Krakerman

Looks like I keep getting these database errors at random times. It is always "Not Restoring Emulator Database From Cache: 1000"

Ok I've updated the new MAME backgrounds with the revised framework. Look back a few post up as I've updated the photo's. Daphne to follow ...

Why would it randomly cause DB errors? btw my log was all that there was Draco it was cut off I guess as I looked thru the entire log. WHen I cleared the cache's and re-ran GameEx the log was complete again, but I found no errors in it.

How do you fix a DB error? [update] I erased all the cache files that I could find and re-ran GameEx and it cleared that database error from my log. For now.

Win 7 x64 with all the latest .net updates. (Every system update I installed so I am currently up to date with .net as well)

No still getting the same crashes...and the codecs are re-installed and up to date. It just reports GameEx has stopped suddendly. Here is what my log says: 06:39:25.0 9/14/2012: Using Version 3 Themes Animations 06:39:25.0 9/14/2012: Retrieving resolution setting 06:39:25.1 9/14/2012: Using General Font: Droid Serif 06:39:25.1 9/14/2012: Using Title Font: Droid Serif 06:39:25.1 9/14/2012: GameEx will try to reduce CPU usage 06:39:25.1 9/14/2012: Initialising Direct3D 06:39:25.2 9/14/2012: Mouse Input is disabled 06:39:25.2 9/14/2012: Setting Resolution to 1920x1080 32 bit color 06:39:25.3 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Creating Primary Surface - Full Screen Mode 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Creating Back Buffer 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Version 2 Theme being used. Loading. 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Loading Button Data 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Loading Font Data 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Loading Layout Data 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Loading Taskbar Data 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Loading graphic Surfaces 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Display is running at: 1920x1080 32bit color, 60hz 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Adapter: AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Max texture size: 16384x16384 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Available texture memory: 1717MB 06:39:25.8 9/14/2012: Initialising Bass Audio Library 06:39:26.1 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces Misc and Dialogs 06:39:26.2 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces Volume 06:39:26.2 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces Arrows 06:39:26.2 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces GameEXlogo Text 06:39:26.2 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces Toolbar 06:39:26.3 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces Toolbar Controls 06:39:26.3 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces Backgrounds 06:39:26.3 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces GameEx Logo 06:39:26.3 9/14/2012: Creating Surface Unselected 06:39:26.3 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces Snaps 06:39:26.3 9/14/2012: Creating Surfaces Menu and List Bars 06:39:26.3 9/14/2012: Creating Fonts 06:39:26.3 9/14/2012: Creating Game Font 06:39:26.6 9/14/2012: Creating Game Font Faded 06:39:27.1 9/14/2012: Creating Title Font 06:39:27.1 9/14/2012: Restoring Title Font From Cache 06:39:27.2 9/14/2012: Creating Font Black 06:39:27.3 9/14/2012: Creating Font Black Small 06:39:27.3 9/14/2012: Fonts Created Succesfully 06:39:27.3 9/14/2012: 8MB Video Memory Used 06:39:27.5 9/14/2012: Loading News Feed: http://www.gameex.net/gameexnews.xml 06:39:28.7 9/14/2012: Attempting to load game list 06:39:28.7 9/14/2012: GameExtender Not found snap: C:\GameEx\Images\No_Image_Found\No Image Found.png 06:39:28.7 9/14/2012: Starting GameExtender on: 127.0.0.1:8383 06:39:28.7 9/14/2012: GameExtender using specific custom images for systems. 06:39:28.7 9/14/2012: MAME CMD options: -nowindow -joy -skip_gameinfo 06:39:28.7 9/14/2012: Initialising DirectInput for Gamepad support 06:39:28.7 9/14/2012: Unable to create a joystick device 06:39:28.7 9/14/2012: Loading Start Page 06:39:28.8 9/14/2012: Initializing MCE Remote 06:39:28.8 9/14/2012: Playing intro sound file 06:39:28.8 9/14/2012: Initialization OK! Starting GameEx! 06:39:28.8 9/14/2012: Testing Main Loop Once: Processing Frame 06:39:29.1 9/14/2012: Testing Main Loop Once: Main Loop ran successfully 06:39:55.6 9/14/2012: Loading News Feed: http://mamedev.org/?feed=rss2 06:41:00.6 9/14/2012: Not Restoring Emulator Database From Cache: 1000

Here is the MAME Options screen. UPDATE! No Longer is this menu required with the updated theme.

Thanks KRC! Here is the Main title screen for this theme that I've been working on. Hope you guys like this one!

Well depends on the theme you create. You can always leave it in but in my case I don't want them so those 3 items I removed as they don't work with my theme and take up to much real estate. No other part of GameEx uses these option that I have found. To bring it back you just put the name back in it's that easy but for my themes I'm leaving it out.

