a n00b, impressed, with some general questions

**Smiff** · July 10, 2005

First i want to say thanks & congrats, it's the first frontend i've managed to get to work how i want, and it's very professionaly done.

I have looked through the forum a bit and haven't seen these answered, so I hope this is OK:

1) GameEX doesn't seem to run under a different user account (even if that's also an admin). I use one account to install things and another in normal use so this is kinda important :/

log:

3:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Operating System Version: 5.1.2600
23:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Running Randomize()
23:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Running Misc startup tasks
23:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Hiding Cursor
23:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Setting Menu types
23:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Opening Configuration File
23:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Getting Configuration Values
23:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Using Theme: Default - Default
23:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Checking for alternate Image Directory for Theme: Default - Default
23:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Text/Language: English
23:27:00.8 10/07/2005: Applying Language/Text
23:27:00.9 10/07/2005: Snap Delay set to: 4
23:27:00.9 10/07/2005: Is Media Center running?
23:27:00.9 10/07/2005: Check Media Center Exit/Start Mode
23:27:00.9 10/07/2005: Media Center Mode 0
23:27:00.9 10/07/2005: Get other settings
23:27:00.9 10/07/2005: Using DirectInput for keyboard input
23:27:00.9 10/07/2005: Launching HideOS.exe
23:27:06.6 10/07/2005: Hiding Taskbar
23:27:06.6 10/07/2005: Start work for Form
23:27:06.6 10/07/2005: Getting Original Screen Size
23:27:06.6 10/07/2005: Loading ICON
23:27:06.6 10/07/2005: Initializing Component
23:27:06.7 10/07/2005: Using General Font: Trebuchet MS
23:27:06.7 10/07/2005: Using Title Font: Trebuchet MS
23:27:06.7 10/07/2005: Initialising DirectDraw
23:27:06.7 10/07/2005: Applying GameEx is Loading Image
23:27:07.0 10/07/2005: Creating DirectDraw Device
23:27:07.0 10/07/2005: Using Device: RADEON 9550
23:27:07.5 10/07/2005: Setting Resolution to 848x480 32 bit color
23:27:07.6 10/07/2005: Creating DirectDraw Surfaces
23:27:07.6 10/07/2005: Creating Primary Surface - Full Screen Mode
23:27:07.6 10/07/2005: Creating Back Buffer
23:27:07.6 10/07/2005: Loading graphic surfaces
23:27:11.1 10/07/2005: Creating Fonts
23:27:11.1 10/07/2005: Creating Menu Font
23:27:11.4 10/07/2005: Creating Game Font
23:27:11.8 10/07/2005: ERRORS DETECTED: EXITING

am i missing some HKCU? something else? would just installing it again in the other accounts work? (i don't want to break my already half setup installation)

edit: actually right now i can't get it to start at all, arg what have i done :/ log as above.

2) can't get ROMsinFolders to work. i had my SNES roms sorted by genre, when i enable this option no games show up.

3) takes a long time to return after ESCAPING emus - ~5-10 seconds (system specs below). i gather this is normal? can it speeded up in any way? people are complaining

4) any way to choose a different controller to control with? first controller on system is an n64, but using the stick to navigate the menus is awkward, digital d-pad of a snes pad would be much better. i can't easily swap the controllers around, that's a whole other problem :/

5) is there any way to disable ESCAPEing out of GameEX without turning off the exit button on the main page? silly people keep hitting escape and dump back to windows desktop, but i don't really want to kill the ability to exit completely (without CTRL_ALT_DEL, which isnt very neat).

6) HideStandBy - where is the standy button please? (i take it this is to standy by the computer, can't see the option?)

7) ok i got the internal DVD player for work (badly), but i've already got ZoomPlayer set up and working well with a custom filter graph - i hope there's a way to make "Play DVD" in the main menu launch e.g. "zplayer.exe /f /dvd /play"? i have it working under "other games and programs" but that's awkward...

