Toonces

Hi Tom, Here's kind of a strange thing. On my daughter's cab, because there are only 62 games, I disabled everything so there is only the original mame games category. Now, if I also disable the start menu as always being first, gameex will come up in the mame games list which is what I want but there's no going back to the start menu because there's no page to go back to since you didn't come from the start menu (since gameex back behavior is like a browser's). Also, since I disabled the escape key so my daughter wouldn't accidentally exit gamex, I cannot quit gameex or shutdown the cab without doing ctrl+alt+del. The only option I have enabled as far as exiting goes is the shut down the machine. Is there any way you can make that available from the game lists if start menu is disabled? I know it makes GameEx into a one page, simple, simple interface but that's what I am looking for on this cab. Pretty much reminiscent of GameLauncher. A list of games and shut down. Thanks Again! Erik

That worked perfectly. I did notice one thing though. If I create all the videos then go in and delete one that the now missing video will not be created by running create mame videos again. I get the message when starting up that it's going to take a long time. I click ok then nothing. I let it site for a couple of hours after I ran it in case it was going through the list and I had other things to do but it never created the video. Deleteing all of the videos and re-running create mame videos does work. I found it because one of the games I have, Balloon Bros, is upside down from every other game so the video was created upside down. I had to go in and choose flip horiz and flip vert to get it to display correctly and wanted to recreate the video. Not a huge deal for me as deleteing all the videos and re-running the create mame videos does work and I only have 62 videos to create. It was only when the one was missing that it didn't. Thanks Again, Toonces

That looks like it's getting them. Started at the first one in the list and is going through them now. I'll report back when it's done. My post should have said games rather than roms. I hand picked 62 roms, each representing a single game. They're either a parent or a clone without the parent so I should get 62 videos so every one in the list has a movie except for Mr. Driller which I use zinc to run. Unless gamex captures videos for zinc too Thanks Again Tom! My daughter loves her cab and I love gameex for making it easy for her to use! Toonces

Beuhler, Beuhler? Anyone?

ok, I thought that 6.03 would fix this. To an extent it did get better but still not getting all of the videos vreated. on 6.01 only 39 of 61 videos were created. The list started at rom ncv2 and went all the way to the end. I downloaded and installed 6.03 and some of the missing videos were created but many were skipped. now I have 45 videos. I just updated to 6.08 and deleted all videos and created from scratch and still get the same 45. some examples of the strange behavior is a video gets created for ncv2 (Namco Classics 2) but not ncv1 (Namco Classics 1). Also Bubble Bobble got a video but none of the rest of the series gets them. The creation process just seems to jump around when creating videos instead of starting at the top of the list and working it's way down. I have set the default - default theme for creating the videos as I figured that would be the most tested. Thanks for any help, Toonces

Awesome! I was just finishing up last night making videos for the 62 games on my daughter's machine and it only made 39 of the videos. I come back here to ask why and the fix is already out! Simply awesome as usual Tom! Thanks! Toonces

Hi Tom, I am finishing up and just downloaded 6.02 and the cool Bubble Bobble them and one of the last things I wanted tyo do is go in and create snaps for the 70 games I chose for her cab. I've switched back to the default theme and made sure that hide create snaps was off and I still don't get the option to create snaps for mame. Am I missing something? I didn't want to have to download whole snap packs for the 20 or so games that are missing snaps. Thanks! Toonces

Awesome! Thanks Tom. She's gonna love it!

