PC Game

[BlackMage]

Hello to all of the geniuses on these here forums,

I am having trouble loading both AvP games onto GameEx. Whenever I start either game, GameEx reappears at the same time as the game starts. Please help this sub-par GameEx Guru By the way, Momma Mia was the sh*t!!! Kidding.

[Tom Speirs]

From the FAQ at: http://www.gameex.net/Support/FAQ/tabid/62/Default.aspx

Q: I launch XXXX using YYYY as a loader. When the game starts, the screen goes black I can hear the audio in the background but GameEx pops back up. What's going on?

A: When GameEx launches a game (Arcade/Console ROM, PC Game/Application, etc.), it keeps track of the process that was spawned. When that process ends, GameEx assumes that the you are done playing that game and it's time to return to the front end. The problem is that if a loader is used to launch a game (Daphne Loader is a classic example), that process launches the actual game in a new process and closes. The expected result is that the game is playable. However, GameEx doesn't know anything about the new process. The solution is to either launch the game directly without the loader or modify the loader, if possible, to stay active until the game has closed. The other solution if you still want to use the loader is a little more complex. You need to create an advanced emulator configuration ini file and specify it for use with the emulator. Copy an existing one (normally located C:\Program Files\GameEx\CONFIG\EMULATORS) and in the wait for processes section specify the process name of the actual game (this is the name that shows under processes in task manager). This tells GameEx not to exit until the actual game process has finished.

[BlackMage]

I am sorry Tom but I don't know where to start. I tried copying and pasting an ini file, the one called "process closing" to AvsP2's file...I am stuck and besides what is a "loader" anyway? I went from baby steps to now crawling in learning how to use GameEx with adding games to the front-end.

[BlackMage]

From the FAQ at: http://www.gameex.net/Support/FAQ/tabid/62/Default.aspx

Q: I launch XXXX using YYYY as a loader. When the game starts, the screen goes black I can hear the audio in the background but GameEx pops back up. What's going on?

A: When GameEx launches a game (Arcade/Console ROM, PC Game/Application, etc.), it keeps track of the process that was spawned. When that process ends, GameEx assumes that the you are done playing that game and it's time to return to the front end. The problem is that if a loader is used to launch a game (Daphne Loader is a classic example), that process launches the actual game in a new process and closes. The expected result is that the game is playable. However, GameEx doesn't know anything about the new process. The solution is to either launch the game directly without the loader or modify the loader, if possible, to stay active until the game has closed. The other solution if you still want to use the loader is a little more complex. You need to create an advanced emulator configuration ini file and specify it for use with the emulator. Copy an existing one (normally located C:\Program Files\GameEx\CONFIG\EMULATORS) and in the wait for processes section specify the process name of the actual game (this is the name that shows under processes in task manager). This tells GameEx not to exit until the actual game process has finished.

So when I copy the ini file, do I paste it to the folder where I have the game in? And does it matter what ini file I use? I copied and paste the "Mapping off Process close" ini file

[BlackMage]

Oh, is the loader the game meaning Alien vs Predator?

[bkenobi]

A loader is a program that loads another one. In this case, there is a loader and there is the exe for AvP. When you run AvP from the start menu, you are actually starting up the loader which will do some stuff and then start the actual exe. GameEx doesn't understand that the loader isn't the program, so it will take over again when the loader is done.

The goal you are trying to get to is having GameEx understand that the game isn't done until the exe is done. So, you have to tell it what that exe is called so GameEx can watch for it.

[BlackMage]

Tell GameEx? How would I do that. That's the one part that is mind-boggling. Oh I read your tips and Wobbly's when you guys were helping Beaps set-up his racing PC racing game to GX. Good tips because I set-up 7 different games individually THEN grouped them together under one emu, instead of that using shortcuts under one folder is what I should of done. Good helping skills thanks.

