AutoHotKey

https://autohotkey.com/

https://autohotkey.com/docs/misc/RemapJoystick.htm

Hi, my Gravis Gamepad included a driver disk. Maybe that's the same as this one :
http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?file … &menustate=24,0

cyclone3d wrote:

AutoHotKey

https://autohotkey.com/

https://autohotkey.com/docs/misc/RemapJoystick.htm

I don't suppose there is a DOS version of this? (considering this is the 'General Old Hardware' section, and we're referring to a db-15 gamepad used for DOS games)...

Jo22 wrote:

Hi, my Gravis Gamepad included a driver disk. Maybe that's the same as this one :
http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?file … &menustate=24,0

I was thinking this was for something else since it said joystick and not gamepad. Does it allow you to map keystrokes to buttons? It's pretty annoying when a game lets you choose 'Joystick' but then requires you to use the keyboard anyway. This isn't so bad with an actual joystick where you're only using one hand on it... but in a platformer where you've got both hands on the controller. Particularly annoying when you have 2 extra buttons to spare when you're not in turbo-mode.

The ADB-MacVersion of the gravis gamepad had a very good driver-util for mapping the keys/buttons,
perhaps gravis made that for dos too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndN4eXEReS8

dr.zeissler wrote:

The ADB-MacVersion of the gravis gamepad had a very good driver-util for mapping the keys/buttons,
perhaps gravis made that for dos too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndN4eXEReS8

That looks promising! 😀 I'll check my Gravis box and report back. Could take a few hours, though.
It's quite hot today where I live - maybe this afternoon. 😀

Erik765 wrote:

cyclone3d wrote:

AutoHotKey

https://autohotkey.com/

https://autohotkey.com/docs/misc/RemapJoystick.htm

I don't suppose there is a DOS version of this? (considering this is the 'General Old Hardware' section, and we're referring to a db-15 gamepad used for DOS games)...

No, not that I am aware of. You can always use it through Windows 98/98SE and run the DOS games from there.

Okay, I found my Gravis Gamepad. That's how the package looks like.. 😀

This is what happened whether I tried to run it from a virtual floppy or after copying into to the hard drive. GRAVUTIL.EXE just hangs.

I know it is somehow not being carried over to the virtual floppy properly because if open the install batch in EDIT it is just a garbled mess, whereas if I open it in Windows 7 I can see the instructions written out. Not sure why that's happening I haven't had an issue with any other files written to the virtual floppies.

Ah, sorry. I made a copy using WinImage 8.0. Diskette was in 720KB format.
I thought it would be safer that way, since it contains some Macintosh files (finder.dat).

Here's what I got after extracting the files using WinImage and launching them in DOSBox.:

You must have just stuck your disk in a Mac at some point. I checked my Gravis Utility floppy image that I copied a long time ago, and it's binary identical to the one you uploaded, minus the DESKTOP and FINDER.DAT files.

Anyways, here's the zip contents of mine if it's any easier for you. Or just copy the files OUT of the image in Windows 7 and manually transfer, since you can obviously read it there. Either way should be fine; there's no funky copy protection or anything going on here.

Was my fault -- the particular virtual floppy I was using was formatted at 720K for some reason, not 1.39MB like all the others.

It still won't install though... it requires a command like

INSTALL A:\ C:\GRAVIS to give the prompt, but when I continue it says

"You will need at least 825,000 bytes free on your hard disk to install this disk." I have more then enough space, though.

My question is does the installer add additional capabilities beyond the GRAVUTIL.EXE because that program seems to just be some sort of calibrator. Not only does it not have keymapping abilities but it only shows BUTTON 1 and BUTTON 2 in the calibrating... again, no matter if I have the switch on turbo mode or 4 button.

I suspect the installer it just for the added keen games?

The behavior is pretty odd with this utility and some guys because if I turn off turbo mode it shifts the buttons around.

In Wolfenstein 3D -- all 4 buttons are recognized and used in game's mapping menu. b0 b1 b2 b3

In the utility and some other games it basically configures it like this

....X B1 Turbo
.X B1 X B2 Turbo
....X B1 Turbo

...when I turn off turbo and switch to 4 button it just does this:

....X B2
.X B1 X <no response>
....X <no response.

zerker wrote:

You must have just stuck your disk in a Mac at some point. I checked my Gravis Utility floppy image that I copied a long time ago, and it's binary identical to the one you uploaded, minus the DESKTOP and FINDER.DAT files..

Thanks, that's an interesting explanation, but I don't have any floppy imaging software for my Mac so I can't think of a reason why I should have done that.
Besides, I normally check the write-protect tab before using a disk. But mabye you're right and the previous owner used a Mac.
Or maybe Gravis created the copy by using a Macintosh (finder.dat is from '93) ?
They also made a Mac version of the Gravis Gamepad and a few years ago have become sort of an Apple Store. 😉

So I went ahead and actually tested my Gravis Utilities disk, and no, installing it just seems to install the joystick tester and Commander Keen 4. From my memory, I don't believe Gravis supported keyboard emulation on their gamepads/joysticks until the Gravis Gamepad Pro. That one was primarily Windows-oriented, but I think there was a DOS TSR as well.

The odd button arrangement is actually standard behaviour for the Gravis Gamepad, and is not software-related at all. If Turbo is enabled, the Red and Yellow buttons are the primary buttons 1 and 2, while Red and Blue become 1 and 2 when you are in full four button mode. Generally, I would use turbo mode for any 2-button games, because this put the primary buttons on more comfortable positions. If you're using the Gravis Utility in four button mode, the extra two buttons should show up under the Joystick 2 half of the display.

Joykeys is the ticket here, surely?
http://bretjohnson.us/

I can only get JoyEmu to recognize 4 button on the Gravis pad pro. WOrks like a champ in windows 98se.

If youre looking for an easy to setup game pad (6 button), the logitech thunderpad digital works AWESOME with joyemu.