Not true ... I just tested it and it is gone! The only options left were Back, Home and Exit. If you leave it blank it just removes it so you can't select it. I have had no ill effect by doing this that I have seen. Try it! for yourself.

Ok been working long and hard to finish the main frontend for this theme and should have it ready sometime by this weekend (hopefully) I am also going to re-do the MAME video preview window location as well as I think it is too close to the side. I'll update the new framework file so if anyone is wanting to make MAME game backgrounds it will be properly aligned with this theme. As I have also changed a few things which you will see soon.

I just figured out how to remove them Goto setup wizard ... Text/Language ... go down to By Name, By Manufacturer and By Catagory and delete the text in the box and leave it blank. Do that for each one and then those options wont display under MAME anymore.

MAME Sorting. Being able to disable the by Manufacturer, By Date options. Also if it could be possible if we want them that we could create png images for those that could be moved around on the screen sortof like a button that each one could be placed via the theme editor.

Is there a way to disable or implement a way to disable the sorting features for MAME in GameEx Tom? I want to be able to get rid of the: By Date, By Manufacturer ect ect... Or even to create our own images for that button/options so each one could be created using a png file. That way we could possibly move each one around on the screen to make our interfaces look even more customized. If not then oh well just a thought! I got the idea from looking at Arcade Legends cabinets and seeing how it's menu looked.

Thanks guys!

Thanks Tom!

Yes I've had the same issue also.

Great job on those logo's! Looking good....

Yes I get that at first then after a minute I get another window that shows what the system is. Sounds like we are getting the same error. Thank goodness I'm not the only one that gets these things. Sometimes it seems like noone else ever gets any of these wierd crashes or they just don't report them.

When and if I get it again will get a snap of it with fraps

So each system can have a different look just like you saw what I did for Daphne but I put the Video preview box in the middle. Unfortunately you can't move it for every different game. Tom would have to implement something like that in GameEx. Maybe a feature request. The thing that is nice about this is you can have all kind of graphics for each game on the screen as the theme editor only allowed you to have only 1 for box images and 1 for the videos this allows you to make each game to have cart or box images on the screen at the same time since you made it a background image plus you can put all kinds of stuff on the screen if you liked since it's like being a desktop wallpaper but for each game maybe that is a better way to describe it. Now for each system you setup in the setup wizard I made the background images point to a default image like my framework except the background I made black so when you switch games you will see a flash of a black background bbetween images since there is a small delay between showing each image. If you make it a colorful screen then you would see that for a split second when selecting your games that is why I made it all black but with the startup menu on it because you still will see the start menu items and the time/date on the bar. Hope someone can make sense of what I am trying to explain and mess about with it and have fun!!

No I haven't uploaded it yet as I haven't been working on it everyday since football season has started. I find myself watching more football than doing anything else especially on Saturdays as I am a BIG college football fan. Go Buckeyes!! Anyways it's nice to see support from the community for this in GameEx. It's actually very easy to do. I just moved the list that displays the games offscreen (Set X@2000) made sure the foreground in the theme editor is selected to be the topmost and set Image2 to 0,0,1920,1080 as this will be what displays the backgrounds for each game and have the setup wizard set the box art path to where you save all the images at for each game. Since Image2 in the theme editor would normally display your box image I just changed it to display each game background images instead. So you just have to make sure that where the video displays (Image in the theme editor) you make sure it's transparent so the video will display since the background image is on the top. Once I iupload it you will be able to see what I'm talking about. I might even just upload a Generic example theme so everyone can see how it's done and create whatever they want. Matter of fact I might just do that in the next few days just so you can all mess around with it. Anyways here is the framework file to create MAME game backgrounds with. Now when have a finished game screen and go to save it you have to make the video preview box transparent. Note: By setting the background images for each game to be your box images is how GameEx knows to have each game have it's own theme. Until Tom allows us to change/set what displays in Image2 I found it defaults to the box images. Even thou the list is offscreen it's still on you just can't see it so moving up and down still is selecting the games in the list and it's displaying the game backgrounds because you have it set as big as the screen size covering everything . Is it starting to make any sense?

Thanks! The one limitation that this has is all the games video preview windows have to be in the same position for each one. As you can see from my snapshots. I have created a Paint.net (pdn format) file that makes setting all the required windows a snap. When I get off work tonight I will post it So anyone could start creating these for MAME.

One ? is it possible to have some of the steam games not show under steam games list and have them say under a different emulator like DOS ect ect. Since some of those games on steam are using DOSBOX like Wolfenstein and I want those games to show under my DOS Games. Thanks.

[uPDATE] A few more MAME (1000's of more to do ) games then I'm going to start work on a different system for now.