Messages

1

Themes / Re: [Preview] Lite Themes for very old hardware (PIII, P4)

« on: May 24, 2021, 02:22:09 PM »

Thanks for posting. The mame3all theme really brings back memories.   

2

Themes / Re: Verted -- Layout for Vertical Cabinets

« on: April 25, 2021, 08:02:22 AM »

Thanks for the theme. I like and use it.
There is a little bug when switch from "Video" to "Flayer", "Info" ecc. The game list disappears when go down or go up.

i had this same issue

3

Themes / Re: Verted -- Layout for Vertical Cabinets

« on: February 11, 2021, 04:30:30 PM »

Do you have history plug-in enabled?

I haven't seen it crash yet on win 10 or pi. Probably some configuration difference i need to account for. If you have any logs with errors let me know and I'll be happy to sort it out.

 Here is my last_run.log

Code: [Select]

Attract-Mode v2.6.1 (Windows, SFML 2.5.1 +SWF +7z +Curl)
avcodec 58.54.100 / avformat 58.29.100 / swscale 5.5.100 / avutil 56.31.100 / swresample 3.5.100

Config: C:\AMV\attract.cfg

*** Initializing display: 'mame'
 - Loaded master romlist 'mame' in 108 ms (2589 entries kept, 0 discarded)
 - Constructed 3 filters in 20 ms (7767 comparisons)

xconv: 1.6

yconv: 2.13438

xconv: 1.6

yconv: 1.6

RELATIVE XY:
message:
type: x
anchor: middle
align_to: (null : 0x00000000)
screen WxH: 768 x 1366
num: 0
object_xy:0
object_wh:716
relative_object_xy: 0
relative_object_wh: 716
new xy coord: 0

RELATIVE XY:
message:
type: y
anchor: middle
align_to: (null : 0x00000000)
screen WxH: 768 x 1366
num: 0
object_xy:0
object_wh:1126
relative_object_xy: 0
relative_object_wh: 1126
new xy coord: 0

RELATIVE XY:
message:
type: x
anchor: middle
align_to: (null : 0x00000000)
screen WxH: 768 x 1366
num: 0
object_xy:160
object_wh:716
relative_object_xy: 0
relative_object_wh: 716
new xy coord: 0

RELATIVE XY:
message:
type: y
anchor: middle
align_to: (null : 0x00000000)
screen WxH: 768 x 1366
num: 55.4938
object_xy:136
object_wh:913
relative_object_xy: 0
relative_object_wh: 1126
new xy coord: 161.994

RELATIVE XY:
message: PLAY NOW!!!
type: x
anchor: right
align_to: (null : 0x00000000)
screen WxH: 768 x 1366
num: -64
object_xy:588
object_wh:208
relative_object_xy: (null : 0x00000000)
relative_object_wh: (null : 0x00000000)
new xy coord: 496

RELATIVE XY:
message: [!alphafirst]
type: x
anchor: left
align_to: (null : 0x00000000)
screen WxH: 768 x 1366
num: 12.8
object_xy:28
object_wh:28
relative_object_xy: 27
relative_object_wh: 76
new xy coord: 39.8
 - Loaded layout: C:\AMV\layouts/Verted/ (layout.nut)

RELATIVE XY:
message: [!alphafirst]
type: y
anchor: middle
align_to: (null : 0x00000000)
screen WxH: 768 x 1366
num: 4.8
object_xy:559
object_wh:35
relative_object_xy: 300.146
relative_object_wh: 76
new xy coord: 325.446

RELATIVE XY:
message: [!alphafirst]
type: y
anchor: middle
align_to: (null : 0x00000000)
screen WxH: 768 x 1366
num: 4.8
object_xy:325.446
object_wh:35
relative_object_xy: 300.146
relative_object_wh: 76
new xy coord: 325.446

RELATIVE XY:
message: [!alphafirst]
type: y
anchor: middle

4

General / Re: Running AM in a cabinet shutting down the mains.

« on: February 10, 2021, 06:30:46 PM »

@ SpoonyAllen

=SSD:
SSD is ok => so there don't exist problems like headcrash on power loss and so on

=immediate power loss:
because files are in use, that could bring data loss and data damages as result.

use a correct shutdown sequence:
-set in windows power settings : if power button is pressed, shutdown windows.
extend computer power button reachable in cabinet, so you can press it.

