MAME individual background support

[Krakerman]

Tom is there a chance of ever implementing MAME background support for each rom?

I really would like to create background images for each rom just like Hyperspin and AtomicFE has. I know it's alot of work creating them, but it would be left up to the community to create them if they want. I know in the past I made references to this feature and just curious if you have any plans of adding it in.

Thanks Tom

[Krakerman]

(Thought) You could have GameEx use the default image if no rom background is found.

[Draco1962]

@Tom or Ben - Would one of you mind addressing whether or not this is plausible and what, if any, impacts there might be on performance with GameEx? This topic has been brought up several times before in relation to individual PC game, system ROMs and the like. I am not a programmer or a DB admin, but I feel that there is a perception that GameEx is an arcade frontend only and it is oft forgotten that it is also a standalone HTPC solution and that such a change would be a performance killer IMHO.

[Krakerman]

Well I know it is both but we can't forget that the majority I feel are using it as a frontend for their emulators. Just look at all the themes out there as well as all the discussions in the forums. Most of them are geared toward emulators. So I think the ? does need to be answered especially since alot of my theme making is geared toward this. If it is not possible then I know the direction I need to make.

Thanks Draco for hopefully getting an answer to this issue. That way we will all know once and for all. Sorry if it seems I am bugging anyone with asking these ?'s

So far I must say on my PC I have no performance issues with all the system I have configured. I don't see how having all these systems could really be that much of an issue on the system performance but Tom would know for sure. If it is then I guess I'm using the wrong program for what I want to do. Hopefully not so as this program is so so much easier to work with and I Thanks Tom and all for all the hard work put into GameEx.

[Draco1962]

I think it all depends on what you are wanting to do - tell us! To be honest, I think that there are more people in the middle that are using GameEx for emulator front end and HTPC functionality.

[Tom Speirs]

Did you not see the last youtube video? Its in the works.

[Draco1962]

I had to look at the video again, Tom, to see that it can pull from the snaps, videos, and apparently the marquees. Will a Custom Art path be added as a selectable default? Will this feature also be available for the emulators as well?

[Krakerman]

I just saw it and saw your post but from the look of the video wasn't sure how the background for each mame game was going to work as it just looked like a bad snap of a marquee or a cabinet picture to be honest, sorry!

I did like the menu how it looked. not to big on the htpc scrolling snaps of the emulators, but I guess we could replace that with an graphic font similar to what Hyperspins wheel images are like I suppose, correct?

Really looking forward to getting my hands on the new features of GameEx and implementing them in my theme.

Thanks Tom.

[Tom Speirs]

I do plan to add that feature, yes.

[Krakerman]

Very sweet Tom Thanks for the update and hard work you put into this as we do appreciate it alot