Assigning middle xbox gmepad button to take 3D screenshots
Hi guys, Just wanted to share this, in case you did not know about it. http://www.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1goval/any_way_to_map_the_middle_xbox_360_button/camujj7 It lets you assign the middle (guide?) button on an xbox controller to any keyboard key. I know that xpadder is frequently recommended on these forums, but it does not seem to allow assigning that particular key (or i cannot find a way) I'm playing Castlevania with Mike's outstanding fix - THANK YOU MIKE!! - and this allows me to take gorgeous screenshots of bosses pounding on me without missing the next QTE button press LOL Enjoy!
Hi guys,
Just wanted to share this, in case you did not know about it.
http://www.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1goval/any_way_to_map_the_middle_xbox_360_button/camujj7

It lets you assign the middle (guide?) button on an xbox controller to any keyboard key.
I know that xpadder is frequently recommended on these forums, but it does not seem to allow assigning that particular key (or i cannot find a way)

I'm playing Castlevania with Mike's outstanding fix - THANK YOU MIKE!! - and this allows me to take gorgeous screenshots of bosses pounding on me without missing the next QTE button press LOL

Enjoy!

#1
Posted 04/10/2015 07:01 AM   
cOOL! I could've used this in a few games.
cOOL! I could've used this in a few games.

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#2
Posted 04/10/2015 12:42 PM   
Thanks for the link! I've been looking for something like this to take 3D screenshots when using a controller for a while (and was beginning to think about writing my own). Much appreciated :)
Thanks for the link! I've been looking for something like this to take 3D screenshots when using a controller for a while (and was beginning to think about writing my own). Much appreciated :)

2x Geforce GTX 980 in SLI provided by NVIDIA, i7 6700K 4GHz CPU, Asus 27" VG278HE 144Hz 3D Monitor, BenQ W1070 3D Projector, 120" Elite Screens YardMaster 2, 32GB Corsair DDR4 3200MHz RAM, Samsung 850 EVO 500G SSD, 4x750GB HDD in RAID5, Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 7 Motherboard, Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition Case, Corsair RM850i PSU, HTC Vive, Win 10 64bit

Alienware M17x R4 w/ built in 3D, Intel i7 3740QM, GTX 680m 2GB, 16GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM, Win7 64bit, 1TB SSD, 1TB HDD, 750GB HDD

Pre-release 3D fixes, shadertool.py and other goodies: http://github.com/DarkStarSword/3d-fixes
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DarkStarSword or PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/DarkStarSword

#3
Posted 04/10/2015 12:45 PM   
Are there any issues with XboxStat.exe or Steam Big Picture?
Are there any issues with XboxStat.exe or Steam Big Picture?
#4
Posted 04/10/2015 02:19 PM   
TsaebehT, Don't know what XboxStat.exe is, and I never need Steam Big Picture mode. I've just tried Steam with the mapping program launched, and strangely it still recognizes the button and launches Big Picture.
TsaebehT,
Don't know what XboxStat.exe is, and I never need Steam Big Picture mode.
I've just tried Steam with the mapping program launched, and strangely it still recognizes the button and launches Big Picture.

#5
Posted 04/10/2015 07:23 PM   
XboxStat usually gets installed with the wireless receiver drivers. If you haven't disabled it on startup, when you press the guide button a thing will popup telling you which controllers are connected and the battery life.
XboxStat usually gets installed with the wireless receiver drivers. If you haven't disabled it on startup, when you press the guide button a thing will popup telling you which controllers are connected and the battery life.
#6
Posted 04/10/2015 10:57 PM   
I haven't tried this program yet (not at home), but just some general information about how Steam uses the guide button: - If Steam is in Desktop mode and is the currently active window, pressing Guide will switch to big picture mode - If Steam is in Desktop mode and you are currently playing a game, it will NOT use the Guide button - If Steam is in Big Picture Mode and you are currently playing a game, the guide button will bring up the Steam overlay, or Guide+Right Trigger will take a screenshot via Steam So the best bet to use this is to have Steam in regular desktop mode while playing a game.
I haven't tried this program yet (not at home), but just some general information about how Steam uses the guide button:
- If Steam is in Desktop mode and is the currently active window, pressing Guide will switch to big picture mode
- If Steam is in Desktop mode and you are currently playing a game, it will NOT use the Guide button
- If Steam is in Big Picture Mode and you are currently playing a game, the guide button will bring up the Steam overlay, or Guide+Right Trigger will take a screenshot via Steam

So the best bet to use this is to have Steam in regular desktop mode while playing a game.

