Problems with AcradeVGA

[Alex Gerst]

I am fairly new to GameEX! I have been reading the forums and they have been extremely helpful. However I am having troubles launching certain games in MAME with GameEX.

I had everything working well connected to a PC monitor with a dell computer and then I bought a ArcadeVGA card from Ultramark and come to find out it doesn't work with dell computers very well so now everything is moved over to a Compaq 2.4 box and everything is good, But when I launch certain game like Centipede or Joust GameEX shows that it's loading, the black screen comes up and then it goes back to GameEX menu screen. Is there something I need to tweak in the video settings? Also I am running at 640x480 thru the arcadevga utility.

Thanks, Alex

[Brian Hoffman]

I am fairly new to GameEX! I have been reading the forums and they have been extremely helpful. However I am having troubles launching certain games in MAME with GameEX.

I had everything working well connected to a PC monitor with a dell computer and then I bought a ArcadeVGA card from Ultramark and come to find out it doesn't work with dell computers very well so now everything is moved over to a Compaq 2.4 box and everything is good, But when I launch certain game like Centipede or Joust GameEX shows that it's loading, the black screen comes up and then it goes back to GameEX menu screen. Is there something I need to tweak in the video settings? Also I am running at 640x480 thru the arcadevga utility.

Thanks, Alex

check out the runlastgame.bat located in the gameex progtams group.

right click and edit it. highland and copy the command. open your command prompt and paste the command in .

Look at what the error is/

[Alex Gerst]

check out the runlastgame.bat located in the gameex progtams group.

right click and edit it. highland and copy the command. open your command prompt and paste the command in .

Look at what the error is/

Hey there Brian, I am unable to locate that file would it be in gameex/data ? I see runut.bat and runitgame.bat but no runlastgame.bat I looked in every folder of GameEx but I could not find it.

[headkaze]

Start->Programs->GameEx->Run Last Game

[Alex Gerst]

Start->Programs->GameEx->Run Last Game

Hey Haedkaze! I looked at it and im not sure what to look for that is out of the ordnary but here is what it says when I try and run Joust Red label.........

C:

CD "C:\Emulators\AdvanceMAME"

advmame.exe joustr -device_video_output fullscreen -quiet -dir_rom "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms"

Let me know what you think, Thanks, Alex

[Brian Hoffman]

Hey Haedkaze! I looked at it and im not sure what to look for that is out of the ordnary but here is what it says when I try and run Joust Red label.........

C:

CD "C:\Emulators\AdvanceMAME"

advmame.exe joustr -device_video_output fullscreen -quiet -dir_rom "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms"

Let me know what you think, Thanks, Alex

Open up the command prompt and paste in.

CD "C:\Emulators\AdvanceMAME"

advmame.exe joustr -device_video_output fullscreen -quiet -dir_rom "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms"

Then see what the error says.. This should point you in the right direction.

[Alex Gerst]

Open up the command prompt and paste in.

CD "C:\Emulators\AdvanceMAME"

advmame.exe joustr -device_video_output fullscreen -quiet -dir_rom "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms"

Then see what the error says.. This should point you in the right direction.

OK, the error says "Multiple game name definition, joustr and dir_rom.

Also one thing it did try is launching joust red label from Mame32 and would flash somthing really quick and then go back to Mame32 menu the version of mame32 is 0.109.0.0

Now I was able to launch an older version of mame32 version 0.88.0.0 and it worked fine. Do I need another version of mame to use with GameEX?

[Brian Hoffman]

Open up the command prompt and paste in.

CD "C:\Emulators\AdvanceMAME"

advmame.exe joustr -device_video_output fullscreen -quiet -dir_rom "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms"

Then see what the error says.. This should point you in the right direction.

OK, the error says "Multiple game name definition, joustr and dir_rom.

Also one thing it did try is launching joust red label from Mame32 and would flash somthing really quick and then go back to Mame32 menu the version of mame32 is 0.109.0.0

Now I was able to launch an older version of mame32 version 0.88.0.0 and it worked fine. Do I need another version of mame to use with GameEX?

Ok now I'am confused are you using advancemame or mame32?

the advmame error looks like it thinks your trying to load two roms at once joustr and dir_rom.

Now I know you are just trying to specify your rom directory.. Mabye you got your command wrong.

Id suggest copying advancemame into the C:\Emulators\Mame32 directory. This way the rompath will be in the default location and you will not need to specify a diffrent location... Id also remove that from the command line.

If you are using mame32 then just use the mame settings/advanced settings. Not advanced mame.

[Alex Gerst]

Ok now I'am confused are you using advancemame or mame32?

the advmame error looks like it thinks your trying to load two roms at once joustr and dir_rom.