I am building a new cab for my daughter and would really like a bubble bobble theme similar to one found with AtomicFE. It's an animated Bubble Bobble theme. A screenshot is here http://www.atomicfe.com/Screenshots/nussss7.jpg I really like this theme but didn't care much for AtomicFE so I want to stick with what I know, GameEx of course! Can one of you Theme gurus whip something similar up for me? The actual layout isn't important, I'd just like a nice Bubble Bobble theme as she really likes the game and it's one of the few I have installed on the machine for her cab. You can get the AtomicFE theme here http://www.atomicfe.com/Downloads/Layouts/...ss7_640x480.zip I almost forgot to add, I am looking for a 640X480 theme in a color scheme that is similar to the one above. I saw the Bubble Bobble theme in the themes area and would like something more like this one. Thanks! Erik

Here's how I got it working for me: http://www.gameex.info/forums/index.php?sh...findpost&p=3727 Hope it helps, Toonces

WooHoo! more new versions Excellent as always Tom. I have a suggestion for you. Make a sticky out of the topic "Updating to new version of MAME, read this" and put remove skip_disclaimer in it. Seems to be about half of the problems! Also, any chance of a GUI key remapper? The feature is great but has a steep learning curve for those of us with short attention spans. Thanks! Toonces

Unfortunately at this point you have to get another gamecube as you need one with a broadband adapter to rip the games from the disk. There is currently no other way I know to create an ISO from the GC disk. Toonces

One of the things InstantSheller does is change your mouse cursor to a really small black dot. You can change it back by using the mouse control panel but you'd probably be better off just uninstalling InstantSheller. The only reason you would want it is to get rid of the windows stuff and it doesn't sound like you want to. I just run my gameex from startup and use some of the easier changes to hide the windows look (hidden taskbar, black background and a replacement startup graphic), that way you can get to windows easily to do maintenance or run other programs. Toonces

Just download and install the new version. Your settings will stay. Toonces

Well, InstantSheller replaces the normal windows shell (Explorer, AKA your Desktop) with GameEx. That's what it's supposed to do. To get back to a desktop when you use GameEx as the shell, exit GameEx, hit Ctrl+Alt+Del and choose Run Program. Type Explorer and hit OK. That will launch the desktop and you can do whatever you need to do. Hope that helps, Toonces

Hi, Yes, GameEx definately supports the GPWiz-49. In fact, it was the first front end to do so. I originally set the GP-Wiz49's up using a batch file that would set the mode via relays connected to the input buttons based on GameEx determining the mode. Long before Sir Poonga wrote set49mode. Tiger Heli's page is excellent but the support in the other FE's is kind of complicated as you can tell. You have to setup batch files and such. For GameEx, it's increadibly easy to use set49mode, just add c:\set49mode\set49mode.exe [rom] to the run before config and c:\set49mode\set49mode.exe 1943 to the run after config(this is just a game that uses 8 way control, you could use any installed 8 way game that set49mode recognizes to set the controls back to 8 way). That's it in a nutshell. I'll get a little more detailed below. 1. Open the GameEx Config Utility 2. Click on Advanced MAME Settings 3. Enter "C:\set49mode\set49mode.exe [ROM]" (without quotes) in the Run on Launch box. 4. Enter "C:\set49mode\set49mode.exe 1943" (without quotes) in the Run on Exit box. 5. Click Save 6. Click Exit and enjoy your new auto setting joysticks! GameEx also has internal support for choosing the control type based on controls.ini. This is the support I still use today. set49mode may be a little more sophisticated in it's method for choosing the control type but I have yet to have a problem with any of the selections GameEx has made. You can always modify the mapping by editing controlmap.csv but I've yet to have to do that. Maybe games just play good enough even using the 49 way mode and I've never noticed. I don't know but here's how to use GameEx's built in support (again, looong before the other's jumped on the bandwagon The setup below assumes you are using GroovyGameGear's utility gpwiz49 installed in c:\gpwiz49 vs Sir Poonga's set49mode. 1. Open the GameEx Config Utility 2. Click on Advanced MAME Settings 3. Enter "C:\gpwiz49\gpwiz49.exe [MODE]" (without quotes) in the Run on Launch box. 4. Enter "C:\gpwiz49\gpwiz49.exe 3" (without quotes) in the Run on Exit box. 5. Click Save 6. Click Exit and enjoy your new auto setting joysticks! I've had my GPWiz49's setup before Randy added USB switching support so mine actually use an 8 relay parallel port interface board connected to the switch ports and a batch file that takes the same mode numbers as gpwiz49 and sets the relays to the correct mode then sets the relays back off. It only takes a few hundred miliseconds for the gpwiz to recognize the button push that sets the modes so it happens very quickly. I may switch the interfaces to the newer USB code and remove some of the hardware from my cab(I already have the replacements chips, just haven't done it yet). Advantages of one way or the other? Well, in my opinion, there isn't much. Sir Poonga's set49mode looks like it gives a little finer control over which control is used for every game but as I said earlier, GameEx has done just fine for me and if I really want a mode changed, I could edit controls.ini or controlmap.csv to make that happen. set49mode can also be a little daunting given the flexibility. That's to be expected. With flexibility comes complexity. It's all in what you understand or have the patience to learn. GameEx's support is there. You don't really have to do anything to get it to work other than tell it what program to use to do the switching. The plus side for some people to this method will be that gpwiz49 also flashes up a confirmation screen that shows you the mode whn it switches so you get positive visual feedback on which mode you are using. That might also be hand if you suspect it might be a control issue as to why a game might be harder to play or the controls seem funny. You know exactly which mode you are in before the game starts. This same thing might also be an annoyance for those that don't want the GPWiz49 screen to flash up every time the enter and exit a game. I've gone on too long now. I hope this helps you get the GPWiz49 going with GameEx. It works wonderfully and the controls are much better than any I've used outside of correct, dedicated controls for every game (impossible on a Japanese sit down!) Toonces

