[APP] Marquee Magician 2.1

[headkaze]

Great work Tempest It's always nice to post some screenshots too, I'd like to see how you've implemented HiToText support for example.

[Tempest]

Here's a screenshot.

Edit: I see that in Parameter mode, that the romname is displaying, instead of the proper display name. I fixed it, and It will be correct in the next update. I will wait to see if anybody else finds anything...

[thedevilbunny]

Quick question on this fellas. I have a MAME machine with a TV svideo hookup as my MAME monitor. I want to run an lcd as a marquee to rig this up. Problem, Marquee Magician always tells me I need multiple monitors, not recognizing the TV as a monitor. Any way around this?

[bkenobi]

A lot of video cards use the TV as a mirror of the primary display. In that case, you only have one screen as far as windows is concerned. If you can't set your video card up to use the TV as a different display, then you might need to either use a different video card or build/buy a VGA->S-Video adapter.

[thedevilbunny]

A lot of video cards use the TV as a mirror of the primary display. In that case, you only have one screen as far as windows is concerned. If you can't set your video card up to use the TV as a different display, then you might need to either use a different video card or build/buy a VGA->S-Video adapter.

Yeh, I was afraid I'd hear that...that pretty much what I figured. Dang...I don't see a way around it at this point.

[Tempest]

Marquee Magician 2.0

What's New?

1. Added a new set of commands to 'Nudge' windows. You can make a window larger, smaller, and move the image 1 pixel at a time to fine tune your layout.

2. Added the ability to edit an existing system so that you can make adjustments. If you edit a system, it can only be saved using the current template, and system names.

3. Marquee Magician will now change the resolution for you for emulators that won't run at your desktop resolution. Previously, Marquee Magician would display the images, then the emulator would start and change the resolution, which would move the images on the second monitor. This should fix that problem. Use {Ctrl-R} and enter the resolution for your emulator. All 4 values are required.

4. Once you copy an window, you can paste it multiple times without having to copy the original window again.

5. If you hover on an image, the path to the image is displayed in the upper left hand corner of the window. This is handy for windows with folders.

6. Added {Ctrl - Z} to undo. If you accidentally hit the wrong keys, Undo will put everything back the way it was.

7. Many improvments to enhance reliability.

8. Marquee Magician is now command line only. Usage: C:\Users\Matt\Desktop\Marquee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe "System" "[Rom]" where System is the name of your template, which can be found in the MM.ini file between []. EG. [Nintendo 64]

Example:

For Mame, Using 'Advanced Mame Settings (2) / Run on Launch' I have: "C:\My Marquee Magician\Launch MM.exe" "MAME Games" "[Rom]" and in the 'Run on Exit' I have: "C:\My Marquee Magician\Launch MM.exe" "GameEx"

I only have one parameter in the 'Run on exit' because I only display static images while in GameEx.

You can also use "C:\My Marquee Magician\Launch MM.exe" "Kill" to clear the screen, and not display additional images.

Marquee Magician will automatically close, and clear the screen upon exit of GameEx.

I have included my templates, MM.ini, and GameEx.ini for you to see how I set it up.

Just so nobody gets confused the setup program is now called 'Template Creator'

Marquee Magician v2.0.7z

@thedevilbunny - Let me know if this works for you.

[chillinwater]

Thanks Tempest, Going commando is the shiite.

Tested with GameEx works flawlessly.

For HS I have some minor tweaks to do reguarding focus on emu start.

I tested it first with this batch before I got it going in HS

"J:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe" mame 88games
pause
"J:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe" kill

with the batch I can see that i_view32 or irfanview steals focus away from the bats dos window and does the same to the emu while launching in HS.

So aside from that, I do have it launching on emu start up, with ability to configure it to leave it displaying or turn it off on emulator exit.

This is great! You have outdone yourself.

Thanks again.

Headkaze love your apps too!

[Tempest]

Thanks HK!

Thanks Tempest, Going commando is the shiite.

Tested with GameEx works flawlessly.

For HS I have some minor tweaks to do reguarding focus on emu start.

I tested it first with this batch before I got it going in HS

"J:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe" mame 88games
pause
"J:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe" kill

with the batch I can see that i_view32 or irfanview steals focus away from the bats dos window and does the same to the emu while launching in HS.

So aside from that, I do have it launching on emu start up, with ability to configure it to leave it displaying or turn it off on emulator exit.

This is great! You have outdone yourself.

Thanks again.

Headkaze love your apps too!

I'm not sure what you are saying. Are you using the bat, or was it just for testing purposes?

