GameEx MAME Menu questions

[SpyhunterUK]

Hi,

How do I get rid of the main GameEx menu MAME selections such as the categories listed on the root menu as well as the abiltiy to go straight into the ALL GAMES list when selecting MAME as an emulator?

Also, I notice in my other emulators I have a menu bar at the top for filtering my list, but how can I remove this in all my other emulators please.

Thanks,

Neil

[SpyhunterUK]

anyone? please help.

[nullPointer]

Hi SpyHunterUK

The quickest way to achieve your desired results will probably be to enable the Use Flat Menus setting on the Display Settings screen within the Setup Wizard. Optionally you can use switches on the MAME Settings screen to further remove various MAME category lists (Horizontal, Vertical, Vector, Neo Geo, etc.)

[SpyhunterUK]

can flat menus be used even with custom menus? Thanks for the comments by the way.

[SpyhunterUK]

tried it by setting flat menus only and it still shows By name, By category, etc on ALL the menus. I am using custom menus as well so have manually set each folder/selection but can't seem to get rid of these options. Where can I disable these - can't find them anywhere in the settings. Help! Thanks.

[nullPointer]

Sorry to hear that flat menus didn't work the way you had hoped. At this point I think we might be talking about two separate things. The MAME categories lists can be enabled or disabled on the MAME Settings screen. These lists include the Horizontal, Vertical, Vector, Neo Geo lists etc.

If we're talking about the Sorting Options on "standard" emulator lists I believe you will need to make adjustments to whatever theme you are using. these sorting options include By Category, By Developer, By Publisher and that sort of thing. One our theme wizards will likely be able to fill in a bit more details there, but I believe making modifications to your theme is the only way to remove those sorting options.

[DazzleHP]

If we're talking about the Sorting Options on "standard" emulator lists I believe you will need to make adjustments to whatever theme you are using. these sorting options include By Category, By Developer, By Publisher and that sort of thing. One our theme wizards will likely be able to fill in a bit more details there, but I believe making modifications to your theme is the only way to remove those sorting options.

Unless it has been rectified (i've not used it for a few months) then you can only hide that menu using a placement trick. It will still be there though! But off screen. This means if you accidently push left or right you will lose your cursor to the insvisible menu and you'll have to push up or down again to get it back

So as you can see it's not really a solution - just a real ugly workaround

[SpyhunterUK]

how can i remove it totally from the theme - It is a theme I have always had and never had these options appear before the last few updates.

[u-man]

I think NullPointer pointed you accidently into the wrong section, its not the flat menus in the display section... its the

Interface Mode in the display section of the setup wizard.

This setting changes the user interface of GameEx. Gamelauncher mode completely changes the way the user interface works is controlled and displays. It puts GameEx into a simple game mode, with simpler menus, simpler navigation, simpler navigating through your available game lists. Many of the menus are disabled by turning on this setting, and only games lists are available. Navigation is much simpler with paging by pressing left or right, and button 1 and 2 navigate the available lists. Button 3 launches game. Recommended for simple cab setups, where you want to lock things down or its for young children. It also supports low resolutions such as 320X240. Simple mode disables the menus in gameex so there is just a list and no horizontal or vertical menu. Paging can be one by pressing left or right. In addition the Shift1 (default control) key acts as a home button in simple mode. Simple mode offers all GameEx features but with very simple navigation.

Options:

• Normal (Default)
• GameLauncher
• Simple

with these settings you will get rid of nearly all menue stuff. If you choose "Game Launcher" or "Simple", then be aware that you may need further adjusting of your theme, especially the font size etc.

The "Simple" setting didnt work for me at all, as i fast tested these options for you, but Game Launcher looked good for your needs.

hope this helps you.

[SpyhunterUK]

thanks, i will try this later tonightand let you know.