8) why does it start playing background music? i have the jukebox disabled. i have set the path to my root music folder, but music doesn't appear anywhere in the menus. it always starts playing a track from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which is amusing, but not even the first thing in my path, so i'm confused!

that'll do for now

btw i'm Smiff from Project64, glad to see PJ was already in the emu config - yes i can be stupid when trying new things :/

**Smiff** · July 10, 2005

yeah since i tried starting it under another admin account, i get that error always now.. does that ERRORS DETECTED apply to the line above it or what? don't know how to read it or what to do, sorry.

edit: I tried a clean "lite" install and that also won't start:

23:47:33.0  10/07/2005:  GameEx: Version 4.54: Starting Log
23:47:33.0  10/07/2005:  Operating System Platform: Win32NT
23:47:33.0  10/07/2005:  Operating System Name: Windows XP
23:47:33.0  10/07/2005:  Operating System Version: 5.1.2600
23:47:33.0  10/07/2005:  Running Randomize()
23:47:33.0  10/07/2005:  Running Misc startup tasks
23:47:33.0  10/07/2005:  Hiding Cursor
23:47:33.0  10/07/2005:  Setting Menu types
23:47:33.0  10/07/2005:  Opening Configuration File
23:47:33.0  10/07/2005:  Getting Configuration Values
23:47:33.1  10/07/2005:  Using Theme: Default - GameEx - Animated
23:47:33.1  10/07/2005:  Checking for alternate Image Directory for Theme: Default - GameEx - Animated
23:47:33.1  10/07/2005:  Using Images from theme: Default - GameEx\MEDIA\
23:47:33.1  10/07/2005:  Text/Language: English
23:47:33.1  10/07/2005:  Applying Language/Text
23:47:33.1  10/07/2005:  Snap Delay set to: 1
23:47:33.1  10/07/2005:  Is Media Center running?
23:47:33.1  10/07/2005:  Check Media Center Exit/Start Mode
23:47:33.1  10/07/2005:  Media Center Mode 2
23:47:33.1  10/07/2005:  Get other settings
23:47:33.2  10/07/2005:  Launching HideOS.exe
23:47:34.0  10/07/2005:  Hiding Taskbar
23:47:34.0  10/07/2005:  Start work for Form
23:47:34.0  10/07/2005:  Getting Original Screen Size
23:47:34.0  10/07/2005:  Loading ICON
23:47:34.0  10/07/2005:  Initializing Component
23:47:34.1  10/07/2005:  Using General Font: HandelGothic BT
23:47:34.1  10/07/2005:  Using Title Font: HandelGothic BT
23:47:34.1  10/07/2005:  Initialising DirectDraw
23:47:34.1  10/07/2005:  Applying GameEx is Loading Image
23:47:34.2  10/07/2005:  Creating DirectDraw Device
23:47:34.2  10/07/2005:  Using Device: RADEON 9550
23:47:34.2  10/07/2005:  Setting Resolution to 800x600 32 bit color
23:47:34.9  10/07/2005:  Creating DirectDraw Surfaces
23:47:34.9  10/07/2005:  Creating Primary Surface - Full Screen Mode
23:47:34.9  10/07/2005:  Creating Back Buffer
23:47:34.9  10/07/2005:  Loading graphic surfaces
23:47:35.9  10/07/2005:  ERRORS DETECTED: EXITING

GameEX v4.54

WinXP SP2

Athlon 2600+

512MB RDRAM

Radeon 9550 128MB, 5.6 ATI drivers

Powerstrip

848x480 32bit NTSC TV output.

eek what silly noob thing have i done

edit2: it loads now (first the new install, then the original. under the original user account) and i've changed nothing. any ideas for when this happens again please?

**Smiff** · July 11, 2005

(edit: dvd question combined with first post, sorry)

**Tom Speirs** · July 11, 2005

First of all welcome Smiff.

Ill have a shot at answering your qeustions best I can:

1. I really dont know about this, I cant think of any reason, if it has admin access. The point where it is failing shows no light in regard to user. All GameEx is doing there is laoding graphics into DirectX. Errors here are normally related to files or fonts not existing, graphics drivers, graphics memory or RAM.

2. It does not work for anyone. I am aware of this. I need to spend more time working on this.

3. Yep, I know, poeple talk about this. I just answered another post about this. I think there are things that I can do with the code when I have time, but pretty much everyone has varying degrees of this. On my systems its only about 4 seconds.

