DDR pad -help?

[marishka013]

Hi, can anyone help walk me through how to map a DDR pad (connected by USB to a Windows laptop) as a controller?

I used to be able to plug in 2 DDR pads into the 2 USBs on the laptop and easily play the 2-player version of Necrodancer (remap was done in-game). But about a year ago the DDR pad doesn't seem to be recognized at all through Steam? It tires to tell me it's an xbox controller and I'm very confused. Hoping if I can get Steam to recognize it as a controller, than the game would follow suit...

[DaMu]

Is the game you're talking about Crypt of the Necrdancer? https://store.steampowered.com/app/247080/crypt_of_the_necrodancer/

I remember this game before it recently got its major update to the core engine, including its input system. Before, at a time when DDR pads were requested, the only way to get them to work at the time was by using cheap adapters that converted the PS2 mats to keyboard input, then Necrodancer would only see keyboards connected and then be mapped manually in the settings.

Now, the game by default works with the Steam Input API, which is an abstraction layer from any controller supported by Steam mapped to actions in the game. Before you launch Necrodancer, reconnect your pad one at a time, go to the Steam controller settings and Test Device Inputs. If you can't do that, the adapter you're using is likely the cheaper pad-to-keyboard method I mentioned above.

If you CAN Test the Device Inputs, then it can be set up in Steam using Setup Device Inputs in the test menu. After ensuring all your buttons are working in Steam, go to Necrodancer's controller settings and apply the Official Layout to your controller. Then launch normally.

But if your pad still can't be seen in Steam, the simplest way that could work is to try launching in Legacy Mode (go to the game's Manage page in your Library, then look for Launch Options), and do what you normally do with the pads. SIAPI should not be enabled in Legacy Mode like how the game was before this major update, so any adapters that act like keyboards should still work.

[marishka013]

THANK YOU! Super helpful.

I was able to test input device and reassign the DDR pad as if it was the xbox controller through Steam. I thought my problem was solved... but when I opened the Necrodancer game it did not "see" the pad. In the game I selected "XINPUT CONTROLLER" for player 1, but no reaction - does not respond to the buttons at all. Maybe I need to try all the options of possible controllers...

I was able to launch in legacy mode and reassign the buttons to the DDR pad like a keyboard as before. So at least that solves the issue of being able to play the game! =)

[DaMu]

Glad to see that the pad works in Legacy Mode. To prevent anything not breaking, you don't have to read below this sentence. But for anyone else with issues:

It would help if we had an idea how the DDR pad was connected via USB (BE SPECIFIC. Name of Adapter? Manufacturer? A Name anywhere on the thing? An Amazon Order receipt??) Because the way OP described, even if Steam sees the Pad as an Xbox controller, and even if Player 1 was assigned "Xinput", it would not work at all. Which could be two things:

1) The Pad adapter outputs an empty Xinput controller. Or,
2) The Steam Input layout is using an old layout.

Assume issue 2 first. Go to Crypt of the Necrodancer's controller settings in Steam, then select the cogwheel, then "Disable Steam Input." Launch the normal way. If the pad works, without any mention of Xinput when remapping the directions, the adapter IS outputting as a keyboard after all, proving point 1.

But if that STILL doesn't work, re-enable Steam Input via the above and launch Legacy, or try this, which would solve Issue 2 and may be simple:
go to the Controller Settings, select the current layout, then click on the Official CotN Standard Controls. This can convert a legacy Big Picture layout to the SIAPI layout mentioned earlier. (You should NOT see D-Pad or any Xbox names in the preview, only names of in-game actions like Move, Bomb, Throw Dagger). Apply, then launch normally.

What I hope is happening is that CotN normally knows that an Xinput device is connected, but because the controller is using outdated bindings, nothing will work. So applying the official layout should fix everything. I do know that, regardless of layouts, if CotN sees an Xinput device, real or fake, it will appear in the game settings, but that doesn't mean it will work because the game is still looking for a mapping to in-game actions, which is the proper SIAPI method.

Issue 1 is a little more involved, perhaps a rare case to try HidHide, but I do not recommend.