[SpyhunterUK]

nope. it gave me a flat menu that listed all the emulators that done the job but it takes away the good icons/menu system. There has to be a way of getting this to work on my current bespoke Theme (as I have create a lot of images, etc thus far). Tom - any help? Just need to remove the items as listed above, maybe editing a config file or something like that?

[DazzleHP]

nope. it gave me a flat menu that listed all the emulators that done the job but it takes away the good icons/menu system. There has to be a way of getting this to work on my current bespoke Theme (as I have create a lot of images, etc thus far). Tom - any help? Just need to remove the items as listed above, maybe editing a config file or something like that?

As mentioned in my previous post, there is only one way to hide that menu - through editing your theme. And, as previously mentioned it is a dirty workaround - NOT a solution. If you still want to follow this path then read on...

• Load your theme in the theme editor.
• Click on Layout> Menu.
• At this point it is good to know at what resolution your theme runs at.
• In the X/Y boxes you want to put the maximum. For instance if your theme is 1920x1080 then in "X" you put 1920, and in "Y" you put 1080. So the menu box starts on the last(bottom-right) pixel of your screen
• This will put the menu "Off Screen" so it can't be seen. HOWEVER it is still there! It is just a visual trick! If you press left or right then you will select this invisible menu and you'll need to press down/up again to get it back.
• At the moment this is the only way to get rid of this menu.

EDIT - I had a brain spasm, corrected it

[SpyhunterUK]

ok thanks. in that case it may be better to ask another question....

What Theme allows me to not have these extra buttons shown? I can then change to that Theme and then adpat to the way I like. I currently have 3 icons horizontally on screen to scroll though the emulators. I can't remember how I set it like this but it looks good as I now use Custom Menus and have them under ARCADE, CONSOLES, COMPUTERS and HANDHELDS.

Any more help is very much appreciated, the same goes for help I have already receieved as well.

Thanks,

Neil

[DazzleHP]

What Theme allows me to not have these extra buttons shown?

Oh you mean the Up/Down buttons for navigation? You can hide those easily In the Theme Editor go to Edit> Options, on the Settings tab uncheck the box "Show Buttons":

[SpyhunterUK]

it appears i cannot edit my version and only v2 and v4 themes?!

[DazzleHP]

it appears i cannot edit my version and only v2 and v4 themes?!

Yes, you'll need to convert any non v2/v4 themes before you can edit them. To do this you create a new theme, then choose your non v2/4 theme as the source theme. The editor will convert it for you.

Load the Theme Editor, if you get the pop-up choose "Create new theme", if not click on File> New...

Choose a new name for your theme (it can't be the same as the source), browse to the source theme, choose a resolution (custom) or use the source resolution then choose either v2 or v4. I would recommend v4 as they have the most features

[u-man]

I found out, that if you dont use the GameEx Database, you will get rid off the menues.

If you "dont use" a database in the Emulator Setup-Section in the Setupwizard: http://www.gameex.com/Support/SetupWizardconfigurationguide.aspx#emulatorsetup

Try this, i think it solve your problem, at least for me, it worked.

[SpyhunterUK]

wow thanks but that's a shame but maybe the better way of getting what i want to work

Or should I wait for Evolution

[DazzleHP]

I found out, that if you dont use the GameEx Database, you will get rid off the menues.

If you "dont use" a database in the Emulator Setup-Section in the Setupwizard: http://www.gameex.com/Support/SetupWizardconfigurationguide.aspx#emulatorsetup

Try this, i think it solve your problem, at least for me, it worked.

That's actually a good idea - i never would have thought of that! But does it still get rid of the "Back Home Exit" portion of it? If not the rest of the menu may as well be there as it is actually quite handy

EDIT - i think you can in fact disable that part too, i just can't recall how at the moment. Damn U-Man i think you have solved a question that has come up quite a few times!

