[RESOLVED] ParaJVE

[celly]

Since I've updated my MAME cab pc, I am switching from MESS to emulate Vectrex to ParaJVE. Works great, looks great but GameEx is stealing focus when launched inside GameEx. I've stared at fRequEnCy's emulator submissions and am stuck.

"An Advanced Config is required to watch the javaw.exe Process so GameEx won't steal focus"

Uh, how is this? Maybe its a Monday detail I'm missing. I'm using ParaJVE 0.7.0 so using the loader isn't required. I don't know.

[fRequEnCy]

Since I've updated my MAME cab pc, I am switching from MESS to emulate Vectrex to ParaJVE. Works great, looks great but GameEx is stealing focus when launched inside GameEx. I've stared at fRequEnCy's emulator submissions and am stuck.

"An Advanced Config is required to watch the javaw.exe Process so GameEx won't steal focus"

Uh, how is this? Maybe its a Monday detail I'm missing. I'm using ParaJVE 0.7.0 so using the loader isn't required. I don't know.

Do you not know how to create an advanced config and need instruction? Or are you not understanding why one is needed?

[celly]

Do you not know how to create an advanced config and need instruction? Or are you not understanding why one is needed?

More like why one is needed. I created an Advance Config, process wait for javaw.exe and I still get the same thing I told you in chat. Loading 3.5 disk screen then black. I can hear, now with the advance config, the ingame music. Like I'm saying, I'm getting close.

[fRequEnCy]

More like why one is needed. I created an Advance Config, process wait for javaw.exe and I still get the same thing I told you in chat. Loading 3.5 disk screen then black. I can hear, now with the advance config, the ingame music. Like I'm saying, I'm getting close.

One is needed because it's dependant on Java. If you run this emulator and look in Task Manager, you'll notice that the ParaJVE.exe is nowhere to be found. So since this is the executable that is running it, GameEx looks for this and doesn't see it. Therefor GameEx thinks it has closed and takes back focus. Also you'll notice that the javaw.exe is in Task Manager and disappears when ParaJVE is closed. So this is the process we want to watch for.

Please post your emulator config and your advanced config so I can see what's going on in your setup.

[celly]

One is needed because it's dependant on Java. If you run this emulator and look in Task Manager, you'll notice that the ParaJVE.exe is nowhere to be found. So since this is the executable that is running it, GameEx looks for this and doesn't see it. Therefor GameEx thinks it has closed and takes back focus. Also you'll notice that the javaw.exe is in Task Manager and disappears when ParaJVE is closed. So this is the process we want to watch for.

Please post your emulator config and your advanced config so I can see what's going on in your setup.

Ok I think I understand it better now.

Here is my configs.

ParaJVEConfigs.rar

[fRequEnCy]

More like why one is needed. I created an Advance Config, process wait for javaw.exe and I still get the same thing I told you in chat. Loading 3.5 disk screen then black. I can hear, now with the advance config, the ingame music. Like I'm saying, I'm getting close.

So in GameEx you're seeing the loading 3.5 disk? That shouldn't be showing with the -NoSplash switch. I looked it over and all should be working fine and again testing on my machine resulted in a successful launch. I'd have to see your setup to find out exactly what's going wrong. Maybe meet me in chat sometime so we can troubleshoot in real-time. Maybe even remote support as it's quicker for me to just see what's going on vs. trying to talk you through everything.

[celly]

So in GameEx you're seeing the loading 3.5 disk? That shouldn't be showing with the -NoSplash switch. I looked it over and all should be working fine and again testing on my machine resulted in a successful launch. I'd have to see your setup to find out exactly what's going wrong. Maybe meet me in chat sometime so we can troubleshoot in real-time. Maybe even remote support as it's quicker for me to just see what's going on vs. trying to talk you through everything.

That's fine. I'm at my cab now, going into chat.

[celly]

Ok, so still no joy. Ran GameEx and tried to run a rom for Vectrex. Same issue again. This time I went and opened up runitgame.bat after exiting and the same thing happens, loading disc screen and then blank black with the selected game playing ingame music. Like I said at the beginning, it plays fine outside of GameEx.

[celly]

Well from my tests on it, I think the command line (for me) isn't right. If I drop all some of the line it opens just fine.

Example: ParaJVE.exe -Game=[ROM] -Fullscreen=TRUE -Menu=OFF -NoSplash

That command line is causing the focus issue.