4. Not currently, but its already been requested, and I do plan to implement it at some stage.

5. Good idea, its now on the list.

6. It was buggy, so I disabled it until I have time to fix it.

7. I like this idea too.

8. Thats normal if you set up a path to your music and have the Jukebox Disabled.

The Jukebox does not use this path, it uses the Windows Media Player Librarry. Either add your music to windows media palyer and use the Jukebox, or delete the path to your music.

**Smiff** · July 11, 2005

great, thanks!

i guess i'd also need a way to specify a player .exe and commandline for movies from the "videos" menu, much like you do with external emulators?

also do you allow multiple paths e.g. if i store some music/movies on network drives? if not is this do-able by any chance (i guess mapping network drives would be fine if you allowed multiple local paths?).

(I don't think this is already possible but there's people using the htpc right now so i can't look, grr!)

perhaps also for pictures, music etc. so the frontend is completely flexible in which software is used.

if i think of anything else i'll let you know, sorry to whack you with loads of stuff. you seem to have a great openness to suggestions - can't believe it took me so long to find this frontend, it's already 98% there!

**Tom Speirs** · July 11, 2005

(I don't think this is already possible but there's people using the htpc right now so i can't look, grr!)
Can't believe it took me so long to find this frontend, it's already 98% there!

Yes it is possible, but no UNC paths, just mapped.

It seems to be one of the best kept secrets in the emu scene. Although theres no reason why it should be.

I think youll find the video player is actually pretty decent compared to what else is out there, hopefully. Especially when you consider it works with remotes and joysticks, and runs well on TV's and displays of varying aspect rations and resolutions.

**Smiff** · July 11, 2005

not saying there's anyting wrong with your player, but why reinvent the wheel for people who already have one they're happy with? i wouldn't expect you to duplicate all the options of e.g. ZoomPlayer

i'll try to get the directshow filters working properly later (oh fun!) so i can try the included player anyway .

edit: oh of course you can add paths with semicolons. /me slaps head. is adding UNC a big problem? slowness?

looking forward to the next version

edit2: about your "unknowness". i can add a note to one of the project64 sites/docs and you'd probably get a few new users that way . perhaps you could even be the "official" supported frontend (one big thing in your favour is that GameEx works with an unmodified pj .exe thanks to your MapKeys, as we (perhaps stupidly, it was my idea) made Escape toggle Fullscreen<>Windowed and a version with customizable shortcuts may not be out for some time).

just want to see how things go around here for a bit first

**Smiff** · July 12, 2005

i found what the issue was with starting GamEX on another user account.. for some reason it doesn't like starting with a VNC Viewer connected to the server on this machine... weird as i start GameEX over VNC just fine on the admin account..

edit2: got it. GameEX doesn't like the Ultra VNC video hook driver. i didn't realise i had it loaded, my silly mistake.

**Smiff** · July 12, 2005

is there a way for GameEx to prevent other applications from stealing focus? there are probably many reasons why this would be useful, but right now my problem is: i have a batch file to start tasks when PC boots, i start GameEx first so it can be loading while other things start, but at the end GameEx is minimised in the Taskbar because PowerStrip has taken focus (if other apps support /min switch it works, but some apps don't?)

so a way for GameEX to not allow itself to be minimised/lose focus? possible? nothing worse than users seeing the windows taskbar and desktop :huh:

**Tom Speirs** · July 12, 2005

is there a way for GameEx to prevent other applications from stealing focus? there are probably many reasons why this would be useful, but right now my problem is: i have a batch file to start tasks when PC boots, i start GameEx first so it can be loading while other things start, but at the end GameEx is minimised in the Taskbar because PowerStrip has taken focus (if other apps support /min switch it works, but some apps don't?)
so a way for GameEX to not allow itself to be minimised/lose focus? possible? nothing worse than users seeing the windows taskbar and desktop

I am not keen on building this functionality into GameEx, I cant think of any reasons, and it would likely cause tons of problems. I dont know of any good windows app that behaves like that. A better approach would be to write a simple AutoIT script, that you would launch with your batch file at startup. Then either wait a few seconds and set focus, or continually check the GameEx windows and give it focus if it does not have it.

