How to Fade Out the lists ( or wheel )?

[Rochabian]

Hi.

I was wondering if it was possible to fade out the lists on the menu to better show artworks and hide the wheel after a certain time of inactivity (2 sec?)

I don't have seen any option about this in the theme editor or in the setup wizard

Is it implemented?

Thanks

[Draco1962]

If you are asking about GameEx Arcade, the wheel fades out after about 5 seconds or so of keypress or mouse movement.

[Rochabian]

No such option in standard GameEx ? I'm using standard version

I think it's time to try the Arcade version

[Rochabian]

I've tested GameEx Arcade, but the wheel doesn't fade out!

Does it needs a plugin or can you tell me where to enable this?

Thanks

[RedDog]

I tested this in GameEx Arcade in the Mame menu, and it worked fine for me. The timing is more like 10 seconds instead of 5 and the logo wheel didn't fade away, it slid to the right off screen. Try waiting a bit longer.

I do not believe there are any settings for controlling the visibility of the wheel. I would expect them to be in the Display Settings or Enable/Disable Features area and I did not note anything.

[Rochabian]

Thanks for your help but it seems something is broken.... The wheel doesn't slid

I've tried with standard installation, then with draco's theme in case it is theme related....nope

Then GAmeEx Arcade was uninstalled completely and GameEx folder deleted. After reinstall, still not working, using the latest installer

I've injected my licence in case it was licence related but no way.

It doesn't work on 2 differents PC, so i don't know what to do next...

As you can see in the video below, i wait more than 10 sec on a title

 

Wheel_not_sliding.avi

[RedDog]

OK, I am beginning to see something here.

@Rochabian, Is the Mame you showed in your video configured in the Emulator Setup area or the Mame Settings area?

I ask because GameEx Arcade has a specific section for configuring Mame called Mame Settings. When you set Mame up there, you will get the ability to make all sorts of menus available like 'Show All Games', 'Show 4 Player Games', etc. When you navigate these menus in GameEx, the wheel will shift out of view when the GUI is left idle for around 10 seconds.

However, I just found that for emulators set up in the Emulator Setup section, the wheel does not shift when the GUI is left idle. If you set up your Mame in this section, that explains why you are seeing something different than Draco and I. Please confirm. This does look like a minor oversight that Tom (the dev) probably missed.

 

Side Note #1: You are missing out on some bells and whistles that the Mame Setting section gives you. However, if you like the simpler GUI setup that the Emulator Setup sections gives you, there is nothing wrong with doing it that way.

Side Note #2: I ran your video in VLC and it said it was broken. I was able to few some of it, but I am not sure if I was able to see it all. Anyway, it still helped enough.

[Rochabian]

@RedDog

Yes i've used the MAME settings to setup MAME . In the video, i'm browsing games from the "all mame games" menu, and it doesn't work . If it doesn't work for other emus for you too, perhaps there is a setting that is broken in the last installer, because i've used default settings, so MAME is configured in the 'MAME settings" and it still doesn't slide.

For me it doesn't work for MAME and other Emulators

As it is working for you, can you share your Gameex.ini to see if a setting is missing in mine ?

Thanks

[Draco1962]

The effect you are describing is not a theme option or controlled by a selectable setting. Not sure what may be causing it to not work for you unless something is generating a keypress that is retarding the action from occurring. 

[Rochabian]

It's not something generating a keypress because the screensaver is launching after 4 minutes and works well, so Gamex detects inactivity 

[RedDog]

One thing I would like to point out from the video is that you do not remain idle for more than a few seconds. Please try going into the Mame All Games menu and let it sit idle for 30 seconds and report back. N o video necessary. I just want to confirm with a test.

Also, please post your gamex.ini and log.txt.

[Rochabian]

In the video (indeed it was broken) i stay idle for 20 seconds. I've tried to stay idle more than 4 minutes and the screensaver has started (was set to 4 minutes)

Log and ini attached

Thanks

GameEx.ini

log.txt

[Draco1962]

Something doesn't look right in your log.txt files. Did you configure your integrated MAME setup?

