on so they cant have the buttons the way everyone will change them. i kinda hope they are and would just say so so we can feel sympathetic and just do what we need to do when the time comes

 

[cosurgi]

It's just a right-handed coordinate system. What could be wrong with that?
Horizontally go a,b,c,.... (only A, B )
Vertitally go x,y,z,... (only X,Y )

         ↑
         |
         +Y
         |
    A    |    B
----+----+----+---→
         |
         |
         +X
         |

In the Pandora Manual there will be written: "The main button is: .... (chosen by EvilDragon)". And every application that does not adhere is buggy.

(more complex solution is of course a system-wide setting which must be respected by every application, and if it's not - then it is a buggy application, a bugreport must be filed, and a patch applied).

 

[darien]

I'm using the SuperNES/DS layout and that's the bottom line for me.

Anyone who is with me in adopting this aesthetic standard, change your layouts and I'll make a room for you in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave, they live forever.

 

[RoboShmup]

These are the actions that I usually relate to each button.

 4
3 2
 1

1 = Accept, Jump, Execute, Yes, Fire, Attack, Talk
2 = Cancel, Back, No, Bomb, Block, Grab
3 = Option, Run, Reload, Secondary Action
4 = Third Action, Misc (actions not used as frequently)

Obviously, not every game is going to follow the same button formula. But in terms of placement, these are the actions I would normally assign to each button. If people follow a general common sense in button positioning, I don't care much about which letter is which.

Though if I had my way, I would probably go for:
1 = A
2 = B
3 = X
4 = Y

 

[Awakening]

Wouldn't it be nice if we can somewhere in the OS select the Accept and Back buttons?

 

[bzar]

Wouldn't it be nice if we can somewhere in the OS select the Accept and Back buttons?

Hmm, aliases for the buttons...

 

[WizardStan]

Wouldn't it be nice if we can somewhere in the OS select the Accept and Back buttons?

Hmm, aliases for the buttons...

If it is done correctly, going through the OS rather than directly to the hardware, then it is possible and very easy to set the A button to always return the key code for the A button when the A button is pressed, regardless of where the A button is.
You could set any key on the keyboard to return the key code for any other key regardless of what it actually said on the key itself.
You could create mapping files that are loaded just before your program and unloaded after it. Imagine a mapping file that mapped the enter key to the same key code as the Start button that is loaded as part of the SNES emulator start. Then you can pause by pressing either the Start button or the Enter key.
This already exists and has been discussed many, many times, and even brought up in this very thread! Why is there still any hesitation or debate about it?

 

[Jumpman]

I dont get it. Honestly.

They could be blank for all I care.. It's just a label. Does sonys square/circle/etc mean anything?

No, what matters is the devs use a consistent system, no?

I really don't get it am I missing something?

(ive nothing to do with that piece of firmware

jeff

Jeff, I'm with you! Is there something I'm missing here? I currently play 5 systems on a regular bases, Wii, PS3, 360, DS, and PSP(sometimes Wiz)! I have no clue as to what what number or symbol is on the keys, and it rarely ever comes into to play. If I don't like a certain layout, I just reprogram the keys!

Openpandora, we really need to get this thing released. If this topic is getting this kind of attention(every couple of weeks), we are all "WAY" past the point of being bored! Everytime this topic pops up, I'm like WTF?! AGAIN?


Chris

 

[cosurgi]

bored! Everytime this topic pops up, I'm like WTF?! AGAIN?

I just chuckle.

 

[Loonie]

The buttons could have hieroglyphs on them for all I care. Their positioning is all that matters. Provided their functions in emulators/games/whatever are re-definable, I really don't see a problem.

 

[timofonic]

Do you want an issue that's actually worth caring about?

Here, I'll give it to you:

It would me much better to provide a standard way of reading the buttons, kind of like /dev/GPIO on the GP2X for all applications or libraries to use. This way, there will always be an added layer that allows for user-customizable button remapping no matter what the author provided for. The way it is now on the GP2X, only apps using SDL can use my Open2X button remapping. If they read the registers directly or used Rlyeh's minlib, there's no way to remap the buttons.

I agree totally. A standard device/wrapper for all apps is the way to go. Plus a standard for all Pandora apps to able to read where is each key and show it correcty the references to each button based on user preferences.

This way, all guys wanting different button mapping will be happy. Everyone will be happy... even developers, those rare to find humans that can do computer programming.

The button mapping configuration for Pandora could show you where to place each key in a visual drag and drop form. Then you could map generic actions and such (A for fire/action/..., B for Back/cancel/..., X for ..., Y for ...). This would require some analysys of games on a lot of systems to see how they map and such, and see the most feasible approach to address it (I don't know what one).

 

[Phawx]

This is really only a developer issue.

 

[x68000]

Despite the Open Pandora team preferring the SNES/SFC layout, there was concern that Nintendo still had a patent on it and it's not quite so simple as emailing the Big N and getting an instant reply. More likely a month or two.