-set shutdown command in AM:
start AM > press TAB key > General > Exit Command : shutdown -s -f -t 01
if you exit AM via dialogue, windows and computer shutdown too

then use electric power switch

-issue with attract.am:
use correct shutdown sequence (see above)

or

delete content of file attract.am > enable write protection > now AM starts always the first game of first display

or

choose a specific game, that always should start > delete all other content of file attract.am > enable write protection > now AM starts always with this specific game

As i mentioned, i can't use a script for a shutdown sequence. I need to rely on the bios to turn the PC on once mains power is restored.  If i shut down the PC using any traditional method, be it shutting down via the start menu or through a script then there's no way i can turn the PC back on in its current state and configuration inside of the cabinet. Not to sound like an ass or singling out anyone but not being able to use this feature properly basically negates the need to even use attract mode for me.

I think what's happening between these dozen or so boots is that Attract.AM is either being written or being prepared to be written just as i shut down power. I've even tried to properly exit a game, wait a few seconds and kill mains power at the menu, i still get this attract.am crash about every 10 startups. It seems the file persistence read of the file is not on a strict, regular interval.

I've done some experimentation with this. What i did was i opened windows explorer and set it to sort files by which ones were modified first. I launched a new game and i notice attract.am is being modified anywhere between 50 seconds to 2 minutes between launching a new game and following the exit of a game. If "launch_last_game" setting is enabled, shouldn't attract.am only be written to immediately following the launch of a game only and be left alone by attract mode following that?

edit: this issue was already discussed on the github
https://github.com/mickelson/attract/issues/608

5

General / Re: Running AM in a cabinet shutting down the mains.

« on: February 10, 2021, 10:40:18 AM »

-Which OS do you use?

-Which version of AM do you use?

-how do you shutdown your computer?
shut down dialouge of OS?
pressing power button of computer?
attractmode internal command?
simple electricity switch (hard power off)?

-what kind of harddisk drive do you use?
SSD or classic HDD?

sorry, should have added more details

win7 x64
Version 2.6.1
just shutting the power off using a mains kill switch. PC boots up using the recover from power loss option in the bios
runs an SSD

This isn't an AM solution, but a general one I use to prevent corruption.  Lately I use a relay timer switch to help with this. When I hit a switch, it sends a power-off command to the pc, and the relay timer is triggered. After a set amount of time the main power is shut down to the cabinet and the pc... but the pc should have had time to power down gracefully already.

 That won't help if you're just flipping a switch for everything all at once. The only option in that case would be adding a battery backup with a USB connection to your PC. A decent backup unit usually integrates with graceful power-down software to shut the PC down when the backup gets triggered.

Hard-powering down any PC that isn't built for it can generate problems.

I've made multiple mame cabs with zero issues shutting off mains as long as you make adjustments to windows. The reason i chose attract mode is because its the only UI that allows you to automatically load a game at startup.

I have boiled the issue down to the load last game at startup feature which is controlled by the attract.am file. I read another thread where someone was having issues with that. they were encouraged to set a delay in loading attract mode at startup. I tried that but once again after about 5 or so bootups, attract mode crashes again. When i do restart attract mode manually using a mouse, AM launches the first game on the list (005).

6

General / Running AM in a cabinet shutting down the mains.

« on: February 09, 2021, 10:19:31 AM »

I've been having a myriad of issues with a new build running AM but I've slowly widdled things down to one big issue.

I have AM configured and set to load at startup.
I have it set to load the last game that was played.
I had an issue with videos running in one theme. swtiched to verticools and the issues stopped

But i still have this:
About every dozen or so bootups AM crashes. Most of the time it will crash with a white background. nothing comes up in the AM logs. It will not load mame or the last game run. Sometimes it will magically start up again if i select attract mode manually via a mouse. sometimes it will boot if i load the console version of AM. Other times it requires me to use a backup of attract.cfg in order to get it back up and running (looking at the 'corrupted' cfg doesn't show anything out of the ordinary)

I do have this mame cab loading up following AC power loss so it can boot together with all of the other cabinets in my arcade. I'm starting to think shutting down the PC via the power mains is the culprit here, possibly causing some kind of corruption somewhere. Has anyone else had a similar issue? any work-around for this?

7

Themes / Re: Verted -- Layout for Vertical Cabinets

« on: February 09, 2021, 09:59:18 AM »

i noticed that this theme will cause AM to crash from time to time when scrolling through videos. It happens about once every 10 bootups. i've had it happen on both windows 7 and win10.

