Stepmania: PS2->USB adapters and joystick / gamepad suppo

merc · n00b Joined: 06 Nov 2003 Posts: 69

Hi all,

I recently stumbled across Stepmania, and am hella-impressed. It's all the fun of DDR but with the ability to download content and create new content. And getting it was as simple as "emerge stepmania". Congratulations and thanks to anybody even remotely involved.

Now, here's my question. So far I've only played with the keyboard and my fingers, but I want to play with a dance pad. I have a dance pad, and according to the Stepmania site, the pad should work fine, I just need a PS2->USB adapter that works with dance pads. I already have a PS2->USB adapter, but I have no idea if it will work (it doesn't seem to be listed). So I have a few questions.

The most basic question: how do I test to see if the adapter is working? I already tried the obvious "start stepmania, dance like a fool" option, and it failed miserably. Is there a program like "xev" that will show what joystick / gamepad buttons are being hit, or another way to test to see if the input is getting through?

Secondly, most of the stepmania information seems to be geared towards Windows. Does anybody have any experience with PS2->USB adapters under Linux (esp. with stepmania?) If I get an adapter that's listed as "recommended" what are the odds of it working under Linux? Might some of them require a linux driver, and not have one?

miscz · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:36 pm Post subject:

most of psx->usb adapters and joysticks are pretty easy to get to working under linux. just add support for usb hid devices and joysticks in your kernel and that's all. to check if your joystick is working try

cat /dev/input/js0
and then press some random buttons and see if any output is displayed

unfortuantely most of usb adapters have a serious flaw that prevents them from being usable at connecting dance mats since mats need to send signals for pressing up+down and left+right at the same time. most of usb adapters treat left, right, up, down buttons as axis. if you press left it's represented as a state on your x-axis and pressing left+right makes usb adapter see that as a "zero" state.

propably your only choice is psx->lpt adapter which is quite well supported in linux. for kernels <2.6.9 you will need to download and install additional module called ddrmat and in >= 2.6.9 there's a gamecon module (well, it was there on previous kernels too but it didn't support dance mats). note that many people have problem with new gamecon segfaulting :/ i have that problem too so i'm using 2.6.8 kernel with ddrmat module.

merc · n00b Joined: 06 Nov 2003 Posts: 69

Is there seriously no better way to find out if things are working than "cat /dev/input/js0"? Surely some enterprising person has wrapped that in a pretty UI so you can verify that it's not just getting some input, but that you get "left" when you press "left", etc.

I don't think the parallel port is an option, since my computer doesn't even have a parallel port (it's a SFF PC), but even if it did, that would only support one pad, right?

A lot of the devices listed as recommended on the stepmania site don't do the whole USB HID mapping thing and instead are able to see the pads as buttons. But I guess you need a Linux driver for that?

miscz · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 7:41 pm Post subject:

about the cat /dev/input/js0 - that's just a way to check if your joystick is responding - no fancy gui needed or any detailed info whatsoever, if you need something better then you can see options -> test input in stepmania

parell port adapters support up to 2 pads using gamecon and only 1 pad when using ddrmat module. too bad you don't have a parell port, lpt adapters are usually superior to usb ones in terms of response time (you may notice it in stepmania because it heavily relies on timing)

i have no experience with usb adapters under linux, but from what i see on stepmania site they are referring to windows drivers and i'm 99% sure that you won't any linux drivers for them :/

you might try looking for a psx->gameport adapter instructions on the net and try making one yourself (my psx->lpt is home-made too

)

otherwise you'll be forced to use windows :/

zinion · Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:21 am Post subject:

Hui thats possible? Will the LPT-Adapter work in 64bit-gentoo? Is it working in windows well, too?

I never knew I can use PS2-Pads @ my PC!
_________________
Es ist schön und warm
hier im Gentoo-Land

zzats · Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2005 3:16 pm Post subject:

I'm running stepmania on Linux with two PS2 dancemats connected via an USB-converter

all 32 (?) buttons work, and stepmania automatically takes advantage of them.

The converter is "dual gun converter" and the dancemats are Logic3 PS420N -mats..

aethyr · Veteran Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Posts: 1085 Location: NYC

You know you have to actually set it up in Stepmania, right?

I'm not at my computer at the moment, but there's a control options setting somewhere, where you basically set each button on your pad.

louman · n00b Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 31

I use a PS Joy PS(2)->USB adapter, works in windoof and nix just fine. You *might* be able to get some from www.liksang.com .

To set up controls in stepmania, make sure you're in "Home use" mode (or something like that) and from the main menu select Options, then Configure Controllers. From there it should be self-explanatory.

stepmania also has a nice collection of third-party themes; some are replica's of origonal DDR releases, and others are just awesome and original!
here are a few links to jumpstart you:
http://www.ddrmaniax.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4
http://laser123454321.com/Stepmania.html