Dosbox individual keymapper

[Dragu]

Under windows, it is common to use an individual configuration file for specific games with the option -conf in the commandline of dosbox.

In Recalbox I dont know how this should be made for the moment, so I use the following method to have individual key mapper files for different DOS Games.

I take as example Crusader No remorse, where keyboard mapping to the controllers is essential to play the game on an arcade machine.

1. I copy the working key mapper file to my game directory nremorse.pc and name it "nremorse.map" .
2. I edit the dosbox.conf file in the directory "/recalbox/share/system/configs/dosbox" with the following modifications :

a. I change the name of the key mapper file to MAPPER.MAP
.....
sensitivity=100
waitonerror=true
priority=higher,normal
mapperfile=MAPPER.MAP

[dosbox]
.....

b. I mount a disk D with the Dosbox configuration directory
.....
[autoexec]

Lines in this section will be run at startup.

You can put your MOUNT lines here.

MOUNT D "/recalbox/share/system/configs/dosbox"

3. I make this modification to the game directory dosbox.bat
   .....
   If exist D:MAPPER.MAP goto start
   COPY nremorse.map D:MAPPER.MAP
   exit
   :start
   UNIVBE.EXE
   CRUSADER.EXE
   DEL D:MAPPER.MAP

That was it. What is the effect ? One problem, DOSBOX loads the key mapper before running dosbox.bat for the individual game.
With this modifications to the dosbox.bat, when you start the game, it comes back to the ES after copying the key mapper file and when you restart it will run with the right mapper file, and it will be deleted when you leave the game. Easy, no choice selection, just start twice.

[Dragu]

I made a small improvement to the dosbox.bat in the game directory .pc
Now, as long as you play the same game, you have a direct start. Only when you change game, you need double start.

Perhaps there will be solution in some future from Recalbox to use the dosbox parameters. For the moment, this works for me.

If exist D:NREMORSE.MAP goto start
DEL D:*.MAP
COPY NUL D:NREMORSE.MAP
COPY nremorse.map D:MAPPER.MAP
exit
:start
UNIVBE.EXE
CRUSADER.EXE

[Dragu]

@Substring
This leads me to new questions to the gurus, concerning user .conf for dosbox.
I found this file
/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/configgen/generators/dosbox/dosboxGenerator.py
with inside

[code]
#!/usr/bin/env python
import Command
import recalboxFiles
from generators.Generator import Generator
import os.path
import glob

class DosBoxGenerator(Generator):
# Main entry of the module
# Return command
def generate(self, system, rom, playersControllers):
# Find rom path
gameDir = rom
batFile = gameDir + "/dosbox.bat"
gameConfFile = gameDir + "/dosbox.cfg"
[/code]
.........................

Did this means that dosbox.cfg is a game specific configuration file and simply, when it exist, it will be used instead of the dosbox.conf in the
//recalbox/share/system/configs/dosbox directory ????

[Dragu]

I just tried it out, it is working perfectly ! Why you hide such treasures ???
Time to write manual about 4.1.

1. Copy dosbox.conf from //recalbox/share/system/configs/dosbox
   to your local game directory abcd.pc and rename it dosbox.cfg
2. Edit dosbox.cfg and indicate the name of your local game key-mapper file,
   mapperfile=abcd.map
   (best created with Ctrl-F10 during running game)
   Will need keyboard and mouse, I use a cheap 1byone bluetooth kb with mousepad.
   Copy created mapper file *****.map from //recalbox/share/system/configs/dosbox
   to your local game directory abcd.pc and rename it abcd.map

Great piece of software, 4.1.

[paradadf]

@Dragu it would be great if you create a wiki entry about this kind of stuff, so it is easy accesible for everyone in the future.

[Dragu]

@paradadf
I needed more installations with other games.
Today I arrived to install LBA1 (Little Big Adventure 1) under Recalbox Dos.
Pretty cool and confirmed the creation of (lba1.map) under the game directory with local config file lba1.cfg. So pretty good.
I tried with my old CD version, but need 8MB of memory, not the case with Rasp PI3. But the floppy version with just missing some midi music seems to run.

[Dragu]

I have now some of the most iconic games of the 90. running under recalbox.
Crusader "No Remorse"
Crusader "No Regret"
Little Big Adventure
Little Big Adventure 2

And now also the CD-Versions with all videos, music files and voice files.
The installation of the 2 last is tricky, because some controls are made if the right CD is loaded. The only way around is with bin/cue CD Image and imgmount under Dosbox.
And videos are very smooth. I will make some further explications on installations in separate threats.
This on the raspberry PI 3.

[voljega]

@dragu Hello Dragu,

Don't know if you know it, but theyre is a beautifull complete collection of every DOS games ever released named the Exodos collection which is in already in version 2.0.

Can't give the link here but what is interesting is that the maker of the collection already made and fine tweaked the dosbox.conf fike for each game and tested all of them and it uses the same DosBox version as recalbox

You have to investigate a little but it seems pretty easy to convert a game from the collection to be used by Recalbox, especialky with what you found.

Well the main difficulty with it is the size of the download : although each game are compressed and to be installed before used, the collection is still 300 or so gigabytes ! But it is realky realky worth it because configuration is already done and tested you just have to tweak it a little bit.

Haven't tested dosbox in recalbox myself yet, but i plan to write a converter in the future to convert games from the collection to be directly usable in recalbox

[Dragu]

@voljega
Thanks for your proposal. Concerning DOS, I am in general a freak of isometric games.Because of limited time, I concentrate on this category. For the moment I own all of the games in the time they came out, and frankly, most are cheap also from GOG.
I want to give a try to another pearl "Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light". If possible.