stigzler

Thanks null - I did read this post, but doesn't really answer my particular problem. Would appear as though this chap edited some existing bezels. Read through a lot of threads - really looking for a step-by-step guide on how to do it.

[sOLVED - research done, easiest way found. Post below for deliberations, or this ABC guide to DIY (man how I love an acronym) - ttfn ->>>ABC Guide<<< ] [uPDATE - have knocked together a bezel pack - >>here<< or in EmuMovies FTP Uploads>Stigzler] [History:] I know, I know.... this one's been done to death, right? Done lots of reading, but still non the wiser. Need an ABC guide from someone who knows what they're doing. Situation: Running a 16:10 monitor @ 1920x1200. Want to use GameEx's default bezel system to frame vertical games. Presently, the GamEx bezel frames games, but leaves black bars at edges (presumably due to aspect ratios or something?). Also low resolution for monitor. Wanted: A custom bezel running from the edges of the screen to the game display area @ 1920x1200 resolution. Don't want to change all the bezels in MAME itself. What I've tried: Designed a 1920x1200 png and a 1920x1440 png (the later preserves the 640x480 resolution of the original default bezel) Altered the layout files accordingly. See attached for these files All result in no image at all, or diagonal white lines. Request: Can anyone give me an ABC guide, please? Thanks Steve (progressively Mamed out) layout files.txt

OOOO - now that's an idea! However, will be waayy too expensive. Got a Philips HDT8520 - which has HD recording, but can find no way to record an input. Hey ho... the pile of 'mini projects' is getting huge - think i'll stockpile that one!

Dazzle - you indirectly solved the problem!!! It was all about compatibility mode. I had set GameEx to run in Win 7 compatibility to enable video capture (wouldn't work in Win8). However, took off compatibility - and everything's back to normal!! YAYYY!!! Mame and emulators all launching fine now. Dammit - talk about needles in haystacks. Now only problem remaining is that I can't video capture a session of GameEx launching games. Nemmind - at least my cab's gonna work properly! Thanks everyone for your ideas.

I'm sure you know lots, Dazzle I'd agree - some kinda focus issues - happens on mame and lots of emulated platforms when launch from fullscreen - not when from windowed! Tried 8, 7, Vista and XP - no difference - same issue throughout. Think I'm going to email Tom, because getting nowhere fast with this issue and seems an issue with GameEx.

OK - so examined event viewer again this am. The summary is exactly the same pre + post fullscreen bug. As per screenshot ("Last Hours" is relevant time period for fullscreen error) This has been going on for four days now, and still no further forward. Is it bad form to message the developer of GameEx, because this feels quite complicated and beyond any ideas that I have. Thanks Steve

Oh cheers chap - good luck with the finals! tbh, adultery - I don't think yer plugin's at fault - more GameEx/PC issues. Stumped on this one.

Couldn't see anything on forcing the error just now - trawled through for anything with the corresponding timestamp - nada. However, I'll look at this again tomorrow with fresher eyes. How easy is it to re-instal GameEx? Would that make a difference?

Thanks for the help chaps, but no further forward. null: G Drivers were up to date. .NET was the most current. DXDiag showing most recent DX -11 - although as mentioned above, there are some slight peculiarities with DX - but no errors being shown. Screens and dx log attached. Also disabled all plugins - no difference. Head: Setting in mame were set as you outlined. GameEx was set as you suggested. So, no further along.... 3 days on this now + getting fedup. All emus seem to run fine outside of gameex. Problem only appears when launch from fullscreen gameex. Thus - pretty sure it's the interaction between gameex and my PC that's the problem. Who would know all the techie stuff about DX, screen sizes etc? Thanks again for your efforts. Steve mame.ini DxDiag.txt

Thanks Tempest. Seen some video demos using MAME, but is this any good/easy to use with console emulators?

Thrided! Ability to rate games would be fab + alsoa screen to 'sort by rating' etc. Also (haven't had time to look into this properly yet) the ability to manually set catagories for console games (e.g. lightgun games) + then some kinda search facility tosort games by cross-platorm catagory and also to search for catagory within platform etc...

NOOOO!!!! Lasted two minutes before no good again. ] Finally specified the problem however. Not Game Extender. Not Game Info plugin. Just GameEx! If I launch GameEx in fullscreen, I get the black screen on launching Mame. However, if I launch in windowed, Mame games play fine. If I launch fullscreen and then Alt+Ent to windowed and then launch Mame - black screen. Please, for the love of god, someone surely must have some ideas? Looks like a problem with GameEx itself - recent update? I would appreciate any help. Know I'm posting a lot at the moment, but got a week off and trying to get this godforsaken project finished! [EDIT] - Definitely something really dodgy with launching games form gameex fullscreen. Tried same method (from windowed and fullscreen GE) - ZSNES and Fusion launch fine from windowed, but from full screen, get following errors: ZSNES: idirectdraw7::SetCooperativeLevel failed Fusion (see screenie) So, this definately feels like a bug with GameEx itself. Spent all day on this, and finally recognizing it's out of my power to sort - seems like some problem in the code. How does one go about getting help for issues like this? Most people have been really helpful on here, but this particular issue seems to be a little errr... 'willfully overlooked' ?? Regards

[update] So, I removed the "-no window" from the commands bit in mame settings, problems seem to be happening in windows fullscreen. It worked! But weirdly - it still goes to fullscreen. Hey ho - it aint broke for now, but sure it'll be back for more! However, then had mysteries of none of the keys working (tab, esc etc). Managed to somehow get into the menu to find that lots of my controls had changed to joypad mappings!! It's all too bizarre I've had probs with directx since installing Win 8 - webupdater results in error - installed via runtimes, but still get the webupdate error. Could this explain my probs with fullscreen displays, some mysterious "draw" errors in older emus (like ZSsnes) and also keyboard mappings? Thanks for all your help.

