NEWS: GameEx 10.90 Beta

[Tom Speirs]

GameEx display libraries have now moved from DirectDraw to Direct3D and I am releasing a Beta so it can be tested on varying configurations.

The benefits of moving to Direct3D are quite significant.

- Should run significantly better and faster on any vaguely modern hardware.

- Alpha Blending

- PNG with transparancy support

- Fewer driver incompatibalities

- Proper anti aliased fonts

- No more reliance on DirectDraw which Microsoft depreciated some time ago

- Improved and smoother transition effects

- Fast rotated display support

However, it may need a little testing . Although I have it working fine on four configurations.

This is an open Beta test, and the release "should" be complete. Its actually more of a release candidate if anything.

Download: http://www.gameex.com/downloadgameexbeta/GameExSetup.exe

Please report findings and post comments in this thread. If reporting bugs, please ensure they are not in the normal public release.

Thank you for your help.

I hope you agree, this is a big leap forward for GameEx.

[fRequEnCy]

Wow! Very nice. Thanks Tom. A huge leap forward.

[mariozeferino]

great news! did this one(10.90) overwrite the other? (10.80)

[Tom Speirs]

Its a Beta version. Despite what Microsoft, Google and Yahoo would have you believe that does not mean latest full release

[mariozeferino]

it looks it runs faster, nice job. just a little request, is there any way we can attach picture to those folders (capture 04) in the video section?

[Adultery]

OMG!!!! This is a HUGE deal in my opinion! First my CycloDS gets a makeover, and now GameEx moves to D3D! Fierce!!!

Thanks Tom! Downloading now!!!

[Tom Speirs]

it looks it runs faster, nice job. just a little request, is there any way we can attach picture to those folders (capture 04) in the video section?

Just put a folder.jpg in the folder.

[Tom Speirs]

OMG!!!! This is a HUGE deal in my opinion! First my CycloDS gets a makeover, and now GameEx moves to D3D! Fierce!!!

Thanks Tom! Downloading now!!!

Thanks for sticking around to see it happen

[Tempest]

I crossed it off of the features request. Tom, If you could take a few minutes, and delete (or stike) the requests that have already been completed, I would appreciate it.

[bkenobi]

Nice!

[T. Goodchild]

Sounds great! Downloading and testing now.

edit

Ok few observations. The fade in effect is nice but it would be nice to be optional.

1. The transparency works great with the menus and thumbnails.

2. The text looks a little weird and stringy with or without AA.

3. I use PowerResizer to drag windows to the edge and split them and while in window mode I got a JIT error.

Other than that it's pretty smooth.

[MooSe]

Just updated to new beta and now I cant view either preview window (Image 1 & Image 2) just black, but my video thumbs

work fine. I think it maybe a tranparency problem because if goto change view in gamEx menus but not in a rom/emu list as it switches I see my images for 1 second as it fades away too black, if I do the same in an rom/emu menu it fixes the problem until I go back out of menu.

Running Maximus Arcade theme and Windows 7 x64.

All was good on v10.80.

Love GameEx, I applaud your effort.

[Guest absolutelogic]

OMG!!!! This is a HUGE deal in my opinion! First my CycloDS gets a makeover, and now GameEx moves to D3D! Fierce!!!

If Nolo was still here (and thank God he's not) there'd be one less thing for him to bitch about!

All kidding aside...

Thanks Tom! Downloading now!!!

Tom -

Still puzzled why you don't have macro's setup in VS to grab the latest Mame DAT's when building an installer.

24bit PNG's are still not fully supported as Drop Shadows still fail to display correctly.

Startup "Please Wait" screen fails to resize properly.

Weather application can crash GX if no City has been inputted.

Weather application is very unresponsive.

Anyways awaiting worthless account ban.

Edited May 29, 2010 by Brian Hoffman
Edited for content, and for olds times sake. BH

[fRequEnCy]

[Brian Hoffman]

Wow, nice update. I notice a user absolutelogic reading this... hmmm

Great work Tom.

[Krakerman]

Hey Brian looks like your back man haven't seen you around in awhile

[Brian Hoffman]

Hey Brian looks like your back man haven't seen you around in awhile

I haven't left, just been lurking without signing in. I have been super busy.. However it is very hard to get rid of me.