Now I know you are just trying to specify your rom directory.. Mabye you got your command wrong.

Id suggest copying advancemame into the C:\Emulators\Mame32 directory. This way the rompath will be in the default location and you will not need to specify a diffrent location... Id also remove that from the command line.

If you are using mame32 then just use the mame settings/advanced settings. Not advanced mame.

Brian, I have set in the GameEX advanced Conf menu under advanced mame settings to use advance mame. You had said to copy the advance mame in to my mame32 folder would that be everything in the folder or just the exe? my advancemame rom folder is empty all of my mame roms are in the mame32\roms folder.

[Alex Gerst]

I just tried to run this at the command line

CD "C:\Emulators\Mame32"

Mame32.exe defender -rompath "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms" -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -resolution 296x240 -nohwstretch

And it tried to load and then it went back to the command prompt, do you think it might have to do with and video setting ? Is it outside the limits of the video card?

[Brian Hoffman]

I just tried to run this at the command line

CD "C:\Emulators\Mame32"

Mame32.exe defender -rompath "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms" -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -resolution 296x240 -nohwstretch

And it tried to load and then it went back to the command prompt, do you think it might have to do with and video setting ? Is it outside the limits of the video card?

It could be just try

Mame32.exe defender -rompath "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms" -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy

see what happens

[Alex Gerst]

It could be just try

Mame32.exe defender -rompath "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms" -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy

see what happens

I tried it and I could see the"loading screen" a little longer this time but then it put me back to the command prompt.

[Brian Hoffman]

I tried it and I could see the"loading screen" a little longer this time but then it put me back to the command prompt.

Mame32.exe defender -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -rompath "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms"

Do any games work? So far Ive seen your are only trying vertical games... try streetfighter 2

Then we can go from there...

What is your desktop resolution? you can try the keep aspect ratio switch.

[Alex Gerst]

Mame32.exe defender -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -rompath "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms"

Do any games work? So far Ive seen your are only trying vertical games... try streetfighter 2

Then we can go from there...

What is your desktop resolution? you can try the keep aspect ratio switch.

Street fighter works fine so does 1942 the only games I'm having problems with it Joust, cenipede missle command,defender.

[Alex Gerst]

Brian I sent you a PM.

[enoch]

....two questions first:

1) what kind of monitor are you using?

2) {for graffics} why are you using an avga?

[Alex Gerst]

....two questions first:

1) what kind of monitor are you using?

2) {for graphics} why are you using an avga?

I am using a 29" arcade monitor

I am using a Ultramac's Arcade Vga card.

[enoch]

Mm. It may have nothing to do with the card. If it's not a software issue, then it could be how your monitor (what brand is it?) handles video modes. I don't recall having any issues like this with the avga - usually it'll just display the image interlaced - but with soft-15khz I have...though they're far more obscure (and higher resolution) games.

First off, I'd try Mame32, or vanilla mame from the command line, and see what you get. If those display, then it's probly not hardware-based. If not, then try other resolutions. Then try those same resolutions/use the same files in GE. They should display.

Also, did you try the card in your dell?...or did you just go by what others said?

[Alex Gerst]

Mm. It may have nothing to do with the card. If it's not a software issue, then it could be how your monitor (what brand is it?) handles video modes. I don't recall having any issues like this with the avga - usually it'll just display the image interlaced - but with soft-15khz I have...though they're far more obscure (and higher resolution) games.

First off, I'd try Mame32, or vanilla mame from the command line, and see what you get. If those display, then it's probly not hardware-based. If not, then try other resolutions. Then try those same resolutions/use the same files in GE. They should display.

Also, did you try the card in your dell?...or did you just go by what others said?

I did try it in the dell and it did not work, the screen went black after the bios page. After tring just about everything I could think of, someone on the Ultramark form said that most Dell computers have problems with the Arcade Vga card.

With my new set up I've used a few other standard computer monitors with this to and still the same results.

Also when I run Mame32 the games in question don't load.

NEWS FLASH!...............................

As Im typing this I decided to hook up another hard drive with mame32 ver. 0.88.0.0.0 and roms on it and I just pointed Game Ex to the other hard drive and the games in question work great! the version of Mame 32 on the main drive is 0.109.0.0 maybe there is a problem with this version of mame32 with game ex?

[enoch]

Also try something else: d/l a new copy of .109 to your main HD and try that. Also, try .108 and .110 .

[Alex Gerst]

Also try something else: d/l a new copy of .109 to your main HD and try that. Also, try .108 and .110 .

I just D/L a new copy of .109 and It did not help. Also I downloaded version .119.3 and still nothing.

So I just copied all of my mame files for the other HD with version.88 and all is working now.