[bkenobi]

That's what the advanced emulator setup file is for. If you look on your hard drive under "C:\Program Files\GameEx\CONFIG\EMULATORS", you will see a bunch of ini files. These are advanced emulator configs. They can do several things that can be useful but aren't always needed. For instance, you can set GameEx up with this file such that if you hold down a set of buttons and/or directions on a game pad, GameEx will send a command to exit from an emulator. What you want to do is have GameEx look for a process that's running (AvP.exe or whatever it's actually called). So, you need to edit one of those files and save it as AvP.ini (or whatever makes you happy). In that file, look for:

#Additional processes to wait to exit or close on exit. Dont include the .exe. Leave blank not to use.

	Process1=
	Process2=
	Process3=
	Process4=

You need to put the process name as it appears in task manager after "Process1=". So, if it appears as AvP.exe, you would have:

#Additional processes to wait to exit or close on exit. Dont include the .exe. Leave blank not to use.

	Process1=AvP.exe
	Process2=
	Process3=
	Process4=

Just make sure you set that emulator to use AvP.ini as the advanced emulator config.

[BlackMage]

I tried that the first and second time and GameEx still reappears after I start AvP2. I am exhausted now. I even played my James Bond, The Living Daylights soundtrack to make myself seem like I knew what I was doing setting up the ini file for AvP2. Either way, maybe AvP2 is a different type of unique game that GameEx can't recognize when that program is running. i dunno.

[bkenobi]

It's not impossible to get it working. I don't know what else to suggest though. You really need to know what the process the actual game is running. The only other thing I can think of is adding the loader to the process list. Perhaps the loader quits prior to the game showing up in the process list and so GameEx doesn't see it before taking over again. Try this...add the loader to the process list.

#Additional processes to wait to exit or close on exit. Dont include the .exe. Leave blank not to use.

	Process1=AvP.exe
	Process2=AvP_loader.exe (replace this with the appropriate process)
	Process3=
	Process4=

[BlackMage]

It's not impossible to get it working. I don't know what else to suggest though. You really need to know what the process the actual game is running. The only other thing I can think of is adding the loader to the process list. Perhaps the loader quits prior to the game showing up in the process list and so GameEx doesn't see it before taking over again. Try this...add the loader to the process list.

#Additional processes to wait to exit or close on exit. Dont include the .exe. Leave blank not to use.

	Process1=AvP.exe
	Process2=AvP_loader.exe (replace this with the appropriate process)
	Process3=
	Process4=

the last few times i looked at the task manager it literally says "Aliens vs Predator 2" running. I even tried the .exe meaning avp2.exe so for:

Process1=Aliens vs Predator 2.exe

Process2=

Process3=

Process4=

also tried:

Process1=avp2.exe

Process2=

Process3=

Process4=

and the last I tried:

Process1=Aliens vs predator 2.exe

Process2=Aliens vs Predator 2_loader.exe

Process3=

Process4=

[bkenobi]

Are you looking at the 'Applications' tab or the 'Processes' tab? You need to use whatever is listed in the 'Processes' tab.

[BlackMage]

Are you looking at the 'Applications' tab or the 'Processes' tab? You need to use whatever is listed in the 'Processes' tab.

At first, it was the applications' tab then I tabbed over to the ah...processes' tab. And on the processes' tab it showed, "avp2.exe". So I went ahead and done it like this:

Process1=avp2.exe

Process2=avp2_loader.exe

Process3=

Process4=

Still same thing. That is why I think it's more to it then what Tom posted for me to follow. Hey I'll be on these here boards for quite some time tryin' to figure something out. So it'll be quick responses. This does for one thing teach me some things about GameEx and my computer. I just got a new computer not too long ago as well.

[Tom Speirs]

At first, it was the applications' tab then I tabbed over to the ah...processes' tab. And on the processes' tab it showed, "avp2.exe". So I went ahead and done it like this:

Process1=avp2.exe

Process2=avp2_loader.exe

Process3=

Process4=

Still same thing. That is why I think it's more to it then what Tom posted for me to follow. Hey I'll be on these here boards for quite some time tryin' to figure something out. So it'll be quick responses. This does for one thing teach me some things about GameEx and my computer. I just got a new computer not too long ago as well.

Remove the .exe's

[BlackMage]

still the same thing. AvP2 loads at the same time GameEx returns.