Randomizer for Arcade Ambiance / Video BGs

['Rixx]

Hello, everyone! Long time user of the free GameEX here, but first time "actually paying for registered version of GameEX-er".

I've used GameEX for a long time on a tiny MiniITX computer I built called the "Gamebox" - basically a little computer that hooks up to TVs and plays old video games as if it were a game console. Now that I'm moving to a new apartment, I'm going to be converting another computer I have into the newest Gamebox, which will play old games as well as act as a media center, and remain hooked up to our main TV at all times. In celebration, I bought a registration key so we can use the full version!

However, in sprucing up the new gamebox, I decided to add some features that the old one didn't have. Firstly, instead of playing the normal arcade ambiance, the new gamebox would instead play a randomly selected tune from a folder of video game music. Since GameEX doesn't have a feature to select a folder for arcade ambiance, I used the Randomizer! tool instead, and it's worked out pretty well - except if I ever launch a game or the Jukebox, the menu music will stop playing and won't start back up again. Is there any way to fix this? Is a feature to allow for random ambiance files going to be built into GameEX soon?

Another thing - video backgrounds! I took the Dark Gloss theme and modified a lot of the files to make a new look. However, I still haven't figured out how to have it play videos in the background instead of showing a background image. Any ideas? Should I just post the theme folder in a zip file and the video I want and have someone else do it for me?

Thanks in advance, everyone!

[Tom Speirs]

Another thing - video backgrounds! I took the Dark Gloss theme and modified a lot of the files to make a new look. However, I still haven't figured out how to have it play videos in the background instead of showing a background image. Any ideas? Should I just post the theme folder in a zip file and the video I want and have someone else do it for me?

Thanks in advance, everyone!

Just give the video files the same names as the regular background images.

e.g startbak.avi

[Tempest]

However, in sprucing up the new gamebox, I decided to add some features that the old one didn't have. Firstly, instead of playing the normal arcade ambiance, the new gamebox would instead play a randomly selected tune from a folder of video game music. Since GameEX doesn't have a feature to select a folder for arcade ambiance, I used the Randomizer! tool instead, and it's worked out pretty well - except if I ever launch a game or the Jukebox, the menu music will stop playing and won't start back up again. Is there any way to fix this? Is a feature to allow for random ambiance files going to be built into GameEX soon?

If you run the Randomizer from the Tweaks Performance (1) > Launch on exit you would get a new ambience file when GameEx is restarted. Hopefully, that will be often enough for you.

['Rixx]

Thanks, Tom! I got video backgrounds to work, huzzah!

I tried what you suggested, Tempest, but it's still not resuming the music when I come back from an emulator :[

[Tempest]

I think that is actually a GameEx issue, and is not caused by the randomizer. Tom?

['Rixx]

The new version fixes the arcade ambiance problem. Huzzah! I was surprised at the quick response.

Though, there is a bit of weirdery left with arcade ambience - just two problems, really:

- The arcade ambiance will not start back up after leaving the jukebox with no music playing

- The arcade ambiance will continue to play while viewing media from the library