ControllerMate for Mac

User Reviews

• Confusing!

  PostNoCommentsFebruary 19, 2012

  Pros

  Apparently, it works.

  Cons

  Extremely frustrating, confusing interface. Little documentation.

  Summary

  This is the most complicated, confusing piece of software made for the Mac. Learning how to do anything on it is an exercise in frustration.<br /><br /><span class='notifyMsg'> Updated </span>on Feb 20, 2012<p/>This software is just a step above coding with the console. The user interface is the textbook example of how not to do an UI. Menus, options and windows are lazily implemented. You can't just pick up this application and start playing with it since it's so confusing and the learning curve so steep. Since the whole UI is a mess, there's little you can do to save this application, but it would help if it had beginner's settings (and leave the more powerful stuff to expert settings) and the ability to save files with control presets. That way people who managed how to make a controller work with this mess can share the knowledge online. It wouldn't be so bad if this application came with some of those preset files itself. For the price, this would be the least you expect. A cheaper and simpler alternative is GamePad Companion, available at the Mac App Store.<br /><br /><span class='notifyMsg'> Updated </span>on Feb 20, 2012<p/>This software is just a step above coding with the console. The user interface is the textbook example of how not to do an UI. Menus, options and windows are lazily implemented. You can't just pick up this application and start playing with it since it's so confusing and the learning curve so steep. Since the whole UI is a mess, there's little you can do to save this application, but it would help if it had beginner's settings (and leave the more powerful stuff to expert settings) and the ability to save files with control presets. That way people who managed how to make a controller work with this mess can share the knowledge online. It wouldn't be so bad if this application came with some of those preset files itself. For the price, this would be the least you expect. A cheaper and simpler alternative is GamePad Companion, available at the Mac App Store.<br /><br /><span class='notifyMsg'> Updated </span>on Feb 20, 2012<p/>This software is just a step above coding with the console. The user interface is the textbook example of how not to do an UI. Menus, options and windows are lazily implemented. You can't just pick up this application and start playing with it since it's so confusing and the learning curve so steep. Since the whole UI is a mess, there's little you can do to save this application, but it would help if it had beginner's settings (and leave the more powerful stuff to expert settings) and the ability to save files with control presets. That way people who managed how to make a controller work with this mess can share the knowledge online. It wouldn't be so bad if this application came with some of those preset files itself. For the price, this would be the least you expect. A cheaper and simpler alternative is GamePad Companion, available at the Mac App Store.

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• Complex but Powerful Input Configuration

  tonybeldingJune 18, 2011

  Pros

  This utility is versatile and can do some things that can't be done with any other program I know about. It's a superior replacement for the software that comes with most keyboards, mice, trackballs, game controllers, etc.

  Cons

  The powerful user interface I found intimidating and confusing at first. You must plan on investing some time and studying the examples to figure out what your'e doing with it. I relied heavily on the examples from the website.

  Summary

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• too complex, inconsistent

  cynthpoetSeptember 16, 2010

  Pros

  Very few pros.

  Cons

  Where do I start? Not a plug-and-play sort of program. It takes a long time to learn how to program it, and once you do it won't always work no matter how successful you are to begin with. Does not always read joystick properly.

  Summary

  This is certainly not worth the cost or effort to use. Way too buggy, too complicated to use even when you learn how to program the functions in. It fails to read the X-, Y- and Z-axis settings native to my Attack 3 joystick and sometimes is impossible to balance the settings. In fact, most times I have to "force quit" the program and hope that by restarting my computer it will somehow help the next time I open up ControllerMate. Mostly it won't work no matter how many times I've tried to reboot. Do yourself a favor and avoid this program. So not worth the shareware license cost.

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• Still waiting for it to do something.

  mixstr8February 16, 2010

  Pros

  I guess it works for somebody.