If I use just this portion: ParaJVE.exe -Game=[ROM]

The emulator works, and I have to hit F11 to hide the menu. No fullscreen. BUT, if I check the fullscreen tab in ParaJVE before running GameEx I get the same focus issue.

Going back to MESS until I can actually get this to run how it should. Thank you fRequEnCy for all you help on this.

[fRequEnCy]

What's weird is you saw how it worked from running from command-line which is how it should work from GameEx. Everything was fine. I keep thinking it's the darn advanced config somehow. Could you please try running and then then post the log after an attempt? That way I can see if for sure the advanced config is being used.

Another thing to test is using the same parameters but with the batch file instead of the exe. For instance:

ParaJVE_batch.bat -Game=[ROM] -Fullscreen=TRUE -Menu=OFF -NoSplash

[celly]

What's weird is you saw how it worked from running from command-line which is how it should work from GameEx. Everything was fine. I keep thinking it's the darn advanced config somehow. Could you please try running and then then post the log after an attempt? That way I can see if for sure the advanced config is being used.

Will do! I'm actually on my way out the door to work but will be back this evening and will post up the log.

[fRequEnCy]

Will do! I'm actually on my way out the door to work but will be back this evening and will post up the log.

Sounds good! I'll be waiting. Also you mentioned that you tried just a basic setting and it loaded. What's weird about that is that the settings save into the configuration.xml file and fullscreen as well as no menu settings are saved to that file and will be called everytime unless you change the command-line again. So something is just not right in your setup. Maybe a rights issue? Are you admin in that account? Also noticed that your GameEx start menu links were broken. Where do you have GameEx installed?

[celly]

Sounds good! I'll be waiting. Also you mentioned that you tried just a basic setting and it loaded. What's weird about that is that the settings save into the configuration.xml file and fullscreen as well as no menu settings are saved to that file and will be called everytime unless you change the command-line again. So something is just not right in your setup. Maybe a rights issue? Are you admin in that account? Also noticed that your GameEx start menu links were broken. Where do you have GameEx installed?

First off, I changed the command line to:

ParaJVE_batch.bat -Game=[ROM] -Fullscreen=TRUE -Menu=OFF -NoSplash

Still same issue.

Secondly, here is the log from loading that way - log.txt

Lastly, I am the admin for this PC. GameEx is installed correctly in my C: drive along with all my other emulators.

What do you mean that the GameEx start menu links were broken?

[fRequEnCy]

First off, I changed the command line to:

ParaJVE_batch.bat -Game=[ROM] -Fullscreen=TRUE -Menu=OFF -NoSplash

Still same issue.

Secondly, here is the log from loading that way - log.txt

Lastly, I am the admin for this PC. GameEx is installed correctly in my C: drive along with all my other emulators.

What do you mean that the GameEx start menu links were broken?

The Command-line is fine and tested on my machine. So that works fine.

The log posts that it's closing the advanced config so I gotta assume that's working ok.

Maybe it wasn't you, perhaps another use who I was giving remote support to. If so then my mistake. I thought it was you. If not, when you click on the links from the start menu to GameEx, they are broken so that's why I thought maybe GameEx was installed somewhere where it could be giving problems. It has to be something in your setup that's conflicting at this point as I don't know what else it could be other than you not using the correct version which I thought you said you were. I guess we can try together again at some point to figure it out. Let me know!

[celly]

Thanks. I appreciate all your help with this. Once I get back from this Oakland trip I'll fire up the cab and we can try troubleshooting again.

[celly]

UPDATE!!

After 5 months of tinking with this and messing with that, I finally got this emulator straight! For some reason the F11 hide menu hotkey was the issue. So in Advance Config I set Wait Before keys to 10000, then in Keys To Send I put {F11} {F11}. Once to draw focus to the menu and again to hide menu. Works now, and that's all I care about!

[hansolo77]

Yeah that's a wierd one for me. I'm just getting back in to GameEx scene, and I remember just a few days ago trying to figure out ParaJVE. I had a couple of different problems. I manually changed the command line to also include [rompath] which I didn't need because of the wrapper. I also didn't know how that advanced config editor worked, and figured out all I had to do was SAVE the config! Glad you got it working.

[Krakerman]

I tried setting this up as well but when I run the rom I get an Error from ParaJVE saying cannot find rom?

Can you post your config so I can see how you set it up as I must be doing something wrong. I have ParaJVE running great outside GameEx.