8

Themes / Re: robospin Conveyer Wheel help

« on: February 03, 2021, 10:24:19 AM »

Code: [Select]

local title =  fe.add_text( "[Title] - [Year] - [Manufacturer]", 0, your_menu_object.y + your_menu_object.height + 10, fe.layout.width, 35 )
or using my positioning module...

Code: [Select]

local title =  fe.add_text( "[Title] - [Year] - [Manufacturer]", 0,0, fe.layout.width, 35 )
title.y = scale.y(5,"top",title,your_menu_object_name,"bottom") // this sets the y coord of the top of title object 5 pixels from the bottom of the menu object

Maybe something like that. Use the height of the menu object and its y position to find the bottom of it. If you're using carrier or conveyor though, it may render a surface across the whole screen (not sure) so the x/y values might be useless in determining the correct visual positioning. In that case, you'll just have to position your title's y position so it doesn't overlap.

ironically i was looking at your positioning module right now.

I did cobble something up earlier similar to what you posted but it didn't work and would set me back to another working theme. I'll give your example above a shot. thanks!

9

Themes / Re: robospin Conveyer Wheel help

« on: February 03, 2021, 07:35:41 AM »

thanks so much for this. yeah the attachment was a little tricky to spot.

Is there a way to add text at the bottom to show the game title? I tried a few variations of code to get text to show up at the bottom but nothing shows up. Even tried pasting in a a simple

Code: [Select]

fe.add_text( "[Title] - [Year] - [Manufacturer]", flx*0.05, fly*0.949, flw*0.6, flh*0.04  );
but get nothing to show up? Maybe I'm just having a brain fart somewhere?

edit:

got this working for the game title, manufacturer text. Just can't seem to align it to the bottom of the menu

Code: [Select]

local title = fe.add_text( "[Title] - [Year] - [Manufacturer]", 0, 1, fe.layout.width, 35 )
title.text_align = Align.BottomRight;
title.set_rgb( 255, 255, 255 )
title.style = Style.Bold;
title.background = "frameb.png"

10

Themes / Re: robospin Conveyer Wheel help

« on: February 02, 2021, 04:37:07 PM »

I made a very simple version of this to remove (most) of the extra stuff.

I used my module Pos (positioning) module and a slightly modified Carrier module (by Oomek) that basically just adds the capability to use wheel logos instead of snaps.

Carrier does all of the work with the wheel stuff at top. All of the scale.x, scale.y, scale.width, etc just made it quicker for me to position everything for an example. You can swap that out with hard coded values if it's easier.

that's awesome. I was slowly looking and prodding at the conveyer module. I haven't messed with Carrier just yet. Is there any way you can share your nut and modified carrier?

11

Themes / robospin Conveyer Wheel help

« on: February 02, 2021, 11:44:21 AM »

I'm new to attract mode coming from hyperspin. I need to use attract because of two features it has that HS does not. I had a basic vertical setup on HS that i would like to make something similar using attract mode. I copied, pasted and edited a bit of code from Robospin in order to make a basic vertical theme. now my issue is, i have been looking at the conveyer code in order to position and have the wheels move from left to right at the top of a vertical layout.

Does anyone know how to accomplish this? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. for some reason the forums doesn't like the nut code in a code tag so i uploaded it to pastebin: https://pastebin.com/kCf0bxDP

A visual of what i want to do here:

12

Themes / Re: Verted -- Layout for Vertical Cabinets

« on: January 29, 2021, 02:54:47 PM »

Make sure the history plug-in is enabled in AM'S plug-in menu, and the path to the generated dat is also set up in the layouts options.

I agree on the other items you mentioned. Hadn't gotten around to it but they are super easy additions that I'll make sometime today or so.

I just figured it out. apparently the theme does not like using relative paths with variables. I was using $PROGDIR\mame\dats\history.dat where the theme wanted the full path to the history.dat.

13

Themes / Re: Verted -- Layout for Vertical Cabinets

« on: January 29, 2021, 09:39:10 AM »

I was actually making my own theme based on my old vertical hyperspin project. While doing research i found your theme. It's great so far. One thing. I'm not sure if i'm doing this correct but i parsed the history dat and made a custom control1. the tab does pan but i don't see any history info. the area is blank. I can see scrapped arcade flyers.

If i could suggest one thing, perhaps adding the ability to remove the category and possibly add the ability to add the game title and manufacturer info at the bottom left would be nice. Sometimes the genre of the game is pretty obvious. Also sometimes the logo doesn't exactly make it aware of what the game is. Its also impossible to know what game it is if you're missing the game wheel.