[PLUGIN] LCD/LED Plugin 1.92

[ourgrace]

I loaded everything up on another system and tried it out, and this is what I got this time.

System.runtime.Interopservices.Com exception (0x8004503A): Exception from HRESULT: 0x004503A at SpeechLib.SpVoiceClass.Speak(String Text,SpeechVoiceSpeakFlags Flags) at GameEx.Plugin.SpeakButtons(ControlsDat.control)

Bob

Heh back when debugging the system literally meant removing insects out of the hardware.

Dang thats dating your self...I recall reel to reel, tho didn't do any hands on till 5.25 single sided floppys came out.

Heh well its good to know I"m not the oldest here.

Well the punch card reader was old then, but the reel to reel on the mainframe wasn't. I still have some 5.25s in a box somewhere.

Bob

[ourgrace]

Back on my cab now I am not having problems with the plugin now, I goofed around with it for about 2 hours (playing games, scrolling the lists, restarting gameex and restarting the PC) with no problems

My brother and his kids are coming over tonight so I know it will get a work out.

Bob

[headkaze]

LCD/LED Plugin 0.95 BETA Released (download from first post)

Okay, I've just finished the LEDWiz Attract Mode, although I can't test this myself. It should randomly choose between 3 types of attract mode, one is a 5 pattern set, the second lights each button up, the 3rd has the LED's dancing to music.

Each Attract Mode should play for 10 seconds, then change effect. If you get some time ourgrace, could you test the attract mode.

[ourgrace]

I think they are working the way you want them to. it really looks cool.

I got the same error again once. It was on Arlington horse racing, and after I restarted GameEx I tried to run the game again and it worked fine.

System.InvalidCastException: QueryInterface for Interface SpeechLib.ISpeechVoice Failed at SpeechLib.SpVoiceClass.Speak(String Text,SpeechVoiceSpeakFlags Flags) at GameEx.Plugin.SpeakButtons(ControlsDat.control)

One thing I did notice last night was the on one player only games it lights up the two player button insted of the one player button.

Bob

[headkaze]

I think they are working the way you want them to. it really looks cool.

So just to verify...

1. Attract mode randomly selects from 3 effect types (Attract/Demo/Audio and about 10 seconds for each)

2. Audio attract has the LED's dancing to music

3. When you exit attract mode everything works fine again

4. It works again when starting up attract mode the second time

I got the same error again once. It was on Arlington horse racing, and after I restarted GameEx I tried to run the game again and it worked fine.

System.InvalidCastException: QueryInterface for Interface SpeechLib.ISpeechVoice Failed at SpeechLib.SpVoiceClass.Speak(String Text,SpeechVoiceSpeakFlags Flags) at GameEx.Plugin.SpeakButtons(ControlsDat.control)

I'm really not sure about this exception your getting. I've been looking up this error everywhere and can't find it. I really need to see if someone else with a LEDWiz gets this error so I can determine if it's a plugin issue or an issue with your system.

One thing I did notice last night was the on one player only games it lights up the two player button insted of the one player button.

When you say "two player button instead of the one player button" do you mean all the buttons for player 2 light up instead of for player 1? Or do you mean the start buttons or the coin buttons? Did you make sure your outputs to your LEDWiz are correct?

[ourgrace]

Ok

So just to verify...

1. Attract mode randomly selects from 3 effect types (Attract/Demo/Audio and about 10 seconds for each)

2. Audio attract has the LED's dancing to music

3. When you exit attract mode everything works fine again

4. It works again when starting up attract mode the second time

1. Yes, and when it switches it lights up all the buttons.

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. Yes

When you say "two player button instead of the one player button" do you mean all the buttons for player 2 light up instead of for player 1? Or do you mean the start buttons or the coin buttons? Did you make sure your outputs to your LEDWiz are correct?

Its the 2 player start button that lights up, because I got them goofed up in the configuration, whoops...

Bob

[headkaze]

Ahhh cool, cos I was looking at the code wondering how the hell it would light up the wrong start button hehe Thanks for verifying

Now I think it's probably time for some requests. Any changes, ideas, extra options you would like for this plugin? Anything annoy you about the way it works, or something you would like added? Let me know and I'll see what I can do.

