Games001

RetroArch uses a default x2 Esc key press to exit the program. It seems there is a simple setting in RA, "Quit on Close Content", which allows the user to simply set a button to close the active game and then RA auto-quits and returns to GameEx's menu screen. It is found in: Settings > User Interface > Hotkeys > Quit on Close Content To clear the current RetroArch hotkey binding and set a key/button (Exit Button in my case) to Close Content and Exit RA, returning to GameEx go to: Settings > Input > Hotkeys, highlight (select but do not click/trigger) the hotkey to change and simply press Del on your keyboard or Y on your controller, then map the keys as noted above. Doing this seems to have solved my issue. Thank you for the insights, as always, Draco1962.

DL'd and installed latest GameEx file. Installed it right over the current install. Ran Atari 2600 - Adventure and then attached the three files again. It seems you can hide the RA UI if you are willing to set the keybindings in the UI to a button on your cabinet, needing to press that 'Escape/Exit' key twice in order to return to GameEx's menu at the 'Play this game' section of your last chosen game file. GameEx.ini log.txt runitgame.bat

RA exits exactly when first posted. I believeI can find a keymapping work around for it, given what I am seeing on other web pages. Will advise on that. I use only GroovyGameGear Interfaces in this rig, the main stick/button unit being a GP-Wiz40 MAX USB. Install keeps trying to setup 19.26 automatically, which I allow, but does so again and again with every restart. I will try a paste over the current version.

RetroArch seems to load, run, and operate fine with just the '.' in place on the command line. As this is the command line that GameEx setup automatically for me (I am not skilled in such things) I left it as such, went to RA and installed the specific Cores which each command line noted, and went from there. Updated GameEx, though it keeps asking to download and install with each restart. Ran, as an example, Atari 2600 > Adventure. Game loads, runs fine, exits as requested. Confirmed the Core is correct as the line requires. Then changed command line for Emulator Slot #1 (Atari 2600) to include drive letter. RA still working as it was with '.' in the command line, but command line now updated with drive letter. Loss of Joystick functions still happens, somewhat randomly, after exiting RA and returning to the 'Play this Game' menu screen in GameEx. This does not effect Trackball nor Up/Down Spinner which can be used to navigate the menu.. but the Joystick and Buttons associated with it do not return until system is rebooted. GameEx.ini log.txt runitgame.bat

Updated GameEx to current version. Added the code line into Launch After box, with no change seen to the issue. Doing so also seems to stop my joystick and buttons from working, but keyboard still works, once I exit (close) RetroArch and return to the GameEx Menu at 'Play Game' and go back one level of menu.

Files attached as requested. Thank you.

Please remove or redirect if asked before. Search showed nothing specific to this question. Good day all. I have managed to get RetroArch (RA) running all of my various non-MAME games running on my MAME Arcade Cabinet, thanks to the gathered wisdom found on this Forum, but when running those games via RA I would like to hide the RA UI so only GameEx shows as any sort of frontend. Specifically, when exiting games being run in RA is there a way to close the game currently running exit on RA and return to GameEx menus via keyboard or stick/button clicks? At this time I leave the running game, then must close the RA UI manually before I am taken directly back to GameEx's menu screens. Thank you. GameEx.ini log.txt

And you were correct @Draco1962, there were two setups for Clone Hero. I shutdown the External Applications one and now the menu shows correctly. Thank you both very much for all the assist.

I know for sure I have only 1 slot setup for it, as Emulator 1, but I will check on Friday when I am there. TY.

And, quick video demo with a look at the real wood custom Ashley Rock Axe controller install. 432476033_7320329418015017_6228285104674349794_n.mp4

Odd question.. with the settings shown above we get Two listings for Clone Hero in the Start Menu of FE. Any idea how to remove one of the listings?

Our deepest thanks to you and @Phantom both. I will soon post some video examples of the program running.

GameEx.ini log.txt Draco.. tried your settings shown above. I think it is working. Will give it a wider test range over the week. Will advise, thank you.

Had a delay due to elder of the family health issue. Will try to get to the machine asap. Thank you.

Awesome attempt. I will be at the machine on Tuesday eve and will give it a go. TY. Will advise.

Yes. The CH program runs flawlessly outside of the GameEx front end. Loads up, accepts controller input, sees the song list roms in their specific folder, and plays well on the arcade cabinet's PC.

Interesting link, thank you. Generally all we need do is run a command that hides the FE and opens GH in fullscreen. The entire game activity, including loading songs and gameplay takes place in that program. There would be no need for Rom Setup or the extra command line items, just a stable exe.

Will do so asap. Not at the machine until Tuesday eve.

Hi all. I recently installed Clone Hero (a Guitar Hero for PC emu) onto my arcade cabinet pc and set it up to be run as an External Application from the front end. When the GameEx menu comes up the title of Clone Hero is shown in the list and when running that item the executable in the CH folder on the main drive is targeted.. GameEx minimizes, the background desktop (running show desktop during the tests) is black with desktop icons still shown, but the CH program is running minimized and with not display on screen. Hitting Exit (escape) brings us back to the front end menu as expected. My first time running an external program this way via the front end. Thoughts?

Does seem to be the 'easy' way. Will give it a try and advise. TY.

Finding each and every lightgun rom and moving them to a separate folder... Gods save us. o.0

This would be a setup separate from the base MAME config in the GameEx configuration > Emulator Setup (#1 in this case), specifically laid out to go to lightgun roms, snaps, etc only?

After some searching I don't seem to have found an answer to the basic question of: Since my default Lightgun Games List in GameEx does not automatically include MAME Roms such as Area 51, Alien 3, etc.. how does one add games to that list in the menu without having to Favorites List those games?

After some messing around with old YouTube videos which, in many cases, contradicted one another on settings and formats, I changed the MAME ini file to the following settings and... suddenly GameEx and MAME are playing nice again and gun games (Area 51, Alien 3: The Gun were my only tests thus far) are now playing, tracking, and firing trigger/button pushes as expected. It seems that making the MAME cfg file Read-Only gets around the odd Device ID changes that happen with system restarts and the Input Configurations for each player must be confirmed the first time playing any of these games, given making the cfg files writeable (if made read-only for whatever purpose) when doing so. MAME ini changes: # CORE INPUT OPTIONS # coin_lockout 1 ctrlr mouse 1 joystick 1 lightgun 1 multikeyboard 1 multimouse 1 steadykey 0 ui_active 0 offscreen_reload 1 joystick_map auto ... # # CORE INPUT AUTOMATIC ENABLE OPTIONS # paddle_device keyboard adstick_device joystick pedal_device keyboard dial_device mouse trackball_device mouse lightgun_device mouse positional_device keyboard mouse_device mouse Thanks for the help folks. I think, as of this moment, that we can call this 'solved' unless some oddball like Terminator 2 gives us issues.

A small detail addition, so people can understand what hardware is involved. 1. Ultimarc Aimtrak Lightguns: https://www.arcaderenovations.com/aimtrak-light-gun-black.html Ultimarc Aimtrak Utility has the lightguns as Device-1/2 with triggers/buttons set to Trigger=Right Mouse, Buttons 1/2=GP 1/2. Oddly the guns will not fire on screen using left mouse, only working correctly in MAME on-screen as right mouse. 2. Extreme IR Bar: https://www.arcaderenovations.com/extreme-ir-bar-for-arcade-light-guns.html 3. 4 Joysticks, buttons, push/pull spinner, and trackball controlled by 2 GP-Wiz 40 MAX and 1 Opti-Wiz 3 encoder boards. All of which work as intended both in GameEx and MAME.