[APP] CPWizard v2.35

[Stub]

Correct. When I turn on onboard video it bumps the card video to screen 2. XP "Remembers" that the card is primary even though it is number 2. CPW and several other programs such as mame are configed to a hard monitor number. So when I switch on the second monitor in post I need to change a lot of programs.

[Sick Leave]

headkaze,

First off, I wanted to thank you for all of your work on this wonderful (not-so-)little program. It's been a real boon to what I've wanted to do with my project.

I've set up layouts for MAME and it works like a charm and I've begun to focus my attention on my two emulators, Nestopia and ZSNES. I have a few questions and some things I've found along the way.

First off, is there any reason that when I'm setting up emulators in Edit -> Options -> Emulators that I have to select a target file or directory twice? For example, if I was selecting the NES label file that I created, NES.ini, CPWizard would bring up the file dialog box twice successively.

I don't use the GameEx plugin to pass parameters to CPWizard when launching a game. I actually call it from an AHK script that displays the control panel for several seconds before the emulator is launched. In the case of an emulator, it makes the a similiar call to CPWizard running in resident mode as in this example:

> CPWizard.exe -emu NES -game "Castlevania" -timeout 10000

Is this effective in setting the -game parameter for later function calls and/or hotkeys in order to show the correct game layout? Or in other words, if I later pressed the "Show Key" hotkey, would it still bring up the layout for Castlevania?

I also wondered if there was any more development in testing emulators. I know that you stated previously that you were having difficulty with Project 64 not wanting to minimize. I tried a few tests of the "Show Key" in Nestopia but without any results. I'm just trying to narrow down if I'm fighting a problem from the question above or if Nestopia is simply preventing the layout from showing.

[jthompson]

Headkaze, just wanted to say thanks on a solid program you wrote. I know its been out a while but finally got around to downloading it last night. I installed it and had my own control panel laid out including graphics in a couple hours and used the export batch feature so I could display control panels without having CP viewer running (low system specs, need as much free ram as I can get). My question is, and you've probably already answered this to death but I haven't seen it yet so I'll ask again, is how do I display only the control panel when I pause and not display the ugly mame bezel on vertical games? I'm at work and can't play around with it right now but last night when I messed with it, when I turned off bezel, it also turned off the cp png when paused. Do I just need to edit the mame bezel and make it all black to "hide it", or is there something I'm missing. I never have been a fan of the name mame and like windows, I try to hide any traces of it on my cab. I don't like to explain things, I just want people to get on the cab and play and not have to explain to people what mame stands for and all that.

Thanks

jthompson

[DaveS]

First of all, thanks for the excellent program and all of the work you have continued to put into it.

This is probably obvious, but I can't seem to find how to do it. Is there a way to have CPWizard show the control panel when starting a game, but NOT have it pop up the menu when pausing a game inside MAME? I really just want CPWizard to replace the standard GameEx control panel picture when a game starts and nothing else.

Thanks,

Dave

[Hunk_4TH]

I'm having a little trouble setting this up myself. I can't seem to get any of the CP to show up. I'm just now setting up CPWizard again and in the wizard thing where you click preview and I click on a game it loads up the CPWizard menu but I can't seem to get the CP to load up

[Visitor Q]

I download and configure this but I am not sure how to work it into Game Ex??? I mean I was able to configure it to move the menus up and down, I have an idea of what it is all about but how to I get it to work with Game Ex?

Also I am trying to understand what this offers in a way that Game Ex does not already.

Thanks.

[Tempest]

There is a help file include with CPWizard. Click on "help", and then "Help" again. I think that will help Hunk 4th, and Q.

DaveS, I don't think there is a way to do that, but Headkaze monitors this thread Fairly closely, I'm sure he'll correct me if I'm wrong.

[Visitor Q]

Ok... Cool.

I am starting to read over this and understand what it does and how it works. Question... Currently I have a standard X-Arcade setup which I see has a default layout but soon I will have a custom control panel. Since the X-Arcade is already layout out for me, I take it that it would not be too much trouble to test the waters with that in the mean time and just remove those files at a later date when I have my new CP, correct? I mean with the X-Arcade right now, it seems like it is just a matter of me editing the keys I have custom to each button and output it to work with Game Ex and then just delete those files at a later date. Sound right?

[jthompson]

Here is my layout.

[Visitor Q]

Once I have my layout done, how do I export it in a way that I can use it in Game Ex? I just want to replace the single file that is shown when games are loading in Mame within Game Ex to reflect my control panel.

I mean I see where you can export the batch layouts as .png files for each game but where do they go? It looks to me that the themes in Game Ex only come with one control panel overlay and the info is added via Game Ex...

