IPAC support in GameEx

[DavidK]

Does GameEx support .ipc files so that I can have multiple cp layouts for my games? I'm assuming it lets mame set the correct display settings using AVRes ini files.

I have an arcade cab with a rotating monitor and am sick of trying to get Mamewah and its plugins working correctly under windows. I'm certain it's a great program and took a lot to build, but I'm apparently not smart or patient enough to get it done.

I'm using an Ipac4, Optipac, ArcadeVGA on a P4 running WinXP and GameEx looks like a good solution.

Ultimately what I want is a front end that when I select a game, will set the right keys, show me what keys do what, and display the game in the correct display format and resolution. Oh, and it would be great if it didn't appear to be running in windows. Is that what I can reasonably expect from GameEx??

Thanks for any insight you may have.

[headkaze]

Yes it can do all those things you want. Alot of people use GameEx with IPAC's and ArcadeVGA's.

You can program your IPAC using WinIPAC by sending it a variable for the game Eg. WinIPAC.exe [ROMName].ipc for example.

You can hide XP on your cab by using Tom's other program called Instant Sheller (available on the main GameEx website) and it will be as close to hiding Window's as you can get including changing the XP loading screen to a Mame logo or black screen.

GameEx has a built in CP Viewer or you can check out CP Wizard (although I would wait for the next version). Depending on how complex you want your CP Viewer to be, GameEx's internal one is good enough if your not worried about customising it to look like your own, or have ultra accurate label mapping.

[DavidK]

Thanks very much for the quick reply! I see you are huge contributor to this project-thanks for that too. I'm going to go home tonight and unwind the mamewah install and give this a shot. if it's as good as it seems, $25 is cheap money considering how much time I've spent just trying to get the other stuff working. I guess it's all in the documentation! (and the fact that I haven't been doing cmd line stuff since the early 90s)

[headkaze]

It's not so much about the documentation in this case although there is a New User Guide, it's all about the Setup Wizard. The New User Guide is really just an html form of what's available in the Setup Wizard. It's quite helpful in that it guides you through the install and provides links to related software and information so you can read up as you go through and set everything up. For each setting there is a "?" link which explains what the setting does. You can run it at any time and it won't mess with your current settings so don't be afraid of running it again later. Personally I would do the Advanced mode for the first time and run the Verify Setup at the end to check paths.

[Creek]

I have an Ipac, but it lost its config after every boot (the problem is not GameEx related). But when I finally got it working, I swore never to touch the config again, unless it was absolutely necessary.

MAME has an option to configure keymappings for all games or games seperately in the "ingame" menu (tab button), so that's how I manage multiple keymappings.

Regarding hiding windows, take a look at this article.

[headkaze]

Creek: That problem with the IPAC losing it's config after every boot can be solved..

Running XP? Look at this thread on Andy's site:

http://ultimarc.com/ipac2.html

Problem: (USB Only) Board appears not to work until WinIPAC is run every time following reboot. Yellow exclamation marks in Control Panel, Device Manager.

This is a rare Windows XP problem (fixed in Vista), and is caused by a registry error. It is suspected that this problem occurs if the board is regularly swapped from one USB port to another, or different board versions used on the same PC.

Ensure you are using the latest version of WinIPAC (March 2007) which has a permanent workaround for this problem. Installing the latest version should cure the problem with no further action needed.

[Creek]

I fixed it by cleaning the registry, and it has been working since then with very few changes to the keymappings. So for now, I'm set. But I'll keep it in mind if the problem comes up again, thanks.

[xpoisonfreex]

Thanks very much for the quick reply! I see you are huge contributor to this project-thanks for that too. I'm going to go home tonight and unwind the mamewah install and give this a shot. if it's as good as it seems, $25 is cheap money considering how much time I've spent just trying to get the other stuff working. I guess it's all in the documentation! (and the fact that I haven't been doing cmd line stuff since the early 90s)

GameEX is by far one of the best pieces of software I've come across in a long time. It is well worth the 25$.

It works wonders when integrating in a HTPC or a Mame Cabinet.

I use an iPac and I absolutely love the integration GameEX gives me for my cabinet.