[fRequEnCy]

I tried setting this up as well but when I run the rom I get an Error from ParaJVE saying cannot find rom?

Can you post your config so I can see how you set it up as I must be doing something wrong. I have ParaJVE running great outside GameEx.

Please post your config so we can have a look see.

[Krakerman]

[Emulator]

Enabled=True

STARTPAGENAME=Vectrex (ParaJVE)

TITLETEXT=Vectrex (ParaJVE)

StartPageLogo=_Emulator__ParaJVE

WorkingPath=E:\My Emulators\Vectrex\ParaJVE

RomPath=E:\My Emulators\Vectrex\ParaJVE\data\roms

ROMFilter=*.*

Command=ParaJVE.exe -Game=[ROM]

SnapPath=C:\GameEx\Box Scans\Vectrex

MapKeys=True

DATABASE=

UseDbName=False

ReplaceDash=False

ReplaceUnder=True

Capitals=False

RemoveBrackets=True

ShowDesktop=True

ShowMostPlayed=True

SelectionMusicFolder=

RomsInFolders=True

[fRequEnCy]

[Emulator]

Enabled=True

STARTPAGENAME=Vectrex (ParaJVE)

TITLETEXT=Vectrex (ParaJVE)

StartPageLogo=_Emulator__ParaJVE

WorkingPath=E:\My Emulators\Vectrex\ParaJVE

RomPath=E:\My Emulators\Vectrex\ParaJVE\data\roms

ROMFilter=*.*

Command=ParaJVE.exe -Game=[ROM]

SnapPath=C:\GameEx\Box Scans\Vectrex

MapKeys=True

DATABASE=

UseDbName=False

ReplaceDash=False

ReplaceUnder=True

Capitals=False

RemoveBrackets=True

ShowDesktop=True

ShowMostPlayed=True

SelectionMusicFolder=

RomsInFolders=True

Please post a full config! The setting I'm looking for is the use of a map file.

[Krakerman]

[Emulator_104]

Enabled=True

STARTPAGENAME=Vectrex (ParaJVE)

TITLETEXT=Vectrex (ParaJVE)

StartPageLogo=_Emulator__ParaJVE

WorkingPath=E:\My Emulators\Vectrex\ParaJVE

RomPath=E:\My Emulators\Vectrex\ParaJVE\data\roms

ROMFilter=*.*

Command=ParaJVE.exe -Game=[ROM]

SnapPath=C:\GameEx\Box Scans\Vectrex

MapKeys=True

DATABASE=[Console] GCE Vectrex

UseDbName=True

ReplaceDash=False

ReplaceUnder=True

Capitals=False

RemoveBrackets=True

ShowDesktop=True

ShowMostPlayed=True

SelectionMusicFolder=

RomsInFolders=True

MAPFile=C:\GameEx\MAP FILES\[Console] GCE Vectrex.map

configFile=

No matter if I use the map file or not I still get the same error. Even the same with or without the Database as well.

[fRequEnCy]

[Emulator_104]

Enabled=True

STARTPAGENAME=Vectrex (ParaJVE)

TITLETEXT=Vectrex (ParaJVE)

StartPageLogo=_Emulator__ParaJVE

WorkingPath=E:\My Emulators\Vectrex\ParaJVE

RomPath=E:\My Emulators\Vectrex\ParaJVE\data\roms

ROMFilter=*.*

Command=ParaJVE.exe -Game=[ROM]

SnapPath=C:\GameEx\Box Scans\Vectrex

MapKeys=True

DATABASE=[Console] GCE Vectrex

UseDbName=True

ReplaceDash=False

ReplaceUnder=True

Capitals=False

RemoveBrackets=True

ShowDesktop=True

ShowMostPlayed=True

SelectionMusicFolder=

RomsInFolders=True

MAPFile=C:\GameEx\MAP FILES\[Console] GCE Vectrex.map

configFile=

No matter if I use the map file or not I still get the same error. Even the same with or without the Database as well.

You're using the GCE Vectrex.map file which is not designed for ParaJVE. Click on my signature and download the one for ParaJVE and it should pass the roms correctly.

[Krakerman]

Got it working! Thanks

[hansolo77]

Check what format your roms are in. If they're extracted, nevermind. If not, check if they're 7z. If they are 7z, make sure you have GameEx configured to use 7z support. I've found that almost no emulator out there can recognize 7z. So if your roms are merged 7z's, that could be the problem. You might also try enabling that option if they're just plain zipped too.