How to visually represent different controllers

[misterjuly]

Hello,

I am planning on supporting a wide variety of controllers in my game. However, because the different buttons (despite being in the same position) are called different things (for example on a switch pro controller, the right face button is A but on a PlayStation controller, it is the circle button). How would you recommend visually telling the player which button is which (I would prefer a method that would not require me to replace the button name depending on what controller is being used; I would rather base it on the position of the controllers as a whole since most controllers are laid out fairly close to each other). This is really only important for the tutorial, but it is something I still must eventually figure out.

Thanks!

[djaydino]

Hi.
a way you can do is to make sprite sheets for each controller type you want to support + 1 default (for other controllers)

make sure that each button name on the sprite sheet are the same, then get your controller type name and load the corresponding sprite sheet

[drown]

There are generic representations of controllers using numbers and describers, like this one:



If you dont want to create sprite sheets for the most common controller types you would at least need a screen or menu where the player sees a schema like the above. When the player then presses, the according part of the controller should light up. Why ?

Even if controllers seem similar they are very different. Sometimes the DPAD and the left stick is swapped, sometimes the button axis 1,2,3,4 are in a differen arrangement. If you support many controllers there is always the chance to encounter some off-brand design so it would make sense to have a space where the user can align their controller to your input mapping.

If every character has the same moves it would even be pretty cool to have a small character in that configuration menu that performs the according action when the button is highlighted.

[djaydino]

Hi.
in our game we use Rewired and have setup images with the same name as used inside rewired, then made a button manager to show the correct buttons

[misterjuly]

Basically, I am using rewired (which is very helpful). I have an actual tutorial where it tells you which button to push to do a certain action (example press a to jump, you press a you jump). I don’t think I have a need for a controller sprite, just a way to visually represent a specific button’s position on the controller, without saying the name of the button since each controller is different. Thanks!

John Bassi

[misterjuly]

Any ideas on how to do the above?

Thanks!