Hi Tom, I am very interested in shelling gameex and was wondering if you knew a way to get drivers that normally load when explorer starts to load? I have a d-link wireless card and a guncon driver that don't load when gameex is the shell but as soon as you launch explorer after exiting gameex, they load up. Thanks! Toonces

The controller was delivered today. I am going to start playing around with gl.tter's code and seeing what I can break!...I wonder if his code would work if integrated into GameEx. It's just a generic light processing engine after all and GameEx would certainly be capable of setting light modes based on game type. Of course, game events wouldn't react to that. hmmm, just thinking what I can do now..... Toonces

In case you like Blinky Lights (who doesn't?), there's a new product being produced by GroovyGameGear.com. It's a USB interface for LEDs. Up to 32 strings of LEDs can be powered and controlled from a USB device. This is the same company that makes the GPWiz49 interface that switches Williams/Midway 49 way joysticks into 2/4/8 ways automatically based on the game being played. GameEx has built in support for the GPWiz49 and based on that support, the possibility exists to have it control LEDs as well! I just ordered one of the new LEDWiz interfaces and plan on switching out my buttons for some translucent Happ buttons soon. With the new LED interface I hope to be able to not only indicate joystick mode via LED's embedded in the control panel but also light active buttons! The software for the LEDWiz is still very much in development but as time goes on it can only get better. The maintainer of controls.ini is already talking about creating an app to control the LEDs based on controls.ini and possibly merging it into his new app that switches the joystick modes for the GPWiz49. I think GameEx has everything already needed to support the LEDWiz out of the box as it already parses controls.ini and passes a mode statement to a batch file or program in the run before and run after config boxes. Here's the link to the LEDWiz for those that are interested. LEDWiz and a link to a short video of a bunch of LEDs under control of the device. LEDWiz in Action There are soooo many possibilities for this thing. I think it's pretty exciting. It doesn't have to control LEDs, it could be a relay that it controls and then the relay can switch anything on or off under computer control. The possibilites are endless! Anyways, I want to say, sorry if this sounds like an ad for the above company. It is not. I use their GPWiz49 interface and am extremely happy with it and just ordered the LEDWiz as it seems like a lot of fun to see what I can do to my cab with it. I am already planning on lighting the translucent buttons I have with RGB LED's so I can change the colors of the buttons and light only buttons that are used by a particular game. Anyone else with any ideas on what could be done?? Toonces

Yes, I still lurk here Sweet new features tom! On a side note, I see that SirPoonga (from BYOAC) has created a new commandline application to control the GPWiz49 (as of Oct 5th). Tiger-Heli has a tutorial on how to set it up with different front ends. Funny thing is, GameEx has had that feature for what, 6 months now??? Always ahead of the pack you are! Cheers, Erik

-skip_disclaimer was removed by mamedev in .99u4. You can choose to have gameex hit ok for you in the advanced mame config section.

