Topics

1

Themes / Some more free AM Themes

« on: April 02, 2022, 12:15:23 PM »

I just came across this website http://idahogaragecade.com/2018/05/08/attract-mode_custom_layouts/

He does have a Youtube channel, but I only just came across his website by accident.

The themes are free to download, they also contain a preview video as well.

Hope this helps someone out that wants more themes to play with.

Regards

Mark

2

Emulators / How To : Play Sony PlayStation 1 With RetroArch Using The Duck Station Core

« on: March 29, 2022, 09:20:43 AM »

First : Make sure that you have the bios files needed in Retro Arch\System
Second : Make sure that you have installed the Duck Station core and pointed to your PS 1 roms.
Third : Do a test load from within RetroArch to make sure that the rom loads.

Fourth : In Attract Mode

Executable : Point to your RA set up folder making sure you use retroarch.exe at the end (always check skelling errors) In my case C:\Emulators\RetroArch\retroarch.exe
Arguments : -L "cores\duckstation_libretro.dll" "[romfilename]"
Rom Extensions : .zip;.chd;.bin and whatever else you have, if you only have .chd then no need for all the rest

All your other paths for art etc will be from your end so waste of time me listing those lot

Fifth : If things do not work, go back and check for any spelling mistakes, that you have added the .exe or ;

Hope this helps someone out, and saves having to go through a long list of threads just to get to one emulator. I think the other lists use expse or however you spell it and not RA.

Just to add if you do get any errors if you are using zip files, these might need to be unpacked or another PS1 core to be used.

Regards

Mark

3

Emulators / Sega SG-1000 Extended XML file 2022 version

« on: February 12, 2022, 08:02:19 AM »

Hi All,

Well this is not working as I was expecting, fields are not populating my end as they should be. My romslist file is missing year and genre, but a couple of them do have the information. I have deleted and regenerated but still getting the same results, I am not sure if I would have to put this lot into catver.ini and try it that way?

Ok I think that I have it worked out, the xml has name Bank Panic (Japan) but my actual rom files are called Bank Panic (Japan) (MyCard) so I do not think it is populating because of that, the xml has to be the same name as the rom file, I hope.

As I am setting up systems, I am going to slowly release more and more files for other people to use for their own set ups. If you wish to use them for your own set ups all well and good

FIXED : A few name changes on the roms and the xml file as well and now all fields are populated. I have included my text file you just need to remove the (Console) but I have my emulator as Sega SG-1000 (Console)

Sega SG-1000 Console Information : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SG-1000
Sega SG-1000 Games List : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SG-1000_games
Original XML File : https://hyperlist.hyperspin-fe.com/
Total Games = 75

Demo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YinzXvA_So 4:26

RetroArch Core and command line arguments : -f -L cores\picodrive_libretro.dll "[romfilename]"

Please remember to back up your original file, if you wish to revert back. Also remember to generate a new list once you have this xml file in place. If you do not have this system yet, you need to add this xml to your additional import files in tab emulator settings

What have I added?

All of the games only had one word genres so shooter, puzzle etc etc.

So now it is Shooter / Flying / Vertical, Driving / Chase View / Bike etc etc

What have I removed or edited from the original?

Games such as Mahjong and a few other games were listed as puzzle games. I have removed the puzzle from these and replaced it with Tabletop / Mahjong such as it is in the MAME.xml

I have also added some company names to the manufacturer section so before a lot of it was just Sega, but now I have added Activision, Konami and a couple more. I have kept the Sega part, but now it is Sega / Konami

Sadly a lot if not all of the console information is just very basic, so I will try editing all of the files as I go but that is going to be a massive task, 75 games was bad enough but some files have hundreds of games if not more.

Hope someone finds this of use

Regards

Mark

4

General / The Long Weekend

« on: January 30, 2022, 04:04:56 PM »

Well, the weekend is now over, Monday morning once more. However, it has been an interesting journey for me. I found myself bored of setting up systems, and I started trying to see if I could improve on certain things

Here is a Demo of what I have been working on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfSyAEa-PiY

A before and after video

Regards

Mark

5

General / Laggy video, any suggestions?

« on: January 14, 2022, 02:53:53 AM »

Hi Everyone,

I am running AM on a middle of the road PC I5-3570K @3.40ghz 8 gigs of ram and using a 780 ti graphics card, running windows 10.

If I have more than one snap playing at once, the playback becomes very laggy to say the least.

I went into General > Video Decoder and I have software & DXVA2 both of which give the same results.

Is this just a bug with the system that really it should only play one video, or is there a way around it?

Thanks for any help

I have just had a look at filter grid and put two snaps in a horizontal position, and that seems excellent. The first selected video plays with audio, while the second is muted. I never noticed any slow down while testing on this, so I might try editing this layout and see what happens.

Regards

Mark

6

Themes / WIP - Arcade Wall (Scrapped, sort of)

« on: January 13, 2022, 03:55:40 AM »

Hi everyone,

A massive thank you to Jedione for hooking me up with his version of Arcade Wall, even though he was calling it a different name. I am no longer working on my version, but using his instead as it is excellent and does everything that I wanted it to do and more.

Well as I have wasted most of the morning, I thought that I would give you a demo of a skin that I started yesterday

Demo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnM4hfXxi68 Basic skin demo

Demo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yqkxvtIVCs Game search function

It has not gone the way that I wanted it to, I was trying to copy Nevato to start with, but then I saw ioflat menu and I tried working on that, but I could not get multiple logos or snaps to show up. I was only getting one, while he was displaying four or more.

However, it is currently in this state. I jumped ship from CoinOps to AM and I did love the wall theme and I miss it.

