Attract-Mode Support Forum
Attract-Mode Support => General => Topic started by: Sebiohazard on February 06, 2022, 07:55:07 PM
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Hello everyone !
I am looking for how to create display lists of systems & subsystems in Attract ?
For example, when Attract starts, I would like to appear on the display list: Computers - Consoles - LCD. Then if I choose Computers I arrive in another display list: Atari 800 - Acorn BBC - Commodore 64...
If I choose Consoles I arrive in another display list: ColecoVision - Dreamcast - MEGA CD... same for the LCD list.
I don't understand how to proceed ? What are the creation steps for the display lists: Computers - Consoles - LCD ?!
Greetings 8)
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There are ways to “hack†this behaviour in attract mode using a custom made romlist, it’s not possible from the standard io though. My layout Arcadeflow implements this kind of menu in its own way if you want to check it out…
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Ha, I knew some day I would come in handy
You need to write these files by hand really, or rather just copy and paste and you need to edit two file locations. All what you need to do is replace all the information you don't want for information you do want.
Step One
attract.cfg
display Sega Arcade
layout Arcade Wall
romlist Sega Arcade Menu
in_cycle yes
in_menu no
filter All
sort_by Title
Step Two
Romlists folder Sega Arcade Menu.txt
#Name;Title;Emulator;CloneOf;Year;Manufacturer;Category;Players;Rotation;Control;Status;DisplayCount;DisplayType;AltRomname;AltTitle;Extra;Buttons;Series;Language;Region;Rating
Sega Arcade Games;Sega Arcade Games;@;;1;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Arcade Systems;Sega Arcade Systems;@;;2;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Step Three
romlist folder Sega Arcade Systems.txt
#Name;Title;Emulator;CloneOf;Year;Manufacturer;Category;Players;Rotation;Control;Status;DisplayCount;DisplayType;AltRomname;AltTitle;Extra;Buttons;Series;Language;Region;Rating
Sega Europa-R;Sega Europa-R;@;;2008;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Hikaru;Sega Hikaru;@;;1999;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Lindbergh;Sega Lindbergh;@;;2005;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Mega-Play;Sega Mega-Play;@;;1989;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Mega-Tech;Sega Mega-Tech;@;;1989;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Model 1;Sega Model 1;@;;1992;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Model 2;Sega Model 2;@;;1993;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Model 3;Sega Model 3;@;;1996;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Naomi;Sega Naomi;@;;1998;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Naomi 2;Sega Naomi 2;@;;2000;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega RingEdge;Sega RingEdge;@;;2009;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega RingEdge 2;Sega RingEdge 2;@;;2012;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega RingWide;Sega RingWide;@;;2009;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega ST-V;Sega ST-V;@;;1995;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega System 1;Sega System 1;@;;1983;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega System 16;Sega System 16;@;;1985;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega System 18;Sega System 18;@;;1989;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega System 24;Sega System 24;@;;1988;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega System 32;Sega System 32;@;;1990;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega TriForce;Sega TriForce;@;;2002;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega X Board;Sega X Board;@;;1987;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Y Board;Sega Y Board;@;;1988;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Step Four
This would go in your attract.cfg file
Name Sega Mega-Tech
Layout Arcade Wall
Collection/Rom List MAME (Arcade)
Show in Cycle yes
Show in Menu no
Global filter empty
Filter All
Rule Manufacturer contains Sega
Rule Name contains mt_
Sort by Title
This is the basis of how to do sub menu collections. The first file is the most important one, but you also need the romlist folder as well, as they work together.
You can organise your lists so they look tidier by using the below. I was trying to use // and # on the attract.cfg but it would produce a new file and all of my notes would disappear, so this was the best way that I could have notes and keep everything organised so I get less confused.
display ***** EMULATOR SECTION STARTS *****
layout Arcade Wall
romlist MAME (Arcade)
in_cycle no
in_menu no
filter All
display
layout Arcade Wall
romlist MAME (Arcade)
in_cycle no
in_menu no
filter All
Any more questions and I will answer once I have had a coffee, my eyes are still half shut at the moment.