EDIT2 - it's a good idea, but you lose a lot of the GE magic, not to mention if you're using any kind of post 16bit romset you'll get an ugly list without creating map files

[u-man]

Hello DazzleHP,

That's actually a good idea - i never would have thought of that! But does it still get rid of the "Back Home Exit" portion of it? If not the rest of the menu may as well be there as it is actually quite handy

EDIT - i think you can in fact disable that part too, i just can't recall how at the moment. Damn U-Man i think you have solved a question that has come up quite a few times!

Glad, I could help here. I know you could get rid of "back, home, exit" with the buttons in earlier versions of GameEx. If you look at the display settings in the setup-wizard, it clearly states that it should work:

http://www.gameex.com/Support/SetupWizardconfigurationguide.aspx#displaysettings

Display Title (ArcadeMode)

Display the Emualtor title at the top of the screen when in ArcadeMode and display the home and exit buttons. Set the following setting to True, to display title text when in Arcade Mode. Default is True, and use standard font sizes. This is recommended if using ArcadeMode at a resolution above 640 x 480. Default is false.

I tried every shit yesterday, to get that buttons, but had no luck . The only buttons I saw, where the BACK-button, up and down arrows, or the GameEx taskbar, but no Home, Exit.

This is something, that maybe our Theme-Creators can tell.... I mean there are some themes with these buttons outthere, instead of the text using "Back, Home, Exit".

EDIT2 - it's a good idea, but you lose a lot of the GE magic, not to mention if you're using any kind of post 16bit romset you'll get an ugly list without creating map files

So true . But if you ask me, it was not very wisely to put all this GE magic into the menue-bar. This can only by handy on a FullHD Setup. In EVERY other case, this is just annoying and cluttering important stuff. I have seen it on the birthday of my Girlfriend, where everyone played the Weecade and everyone did get lost from time to time in the huge navigating menue.

My advice would be, to put all this stuff, into the info page, when you select a game and NOT into the menue. Dont see anything usefull here in cluttering the menu with stuff, that is not important for navigating....worst thing is, that the most important buttons (back, home, exit) of the menue, are always the last in the order of the menue.... guys think about this.

and why the hack we need a manufacturer AND developer field??? this is something that I dont like the most (this makes the menue bar sooo huge ), of the otherwise nice GE magic.

Clearly, it would be the best, if Tom would put all of this stuff into the info field, where it belongs IMHO. GE magic is not suitable for 4:3 Displays or Arcade-Cabs, I prefer map-files in that case... sad but true.

Cheers u-man

[Draco1962]

My advice would be, to put all this stuff, into the info page, when you select a game and NOT into the menue. Dont see anything usefull here in cluttering the menu with stuff, that is not important for navigating....worst thing is, that the most important buttons (back, home, exit) of the menue, are always the last in the order of the menue.... guys think about this.

and why the hack we need a manufacturer AND developer field??? this is something that I dont like the most (this makes the menue bar sooo huge ), of the otherwise nice GE magic.

Clearly, it would be the best, if Tom would put all of this stuff into the info field, where it belongs IMHO. GE magic is not suitable for 4:3 Displays or Arcade-Cabs, I prefer map-files in that case... sad but true.

Feature/Enhancement request? DERP!

[u-man]

DERP! ... too lazy man

Hey Draco, but maybe you know, how to use the EXIT and HOME buttons of a theme. I cant select them, in a theme and they are not visible as a graphic either .

[Draco1962]

Usually the Home and Exit buttons can be found in the horizontal tool bar that can be enabled/disabled via the theme. Look at the default-default theme as an example.

[u-man]

yeah, i did that. i did everything what i described in my previous post, but Home and Exit buttons are missing , all other buttons are there, but these two not.

In the Theme Editor, I cant select the properties for Home and Exit. Instead it will choose the last selected item. Maybe you can tryout, if it works for you, but I have no option to select these two buttons in the theme-editor. You can find them under the "buttons" folder, but I cant select them .

What would I need to change in my GameEx.ini settings or where to look for, if that really is enabled?

[Draco1962]

I believe the positions are hard coded for Home Exit and Help.