If you are using the bat, you shouldn't have to do that. The Launch program is a bat of sorts. It launches Marquee Magician, waits 4 seconds, and then exits. I can't wait for the Marquee Magician program to end, because if you have a stats window, it keeps running, updating the stats. I guess as long as the bat works that's fine, but I wonder if I need to make the delay adjustable from the ini for different FEs. (Or possibly different systems).

BTW: I still wear underwear.

[chillinwater]

No I just used the bat to test the proper syntax outside of any front end (usually my first step), sorry!

This is my syntax for GameEx.ini

LaunchOnStart=""j:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\MarQuee Magician - GameEX\Launch MM v2.0.exe" "mame" "[Rom]""
LaunchOnStartNoWait=
LaunchOnExit=""j:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\MarQuee Magician - GameEX\Launch MM v2.0.exe" "kill""
ShellBeforeLaunch=""j:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\MarQuee Magician - GameEX\Launch MM v2.0.exe" "GameEX""
ShellOnExit=""j:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\MarQuee Magician - GameEX\Launch MM v2.0.exe" "kill""

and my syntax for Hs placing it before runnning the emu in Hypelaunch.ahk

Run, "J:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe" mame %romName%    
Run, %executable% %romName%, %EmuPath%, Hide UseErrorLevel

GameEx- flawless

Hyperspin- pretty sure I just have to verify the screen rezzes arnt fighting each other, only tested with mame.

I dont remember the underwear reference and now that I think about it... slowly takes a step back.

Maybe I should take a quicker step!

[Tempest]

No problem, I just wanted to make sure that it was working.

[Tempest]

No I just used the bat to test the proper syntax outside of any front end (usually my first step), sorry!

This is my syntax for GameEx.ini

LaunchOnStart=""j:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\MarQuee Magician - GameEX\Launch MM v2.0.exe" "mame" "[Rom]""
LaunchOnStartNoWait=
LaunchOnExit=""j:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\MarQuee Magician - GameEX\Launch MM v2.0.exe" "kill""
ShellBeforeLaunch=""j:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\MarQuee Magician - GameEX\Launch MM v2.0.exe" "GameEX""
ShellOnExit=""j:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\MarQuee Magician - GameEX\Launch MM v2.0.exe" "kill""

and my syntax for Hs placing it before runnning the emu in Hypelaunch.ahk

Run, "J:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe" mame %romName%    
Run, %executable% %romName%, %EmuPath%, Hide UseErrorLevel

GameEx- flawless

Hyperspin- pretty sure I just have to verify the screen rezzes arnt fighting each other, only tested with mame.

I dont remember the underwear reference and now that I think about it... slowly takes a step back.

Maybe I should take a quicker step!

Just another thought, and this may be silly, but you do know that you can use Marquee Magician to display Boxes, carts, etc. for consoles too?

The only reason I mention it is that in your HS config, you have: Run, "J:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe" mame %romName%

and I would have expected something like: Run, "J:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe" %systemName% %romName%

Marquee Magician will check to see if has a been setup to use a system, and if not, Exit immediately.

Sorry if this is obvious, I just wouldn't want you to miss out on anything.

Regarding the underwear, you said "Going commando is the shiite". Maybe you were refering to yourself?

[chillinwater]

Haha I get it now!

I dont have the isssue with focus anymore after adding "runwait" instead of just "run" see code below.

Yes I do know that about the console box art and other images its a nice touch.

Ive been playing around with i_view32 and have it launching .swf, ani-gif files for HyperSpin Launching Emulator splash screens (needs work, very preliminary) with sound also. Works alongside (no conflicts) with MM.

also your suggestion works perfectly %systemname%.

Thanks again it just keeps gettin better!

Runwait, "J:\HyperSpin\MarQuee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe" %systemName% %romName%    
Runwait, %executable% %romName%, %EmuPath%, Hide UseErrorLevel

[Tempest]

RunWait makes sense because that is what you are effectively doing in GameEx with 'Launch Before'

The templates can be named whatever you want, they are generic patterns that can be used for one or more than one systems.

All of the System dependant information is in the MM.ini. Here is a section from my ini:

[Nintendo 64] < This needs to match your sytem name

Template=FullScreen < Which Template to use

Image1=C:\My Marquee Magician\My Images\CPW N64.png < The path to the image

FileFolder1=1 < Whether this is a file, folder, stats, or HiToText

[glxb]

Hi there I am having trouble with this.

I've set up everything (I think) but Marquee magician doesn't seem to get the rom name from game ex. I'm using your ini but edited for my paths etc.

