Feature & Enhancement Requests

[Draco1962]

Putting this in as a feature request:

While working a new theme utilizing the foreground top-most settings, I have noticed that, no matter how far right on the X coordinate I place the start of the menu bar, it defaults to the same location.

I know that the text options displayed is dynamic relative to where in GameEx you are (Start, vs MAME or Emu), but regardless, we should be able to place the bar where we need it and regardless of the length of the bar, the text options should scroll forwards and backwards within the length of the bar selected for one's theme (just as they do in List view).

[AlphaUMi]

@ Theme creators:

(that is, AFAIK, Adultery, Draco and Krackerman)

You know, I'm very crappy when it comes to image & graphic editing, so I don't feel to be able to contribute to theme development.

But... but, if I can, I would ask: are you planning to update your recent wonderful themes with an update screen that matches with your most recent themes, since Tom has already implemented this feature in GameEx?

This way they would be "complete"....

This is just a thought, I don't want to appear like the one who exaggerates in requests...

Cheers,

Alpha.

[Draco1962]

@ Theme creators:

(that is, AFAIK, Adultery, Draco and Krackerman)

You know, I'm very crappy when it comes to image & graphic editing, so I don't feel to be able to contribute to theme development.

But... but, if I can, I would ask: are you planning to update your recent wonderful themes with an update screen that matches with your most recent themes, since Tom has already implemented this feature in GameEx?

This way they would be "complete"....

This is just a thought, I don't want to appear like the one who exaggerates in requests...

Cheers,

Alpha.

To be honest, I do not see myself revising my previous theme submissions to take advantage of enhancements or new features. In most cases, it would require an almost total reworking of the theme. I would liken it to living through my teen years again. Why would I want to do that? I have learned so much with graphics and image manipulation since my first theme that I would have to start over again.

[AlphaUMi]

To be honest, I do not see myself revising my previous theme submissions to take advantage of enhancements or new features. In most cases, it would require an almost total reworking of the theme. I would liken it to living through my teen years again. Why would I want to do that? I have learned so much with graphics and image manipulation since my first theme that I would have to start over again.

Oh, now I understand... I never imagined this would have implied an almost total reworking... I thought it was simply a matter of adding a background image for the upgrade...

Now I can perfectly see why it's not the case...

[Adultery]

My new theme will take advantage of this new feature. I should have it wrapped up in a week or two.

[hansolo77]

Putting this in as a feature request:

While working a new theme utilizing the foreground top-most settings, I have noticed that, no matter how far right on the X coordinate I place the start of the menu bar, it defaults to the same location.

I know that the text options displayed is dynamic relative to where in GameEx you are (Start, vs MAME or Emu), but regardless, we should be able to place the bar where we need it and regardless of the length of the bar, the text options should scroll forwards and backwards within the length of the bar selected for one's theme (just as they do in List view).

The scroll bar your speak of looks like it's lined up with the box below it. I can see where you'd want to be able to control it's length/location though. But I'd say right now it's just locking to the X Coordinate of the window below it.

[Draco1962]

The scroll bar your speak of looks like it's lined up with the box below it. I can see where you'd want to be able to control it's length/location though. But I'd say right now it's just locking to the X Coordinate of the window below it.

The menu bar shown in the example actually has an X coordinate of 960. That would be the halfway mark in the image. The "Back" "Home" and "Exit" should be starting to the right of that if that is the case. GameEx ignores the X coordinate altogether. Also, if the menu items is long, it will exceed the assigned width of the object when it should be bound within it, yet cause the text to scroll into view when advancing the mouse/joystick to the right.

[Draco1962]

NEW FEATURE REQUESTS:

A - Create speed settings for Selector Bar Animations. Currently set to one speed which is too fast for some animations. Allowing one to tailor the speed setting would open up some more creative effects in user created themes and appear more polished. Speed Scale of 1-10 increments preferable, similar to a mouse speed slider control from 1 - slowest to 10 - fastest.

B - Enable/disable GameEx scaling of Selector Bar image elements would further enhance the Selector Bar animation options available to themes. This will allow for the placement of objects, say a ball for example, that could appear to bounce back and forth across the length of the selector bar. With current setting, said ball appears in the List as a vertically squashed, flattened ovoid. Depending on length of the word(s) in the Menu bar, ball would appear as a horizontally squished ovoid.

[mesk]

We need console specific favorite lists.PRETTY PLEASE!!!!!

[Tom Speirs]

We need console specific favorite lists.PRETTY PLEASE!!!!!

Why cant you just select By System within Favorites?

[starbuck]

New Feature Request:

Have screensaver scroll thru your snaps folder instead of the videos. Still have the ability to pick what systems to have in screensaver and be able to play mp3's in the background while screensaver is playing.

[SKIDLID]

Request

Would it be possible to see a preview of the .png while choosing the logo for a given system in the emulator set up.