[ourgrace]

Ahhh cool, cos I was looking at the code wondering how the hell it would light up the wrong start button hehe Thanks for verifying

Well.... Umm.... Sorry about that.

I'm going to talk to a few of the people that have played on my cab in the last few days and see if they have any thoughts on this,

The only thing that annoys me is that the buttons stay lit even when there isn't any control data for the game that is highlighted.

One idea I had would be a easy way for us "non-software" types to change the attract mode patterns.

Bob

[headkaze]

Well.... Umm.... Sorry about that.

I'm going to talk to a few of the people that have played on my cab in the last few days and see if they have any thoughts on this,

The only thing that annoys me is that the buttons stay lit even when there isn't any control data for the game that is highlighted.

One idea I had would be a easy way for us "non-software" types to change the attract mode patterns.

Bob

Okay, buttons shouldn't stay lit when there is no control data for a game.

I've added support for custom made LWA files (place them in GameEx\PLUGINS\LWA) so you can have your own animations play randomly in attract mode (no LWA folder uses the default animations). You need the GGG software to create them.

If you can test the above two work okay and get back to me any problems, thanks.

[loadman]

The Irony.

I bought 2 x LEDWiz to help with LEDWiz Support for MaLa.

But I already have MaLa hardware on my cab and that kicks butt so I have no need for LedWiz soon.

Here's the Bit

I will probably put the Led-Wiz on my JukeBox with GameEx soon

StandyBy for Suggestions HEADKAZE!

he he he

[headkaze]

Thats cool loadman!

I also think the LED's dancing to music is a good feature for a jukebox. With the basic FFT audio code already in there I could probably add a few more audio features. I wonder if there is a notification in the plugin spec to say when your in jukebox mode. I should have the audio attract mode run in there too. Might be good for Karaoke mode too. I'll ask Tom about that.

Hmm I wish I had the time to build a jukebox or cocktail cab.

[Toonces]

WOW! I am preparing to redo my cab after the last 2 years and was going to remove the LEDWiz since I wasn't getting much use out of it (PowerMame is quite old and I want to update to a later version of mame) and come to get the latest version of GameEx (still running 5.46) and find this! Excellent work Headkaze!

I am reloading from scratch using the Jacked! version of XP Pro to see how a very thin XP install does for the cab. Hopefully there's enough of the core OS there for everything to work. When I get it all installed I'll try to help out with the testing.

Thanks!

Toonces

[Tom Speirs]

Glad to see your still around toonces.

In terms of the lite install, I think yourll be ok as long as you have .net installed and wmp.

FYI: No need for .net 1.1 anymore, and all future versions are going to run purely under 2.0 anyway from the next release.

[Toonces]

Glad to see your still around toonces.

In terms of the lite install, I think yourll be ok as long as you have .net installed and wmp.

FYI: No need for .net 1.1 anymore, and all future versions are going to run purely under 2.0 anyway from the next release.

Yep! I am still around. It's a real testament to GameEx that I haven't *Needed* to update it in the last year on my main cab. It's been working great with 2 GPWiz-49 sticks using GameEx's built in support and an LEDWiz using PowerMAME to get in game LED's. Now that Headkaze has built this plugin I guess I'll keep the LEDWiz in there!

Cheers!

Toonces

[Tom Speirs]

Yep! I am still around. It's a real testament to GameEx that I haven't *Needed* to update it in the last year on my main cab. It's been working great with 2 GPWiz-49 sticks using GameEx's built in support and an LEDWiz using PowerMAME to get in game LED's. Now that Headkaze has built this plugin I guess I'll keep the LEDWiz in there!

Cheers!

Toonces

Shhh! I want people to update!

Cheers.

[Toonces]

Shhh! I want people to update!

Cheers.

hehe, ok, I won't tell anyone that your software is stable and reliable and just plain works

Toonces

[loadman]

Thats cool loadman!

I also think the LED's dancing to music is a good feature for a jukebox. With the basic FFT audio code already in there I could probably add a few more audio features. I wonder if there is a notification in the plugin spec to say when your in jukebox mode. I should have the audio attract mode run in there too. Might be good for Karaoke mode too. I'll ask Tom about that.

Hmm I wish I had the time to build a jukebox or cocktail cab.