Check out AutoIT. That's what I used to get Project64 to work with Gamelauncher

**Smiff** · July 14, 2005

i figure i'll keep all my Qs in one thread.

thanks for the tip.

is there no progress bar for videos/multimedia? something you can click in and jump around?

**Tom Speirs** · July 14, 2005

i figure i'll keep all my Qs in one thread.
thanks for the tip.
is there no progress bar for videos/multimedia? something you can click in and jump around?

I may add a progress bar later, but it wont be controllable with the mouse.

**Smiff** · July 14, 2005

i'm really hoping for ability to use ZoomPlayer for videos (please)

**Tom Speirs** · July 14, 2005

i'm really hoping for ability to use ZoomPlayer for videos (please)

Sorry, but thats not high on my list. You can of course set it up as an emulator.

**Smiff** · July 16, 2005

understood.

edit: my bad sorry, you have to edit text in English.ini, not GameEx.ini.

**Smiff** · July 16, 2005

my problem right now, which you'd be quite within your rights to say isn't your problem, is how to get GameEx to work with power management on my HTPC.

Using GameEx as main (only) frontend and running all the time.

MAME attract mode is nice, but after e.g. an hour i want the PC to go on Standy. i tried Standby while GameEx was running and something horrible happened, it wouldn't wake up*. so i'm afraid to try that again. as a DirectX app i'm not sure if Windows can properly cope with this..

would really appreciate any ideas.. perhaps i need something to monitor activity in the background and after a time shut down GameEx and then Standy the system, then when waking up reload GameEx.

?

(*edit: i notice you took out your Standy option, is this why?)

I can't have the machine getting hot & using power running MAME the whole time.. :/

**Tom Speirs** · July 16, 2005

understood.
edit: my bad sorry, you have to edit text in English.ini, not GameEx.ini.

Either that or set the language to 'Custom'

**Smiff** · July 17, 2005

thought of possible workaround to power saving problem (though won't be automatic)

enable logoff option, rename to "exit and standby" or similar, set a short standby timeout in windows - should work. GameEX does block the screensaver right? script will restart GameEx when logged on. i'll try later.

edit: yah seems to work..

feel like adding an "auto [logoff/shutdown/choose option from that menu] after x minutes inactivity" option to help me out here ?

edit2: ok got it to basically work - without logging off Windows, standing by and resuming the system by just exiting GameEx, using 4.61's new onstart/onexit lines (thanks!) PSshutdown and various batch files.. bit hammy, needs some testing.

edit3: it's quite cool - when you quit GameEx you get a shutdown countdown for x seconds. if you abort this, GameEx reloads. seems pretty safe want to test this before offering it to anyone else though, also it's not very elegant

has the nice side benefit that it restarts GameEx if it should crash (not that it does )

all i really need now is a "exit GameEx after x minutes inactivity" option (which triggers the OnExit command). could be a single line in the config where 0 (default)=disable.

please, do-able?

**Smiff** · July 17, 2005

ok, about the Picture viewer & slideshow

1) can you use some filtering (bilinear, lanczos?) please, they look rather artifacty and "jittery"*

2) can you please respect the EXIF image rotation tag (as e.g. IrfanView does)?

so all the pictures come out looking good

this would be great! although, i don't know what libraries etc. you're using to display the pics

* just realised this will probably rule out stretching/zoom type operations because of the speed hit, but i'd be happy to have an option that only pans/fades etc.

**Smiff** · July 17, 2005

i can't see the custom language option, sorry?

**Smiff** · July 18, 2005

any way to rearrange the order of the menu items?

edit: answered the 2nd Q myself.

**Smiff** · July 19, 2005

sorry OT but

how do i stop this forum sending me emails? i've tried every option i can see.

**Tom Speirs** · July 19, 2005

sorry OT but
how do i stop this forum sending me emails? i've tried every option i can see.

Turn off 'Send me any updates sent by the board administrator'

**Smiff** · July 19, 2005

i did. and its still off, and im still getting emails.

**Tom Speirs** · July 19, 2005

i did. and its still off, and im still getting emails.

You now probably need to unsubscribe too.

a n00b, impressed, with some general questions

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