[Draco1962]

New Feature Request:

Have screensaver scroll thru your snaps folder instead of the videos. Still have the ability to pick what systems to have in screensaver and be able to play mp3's in the background while screensaver is playing.

Actually, while in attract mode, the screensaver is loading ROMs and not playing videos.

[Adultery]

You can make it include videos too though I think.

[Draco1962]

You may be right - I just let it run with the ROMs because it reminds me more of that Arcade feel.

[mesk]

Why cant you just select By System within Favorites?

Touche,Mr Speirs

TBH,I did not know the option existed.Thank you

[Necromancyr]

Based on the fact that there's a theme contest on, I think updates to the themeing engine is most appropriate. Because of the complexity of the interface, more options need to be available to develop really 'customized' themes instead of what I'll call 'skins' (which is where things really seem to be now). Some new, key features need to be added to get away from the relative 'sameness' of the themes that are currently available (no offense to any theme developers - seems to be limitations of the themeing engine, not your creativity).

So, what I view as important, highest to lowest:

- Fonts: Independently set fonts size, type, etc., for all text items.

- Images: Be able to dictate exactly what images are shown in a particular image place in a theme (e.g. screenshot, title, cab, marquee, etc.)

- Stretching: Incorporate 'smart stretching' as shown by headkaze here: http://www.gameex.info/forums/index.php?showtopic=10393&view=findpost&p=80020

- Menu Bar: Make the menubar completely removable and skinnable as a popup menu (horizontal or vertical orientation) when a certain key is pressed. (I'm doing a cab theme and this would make it possible to do a cab friendly theme that much easier). Right now, this appears to be bugged (possibly something in the theme editor) as you CAN'T do a list of items to the side of the main game/emu list - it only works as a vertical 'bar' (i.e., you move left to right across the items) and it ONLY gets placed at one x-coordinate no matter where it's placed in the theme editor. Trying to do something like in the Valhalla theme just doesn't seem to work with the editor at this point.

- Selector Bar: Allow selector to either move up/down a list as it does now or stay static at one position within a list (i.e., stay at item 10 in a list or in the middle of a list, per theme creators choice.

- Docs : The boring one - and again something I may have missed - but any kind of documentation of the themeing engine, what it can/can't do, etc. would be insanely useful. For example, I can't seem to find what the difference between the different theme versions even are (i.e., v2/v4)

I'm sure I'll think of more as I keep puttering away with my theme. Also, if any of the above would cause the loss of the mirror video option...ignore them. I have a mirror cab I'm using and being able to mirror the video output is a huge reason I'm trying to use GameEx.

[Necromancyr]

- Separate Selector Bar/Image for the Menu and for the List, just because of potential variations in formatting of the two items it's not always aesthetically possible to have the same bar work (optimally) for both elements.

- Ability to right/left/center/etc. align all elements containing text (e.g., list, menu, select lines, title, list num) - ability to do vertical aligning (or at least have it centered in the 'zone' would be great also.

[starbuck]

New Feature Request:

Would like the tv commericals, videos etc. that Ciro makes to show up as a preview in the image box. Done simialr to what happens when you scroll thru your movies. You get a mini version of the movie, until you click on play movie.

[hansolo77]

If GameEx doesn't support it yet, I'd like to put in a request to allow for multiple paths for artworks. For instance, I have some games that have screenshots, but not videos. If I can point the emulator setup to have both paths, then GameEx will display the videos first if available then the screenshots if not. This would also allow for box art vs 3d box art, as there are a few games that have box art, but not 3d, yet the 3d looks better so I could have both paths included in the emulator setup, then GameEx could show one if available then the other if not.

This sort of ties in with the option of showing a generic image if no image is found. I'd like to see a static image if no video is available, etc.

This shouldn't be hard to impliment, since there are already multiple path fields elsewhere in GameEx, such as in the MultiMedia sections for eBooks, Videos, Music, Pictures, etc. So for example: "C:\Artwork\NES\Snaps;C:\Artwork\NES\Video_AVI_HI_QUAL". Then have a toggle dropdown option for "Display First: Videos/Screenshots" or "Display First: 3D Boxes/2D Boxes".

[Adultery]

Tbh this has been requested on more than one occasion. I keep a hybrid folder that contains both snaps and videos for this (and the gamercard needs the snaps no matter if you have a video for the game or not)

[hansolo77]

Yeah I was thinking of using a hybrid, but I wanted to be able to update my artwork from EmuMovies.

[Adultery]

As do I so I have 3 folders: snaps, videos, and both mixed.

[Necromancyr]

Shift Keys (Volume and Paging) working across input types (i.e., keyboard shift key also shifts input from a joystick; shift from joystick/gamepad also shifts mouse).

[Adultery]

Xpadder does this. I use shift keys for all my emus to access save states and stuff. Well worth the $10. It also does mouse emulation.