For GameEx, catver.ini usually goes in the Gamex/Data folder. GameEx comes with one already so you'd need to replace that one if you are updating the older one. Then rebuild the list and try again.

I see where I am being confusing. Yes, GameEx is an alternative. One of the things that makes GameEx so widely apealing is the user interface. The way information is presented is both visually apealing and logical. Combined with the type of information displayed about your games, it makes for an excellent front end for not only games but all types of media. That is what I am looking for, the user experience gameex gives me in a much lighter package that is geared towards a set top box. The basic server that comes with these boxes is pretty much nothing more than a web server as far as I can tell. They do much the same job as Windows Media Connect (although WMC was not around when they were written) and server the requested file or files to the player. My problem with them is not just functional, it's visual. They're boring. Take a look at the login and video screens on a default install: This shows 1. DVD, 2. USB 2.0 Drive, 3. Premium Internet Services (vTuner), 4. Basic Server running on Windows computer Jack & 5. Network HD with media player software running (WizD or Linkplayer's own). Here's the next page when choosing a device: And finally, choosing the movies folder: As you can see, it's functional but as a UI it sucks. I assume that the styles are in html. If you load another manufacturer's software like momitsu's, you get the same fucntionality with a different look. That's all. Now take a look at MediaXT, it also has a very "web" interface to it. What I am hoping for would be to take the look & feel using the same concepts gameex already uses and turn that into a media server. Using the cascading menus to go into the devices and media folders then when you select a movie, instead of it just playing, have it display the movie info just as gameex does for mame games. Instead of having to compile that infor from 3 or 4 different text files (catver, history, etc) you can get all of that type of data from imdb. On a more advanced level, one thing the basic media servers lack is on the fly transcoding. Other features would be cool too like being able to rip a DVD to a folder and just playing the VOBs (the player will play the VOBs but individually rather than 1 after another, wizd has a hack to get around that and will play them sequentially but you get a playing file x of x in between each one). There are probably a ton of other things that could be done on the server side of things so that not only does it look better but would also process your videos & music, download info (tags) and manage your collection. There are lots of little parts to the equasion floating around out there but nothing really tying them all together. Does that make any more sense? I would really like to a see a MediaEx out there that works as well as GameEx does! Erik

Yep, that looks like a good start to what I am talking about. What I am really hoping for would be something that has the features of WizD and more along with the look of GameEx in an easy to use package. You can find an english version of WizD here http://www.geocities.com/flipflop7146/wizd.html The closest I think I have seen to a GameEx like interface is Swiss Center. http://www.swisscenter.co.uk/ Some of the things I would think would be cool are lookups and art download from imdb which would show in a thumbnail then go into an info page just like GameEx does with the mame list. Who knows, maybe even the previews Why not start another forum on MediaXT? Thanks! Toonces

The answer to configuring the controls in ZiNC is here: http://www.bannister.org/ubb/ultimatebb.ph...t=001668#000000 Note for GameEx, once you have the controls configured for every game, you DO NOT need to configure a MAP file. You also do not want to configure a ROM path as GameEx takes care of that. All I did after setting the controls up was to add --use-config-file="D:\Emulators\Zinc\zinc.cfg" --use-renderer-cfg-file="D:\Emulators\Zinc\renderer.cfg" to the ZiNC command line options in GameEx. Works perfectly and I have a strange configuration of USB gamepad for joystick and standard MAME keyboard mappings for buttons. Toonces