2x Geforce GTX 980 in SLI provided by NVIDIA, i7 6700K 4GHz CPU, Asus 27" VG278HE 144Hz 3D Monitor, BenQ W1070 3D Projector, 120" Elite Screens YardMaster 2, 32GB Corsair DDR4 3200MHz RAM, Samsung 850 EVO 500G SSD, 4x750GB HDD in RAID5, Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 7 Motherboard, Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition Case, Corsair RM850i PSU, HTC Vive, Win 10 64bit

Alienware M17x R4 w/ built in 3D, Intel i7 3740QM, GTX 680m 2GB, 16GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM, Win7 64bit, 1TB SSD, 1TB HDD, 750GB HDD

Pre-release 3D fixes, shadertool.py and other goodies: http://github.com/DarkStarSword/3d-fixes
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DarkStarSword or PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/DarkStarSword

#7
Posted 04/10/2015 11:18 PM   
Seems to work great in the default mode =D The alternate mode with separate keys for short / long presses doesn't seem to work for screenshots (I was hoping to be able to do a short tap for screenshots, and hold for 300ms to switch convergence presets, but only the later worked). The source code is available so maybe one of these days I'll get around to working out what's wrong with that. Edit: The source code seems to be only available for v5, and v6 added the short/long press feature. I've sent the author a PM asking about it.
Seems to work great in the default mode =D

The alternate mode with separate keys for short / long presses doesn't seem to work for screenshots (I was hoping to be able to do a short tap for screenshots, and hold for 300ms to switch convergence presets, but only the later worked). The source code is available so maybe one of these days I'll get around to working out what's wrong with that.

Edit: The source code seems to be only available for v5, and v6 added the short/long press feature. I've sent the author a PM asking about it.

2x Geforce GTX 980 in SLI provided by NVIDIA, i7 6700K 4GHz CPU, Asus 27" VG278HE 144Hz 3D Monitor, BenQ W1070 3D Projector, 120" Elite Screens YardMaster 2, 32GB Corsair DDR4 3200MHz RAM, Samsung 850 EVO 500G SSD, 4x750GB HDD in RAID5, Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 7 Motherboard, Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition Case, Corsair RM850i PSU, HTC Vive, Win 10 64bit

Alienware M17x R4 w/ built in 3D, Intel i7 3740QM, GTX 680m 2GB, 16GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM, Win7 64bit, 1TB SSD, 1TB HDD, 750GB HDD

Pre-release 3D fixes, shadertool.py and other goodies: http://github.com/DarkStarSword/3d-fixes
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DarkStarSword or PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/DarkStarSword

#8
Posted 04/11/2015 01:20 PM   
I tried hold_mode 2 myself now, and it seems to work. I assigned 101 (Num5) to 1st key, and 27 (Esc) to longpress_key, then I edited a shortcut on my desktop. Short presses returned the "5" as expected, then a longpress escaped from edit mode and left the shortcut name untouched. But what I noticed is that the longpress key is not actuated until the button is released, not before as I would have expected. Maybe this is why you thought it was not working? Or maybe you needed this second key to be "held" not let go of, like Right Click for shooters? In which case it may not work indeed, if the program only sends the longpress key on button release.
I tried hold_mode 2 myself now, and it seems to work.
I assigned 101 (Num5) to 1st key, and 27 (Esc) to longpress_key, then I edited a shortcut on my desktop. Short presses returned the "5" as expected, then a longpress escaped from edit mode and left the shortcut name untouched.
But what I noticed is that the longpress key is not actuated until the button is released, not before as I would have expected. Maybe this is why you thought it was not working? Or maybe you needed this second key to be "held" not let go of, like Right Click for shooters? In which case it may not work indeed, if the program only sends the longpress key on button release.

#9
Posted 04/11/2015 02:04 PM   
Both assigned keys worked fine when entered into notepad or something (I also noticed that the button had to be released to actuate), but they wouldn't trigger a 3D screenshot. It might be that the application didn't "hold" them down for long enough for the driver to notice.
Both assigned keys worked fine when entered into notepad or something (I also noticed that the button had to be released to actuate), but they wouldn't trigger a 3D screenshot. It might be that the application didn't "hold" them down for long enough for the driver to notice.