Ah... thanks. Jamma's one thing never looked into... 'nuff on with this misbehaving beast!

Tidy job. What kinda board is that in yer first pic?

OK... starting to feel a little frustrated by these issues now! It's also started happening on and off with other emus - sometimes they just load into a blank screen. Looked at runitgame on both successful and unsuccessful launches - both contained "chcp 65001" in the cmd lines - so don't think it has anything to do with this. The only variables left are GameEx, GameExtender and the GameInfo plugin. I'm not sure what's causing the problems, but the whole system's getting a little hit and miss! Very frustrated after putting in months of work getting everything set up - to have it all start to fail is really disheartening!!

Shame you can't have the fall back default... would save a lot of work!!! So folder having filename default.png and then specific images for select games would be fab e.g. PS2 emulation: default joy and buttons for majority. Then unique control images for lightgun games and driving games. Damn, wish I could code!

OK. Rolled back to your previous version - 1.1.8 + now emus launch. However, info display at bottom of secondary is misaligned. Sorry Adultery, think I'm being a pain, but thought I'd keep you posted, as sooo wanting this plugin to work! [EDIT: Found out that the problems likely lie with GameEx itself, as per this post: http://www.gameex.info/forums/topic/13370-unfathomable-mame-issues/ so sorry if this messed you about in any way] P.S. Any way to change the font - I see: <font> <color>FFFFFF</color> <path>MegaMAME/font_01.ttf</path> in the xml - but weirdly - no "font_01" in the mage mame folder

Thanks nullP used the runiitgame.bat method - game loads fine via this method! Have posted dos screen using pause method - doesn't look too worrying! Also attached new log file following run mysterious.... (I am running two monitors - separate GCards - with Game Extender) log.txt runitgame.txt

Hi Adultery, I return with a more sober head! Seem to be some probs with your most recent version - hope I'm OK posting here - let me know if you'd prefer pms. Had all emus working ok with game extender running. However, when activate gameinfo plugin, get errors when trying to launch games. Two screenies attached giving details + screenie of setting. 2 is my small monitor. Cheers

Well, to me, anyway! It'll be a "have you turned it on at the wall" for one of you guys! In short: When launch from GE - just get black screen - no crash - esc exits back to GE. Think get some sounds sometimes. When copy and paste command line from log.txt into Command Prompt - launches fine! I have been playing about with Game Extender a lot, but not sure is this as works purfic for other emus. As ever, your benevolent and expert help would be eternally appreciated. [sOLVED!!!] DON'T RUN GAMEEX IN COMPATIBILITY MODE IF RUNNING WIN 8!! GameEx.ini log.txt

Ah... actually... it might be your new build fella. I disabled your plugin, and some of the problems disappeared. I was having errors on launching a couple of emulators getting dispay errors - but now no longer there. One error I managed to snap (attached) There's some wierd interaction goign on somewhere between GameEx, Game Extender and Gameinfo. I keep getting black screen (no video but audio) on mame games (at various points of trying to get game ext + info working), but when i launch immediately outside of gameex via command line (with same path from GE log) - game has no probs launching. Also, when I did manage to get the screen back, then the controls wouldn't work in MAME when launched from GE (again - fine from command line). Hmmmmm... it's all very complex. I'm on leave and trying to get this whole b****rd project finished so I can get me life back! lol Anywhoos - I'm not sure whether it's my PC or settings, or the plugin or interaction with other aspects., Sod it - I'll just go read a book for me kicks Cheers

Thanks adultery, but I think horses need to be held. My PC's going absolutely bonkers atm. Getting lots of display errors which I'm thinking all relate to DX11. I've had trouble with DX since installed windows 8 - for some reason can't update it via Webupdate. Now progressively things getting worse - just now couldn't launch megadrive or snes - getting different rendering errors. I feel the worst is happening! I dunno what nut it feels bbaaaadddd! urgh

Hi Chap, I'm having woes with the gameinfo plugin. I'm sure i had this working some time ago, but don't know if the update's scuppered things or if it's my setup. Basically, when I try to change the settings via plugin manager, I can change values, but when I save and exit + come back in again, all those on the first screen have gone back to defaults (i.e. screen 1). Can't understand this - any ideas? thanks steve

DJ - have a can of Skol on me. 2 hours of google searching with specific errors etc got me no-where. You just solved in in 2 seconds! Thank god for human beings!