  Cons

  I bought a nice new Joystick 4 years ago that was labeled Mac compatible but has never worked. I was hoping ControllerMate would finally give me joystick, with each update I get nothing. They should really add a templet for all the common Joysticks.

  Summary

  I've always downloaded updates of ControllerMate in the hope that it would work for me someday, but always a bridesmade, never a bride!

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• Simply great

  dreadwookJuly 1, 2007

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I tried both USB Overdrive and GamePad Companion in order to get my Logitech Cordless Rumplepad 2 working properly in DOSBox (for playing old DOS games on my Intel iMac). While GamePad Companion worked pretty well for a simple setup, it had nowhere near the flexibility I was looking for. With ControllerMate, I'm able to set up a different configuration for each game, utilizing all twelve buttons, the two analog sticks and the D-pad. I can have ControllerMate turn on a certain configuration automatically when I open DOSBox, and I can even program a button with a chain of DOS commands, enabling me to mount a drive, choose a directory and run an executable with a single click! Sure, there's still room for improvement, but this is hands down the best $15 I've spent in a long while.

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• Not to be redundant but...

  tiedyedMarch 27, 2007

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />It IS fantastic. USB Overdrive and and Game Pad Companion do work, but only if you can figure out the rather abstract settings panels. Plus a couple of games I've played didn't seem to recognize anything they SHOULD be seeing. If I set the trigger to type a 't', when I went back into the game it was still seen as a trigger. It was a hit or miss situation depending on the software. ControllerMate, however has taken the confusion out of it. They've taken the complicated HID manipulation and dumbed it down so even the most boneheaded of us can figure it out, and this with not only NOT losing versatility, but have graciously opened the doors to infinite possibilities. I'm a tinkerer, (from the early days of personal computing...my first hard drive was a full height (2 bays) 5 MEGABYTE Seagate in an IBM-PC with a 6 MHz 8086 CPU. And I was happy. But I digress) I love utilities that cater to my 'what does THIS button do' mentality, and I have to say that ControllerMate is one of my favorite toys!

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• Amazing!

  jspectreMarch 14, 2007

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Forget IntelliType/IntelliPoint. Skip USB Overdrive. Dump MouseWorks. Get ControllerMate and be happy. Incredibly powerful and flexible, you'll be designing custom controls, remapping keys and programming complex actions in no time (yes, the programming looks intimidating at first, but once you get into it, it makes a lot of sense). Great support for those unusual devices or gaming controls (anything that is a HID device). Very active support from the developer (email and in forums). All this for $15. I highly recommend this one.

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• Most amazing thing of its kind

  Artimus T. DwibbsJanuary 21, 2007

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I bought a Dynex (you've never heard of it) keyboard from best buy. This thing has NO mac support whatsoever. ControllerMate mapped all 19 extra buttons on the keyboard, as well as swapped the option + command key to match a mac keyboard. NO OTHER PROGRAM COULD DO ALL THIS. This cheapo keyboard now runs like it was made for a mac, and the money I saved over a microsoft/logitech more than paid for this awesome program. I look forward to using its algorithm designer later. This program makes it fun and easy to do incredible things to maximize productivity.

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• Most amazing thing of its kind

  Artimus T. DwibbsJanuary 21, 2007

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I bought a Dynex (you've never heard of it) keyboard from best buy. This thing has NO mac support whatsoever. ControllerMate mapped all 19 extra buttons on the keyboard, as well as swapped the option + command key to match a mac keyboard. NO OTHER PROGRAM COULD DO ALL THIS. This cheapo keyboard now runs like it was made for a mac, and the money I saved over a microsoft/logitech more than paid for this awesome program. I look forward to using its algorithm designer later. This program makes it fun and easy to do incredible things to maximize productivity.

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• Does it all; Most fun I've had in long time

  sggincJuly 6, 2006

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This is one fabulous program. With a flick of my mouse I can trigger any event. A flick of my scroll wheel does something else. Limitless options. Thanks for a GREAT program. Ken

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