Feature & Enhancement Requests

[Silentdanger]

I'm a weather nerd and I use the joysticks to navigate around menus in gameex. One of the problems I've had is that if I have my joysticks mapped to anything other than directional keys, I can't navigate the "weather channel" part of gameex on the menu. Is there any chance that this can be fixed so that custom mapped keys can still navigate the weather channel interface?

Really all you need to do is navigate up and down so you can see the extended forecast.

[celly]

Not sure if this has been hit before or if I'm just not looking hard enough in the configuration. It would be nice if GameEx saw in either MAME or emulators, that if I didn't have a video snap for a rom, it would shows the title snap instead. Some roms I don't have snaps for so I've had to put the title snap, into the video snap folder so GameEx shows something for that game. Just a thought.

[Tempest]

GameEx already does this, but it uses the snap folder as a backup. (Tested)

I'm sure you realize this, but for purposes of updating your artwork, the last thing you want to do is put Titles into your video folder.

[whereeaglesdare]

Could you fix it to where Change View option can be disabled, this way when my son is fooling with it and fixes it to where it plays 12 avisnaps at the same time (which is an awesome feature) it doesnt lock up the cabinet.

[Tempest]

I think that Tom added the ability to disable the Multi-Video view.

[Stub]

I have many of my DVD on disk as converted video files for space savings. I would like to see a video info DB like for DVDs on disk. Even if it is a small external tool to lookup by name and pull the title info into a small db.

Also the option to combine DVD's on disk and Video on disk into one listing.

[Tom Speirs]

I have many of my DVD on disk as converted video files for space savings. I would like to see a video info DB like for DVDs on disk. Even if it is a small external tool to lookup by name and pull the title info into a small db.

Also the option to combine DVD's on disk and Video on disk into one listing.

Its supposed to work for videos too. You may need to make the utility rescan to add them to the database.

[Draco1962]

I had mentioned this in the Beta forum, so will mention it here as well. Have GameEx save the last view changed as the default view that will show when the program and/or PC is rebooted or until the view is changed to another view setting.

[Tom Speirs]

Hi, it does already do this, and I just tested and confirmed to be sure. Im not sure why its not working for you. Maybe because your theme is overriding it perhaps?

[Raitsa]

I know this is a no no, but i would love to remove the "press ok or move joystick lef, then right"-nag screen from my cabinet easily.

[Draco1962]

Hi, it does already do this, and I just tested and confirmed to be sure. Im not sure why its not working for you. Maybe because your theme is overriding it perhaps?

Once again, you are correct, Sir. Had to change DisplayBackgroundImage=snap to DisplayBackgroundImage=True in theme.ini . Now, it is ficed and last view change stays - odd, but works now without a hitch.

[headkaze]

With the grid view that shows all the videos in a list, since it requires a fast system, by default it should show image snaps that play the video when you roll over them.

[bkenobi]

I know this is a no no, but i would love to remove the "press ok or move joystick lef, then right"-nag screen from my cabinet easily.

This can be done easily if you compile MAME using HK's MAME Compiler. There is no easy way to have the FE do this any more. It used to be possible, but things changed in MAME such that it's not now.

[Draco1962]

Not sure if this really falls under Feature Request or Enhancement Request, but here it goes:

This involves the List Number. Currently, if you select an item by manufacturer, albumn, artist, etc., the sort method to the right of the List Number.

Ex1: 5 | 342 (By Manufacturer)

Depending on where the user places this item in their layout, it can make it appear not as well planned or professional.

What I would like to see is a separate item for the Sort (not much unlike the Select1 and Select2 items) that can be paired up with the List Number or separated

Ex2: 5 | 342

(By Manufacturer)

Since the List Number size is dynamic (expands basd upon number of files and number of selection). Same would go for the sort method. Additionally, if this is possible, can either be set to justify center as opposed to left or right? THis will make for more flexible custom design using either or both elements.

[starbuck]

A neat feature would be the ability for the screensaver to play selections by category. Example: if you are in multimedia, the screensaver would only play movie trailers. If in Mame, the GameEx screensaver would only play Mame games, Atari 2600 would only play 2600 games. Sometimes its cool to have a random type game or movie play but if the machine is running and your only interest at that time is movie trailers, all you want to see on the screensaver is movies.

[The T]

My ideas, after playing around a little:

MAME parent/clone display: I've brought this one up before, but having parent/clone display ala the merged sets, and being able to specify which country you want as the primary... might take some work, to see what we'd need to accomplish for that, based on naming formats.

Screensaver options: Something I've been a little confused about is, will the screensaver pull a random version of the game, or only pull the first one from the list(/parent for MAME)? I'd like the option to specify which (versions of) games are included in the screensaver... This would also add the benefit of being able to exclude games that really don't have an attract mode, like some of the really old cheap arcade games, or PC games and things that don't have it.

Advanced game database support: I'm not sure what the current status on the game databases is--if they're being worked or not. I'd love to be able to edit my own databases to include things like romhacks, as well change some of the more goofier game descriptions.

