If you checked the option to use outputs from games (See the Configuration wiki page for details), DemulShooter will retrieve and send out the game outputs status in order to command various lamp, motors, recoils etc....
To do so, DemulShooter will behave just like MAME so that you can use the well known Mame Hooker software to use outputs.
N.B: This wiki will not cover how to use Mame Hooker (Tutorials are already available Here)
Enabling Outputs
Run DemulShooter_GUI.exe to be able to enable Outputs.
You will be able (for supported games) to get 2 types of outputs :
original/genuine outputs status, just as the game was designed to.
custom outputs status computed by DemulShooter.
Custom Outputs
Some games were designed to send force feedback to a recoil mechanism, others to rumble motors in the gun, and some without any gun feedback at all.
Recoil feedback is enabled/disabled with every bullet fired and can be used with a recoil mechanism.
Rumble feedback stays enabled once the trigger is pressed and is made to be used with a continuous rumble motor.
That's why I decided to - when it's possible - to compute a custom Recoil output that should work the same with every game, whatever it was designed for. That way you will be able to :
Use custom recoil output on game with no genuine outputs.
Use custom recoil output to transform continuous rumble output to sequential separated outputs for recoils.
You'll also be able to get remaining ammo, life, etc...and, at last, a Damaged output when the player gets hit.
Tweaking outputs
You can tweak 2 specific custom outputs in DemulShooter_GUI.exe :
The duration of the Custom Recoil pulse, according to your gun feedback hardware and how strong you want your recoil, will be modified by changing 2 values :
ON State pulse lenght : Higher values will result in stronger feedback, but the coil may heat quicker.
OFF State pulse lenght : Mainly use for machinegun-like weapons. Lower values will result in quicker feedbacks, but if the value is not high enough, the coil may not be able to get back completely to it's previous state when a new pulse will come, and will seem to be stuck activated.
The duration of the Damaged output (example : how long you want to light a lamp or rumble a motor when you get hit)
Monitoring Window Message Outputs
Just make sure Mame Hooker is running BEFORE DemulShooter, and display Mame Hooker debug window.
Then run DemulShooter with the game and outputs will be displayed simply and directly in Mame Hooker window as soon as the game is hooked.
You'll see in Mame Hooker, for each available output for the running game, an ID and a Name.
All IDs below 1000 will be original/genuine outputs.
All IDs higher than 1000 will be custom generated outputs.
Monitoring Network Outputs
You can use any network tool (such as Putty) to open a telnet connection to DemulShooter while it is running.
Use the following settings :
Ip Address : The one of the computer running DemulShooter on your LAN (or localhost / 127.0.0.1 if you're on the same machine)
TCP Port : 8000
Once connected, you should see in plain text the rom title, and outputs values as text messages.
Outputs compatibility
❌ Not working
✔️ Working
➖ Does not exist (Genuine outputs), or Unused/Unnecessary(Custom outputs)