2x Geforce GTX 980 in SLI provided by NVIDIA, i7 6700K 4GHz CPU, Asus 27" VG278HE 144Hz 3D Monitor, BenQ W1070 3D Projector, 120" Elite Screens YardMaster 2, 32GB Corsair DDR4 3200MHz RAM, Samsung 850 EVO 500G SSD, 4x750GB HDD in RAID5, Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 7 Motherboard, Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition Case, Corsair RM850i PSU, HTC Vive, Win 10 64bit

Alienware M17x R4 w/ built in 3D, Intel i7 3740QM, GTX 680m 2GB, 16GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM, Win7 64bit, 1TB SSD, 1TB HDD, 750GB HDD

Pre-release 3D fixes, shadertool.py and other goodies: http://github.com/DarkStarSword/3d-fixes
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DarkStarSword or PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/DarkStarSword

#10
Posted 04/11/2015 02:07 PM   
I now see what you mean, I've tested in a game and indeed the 1st key does not work in hold_mode 2. Strange that it works outside games. Having two press options would be great, but it's still pretty useful in hold_mode 1. If changes in convergence are sometimes linked to gameplay keys (like gun ironsight), finding a gamepad key for screenshots would be very difficult without this program. Mapping it to a gameplay key would risk ruining screenshots if you open inventory or change a weapon at the same time. The nerve on me, though. I expect console accessories to cater to our 3D Vision passion when neither inventor (Nvidia) or developers care at all, PC or console! :-)
I now see what you mean, I've tested in a game and indeed the 1st key does not work in hold_mode 2.
Strange that it works outside games.

Having two press options would be great, but it's still pretty useful in hold_mode 1. If changes in convergence are sometimes linked to gameplay keys (like gun ironsight), finding a gamepad key for screenshots would be very difficult without this program. Mapping it to a gameplay key would risk ruining screenshots if you open inventory or change a weapon at the same time.

The nerve on me, though. I expect console accessories to cater to our 3D Vision passion when neither inventor (Nvidia) or developers care at all, PC or console! :-)

#11
Posted 04/11/2015 02:29 PM   
[quote="DarkStarSword"]Edit: The source code seems to be only available for v5, and v6 added the short/long press feature. I've sent the author a PM asking about it.[/quote] This had completely slipped my mind, but I logged in to reddit earlier today and found that the author has sent me the source code :) I've got a few other more pressing things to work on first, but if people are interested I can take a shot at making the short/long press work better for screenshots + preset switches
DarkStarSword said:Edit: The source code seems to be only available for v5, and v6 added the short/long press feature. I've sent the author a PM asking about it.

This had completely slipped my mind, but I logged in to reddit earlier today and found that the author has sent me the source code :)

I've got a few other more pressing things to work on first, but if people are interested I can take a shot at making the short/long press work better for screenshots + preset switches

2x Geforce GTX 980 in SLI provided by NVIDIA, i7 6700K 4GHz CPU, Asus 27" VG278HE 144Hz 3D Monitor, BenQ W1070 3D Projector, 120" Elite Screens YardMaster 2, 32GB Corsair DDR4 3200MHz RAM, Samsung 850 EVO 500G SSD, 4x750GB HDD in RAID5, Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 7 Motherboard, Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition Case, Corsair RM850i PSU, HTC Vive, Win 10 64bit

Alienware M17x R4 w/ built in 3D, Intel i7 3740QM, GTX 680m 2GB, 16GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM, Win7 64bit, 1TB SSD, 1TB HDD, 750GB HDD

Pre-release 3D fixes, shadertool.py and other goodies: http://github.com/DarkStarSword/3d-fixes
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DarkStarSword or PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/DarkStarSword

#12
Posted 06/13/2015 08:15 AM   
Definitely interested, and appreciate your work on this. There is very little flexibility for us 3D lovers, when using gamepads, and unless Microsoft release a more pimped up gamepad with some additional keys (why would they?) that big ugly button is all we have, for screenshots and convergence presents (of course, someone will have to rework all fixes on Helixblog to have only "toggle"-type presets, not different keys for each preset LOL)
Definitely interested, and appreciate your work on this.
There is very little flexibility for us 3D lovers, when using gamepads, and unless Microsoft release a more pimped up gamepad with some additional keys (why would they?) that big ugly button is all we have, for screenshots and convergence presents (of course, someone will have to rework all fixes on Helixblog to have only "toggle"-type presets, not different keys for each preset LOL)

#13
Posted 06/13/2015 08:16 PM   
The Guide Button could also be made a modifier, while held it maps other buttons/sticks/dpad to other functions.
The Guide Button could also be made a modifier, while held it maps other buttons/sticks/dpad to other functions.
#14
Posted 06/13/2015 09:37 PM   
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