New game sorting options: For merged sets, I'd like to be able to choose what order the games sort in, based on country. I'd also love to be able to see games chronologically based on series--like, have an option under Super Mario World to view all Mario games on past systems... this could probably be linked into the database somehow, if support were added.

Something with Romhacks: Not sure about this one, really, but I tend to want to have romhacks be shown as their own game, rather than included as an "alternate" under their main game. But I'd like the romhack, when you select it, to be able to link back to the main game, in a (smaller but similar) style to the above. Would need information from the database, again.

Multiple emulator save games: This one might be relatively easy to implement, but is pretty low on my personal want list, but. Have the ability to have multiple saves/SRAMs for a game. Would be useful for games that only have one save slot. Could easily be done by letting you name a Save file (ie, "Bob"), and then renaming the rom to "Romname.Bob.sfc", and that will the sram save will correspond to that particular one. When you're done playing a game, GameEx can delete the temporary rom, but the save will still be there in the emulator's save folder.

And sorry if any of these have been requested before...

[Draco1962]

Another enhancement request - Be able to add/associate pictures to Internet Radio stations.

[Krakerman]

Another enhancement request - Be able to add/associate pictures to Internet Radio stations.

I'm with you on this one!

[zarkok]

(I put again this suggestion in correct place of forum)

A suggestion for GameEx feature can be the next;

Example: When you press "G" key in GameEx list games menu you go to the first "G" named game but if you press "O" you go to first "O" game, could be possible that when you press "G" + "O" keys you go to the first "GO" game ("Golden Axe" for example)? If you press "G" and wait one second aprox. then when you press "O" you go to "O" game (like GameEx now). I hope you can understand me, my english isn't too good to explain that correctly.

[zarkok]

Ideas for .X files feature:

It could be good to change the bright of the model (I see too dark all the models right now) and view angle in GameEx, it only show the model in front of it. A little perspective can be good, you can see part of the top of the model also.

[starbuck]

First a special thanks to Tom and Ciro for the download utility. Been downloading the various systems and tweaking my GameEx to take anvantage of the new utility. With the wealth of media available, I found there is not enough slots available to display all the different media. Would like to see some more added to the config. so I can veiw all the great media that has been made available. Maybe even a few extra slots to take advantage of future media being added. I have alot that I need to find the time to upload to emumovies.

Thanks for a great frontend and all you do

[bkenobi]

There are 3 non-utilized categories that you can implement. But, since all the stuff Circo has put together is going to be available from here on out, it seems like a good idea for Tom to make them usable within the build itself!

[Tom Speirs]

First a special thanks to Tom and Ciro for the download utility. Been downloading the various systems and tweaking my GameEx to take anvantage of the new utility. With the wealth of media available, I found there is not enough slots available to display all the different media. Would like to see some more added to the config. so I can veiw all the great media that has been made available. Maybe even a few extra slots to take advantage of future media being added. I have alot that I need to find the time to upload to emumovies.

Thanks for a great frontend and all you do

I think the remaining ones are advert, box back and and overlay. So they should fit into the three custom slots?

It may be worth adding them officialy though to make things complete as BK suggests.

[Recoil]

I'm not sure how much it has been discussed about a better theme editor, or how much control the user should be allowed to have, but I wanted to see if it's possible to fix certain things, like disallowing certain remaining stuff on screen to hidden. Another issue is having the ability to display game boxes, or even custom logos, for the game selection screen, instead of just displaying snaps. Also more of a real-time editor with control snapping for better alignment. With the customizing that is allowed now it's kinda confusing trying to navigate through all of the plain looking templates, and figuring out which one you are in when you get there...if that makes sense.

What about idiot-proofing the directories, meaning the program already has preset folders for the emulators and roms, and doesn't automatically make a folder in the one I have selected for my roms with another roms folder.

More tool tips in the setup wizard, or more importantly more detailed ones.

Personally I have always liked having a property grid for all of the settings with my programs. This makes it easier to add/delete stuff, or even just displaying information even though the user has no control over it (programatically set stuff)...it's easier to organize also, and might keep from needing 3 editors for 1 program.

And not sure what everyone else thinks about this, but instead of separate folders for snaps/videos/controls/etc, having 1 folder for each game, and in it all of the stuff for that game to better see what you are missing for each game when you have 1000+ roms:

[Castlevania]

+Castlevania (video).avi

+Castlevania (snap).jpg

+Castlevania (controls).jpg

+Castlevania (manual).pdf

Something along those lines...think of each game as a module, and in it is everything defined for that module. The program then knows what the module has in order to display it. It's not difficult to setup in vb.net, and I already have the code to make it work with an example if interested.

[kando]

Hey there...one feature i wish was in gameex would be the ability to create a snap or video snap for just ONE game instead of having to do an all or nothing approach.

maybe a more versatile way to choose how long the video snaps record, and to specify the delay before they start recording?

we also need more databases, like why isnt there one for original famicom disk system?

Love gameex, cheers!

-kando