Regards
Mark
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So for your needs you would have the following
attract.cfg
display Computers
layout Arcade Wall this is the theme/skin that you are using so edit as needed
romlist Computer Menu
in_cycle yes
in_menu yes
display Consoles
layout Arcade Wall this is the theme/skin that you are using so edit as needed
romlist Console Menu
in_cycle yes
in_menu yes
display LCD
layout Arcade Wall this is the theme/skin that you are using so edit as needed
romlist LCD Menu
in_cycle yes
in_menu yes
romlists
computer menu,console menu, lcd menu.txt
console menu.txt
#Name;Title;Emulator;CloneOf;Year;Manufacturer;Category;Players;Rotation;Control;Status;DisplayCount;DisplayType;AltRomname;AltTitle;Extra;Buttons;Series;Language;Region;Rating
Sega Genesis;Sega Genesis;@;;1984;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Master System;Sega Master System;@;;1984;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Etc etc
attract cfg
display Sega Genesis
layout Arcade Wall
romlist Sega Genesis (When you set up your emulator and generate roms, then use the name you have created
in_cycle yes
in_menu no
filter All
sort_by Title
Just to add you would need your artwork to be called the same as well, so menu art console menu.jpg/png etc etc this would be either cabinets, wheels or what ever you choose, the video has to be the same name as well.
Just to add even more, if for example you wanted the computers, consoles to be broken down into more sub sections so for example
Sega consoles
N****** consoles
Sony consoles
#Name;Title;Emulator;CloneOf;Year;Manufacturer;Category;Players;Rotation;Control;Status;DisplayCount;DisplayType;AltRomname;AltTitle;Extra;Buttons;Series;Language;Region;Rating
Sega Consoles;Sega Consoles;@;;1984;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sony Consoles;Sony Consoles;@;;1984;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
display Sega Consoles
layout Arcade Wall
romlist Sega Consoles
in_cycle yes
in_menu no
filter All
sort_by Title
Sega Consoles.txt
#Name;Title;Emulator;CloneOf;Year;Manufacturer;Category;Players;Rotation;Control;Status;DisplayCount;DisplayType;AltRomname;AltTitle;Extra;Buttons;Series;Language;Region;Rating
Sega Genesis;Sega Genesis;@;;1984;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Master System;Sega Master System;@;;1984;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
attract cfg
display Sega Genesis
layout Arcade Wall
romlist Sega Genesis (When you set up your emulator and generate roms, then use the name you have created
in_cycle yes
in_menu no
filter All
sort_by Title
Hope this helps
Regards
Mark
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There are ways to “hack†this behaviour in attract mode using a custom made romlist, it’s not possible from the standard io though. My layout Arcadeflow implements this kind of menu in its own way if you want to check it out…
Hello OK & why is it not possible with the standard interface ? It is however a very basic & useful thing ?!
@Mark Norville hello thank you for your help I have two questions:
Step One
attract.cfg
display Sega Arcade
layout Arcade Wall
romlist Sega Arcade Menu
in_cycle yes
in_menu no
filter All
sort_by Title
1. What is the " n cycle " option for ?!
Step Two
Romlists folder Sega Arcade Menu.txt
#Name;Title;Emulator;CloneOf;Year;Manufacturer;Category;Players;Rotation;Control;Status;DisplayCount;DisplayType;AltRomname;AltTitle;Extra;Buttons;Series;Language;Region;Rating
Sega Arcade Games;Sega Arcade Games;@;;1;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
Sega Arcade Systems;Sega Arcade Systems;@;;2;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
2. I would like to understand the meaning of the @ symbol as well as the ;; & 1;;;;;;;;;;; or 2;;;;;;;;;;; because this is incomprehensible to me... is there a lexicon to better understand ?