Spoiler

22:46:58.72  07/03/2018:  MAME Path is: C:\Emulators\Mame32
22:46:58.73  07/03/2018:  Cannot Find MAME Path: MAME Disabled
22:46:58.73  07/03/2018:  MAME EXE file is: Mame32.exe
22:46:58.73  07/03/2018:  Cannot Find Mame.exe
22:46:58.74  07/03/2018:  Searching for MAME executable..
22:46:58.74  07/03/2018:  Invalid ROM Path: 
22:46:58.74  07/03/2018:  Catver.ini is located at: C:\GameEx Arcade Edition\DATA\catver.ini
22:46:58.75  07/03/2018:  controls.ini is located at: C:\GameEx Arcade Edition\DATA\controls.ini
22:46:58.78  07/03/2018:  History.dat is located at: C:\GameEx Arcade Edition\DATA\history.dat
22:46:58.78  07/03/2018:  nplayers.ini is located at: C:\GameEx Arcade Edition\DATA\nplayers.ini
22:46:58.78  07/03/2018:  command.dat is located at: C:\GameEx Arcade Edition\DATA\command.dat
22:46:58.79  07/03/2018:  MAMEinfo.dat is located at: C:\GameEx Arcade Edition\DATA\mameinfo.dat
22:46:58.79  07/03/2018:  Snap Path: Not Found
22:46:58.80  07/03/2018:  Database Snap Path: Not Found
22:46:58.80  07/03/2018:  Background Snap Path: Not Found
22:46:58.80  07/03/2018:  AVI Snap Path: Not Found
22:46:58.80  07/03/2018:  Video theme Path: Not Found
22:46:58.81  07/03/2018:  Video background Path: Not Found
22:46:58.81  07/03/2018:  Flyer Path: Not Found
22:46:58.81  07/03/2018:  Cabinet Path: Not Found
22:46:58.82  07/03/2018:  Cabinet 3D Path: Not Found
22:46:58.82  07/03/2018:  Title Path: Not Found
22:46:58.82  07/03/2018:  Title Path: Not Found
22:46:58.82  07/03/2018:  PCB Path: Not Found
22:46:58.83  07/03/2018:  Artwork Preview Path: Not Found
22:46:58.83  07/03/2018:  Panel Path: Not Found
22:46:58.83  07/03/2018:  Manual Path: Not Found
22:46:58.84  07/03/2018:  Icon Path: Not Found
22:46:58.84  07/03/2018:  Marquee Path: Not Found

 

 

[RedDog]

@Draco1962 Rochabian does not have any other emulators set up yet. It does look like the intention here is to use the integrated Mame               Settings.

@Rochabian I think what Draco is referring to in the log is that there is an error message that says your Mame path is invalid. You should correct the path, confirm the executable, and then recompile your game list. It would be a little odd if this was somehow the reason...but...

I loaded your config on my GameEx Arcade setup and only updated the Mame Settings. The logos did shift out of view after 10 seconds or so. Attached is that Here is that gameex.ini file for reference.

NOTE: We know that the slide does not happen with emulators in the Emulator Setup area...and that is likely a bug (which we will escalate); but it it would be nice to narrow this issue down first in case we need to do both.

GameEx.ini

[Draco1962]

@RedDog yeah I got that about the emulators, I was focusing on MAME. He needs to get that fixed for certain.

[Rochabian]

@RedDog I've tried with your Gameex.ini and the wheel doesn't slide too, browsing games from " All Games" menu

Then i've setup Mame exe and update list but it still doesn't work.

I don't know if it could be related but i use a French Windows 10 x64 1709. For some software regional parameters causes trouble, so i've set it to "english" but it was the same....

Could you post your Gameex.exe ?

GameEx.ini

log.txt

[Draco1962]

Please attach updated gameex.ini and log.txt files.

[Rochabian]

Here they are

log.txt

GameEx.ini

[RedDog]

@Rochabian I found something interesting that may help you.

I have all of my roms and assets on an external hard drive that I only turn on when I want to use it. I was tinkering with GameEx Arcade today and forgot to turn the drive on. When I went into the All Games for Mame, the list failed to shift to the right when it was idle. It wasn't until I turned my drive on and ran GameEx Arcade that the wheel for Mame would shift out of view after idling around 10 seconds. I later turned the drive off and tested again and the shifting did not happen.

It seams like an odd relationship, but since the mame game list and some of the assets are kept in the GameEx Arcade folder, it may be an unexpected side affect of not having access to content it expects.