Bring on the LEDS for Jukebox I say.... :-) Or do I have to write my own Plug-ins? he he

My cocktail cab is a retro fit of an existing one. Galaga I think it was?

And my jukebox is a constant work in Progress for the last couple of years. I have all the hardware and the software I just need to put it together.

having said that the PC has 150GB of MP3 on it (don't ask) and has been a hit for parties already

[iano]

Ahhh cool, cos I was looking at the code wondering how the hell it would light up the wrong start button hehe Thanks for verifying

Now I think it's probably time for some requests. Any changes, ideas, extra options you would like for this plugin? Anything annoy you about the way it works, or something you would like added? Let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Hi Headkaze. Still waiting on LedWiz to arrive but was thinking it would be cool if when you're in jukebox and playing music your player1 & player2 buttons would behave like sound pressure level meters ie. light up in accordance with music volume.

For example, i have my player1 & player2 buttons laid out like this (sorry about the crudeness):

p1 p2

123 123

456 456

78 78

I would like buttons 7&8 for both player1&2 to skip along to the beat. Using the two rows of remaining buttons on player1&2 to act like dual volume meters starting with buttons 3&6 on player1 / buttons 1&4 on player2 for lowest volume, buttons 2&5 on player1/player2 for medium volume and lastly buttons 1&4 on player1 / buttons 3&6 on player2 for maximum volume. Don't know how much hassle this is to do but i think it would look great.

Cheers,

iano.

[headkaze]

Tom has assured me that there is an update to the plugin spec that will allow LED's dancing to music duing Jukebox and Karaoke mode Again, Tom is the man!

As for every button lighting up the way you want iano, well I will try, but I'm writing this plugin for everyone so I'm trying to make it work on everyone's system and LEDWiz setup. Do some testing when you setup your machine, and then I can consider adding some of your requests. Just at the moment, they sound a little specific, lets try for something that everyone can use eh?

[iano]

Tom has assured me that there is an update to the plugin spec that will allow LED's dancing to music duing Jukebox and Karaoke mode Again, Tom is the man!

As for every button lighting up the way you want iano, well I will try, but I'm writing this plugin for everyone so I'm trying to make it work on everyone's system and LEDWiz setup. Do some testing when you setup your machine, and then I can consider adding some of your requests. Just at the moment, they sound a little specific, lets try for something that everyone can use eh?

Hi HK. No sweat - can't wait for the LEDWiz to arrive ! Will there be / is there a way for users to do this for themselves ?

Cheers,

iano.

[headkaze]

This plugin is BETA so, the more response, the more requests, the more I will feel enclinded to change and update it. Right now, it's very BETA and test stage, but I will be around to update it. Hang around and help out, and it helps motivate me to make it better. Eg. I just added the ability to add your own lwa files for attract mode. That was a request from ourgrace and I did it because he's a beta tester. More to come!

[loadman]

Tom has assured me that there is an update to the plugin spec that will allow LED's dancing to music duing Jukebox and Karaoke mode Again, Tom is the man!

How super cool!

Where do you guys find the time?

[ourgrace]

Okay, buttons shouldn't stay lit when there is no control data for a game.

I've added support for custom made LWA files (place them in GameEx\PLUGINS\LWA) so you can have your own animations play randomly in attract mode (no LWA folder uses the default animations). You need the GGG software to create them.

If you can test the above two work okay and get back to me any problems, thanks.

Once again you have done it right the fist time!

Both are working Great

[headkaze]

LCD/LED Plugin 0.97 Released

- Added LEDWiz Plasma Attract Mode.

I hope I havn't broken anything in this new release. I've added another LEDWiz attract mode called Plasma. It should look better with RGB LED's, I'm not sure if it will look any good on Single colors ones. The Plasma effect looks like waves of colour rolling around.

EDIT: Oops just found and fixed a bug which would cause Plasma mode to not work. Also added 2 new colour palettes for Plasma Attract mode. If the Plasma mode didn't work for you then try downloading again.

[ourgrace]

I wanted to put this in before I forget (Us "old guys" do that sometimes), After I change my leds over to 3 color would it be possible to have the bottons light up one color for the games and use all the colors for attract and audio modes?

Ill test the "Plasma Attract Mode" tonight and let you know.

ourgrace