Greetings 8)
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Ok
In cycle means that it is displayed as a sub menu, if it was no then it would not show
If you have in menu yes, then it would show on the main menu, which you do not want, and you need to select no so it becomes a sub menu
The @ is saying that it is a sub menu, it is replacing where normally the emulator name would be.
The 1 & 2 is where the year should be so 2022 as an example
However, I have replaced the 2022 with 1,2,3 etc so if I want to sort on year rather than title then it uses that. You can still use years so Sega Master System 1986 Sega Mega Drive 1988 if you want to check the year date, but for me I want some menus just to display in order of how I want them, I could do 1970,1971 example, but it is far quicker just to type 1,2,3
Another example for you, this is part of my collections
Bubble Bobble All Games, Bubble Bobble Arcade, Bubble Bobble Computers, Bubble Bobble Consoles, Bubble Bobble Bonus Games.
If I had it sorted on title, the bonus games would be after all games, but I do not want that, I want that selection at the end. So I have All Games = 1 Arcade = 2 Computers = 3 Consoles 4 Bonus Games = 5, I then sort on year so that it displays in that order. As said before, I could type in 1986, 1987, 1988 but it is much faster to type 1,2,3. However, it all works the same way.
As for how AM is programmed that is not down to me, but this is how you need to do it for sub menus
Just for more info, I have broken down the fields into colours the @ is in green which is in the emulator field, but we are replacing the emulator with @ to create a sub menu, otherwise that field would have MAME, RPSC3 etc in that location
#Name;Title;Emulator;CloneOf;Year;Manufacturer;Category;Players;Rotation;Control;Status;DisplayCount;DisplayType;AltRomname;AltTitle;Extra;Buttons;Series;Language;Region;Rating
Sega Consoles;Sega Consoles;@;;1984;;;;;;;;;;;COIN OPERATED CABINET;;;;;
If you look at the below line, it tells you the way that it populates the fields, so the ; is a separator so Name;Title;Emulator; WE ARE NOT BOTHERED ABOUT CLONEOF OR OTHER INFORMATION (apart from year) BUT WE STILL NEED THE ; TO BE IN PLACE. SO AS AN EXAMPLE IF YOU WANT TO ADD THE REGION AT A LATER DATE, YOU NEED TO COUNT THE ; 19TH AND THEN PUT EUROPE INTO THAT SPACE
1st 19TH
#Name;Title;Emulator;CloneOf;Year;Manufacturer;Category;Players;Rotation;Control;Status;DisplayCount;DisplayType;AltRomname;AltTitle;Extra;Buttons;Series;Language;Region;Rating
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Europe ;
Regards
Mark
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Thank you for your explanations even if I did not understand everything because English is not my mother tongue & I use a translator to read you sorry...
I tried your method with for example this:
#Name;Title;Emulator;CloneOf;Year;Manufacturer;Category;Players;Rotation;Control;Status;DisplayCount;DisplayType;AltRomname;AltTitle;Extra;Buttons;Series;Language;Region;Rating
TRS-80 Model III;TRS-80 Model III;@
I simply add @ after the last ; & now I have my subsystem. For the rest it's just a sorting method if I understood correctly ?
Greetings!
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Main Menu - Computers, Consoles, LCD
Sub menu (computers as an example) - Amiga, Spectrum
Display results or further sub menu's
I have typed a lot, but the rest has been about further sub menus, searching, order details etc.
Once you have the basics down, then you will be able to do all of the rest once you have the knowledge in your head.
You can speed up the process as well, you set up the Commodore Amiga as an Example, you can then paste that information onto a new notepad document, and then replace the Commodore Amiga for ZX Spectrum and then transfer it back.
It takes a while to get used to, I have only found out how to do it the past week, and I am still getting confused, but I am doing one system at a time which gives me less to concentrate on.
Regards
Mark
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OK thanks maybe there is an official manual to explain all this ?!
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you only have the wiki http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?board=7.0
However, no official manual exists, hell you do not get a manual with Microsoft Windows do you? lol
Trust me my guide works, as I am doing more sub sections than I have games, and I have over 30,000 games.
Regards
Mark