View Control buttons

[naborneo]

I gotch ya, yea I have a stand up stand-alone arcade system. i was thinking of putting 4 different controls for each system but i can't imagen of the cost of all those adapters. and then I desided I wanted to keep the arcade look.

[EMKO]

i think toms idea would work great

[WTB]

I really like this idea. I would really like to be able to view the controls/help option from the emulator->game menu. Would it be possible to have two images display on the left? Even if unequal sizes? Or... How about a customizable option (Per emulator) such as your new "controls" or "about..." menu options that is an html shortcut. Custom named menu item that links to an html app/page? I'm just thinking out loud. I'd like this to work, I'll think some more on this.

-Matt

[tomdrake]

I am saying convert you A4 sheet to HTML. Add it is an HTML app.

Create a post it size sheet. Write: For instructions select More applications, Help & Controls. Post this smaller size paper to your TV.

Help & Controls would be your page explaining whatever you like.

Rename More programs & Games to More programs and HELP

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tom, I like this Help and Controls Idea, I use Playstation2 controllers for all my different emulators on my MCE computer, with this I could take a different picture of the PS2 controller and what buttons are used for each emulator. This would rock. And then when I finally build a cab I could have my button layout with each emulator's buttons on seperate pics as well!

Would this html app link be below add to favorites as you suggested earlier in the tread? Anyway to just include the html app below the Add To Favorite (so the pic is always there, not just a link to it)?

[WTB]

As long as we're talking about emulators... How about an individually specified background image per emulator? Allowing user defined backgrounds such as NESbak.png or PSXbak.png etc.

-Matt

[tomdrake]

As long as we're talking about emulators... How about an individually specified background image per emulator? Allowing user defined backgrounds such as NESbak.png or PSXbak.png etc.

  -Matt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like this idea too, it could even be simpler naming, like the default map files.

When it comes to things like backgrounds, contol setup pics etc... the more options Tom can give us the better, even if they're all turned off by default so that it doesn't get too confusing for people starting out with the program.

[naborneo]

As long as we're talking about emulators... How about an individually specified background image per emulator? Allowing user defined backgrounds such as NESbak.png or PSXbak.png etc.

  -Matt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think its a bad idea to let you change the background for the emulators, but once you start changing the backgrounds to each different menu in the program, it start to lose that "clean" look of a GUI, maybe i'm taking my classes at school a little to seriously, but my teachers have always said that a background is just to be there, that you should never draw attention to it unless you mean to. The best example are web pages. look at the really good ones, you usally have a menu system on the left using some sort of a table, information in the center, and and maybe another imformative table on the right. But through every link on those pages you usally have the same background same design for headers and same for plain text. So its not a bad idea to add more flexibilty to the config, but just dont go nuts with backgrounds, it gives it a very amateur look when things like that start changing randomly on clicks. and right now this program looks far from amateur.

-just one graphic designers opinion, but hey I still have a year to go in school, what do I know-

[tomdrake]

I don't think its a bad idea to let you change the background for the emulators, but once  you start changing the backgrounds to each different menu in the program, it start to lose that "clean" look of a GUI

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree about keeping it clean, but on mine (to go back to the point of this thread) I would probably take the regular background image and add a controller image to the left side as a way to force the controller setup into each seperate emulator without needing a selectable link to a html app.

[naborneo]

ok, ic... have the image of the controller as part of the background image, instead of an image put on the side. the only issue with that it seems to be that everyone has a different controller setup and that it would be easier (for most people, that dont have something like photoshop to edit backgrounds) i think it would be much easier in the config menu for each emulator to add a controller image option, instead of changing the entire background which would pritty much have the same effect

[WTB]

Although I do agree with the "Keep it clean" sentiment, I would still like user defined backgrounds. In my situation, I'm making a specific, themed UI. Basically, all nintendo emulators. My main background theme will always be present, but images that change per-emulator would make it into something a bit more appealing. For example: my current background (attached) has a NES console behind the games list. I would love to keep the red background and substitute an image appropriate for each console. Maybe change the characters a bit. The theme still exists but an important, appealing, visual cue has been added. Does this make sense?

-Matt

(Edit: Sorry, I've gone totally off topic. )

[naborneo]

the way yours looks is great. (my opinion)I think the way it should be done is to create a theme folder for how you want it to look, kinda how themes are set up now, just this time add a few more files to the folder for each background image of the emulators.

[Rockhead]

Just discovered this piece of amazing software. Sent my $15 immediately. I have a dedicated arcade cab and would also love to be able to display control layouts for each emulator. Is this still being considered for a future version of GameEx?

Thanks.

[Tom Speirs]

Just discovered this piece of amazing software.  Sent my $15 immediately.  I have a dedicated arcade cab and would also love to be able to display control layouts for each emulator.  Is this still being considered for a future version of GameEx?

Thanks.

With the latest version (5.14) you can have different backgrounds for each emulator. So sort of. You could create a custom background image that displays the control usage. This is how I ended up addressing this thread for the moment.