Its nice to be around.

[Krakerman]

[Draco1962]

I think that the "animation" (background growing and shrinking back) when making selections should be optional. ***WARNING*** PROBABLE NOOB ISSUE & QUESTIONS FOLLOW - I have noticed that my view has been changed (was set to show my background with lists, but now comes up with animated snap in background with snaps selections (not lists) showing in the list field. I have to click change view 3-4 times to get back to what was a my default setting. How can I get it back the way I had it?

Another issue is right next to the list number appears "By Artist," By Album" or The Artist's name. The information is already showing in the select 1 and 2 areas.

[headkaze]

I think that the "animation" (background growing and shrinking back) when making selections should be optional. ***WARNING*** PROBABLE NOOB ISSUE & QUESTIONS FOLLOW - I have noticed that my view has been changed (was set to show my background with lists, but now comes up with animated snap in background with snaps selections (not lists) showing in the list field. I have to click change view 3-4 times to get back to what was a my default setting. How can I get it back the way I had it?

As mentioned it is a beta so there are bound to be problems, so really no such thing as a "noob" question. It's quite a big update to change rendering systems which is why this is a beta which is actually quite rare to see in a GameEx update. So it's just a matter of reporting any issues you have here so that Tom can go over them.

[Krakerman]

Well I can't say the same as the Beta (which is rare to see) is working great for me. Of course I'm using Kab.net as my theme, but it's working just fine

As far as Noob ?'s Headkaze is right there is no Noob ?'s around here thou it might seem like one as everyone around here is more than willing to help each other out. I for one have ask more than my fair share of ?'s to all and have gotten fast response/help from all on the forums

Thanks again Tom GameEx is looking good and will only get better I'm sure !!

[funtasticguy]

It is definitely faster. However, I have discovered at least one problem. When I select a group of games within an emulator, it works just fine. However, if I pick another game within any other emulator later, the screen goes black when the new emulator is launched. I can hear the game, but not see anything on the screen. To fix it, I have to exit GameEx and start the process again.

Secondly (and I'm not too sure it is a problem), the transition animation is different than under the old method. Under the old way, it looked smoother and the transition looked better. Under the new method, the transitions seem to hesitate a bit and they also seem to go halfway (as opposed to all the way under the old method) before it is complete. I don't know if that is intentionally by design or whether it is some bug.

I know it is beta and look forward when it is complete!

Thanks again for this great piece of software!

[Krakerman]

Yes I did have a problem just tonight when I played one emulator and then selected another one it worked, but when selecting to a third one it just froze then i had to exit back to gameex, but couldn't run anymore games in any other emulator at all. I had to close GameEx and start over, but it keeps repeating like before. Well I'm switching back to 10.80 until the next beta or release fixes this issue Other than that it seemed fine.

I know this was a beta so I'm just reporting an issue I just found as well, but I want my entertainment system running smoothly until the next realease comes out and we'll test it again.

[Draco1962]

As mentioned it is a beta so there are bound to be problems, so really no such thing as a "noob" question. It's quite a big update to change rendering systems which is why this is a beta which is actually quite rare to see in a GameEx update. So it's just a matter of reporting any issues you have here so that Tom can go over them.

Well, there have been some things that I wasn't sure if they were answered elsewhere and I overlooked or could not find, or an "undocumented feature" (aka bug, defect, etc.), or otherwise right under my nose (aka noob question).

There are still many little things to learn. One question, however. Once this goes from RC (release candidate) to RTM (released to masses - I know, not actual definition ) will there be a new theme editor to follow? If so, a nice feature would be a window that shows GameEx in a small view, but essentially showing how the theme looks "live" without having to open GameEx , then back to Theme Editor to make more revisions all the time. The ability to change a font for one item in the layout but not all would be a good thing (select smaller font for list number while not affecting Menu or Select1 and 2).

[Draco1962]

New issue - I reverted back to 10.80 and I am unable to see the avi snaps. The logos are loading in the background instead of my background and it appears that the avi snaps are attempting to load (black box flickering in and out). Any suggestions on how to restore to normal?