The default pic will show but not any other.

I'm having the same problem with Mame and Visual Pinball.

I'm using "[ROM]" switch. is this correct?

Please help as this prog is awesome and My cab is being built around using it.

[chillinwater]

Tempest,

Ive been playing around with MM some more,

(using (1) image on the mini screen only)

and discovered that animated gifs also work and if I:

-create a plugins -folder in the MM directory

-add the flash.dll files from the Irfanview\plugins -directory

-add this, "|.SWF" to this line, "Type=.JPG|.PNG|.BMP|.JPEG|.GIF|.IMG|.SWF" in the mm.ini,

That I can launch and display fullscreen on the mini monitors ".swf" files

This is very cool.

However there is one problem with ".swf's" and that is that they are displayed in a windows frame inside the MM

frame.

Ive searched a few times in the Irfanview help file and text doc. to see if there is a way to remove that windows frame but no luck. Off hand do you know of this setting if there is one for ".swf's"?

I havent tested with multiple ani-gif or swf images (or combo of both) on the mini screen yet so I dont know if that works.

I have to create a couple new folders, copy\rename some files and run the MM setup to test it out.

I'll give you an update later today hopefully.

[Tempest]

As I recall, you can run AVIs, and other vids as well. But there were definate issues. One may be the player window, as you describe. Secondly, I don't know if focus would be an issue with vids. I tried it a year or two ago, and ditched it for some reason.

Let me know what you find out.

[Tempest]

Hi there I am having trouble with this.

I've set up everything (I think) but Marquee magician doesn't seem to get the rom name from game ex. I'm using your ini but edited for my paths etc.

The default pic will show but not any other.

I'm having the same problem with Mame and Visual Pinball.

I'm using "[ROM]" switch. is this correct?

Please help as this prog is awesome and My cab is being built around using it.

Solved this in the chat room.

[glxb]

Solved this in the chat room.

Yes all solved however I am now building my CP and I have a monitor in it for instruction cards.

Now I realise MM is only for a second monitor. Any way to enable a third?

Thanks again for your help last time.

[Tempest]

Yes all solved however I am now building my CP and I have a monitor in it for instruction cards.

Now I realise MM is only for a second monitor. Any way to enable a third?

Thanks again for your help last time.

Probably the easiest thing for you to do would be to set up a template for your second monitor. (I'm assuming it will be one image) After the template is created, you can edit the i_view32.ini file in the template to the screen coordinates of your third monitor. For Example:

[WinPosition]

xKoord=640 (Upper left corner of the screen)

yKoord=0 (Upper left corner of the screen)

Width=1024 (Screen Width)

Height=768 (Screen Height)

Maximized=1

[Viewing]

FitWindowOption=2

UseResample=1

[Others]

RememberWinPos=1

[Toolbar]

Flag=0

Please let me know if this does/doesn't work.

[glxb]

Probably the easiest thing for you to do would be to set up a template for your second monitor. (I'm assuming it will be one image) After the template is created, you can edit the i_view32.ini file in the template to the screen coordinates of your third monitor. For Example:

[WinPosition]

xKoord=640 (Upper left corner of the screen)

yKoord=0 (Upper left corner of the screen)

Width=1024 (Screen Width)

Height=768 (Screen Height)

Maximized=1

[Viewing]

FitWindowOption=2

UseResample=1

[Others]

RememberWinPos=1

[Toolbar]

Flag=0

Please let me know if this does/doesn't work.

Ok I get what you mean, but then I couldn't use the second monitor could I?

Perhaps If i set the width to double and have two windows could that work? I'll let you know tomorrow as its getting late here.

[Tempest]

Yeah, I see what you are saying. It would still be possible though. Set up your template for the second monitor the way you want it to look, then add an additional window with the path to the instruction cards. Then, edit the i_view32.ini for the last window with the info for your third monitor.

[glxb]

Yeah, I see what you are saying. It would still be possible though. Set up your template for the second monitor the way you want it to look, then add an additional window with the path to the instruction cards. Then, edit the i_view32.ini for the last window with the info for your third monitor.

OK got it. So I set up the second monitor with both windows then adjust the ini file for the coordinates for the second window. Will try soon.

[glxb]

After a bit of stupidity on my part (looking at wrong ini file) It works like a charm.

Thank you once again for your awesome program and support.

[Tempest]

Your Welcome. Thanks for the kind words.

[glxb]

Thought you might like to see what I'm doing. Control panel obviously not finished.

Sorry about the flash.