What am I missing here? I've read the help file...

[headkaze]

First off, is there any reason that when I'm setting up emulators in Edit -> Options -> Emulators that I have to select a target file or directory twice? For example, if I was selecting the NES label file that I created, NES.ini, CPWizard would bring up the file dialog box twice successively.

Thanks for that, found the bug and it will be fixed in the next release.

Is this effective in setting the -game parameter for later function calls and/or hotkeys in order to show the correct game layout? Or in other words, if I later pressed the "Show Key" hotkey, would it still bring up the layout for Castlevania?

Yes once you set the game name using -game then it has that game stored. So subsiquent calls to show the CP will be for that game.

I also wondered if there was any more development in testing emulators. I know that you stated previously that you were having difficulty with Project 64 not wanting to minimize. I tried a few tests of the "Show Key" in Nestopia but without any results. I'm just trying to narrow down if I'm fighting a problem from the question above or if Nestopia is simply preventing the layout from showing.

I just tested CPWizard with NEStopia and it works fine. Here is my profile. Obviously I'm just using the N64 stuff to test this, as I don't have anything set up for NEStopia.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Profile>
  <Enabled>True</Enabled>
  <Name>NEStopia</Name>
  <Type>Emulator</Type>
  <Layout>N64</Layout>
  <LayoutOverride>N64</LayoutOverride>
  <Labels>N64</Labels>
  <Database>NES</Database>
  <Executable>nestopia.exe</Executable>
  <WindowTitle />
  <WindowClass />
  <UseExe>True</UseExe>
  <Screenshot>True</Screenshot>
  <Maximize>True</Maximize>
  <Minimize>True</Minimize>
  <ShowKey>KEYCODE_L</ShowKey>
  <HideKey />
  <ShowSendKeys />
  <HideSendKeys />
  <Manuals>C:\Artwork\N64\Manuals</Manuals>
  <OpCards>C:\Artwork\N64\OpCards</OpCards>
  <Snaps>C:\Artwork\N64\Snaps</Snaps>
  <Titles>C:\Artwork\N64\Titles</Titles>
  <Carts>C:\Artwork\N64\Carts</Carts>
  <Boxes>C:\Artwork\N64\Boxes</Boxes>
  <Nfo>C:\Artwork\N64\Nfo</Nfo>
</Profile>

I send CPWizard.exe the game name -game "Mario Kart 64" just as a test, then ran NEStopia.exe and pressed the "L" key and it showed the menu.

[headkaze]

Headkaze, just wanted to say thanks on a solid program you wrote. I know its been out a while but finally got around to downloading it last night. I installed it and had my own control panel laid out including graphics in a couple hours and used the export batch feature so I could display control panels without having CP viewer running (low system specs, need as much free ram as I can get). My question is, and you've probably already answered this to death but I haven't seen it yet so I'll ask again, is how do I display only the control panel when I pause and not display the ugly mame bezel on vertical games? I'm at work and can't play around with it right now but last night when I messed with it, when I turned off bezel, it also turned off the cp png when paused. Do I just need to edit the mame bezel and make it all black to "hide it", or is there something I'm missing. I never have been a fan of the name mame and like windows, I try to hide any traces of it on my cab. I don't like to explain things, I just want people to get on the cab and play and not have to explain to people what mame stands for and all that.

Thanks

jthompson

In the Export Batch options there is an option called "Include Vertical Bezel", turn that off and it won't include that Mame bezel down the sides.

[headkaze]

First of all, thanks for the excellent program and all of the work you have continued to put into it.

This is probably obvious, but I can't seem to find how to do it. Is there a way to have CPWizard show the control panel when starting a game, but NOT have it pop up the menu when pausing a game inside MAME? I really just want CPWizard to replace the standard GameEx control panel picture when a game starts and nothing else.

Thanks,

Dave

Select Start->Programs->GameEx->Setup Wizard, select Next, Search, type in "cpwizard" then enter. There you can set the options to run CPWizard instead of the GX internal CP viewer.

[headkaze]

I'm having a little trouble setting this up myself. I can't seem to get any of the CP to show up. I'm just now setting up CPWizard again and in the wizard thing where you click preview and I click on a game it loads up the CPWizard menu but I can't seem to get the CP to load up

When you select CP from the menu using left control key does it show the CP then? You have to navigate the menu to view the CP, but you can also turn off the menu and just show the CP if you want.

[jthompson]

In the Export Batch options there is an option called "Include Vertical Bezel", turn that off and it won't include that Mame bezel down the sides.

Awesome, thanks kaze. I knew it would be something simple like that, I'll give it a shot when I get the chance.

