Updating to GameEx 10.25 (from 9.89)

[Tempest]

I finally got around to updating GameEx and wanted to share my impressions, and ask a few questions as I go.

First Impression: Lots of pretty new icons in the startup folder.

I really like the custom menus feature, it is easy to use, and works very well. Good job Tom!

I found a few threads regarding the use of on screen keyboards (OSK), and was I fiddled awhile, but didn't really have any luck. I thought maybe it would work if I displayed the keyboard on the secondary monitor, and it did solve the "flashing" problem from the focus tug-of-war, but GameEx won't let my mouse pointer go to the second screen. Any thoughts? I will make a feature request for an OSK if we can't get it to work.

I never used the icon method of selecting games before, I have always just used the text list. I kinda like the icons, and I like to navigate them with my trackball, but when I get to the end of the visable icons, I have to use the {Down} key (Or Alpha Paging) to show more icons. Is that the way it is supposed to work? If so, then I will try to modify BK's Mouse2keys script to send up and down when I am in a region of the screen that doesn't have icons. Unless of course, somebody has a better idea...

Regarding navigation, I use the {Up} key to get to the options at the top (Change View, Exit, etc.), and then if I go left or right, when I get to the end of the options, instead of looping to the first/last option, it dumps me back into the icons. This is not intuitive to me... Probably another feature request.

That's it for now, I will undoubtedly have more later, I'm expecting to spend some time on the update, so that I can get everything working as close as possible to the way I want it too.

[Tempest]

I really was asking a couple of questions.

I found a few threads regarding the use of on screen keyboards (OSK), and was I fiddled awhile, but didn't really have any luck. I thought maybe it would work if I displayed the keyboard on the secondary monitor, and it did solve the "flashing" problem from the focus tug-of-war, but GameEx won't let my mouse pointer go to the second screen. Any thoughts? I will make a feature request for an OSK if we can't get it to work.

I never used the icon method of selecting games before, I have always just used the text list. I kinda like the icons, and I like to navigate them with my trackball, but when I get to the end of the visable icons, I have to use the {Down} key (Or Alpha Paging) to show more icons. Is that the way it is supposed to work?

I highlighted them...

[Tom Speirs]

Tempest,

Perhaps you could explain why an on screen keyboard is needed?

The image list should work pretty much the same as the text list. How do you scroll down in the text list?

Ive never really properly implemented support for trackballs, so perhaps that is a better direction to this?

[Tempest]

Tempest,

Perhaps you could explain why an on screen keyboard is needed?

I think it would be easier to use the search function with a keyboard, but I don't think most people would want a keyboard on a cab. I am actually considering using a mini keyboard with mine. Selecting the letters with a joystick seems slow to me.

The image list should work pretty much the same as the text list. How do you scroll down in the text list?

Ive never really properly implemented support for trackballs, so perhaps that is a better direction to this?

As usual, I worded that badly. It is a mouse issue. I usually use a joystick to navigate, but I could see how there could be advantages to using the mouse. I'm pretty sure I could script something to do what I want, but don't let that stop you from improving the mouse support in GameEx.

I guess since I'm actually taking the time to upgrade my cabinet (Actually, I sold my old one), I just want it to be all that it can be. Hopefully, I know a little bit more than I did the first time, and I can improve on how I had it set up before. It's going to be pretty sweet...

Thanks for your reply.

[Tempest]

Tom,

I don't know if you read my first post, but I also had this comment:

Regarding navigation, I use the {Up} key to get to the options at the top (Change View, Exit, etc.), and then if I go left or right, when I get to the end of the options, instead of looping (Wrapping) to the first/last option, it dumps me back into the icons. This is not intuitive to me... Probably another feature request.

Meaning that I think I should use up / down to get to the menu selections at the top, and left / right to scroll with wrap around.

I also had some nice things to say.

[Tom Speirs]

No worries, points noted.

Just so you know i wasnt being off. I rarely am

[Tempest]

No worries, points noted.

Just so you know i wasnt being off. I rarely am

I wasn't worried.

[Tempest]

Ive never really properly implemented support for trackballs, so perhaps that is a better direction to this?

I came up with this script to enhance mouse (Trackball) support in gameex.

If the cursor is within 20 pixels from the top of the screen the script sends {Page up}

If the cursor is between 20 - 50 pixels from the top of the screen the script sends {up}

If the cursor is within 20 pixels from the bottom of the screen the script sends {Page down}

If the cursor is between 20 - 50 pixels from the bottom of the screen the script sends {down}

The script supports acceleration, so the longer that you are scrolling/paging, the faster it goes.

You can set the distances, and delays to suit your needs.

 

#SingleInstance force
CoordMode, Mouse, Screen

StartDelay = 200
MinDelay = 10
Acceleration = 5
Paging = 20
Scrolling = 50

Loop
{
 IfWinActive GameEx
 {
 MouseGetPos, xpos, ypos
 If Ypos < %Paging%
 {
   Send {PgUp down}
   Send {PgUp up}
   ; Additional delay for Page up
   Sleep, 200
   Delay -= %Acceleration%
  }

 Else If Ypos < %Scrolling%
 {
   Send {Up down}
   Send {Up up}
   Delay -= %Acceleration%
  }

 Else If (Ypos > A_ScreenHeight - Paging)
 {
   Send {PgDn down}
   Send {PgDn up}
   Delay -= %Acceleration%
  }

 Else If (Ypos > A_ScreenHeight - Scrolling)
 {
   Send {Down down}
   Send {Down up}
   ; Additional delay for Page Down
   Sleep, 200
   Delay -= %Acceleration%
  }
  Else
   Delay := StartDelay
  If Delay < %MinDelay%
     Delay = %MinDelay%
  Sleep, %Delay%
 }
}
^Q::
 ExitApp

It actually works very well.