GameEx 3.61 - Now Out

[Tom Speirs]

26th April 2005
- GameEx 3.61 - Two much asked for features

Two much asked for features have
now been implemented. I listen!

There is now a global favourites
list across MAME all emulators and daphne.

For users who shell into GameEx
or lock their cabs down because of children. There is now a
special service mode that unlocks the ability to exit, shut
down, update list, create snaps and show game info. To enter
service mode do the following:

1. Keep navigating back to until
   the buffer is cleared. 
2. Go to the start page.
3. Then do these controls in
   order.
4. BACK
5. PAGE UP
6. PAGE DOWN
7. LEFT
8. UP
9. VOLUME UP
   

To lock again and end service
mode follow the same procedure.

This version also fixes the
problem when the latest version did not work when initial
Playlist was set to load on a thread and the new setting to not
play Jukebox at startup was left it at its default from 3.60

Just to let you know, I am
working at getting Robs themes back on line, and am also hoping
to get the MAME mng videos back somehow.

[David R Hilgendorf]

Wow Tom, Awesome additions for a "minor" step release.

I love the idea of lockdown, not sure how well I can remember that combination of button presses on the Arcade cab (a lot of shifted keys). Since I shell in I usually Ctrl-Alt-Del with my wireless keyboard and kill gameex or run explorer manually from task manager.

I think you are the first frontend to support global favorites. At least it's the first frontend I have used that does. I can see myself heavily using this feature based on my gaming habits and the number of emus I have in my cab. Very good stuff.

One of your other users was suggesting that 7z compression was about 1/10 the size of zip for roms. Maybe you could see if recompressing the mng in 7z would reduce the size? I know 4GB is a huge amount of data to transfer, even a 50% reduction would be something. OR maybe break it up into 8x 500MB parts? I haven't been able to get it off of Bittorrent using the various streams I located, but I am still very interested in trying it out.

I need to upgrade my cab, I think I still have 3.52 installed.

[incubus158]

Hey Tom.... its Dave.

I was working on the new build when I got home and I already have some questions.

If I add Abadox for nintendo it appends this:

"AbadoxUEMU4=True|4|Abadox|Abadox (U).nes|Abadox (U)"

Before this was released I was already building .map files with my favorite emulators before this new feature and I would rather use database processing to insert records into this new "ini" file. But I dont understand how GameEx will parse the first column if there is no "|" delimeter. Is this a key of some sort you use? I am just curious what each entity in the ini file stands for. What does the True mean? As well as which one is the display name?

But I already have yet another enhancement request. I was wishing that the favorites list can be viewed when you drill into each emulator, rather than all combined. (I might have to put the name of the system in the display name to make it logical for me)

[Tom Speirs]

Hey Tom.... its Dave. 

I was working on the new build when I got home and I already have some questions. 

If I add Abadox for nintendo it appends this:

"AbadoxUEMU4=True|4|Abadox|Abadox (U).nes|Abadox (U)"

Before this was released I was already building .map files with my favorite emulators before this new feature and I would rather use database processing to insert records into this new "ini" file.  But I dont understand how GameEx will parse the first column if there is no "|" delimeter.  Is this a key of some sort you use?  I am just curious what each entity in the ini file stands for.  What does the True mean? As well as which one is the display name?

But I already have yet another enhancement request.  I was wishing that the favorites list can be viewed when you drill into each emulator, rather than all combined.  (I might have to put the name of the system in the display name to make it logical for me)

Rather than get technical and explain what GameEx does to create favorites, why dont you just add your favorites via the front end?? It will be quicker that way anyway surely??

I may add another menu button on the left of the favorites list which will be 'View by System' this should satisfy your feature request hopefully.

Otherwise just setup your emulator configs just to contain your favorites. Or setup new emu configs just with favorites.

[incubus158]

Okay thanks Tom. Would I have to re-create favorites should you impliment this feature? Or can I go ahead and use the system to add to favorites? It looks like you track the emulator number in the file. I bet you could grab the system name from the configuration to filter with the name of the system.

[acroberts]

Hi,

Great to see the addition of the lock down feature but I agree with one of the other posters about the method of unlocking. I would never be able to remember that sequence of actions. Even the most hammer-happy kids can't manage to hit a combination of three keys at once (e.g. ctrl-shift-u), so perhaps that would be a better solution? Certainly easier to remember.

Cheers,

Ant.

[Tom Speirs]

Okay thanks Tom.  Would I have to re-create favorites should you impliment this feature?  Or can I go ahead and use the system to add to favorites?  It looks like you track the emulator number in the file.  I bet you could grab the system name from the configuration to filter with the name of the system.

Yes and thats exactly what Ill be doing. Spot on.

[Tom Speirs]

Hi,

Great to see the addition of the lock down feature but I agree with one of the other posters about the method of unlocking. I would never be able to remember that sequence of actions. Even the most hammer-happy kids can't manage to hit a combination of three keys at once (e.g. ctrl-shift-u), so perhaps that would be a better solution? Certainly easier to remember.

Cheers,

Ant.

You might be surprised how well you remember it, once youve written it down and used it a few times. I managed to memorise it quickly, and I'm usually crap mentally at things like that.

I did put some thought into this.

Its nowhere need as complex as your average cheat for a console game.

Youd also be surprised what hammer happy kids can do

You could always write it down and lock in your cab.

Of course if you have another suggestion?