[Visitor Q]

Select Start->Programs->GameEx->Setup Wizard, select Next, Search, type in "cpwizard" then enter. There you can set the options to run CPWizard instead of the GX internal CP viewer.

I suppose this is what I should be doing as well headkaze? I will not have time to try this until I get home from work tonight but it pretty much seems like what I am trying to do.

Man you write some amazing programs! I wish you were a little bit more personal towards me as I would not mind donating to these projects, all good stuff!

There are defiantly some very talented people on board this project, no exception right here.

Thank You.

ps. I am going to go back and read this entire thread today to make sure I am not missing something that has already been covered here.

[Sick Leave]

I just tested CPWizard with NEStopia and it works fine. Here is my profile. Obviously I'm just using the N64 stuff to test this, as I don't have anything set up for NEStopia.

I send CPWizard.exe the game name -game "Mario Kart 64" just as a test, then ran NEStopia.exe and pressed the "L" key and it showed the menu.

Thanks, headkaze. It's nice to know that you can at least get the CP to show. I'll continue to check this out in and out of GameEx. I'm probably just doing something moronic that I don't realize.

[Visitor Q]

I am having a problem with this, when I hit the "P" to pause a game in Mame, this is what happens.

It will take a screen shot of what ever is on that screen at the time.

If I hit "P" again, it does nothing.

So I exit out of the game back into Game Ex which Game Ex allows me to do but then I can't do anything else. I am back to the front end but none of joystick or button presses work.

So I hit the esc key which exits me out of Game Ex and then that screen capture is there, behind the start up bar like it is my wallpaper but it is not.

So I hit crtl, alt and delete.

frmLoading and Preview Are running

I shut down frmLoading and then preview disappears.

Any ideas?

[kingb33]

I figured i post this here since it a CPWizard post.....i have another post about this too...sry

Headkaze i love your program....but one thing confuses me. I'd like to be able to play a game "while viewing" the CPWizard stuff on my second monitor. But CPWizard pauses MAME in order to view it. Is this intended? Or am i missing something obvious? It would be VERY cool to be able to view a control panel or marquee for a certain game on my other monitor "while" playing it. That's what i figured the dual monitor support you added would be for......?

thx!

[headkaze]

VisitorQ: Can you please go to Edit->Options and turn on "Verbose Logging". Then run a game and try to pause it, and then when you have to ctrl-alt-del to close everything down again, post your CPWizard.log file here.

kingb33: Yes that is a great idea and something I want to eventually implement. Currently CPWizard pauses Mame but I think it would be great to be able to have in running on the second monitor while playing a game.

[kingb33]

VisitorQ: Can you please go to Edit->Options and turn on "Verbose Logging". Then run a game and try to pause it, and then when you have to ctrl-alt-del to close everything down again, post your CPWizard.log file here.

kingb33: Yes that is a great idea and something I want to eventually implement. Currently CPWizard pauses Mame but I think it would be great to be able to have in running on the second monitor while playing a game.

Thx for the response Headkaze...

Cool! I'm glad you think that's a good idea! I'm sure you had already thought of that though....! Yes, for those of us with a 2nd monitor the ability to run your program "while" playing we be too cool.....!

Here's hoping to that you will figure out a way to implement it....!

[Visitor Q]

VisitorQ: Can you please go to Edit->Options and turn on "Verbose Logging". Then run a game and try to pause it, and then when you have to ctrl-alt-del to close everything down again, post your CPWizard.log file here.

First, thank you for your reply.

I was able to fix this in a way that when I pause Mame the control panel does not show up, I just get the pause screen. How I did this was a when to the setup of the controls for CPWizard and unassigned the button that I use for pause on the CP layout. Now your program does exactly what I want it to do, it shows my CP when I launch a game in Mame. As far as the other features of your program, I have not tested them yet. If you would still like me to do the above, I can do so. I guess it would be nice to use the other features, so I will play with it a little when I get home tonight from work and repot back.

Thanks Again.

[headkaze]

VisitorQ: If you could see if you can replicate the problem where CPWizard stops responding and hopefully Verbose Logging will give me enough info to fix any problems. When the program doesn't display I always suspect a bug of some kind.

[Visitor Q]

VisitorQ: If you could see if you can replicate the problem where CPWizard stops responding and hopefully Verbose Logging will give me enough info to fix any problems. When the program doesn't display I always suspect a bug of some kind.

Ok... I will try and get on this tonight, sorry for the delay because I do want to address this with you.

[bkenobi]

I haven't gotten around to trying this CPWizard with my consoles yet, so I'm not sure if this is obvious or not. To get CPWizard to work for MAME, you need the controls.dat database. For console games, were do I get this data or does it just show the button letters for all games?