[RESOLVED] Custom GameEx Menu?

[BritInVA]

Sorry maybe a very noob question, did search and did not find answer.

What I would like to have is a very simplified menu structure when GameEx starts

Arcade Games

- game 1

- game 2

- game 3

- etc

Pinball Games

- game 1

- game 2

- game 3

- etc

More

- All Arcade Games

- All Pinball Games

Idea being that my Favorite arcade & pinball games are easily located rather than scrolling thru thousands

I did find this thread and did manage to set up a Folder with just games I want easily assessable but you have to drill down to MAME layer whereas I would like them on the first screen.

Hope someone can point me in right direction.

Thanks,

Mark

[ehuonder]

I have not found a way to use custom menus to push down into a MAME sub-category yet... If its possible, hopefully one of the experts will respond. I've resorted to implementing MAME as a normal editor multiple times with roms in separate directories for each custom sub-category. This works, but looses the benefits of some of the built in MAME features (.x cabinets, list view icons, etc.). Being able to create custom MAME lists and jumping directly to them in Custom Menus would be great!

[Draco1962]

This is not possible with the Custom Menus other than as ehuonder has suggested. I have put in a feature request to allow for the creation of Play Lists - the idea being that the individual ROMs listed would retain their values & features within the emulator category in which they are found (i.e. MAME, MESS, Etc.) This would allow for the creation of multiple play lists even across emulators while retaining the features that we have grown to love.

[BritInVA]

Hmmm - bit disapointing. Hope something is developed.

One thing - would I be right that if I only include my favorite ROMS in the ROM directory thats all that will show up in GameEX? And then if I want others later I just add back into the ROM directory and update list?

[ehuonder]

Hmmm - bit disapointing. Hope something is developed.

One thing - would I be right that if I only include my favorite ROMS in the ROM directory thats all that will show up in GameEX? And then if I want others later I just add back into the ROM directory and update list?

You are correct.

[BritInVA]

You are correct.

Great - guess thats path I'll take.

Thanks.

[BritInVA]

How do I remove these from menu

- Emulated Games

- Multimedia

- More Games & Programs

- News

I've been looking arounf the GameEx Advanced config but not located.

[Draco1962]

You will want to go through the Advanced configuration first and look at Enable/Disable features to disable some of what you do not want to appear first. There are also options to Enable Yes/No in some of the main section headers there as well for News, etc. Try these first before delving into Custom Menus.

Once you have disabled ALL the features you do not want displayed in GameEx but still see some items that you would like to remove from view or rearrange their order, THAT is where the Custom Menus program comes in.

You will find it in the Configuration folder for GameEx when accessing from your Windows Start or you can find it in the Gameex folder wherever you have GameEx installed on your hard drive. There are not many how-to's so you will need to tinker about via trial & error but that is the place to start after you have done what you can in the Advanced Configuration first.

You may want to look at the topic I started here and also those of others in the forum via search for Custom Menus.

[BritInVA]

Thanks - that looks like what I need,

However, I created a new menu with

Item/Menu Name = Arcade Games

Item Type = MAME

Logo = mame

Title = Start

I'm using the 'Game Ex' Theme by David fr and using those custom settings breaks the theme. So is there a relationship between the Custom Menu Settings and the Theme

This is how editor is set up (simple till I know what I'm doing )

And also whats happening on GameEx start up

Edited February 24, 2011 by BritInVA

[Draco1962]

Do you have Show Start Page First set to Yes and Disable MAME set to No in Advanced Configuration under Enable/Disable Features?

You may want to copy your gameex.ini file into notepad, save it as a text file, and upload it to the thread (the forum software will not allow you to upload an executable or ini file directly).

[BritInVA]

Yes, those seem to be set as you suggest.

Attached is the GameEx.ini file

GameEx.txt

[Draco1962]

I forgot to ask also for a copy of your CustomMenu.ini file as well. .sorry about that!

[BritInVA]

Here ya go

CustomMenu.txt

[BritInVA]

Hmmm - I think I've found whats happening. Seems whatever is selected as the 'Logo' is showing up as the background. If I leave blank it shows a folder.

[Draco1962]

Actually, that may be an issue within the Change View options when you have GameEx running. Assign a logo in the logo field of the Custom Menu, then exit. Boot GameEx and then click on Change View in the menu bar at the bottom of the screen. You may need to cycle through a few settings but it should display the logo you selected instead of as the background.

[BritInVA]

Well, yes if I click on Change View it does indeed display correct background and logo.

Problem is when I restart GameEx it reverts back to showing the Logo as the background..... is there a way to default it to the the View I want?

Also I have GameEX set to start on boot (i.e. added GameEx to Start --> Programs --> Startype) but sometimes its starting minimized. Is there a way to ensure its always started full screen?

Thanks for the help.

[Draco1962]

I had a similar problem a while back and was able to clear it by deleting all files with cache in the file name or extension (in the Data directory), then rebooting GameEx. Under normal conditions, it will default to the last view you select.

[BritInVA]

Tried clearing cache files twice and still defaults to the logo and not the background. Just so clear this is s desktop capture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3SE5y_4dNk

[BritInVA]

Well my issues seems to be resolved..... I took the Custom Menu out of the equation and my problem still existed. I tried a default profile and problem went away. So tried the original 'Game Ex' theme and problem was back, tried 'Custom Steel' problem was there and then tried TalkingBulls Arcade theme and problem went away.

So I compared TalkingBulls theme.ini with my 'edited Game Ex' theme.ini.

I reordered everything the line up to compare easier and nothing was different except version and some extra parameters.

So I changed version from 4 to 2 and got a Game Ex error. I changed in back to 4 and thought I'd restart Game Ex before changing anything else and problem went away

So no settings changed - just the order they are in and everything appears to be OK

So now keeping fingers crossed.

I've attached the v1 & v2 of the themes.

Thanks for all the support!

Theme v1.txt

Theme v2.txt

[Draco1962]

No problem - did you re-enable custom menus or just gonna give a rest for a bit?

[BritInVA]

Yes, re-enabled and working.

Got to work out a few items, install visuall pinball and complete the cabinet.

[Draco1962]

That is great! I much enjoy working with the Custom Menus (once you get the hang of them). Of course, it makes my themes a bit larger as I have to create custom screens and logos for each, but worth it in the long run. What theme are you using for your cab or did you create your own?

[BritInVA]

For now I've started with a theme called Game Ex by David Fr...... I'm tweaking it for my needs. Might look at something more personalized later but will get cabinet finised first.

[Draco1962]

Be sure to share your pics of your cab! You don't have to wait until you are finished and sometimes it is good to see a project in the works from start to finish.

We have a section under the Pinned Topics for Cabinets running GameEx (HTPCs setups as well). When you post, be sure to give us a run-down of what's inside (OS, PC build, Monitor, etc.) as this is very helpful for those considering building a cab but might not know exactly where to start.

[BritInVA]

Be sure to share your pics of your cab! You don't have to wait until you are finished and sometimes it is good to see a project in the works from start to finish.

We have a section under the Pinned Topics for Cabinets running GameEx (HTPCs setups as well). When you post, be sure to give us a run-down of what's inside (OS, PC build, Monitor, etc.) as this is very helpful for those considering building a cab but might not know exactly where to start.

Just posted some details there.