DESIGN, LAYOUTS, THOUGHTS, IDEAS

1) It will not have a navigation system, E.G it will not have a wheel. You move from left to right and it will show a new cabinet in the middle. I honestly hate the HyperSpin look. A wheel is also pretty useless when you have hundreds if not thousands of MAME roms. If you are scrolling through the wheel, it does not get you there any faster. The search function is a much better option, I done a video of how that looks in the skin, so you can see why I don't want to include a wheel, but my main reason is that I hate wheels.
2) I did want it to really show 1941 (go left) 1942 (current selection) 1943 (go right) however, my skinning skills are not that good at the moment, but hopefully I can work that out.
3) I have done a basic background of two of my favourite machines and really machines that started me off on my Arcade journey, pacman and space invaders.
3a) As you can see and hear I have the video for Pacman, I still have to sort out space invaders, but I was not supposed to be doing this today. I will mute the audio on Pacman so that the main focus is on the middle screen.

There is no ETA at the moment, I am supposed to be busy this week, but when I start working on a problem, I like to sort that problem out.
4) The skin is for 4K displays at the moment, but that might change in the future.

Any thoughts, advice, tips and tricks would be gratefully appreciated. I welcome all feedback, both good and bad, so if you think it is rubbish, please tell me.

Regards

Mark

7

Themes / RELEASED - ArcadeFlix 2.0 Main Menu Theme (1920 x 1080 Or Up works 4K)

« on: January 08, 2022, 03:39:55 AM »

Firstly, amazing work by sergiohyperspin for creating this http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=4108.0. I know he copied someone else for the code, but he gave him credit, so I will as well iOtero.

FOR THE DOWNLOAD SCROLL DOWN TO THE SECOND COMMENT, IT CONTAINS THE DOWNLOADS AND SKIN AND BUG FIX INFORMATION

Secondly, I have only been testing AM for this week, and only started looking at trying to modify this skin today, I am a hacker/modder but not a coder so credits to everyone that can code, especially from the ground up.

I still have final touches to make, but the skin is complete enough to release a video on the work that I have done.

Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMO-lZflxi8 (5:21)

When will this be released? I should hopefully be able to upload tomorrow 09th of Jan 2022, I still have final testing to do and looking at bug fixes if I can

What modifications have I done?

1) I have removed the white selection box. (Bottom of the screen)

Why? See number five, and besides it was annoying the hell out of me, and it was ugly.

2) The system and collection wheel at the bottom of the screen is now wheel only (for now at least).

Why? Firstly I think that system & collection logo's look far better, they are spaced out more and look less crowded. The video snaps at the bottom was slowing down my computer, so they were removed so that other people do not have the same issues.

3) The search at the top right was removed (It is back, but search crashes the skin, so I need to look more into that)

Why? I tried it, I set up custom keys, but for me it did not work. I now have it working, search that is, just not on this skin.

4) The ArcadeFlix in the top left hand corner has been removed or has it? (Improvement)

Why? I have now given you the option of having it displayed or not. You can now change this by going to

Displays, Displays Menu Options, Layout Options, Select ArcadeFlix Logo

Default is 01 (turned off) 02 = red 03 = yellow 04 = green 05 = dark blue 06 = aqua blue 07 = black

You can change, alter or add your own logo's by going to

Attract Mode\layouts\ArcadeFlix 2.0 Main Menu\Artwork\arcadeflix (you do not have a graphic for 01 hence being turned off as nothing to display)

5) The white selection box has been removed or has it? (Improvement)

Why? I hated that white box, it looked ugly, disgusting and I hated hated hated it (quick phone call to my shrink)

You now have the option of selecting your own system/collection selector, it is only a simple text logo underneath the system that you are on, but you have a few options such as press start, press fire etc.

Displays, Displays Menu Options, Layout Options, Select System Selection Logo

Default is 01 (turned off) and then you have six other options

You can change, alter or add your own text or indicator of what system you are on by going to

Attract Mode\layouts\ArcadeFlix 2.0 Main Menu\Artwork\selector (you do not have a graphic for 01 hence being turned off as nothing to display)

6) The ratings bar (tab) has been removed (right side of the screen)

Why? It was useless and served no purpose. Consoles are not rated so I do not see why someone would have a rating bar pop up for.

I will update this, but late for me and I am closing down for the night, ready for the land of nod.

Regards

Mark

8

General / Collection help needed please, tearing my hair out

« on: January 06, 2022, 03:19:57 AM »

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for any help given. I have been testing AM for the past couple of days now, and starting to love it. I have just set up PC games and also PS3 so pretty much, the front end does everything that I want apart from the following.

Setting up a collection

1) I have gone to display and created a new display called Metal Slug Collection
2) I have generated Atomiswave & MAME together and called that All Games

My display is set up as follows

Collection/Rom List = All Games
Show in cycle/menu = yes
Global filter is empty (I have populated that before)
Filter Metal Slug = Title contains Metal Slug (I have messed around with exceptions but no joy)
Filter Demon Front = Title contains Demon Front (Same settings as above)
I have also tried with Dolphin Blue on Atomiswave but that stops Metal Slug from showing. I do not have Demon Front showing in the list

Is there anything that I am doing wrong, or is this a limitation of the front end?

The display is not creating any text file or roms list as you might expect, and I have checked the all games list and all the titles are in there.

It does show the Metal Slug games from MAME and also Atomiswave, and if I added PC games into that, I expect that it would show the PC games as well.

Any help would be much appreciated.

So what I am trying to do to to make it shorter is have a Metal Slug Collection, and then have a couple of bonus games included into that collection.

Regards

Mark