It looks like you set up your mame now. Have you regenerated the game list and retested since you made the change?

 

[Rochabian]

I think i've found the problem

I've completely setup MAME path and now it works.......for certain games...

In fact, if a game has no video set up, the wheel will not slide

I've not verified for other Emulators if it the same but i think it is

If no video is found, whenever you have snap or boxes, the wheel doesn't slide

Can a modification be made to slide the wheel even if there is no video in background ?

I've tested MAME games and for some i don't have videos and the whell doesn't slide

Thanks for your advice RedDog !

 

EDIT: It works for other emulators than MAME ONLY IF a game has a Video Theme

As there is not many Video Theme for other emulators, i think it should be sliding whenever it has no video or background video

[RedDog]

I do think you figured it out. I went back and retested the same thing in the Emulator Setup and found that if I assigned my Video Snap folder to the Video Theme path, the videos would play in the background as a theme and the wheel would shift out of view after 10 seconds or so.

When GameEx Arcade was first released, I grabbed the Theme videos from emumovies. Since I have always had video themes for Mame, the 'shifting' just always worked for me. I did not even realize that there was some conditional functionality in place with the wheel.

However, I no longer feel it is a bug, but is likely intentional functionality. Pushing aside the wheel to show off a video background makes sense - as it looks very similar to a screen saver, but it doesn't really fit for me for for scrolling logos (if no theme or video snap is available).

I suggest putting up a request in the Feature Request thread here if you really feel a change is necessary.

 

Either way, do yourself a favor first and start downloading assets for your setup. Go to emumovies and create a free (or paid) account. Also set your Automatic Artwork Download to  your emumovies login. GameEx will automatically download up to 250megs of assets each day for free accounts (unlimited for paid). It will name the asset files to match the rom names and place them in the folders you designate in the Mame Settings and Emulator Settings. If you go the free route, you should have Logos, Snaps, and Titles in a only few days. GameEx will look nicer once some of those graphic assets start popping up. Then, set a default video background (such as the GameEx theme background or a Mame montage) and you will have a nice basic setup.

Then, once you have a more filled out and prettier setup, you can decide if it still merit's a change.

[Rochabian]

OK, now we know how it works, i will explain what is this thread about.

I've done some themes myself with custom menu in Gameex. I'm a lifetime member of Emumovie, GameEx & Hyperspin so i have more than 250Gb of media for all my emulators setup in Gammex (about 30 systems).

I recently discovered HyperPie 2 and i've found it absolutly eye-candy

So i have created in Gameex a custom theme with custom menu, that is in my opinion very near HyperPie with the great functions of Gameex in addition, quite perfect.

BUT i don't have the wheel that slide off...... I have set background image for each game and i think it will be better if the wheel slide to see the background (whenever it's not a video theme)

So i am caught between two stools :

With Gameex i can create custom menu but can't have the wheel sliding

With Gameex Arcade i can have the sliding wheel but not custom menu

As Gameex is normally more complete and has more functions than Gameex Arcade (for me Gameex is more for advanced users) , why can't we set a video theme folder for each emulator and then be able to view this wheel sliding ?

Perhaps it's more complicated to code because in Gameex we can change view but it will be a great addition for this quite perfect frontend

Thanks

 

[RedDog]

I think the best way to go would be to request that the wheel slide functionality be added to GameEx as well as Updates to GameEx and GameEx Arcade: a way to choose the idle duration of the wheel slide like "never, 5, 10, 15, 20 seconds" as well as a way to apply the wheel slide to "background video only, background video and background snaps". Perhaps some additional parameters could be created in the Display Settings.

I would not be surprised if it was an oversight that the wheel slide was not included in the GameEx wheel views. I would think that the devs would prefer that the wheel would operate in the same manner on both platforms, though they may decide to leave GameEx Arcade as it is to keep it's simpler setup.

It never hurts to ask.

[Rochabian]

@RedDog All your suggestions put glitter in my eyes  . I remember that i've already requested some of your suggestions in the appropriate topic about 6 or more months ago, but i don't have seen that GameEx Arcade was updated with sliding wheel. I hope it can be adapted to GameEx.

@RedDog @Draco1962 Thanks for this very interesting conversation

 

[Draco1962]

I believe the wheel fade was added before Tom added the online systems and other emulators, which, if I an correct, might explain why it is not present for them.