New user with a few questions

[sfsdfd]

Hey, everyone. In the last two weeks, I've burned through about six emulator front ends, and have mostly settled on Attract Mode as a good balance of robust, lightweight, and nice-looking.

However, I've got some basic questions about a few issues that are somewhat irritating:

1) For some reason, Attract-Mode creates a huge black backdrop behind the main interface. It looks like a big DirectX rectangle that's not being correctly drawn. It's not even sized according to the display. Why is that happening, and how do I stop it?

2) I'm having a surprising amount of difficulty controlling the interface with a keyboard. First, if I select an emulator and get to the game list, I can't seem to go back to the emulator list. And second, I can't find any decent way to *exit* Attract-Mode. Literally, the only way I've found is to kill it through Task Manager. What in the world am I doing wrong?

3) I'm using Nestopia as my NES emulator, and two weird things are happening. First, when I exit Nestopia, I'm greeted with a black screen for about 10 to 15 seconds, before Attract-Mode appears again. Second, running Nestopia *even once* causes it to break: it crashes on startup from that point forward. I can get it working again if I delete its config file, but that's a huge pain. And this problem doesn't happen at all if I run Nestopia only outside of Attract-Mode.

Ideas? Thanks for your help.

[hermine.potter]

Hi! Your OS and AM-Version?

1) AM opens a dos-box behind the AM-Window. Do you mean that? Please take a screenshot.

2) First problem:
- Check your keyboard settings, that a button is set : TAB-Key > Controls > Previous Display / Next Display
Second problem:
- Check your keyboard settings, that a button is set : TAB-Key > Controls > Exit to Desktop

3) Do you use v1.40 ?
Post your settings of Nestopia : AM-Folder > emulators > nestopia.cfg

[akafox]

Hey, everyone. In the last two weeks, I've burned through about six emulator front ends, and have mostly settled on Attract Mode as a good balance of robust, lightweight, and nice-looking.

I agree I myself have gone through "every" front end and came to the same conclusion.

1) For some reason, Attract-Mode creates a huge black backdrop behind the main interface. It looks like a big DirectX rectangle that's not being correctly drawn. It's not even sized according to the display. Why is that happening, and how do I stop it?

as was said:

1) AM opens a dos-box behind the AM-Window. Do you mean that? Please take a screenshot.

As far as I know there is no way to hide that, if that is what it is. Raygun will have to fix that. That is a programing thing. As for not being "sized to the display" it is not suppose to be at first. AM starts in windowed mode by default. Thus it does not cover the whole screen. To change it press TAB ---> general ---> window mode...press enter and then used th up and down keys to change it to..full screen.

2) I'm having a surprising amount of difficulty controlling the interface with a keyboard. First, if I select an emulator and get to the game list, I can't seem to go back to the emulator list. And second, I can't find any decent way to *exit* Attract-Mode. Literally, the only way I've found is to kill it through Task Manager. What in the world am I doing wrong?

You are doing nothing wrong. You just need to know the "default" keys. I am not sure exactly what you mean by "First, if I select an emulator and get to the game list, I can't seem to go back to the emulator list."  To switch use left and right on the keyboard...I think. To go back you press escape key to go backwards through the menus. As hermine.potter stated press TAB ---> controls to see the default keys. Pressing exit will bring you back to the list..and then if pressed again will bring up "exit attract mode?" from there use up or down and select yes.

3) I'm using Nestopia as my NES emulator, and two weird things are happening. First, when I exit Nestopia, I'm greeted with a black screen for about 10 to 15 seconds, before Attract-Mode appears again. Second, running Nestopia *even once* causes it to break: it crashes on startup from that point forward. I can get it working again if I delete its config file, but that's a huge pain. And this problem doesn't happen at all if I run Nestopia only outside of Attract-Mode

Actually I have always had problems with nestopia. Try a different nes emulator. This is the one I use works great http://sourceforge.net/projects/fceultra/files/Binaries/2.2.2/

(Please post emulator problems in the emulator section..that is what it is for )

Also please read this as it might answer  some of your questions http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=328.0