How to set up attract mode on a PC step by step

[thermo]

Hi Akafox,

thanks for your answer.

Meanwhile I removed MAME and installed RetroArch.
There is the same phenomenon:
When I launch a game via Terminal, it plays great:

Code: [Select]

/Applications/RetroArch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch -L /Applications/RetroArch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/mame2015_libretro.dylib "/Volumes/Roms/arcade/spang.zip" --appendconfig "/Users/xxx/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/MAME2003.cfg|/Users/thermo/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/ARCADE/[name].cfg"
But from within the AM config nothing happens:

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executable           /Applications/RetroArch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch
args                 "[romfilename]" -L /Applications/RetroArch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/mame2015_libretro.dylib  --appendconfig "$HOME/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/MAME2003.cfg|$HOME/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/ARCADE/[name].cfg"
rompath              /Volumes/Roms/arcade
I tried to dig a little deeper and found somewhere a clue with a force command "-f".
So I added it:

Code: [Select]

args                 "[romfilename]" -f -L /Applications/RetroArch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/mame2015_libretro.dylib  --appendconfig "$HOME/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/MAME2003.cfg|$HOME/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/ARCADE/[name].cfg"
What happens is, that RetroArch is now opened and the roms loads, but again: it freezes after some seconds... 

It seems to me, that there is a problem with AM starting other Apps?
Another user posted a similar problem:
http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=1797.0

Is this a known bug?

[akafox]

I am not sure here... 

Seems strange from what I can tell the user in that other link was a windows user..and you are on a MAC correct?

I have loaded mame retroarch from AM without any problems at all....well except for the "current mame" core. I use the 2015 mame core and the 2003 mame core for a handful of others (just because the newer cores cause strange sound problems (this is a actual mame problem..nothing to do with the cores))

this is so strange..I am having no problems at all *shrugs* but again I am not a mac user...

try re-posting this is the main thread please so that more people will see it (I hope!) So does the terminal spit out anything AFTER you try to launch from AM? if so what does it show?

[thermo]

Unfortunately I am not sure how to trigger AM to leave something in the terminal - I try to start the rom from the AM app and don't know what AM sends to the terminal in the background (and where to inspect that) 

But sure, good suggestion to post it in the main thread... maybe there are some mac users reading 

[thermo]

Hey akafox,
I think I solved the issue...
it was the 'Non-blocking Wait Mode' in the AM config of MAME.

Setting it from 0 to 1 worked for me.
Like mentioned here:
http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=2589.0

And for all who are stuck with other Machines launching from AM to RA:
Go to the Settings of RetroArch and do this:
Settings > Video > Full Screen Mode > Start in Fullscreen Mode > ON

This solved an issue I had with SNES.
When I launched a SNES rom without this setting AM freezed and didn't show the RA window which was already loaded in the background.
After setting that, everything is great :-)

[akafox]

I am glad you were able to solve it!

[czrsiNk]

Hi - hope you guys can help. I have been able to get AM working perfectly when launching from my Windows desktop (everything in place, videos, artwork etc). I'm now trying to get my machine to boot straight into AM from Power On. I have been able to get this working but only to a point (using the Windows 10 Enterprise 'Locked Down' method).

Boot is a success, but when AM starts using this method, it has NO configuration settings preserved. It is as if it is unable to pick the attract.cfg and MAME.cfg (emulator). I have tried editing in AM itself, but none of the settings will save.

My question then, is, can AM only run in a Windows environment from the desktop (within Explorer.exe) and not act like its own shell? Any help gratefully received, this is really frustrating me

[akafox]

Well sound like it is getting all it's info from another folder. I had this problem on a machine I had InstaSheller on.

do a search for the "attract.cfg" after a normal boot and see what comes up. Then do a test run from that folder after you boot the way you want.

If I recall it was all moved to my user documents folder...or something like that

[hermine.potter]

@ czrsiNk
do you mean kiosk mode / assigned access?
Have a look here (section 7)
it's probably same problem:

set path to attract.cfg (depending on your paths):
"C:\attract\attract.exe" -c "C:\attract"
or
"C:\attract\attract.exe" -c "C:\attract\attract.cfg"

[G_attract_Mame]

Hi there,

I am trying to get Attract to start mame on my Mac, that looks similar to Thermo had a few months ago. I have installed/setup mame 0220 on an external harddrive, which works; by opening the mame64 file I get the menu and if I use commandline option, for example ./mame64 19xx, it runs 19xx

From mame I exported the xml file and via the command line, I managed to read the xml file and I see my roms list in Attract. What I don't see are my pictures, though I have set it up, pointing to the folder on the external drive (see below the mame.cfg file). So, only the romslist show and the rest is blanco. Directly in Mame, I do see the pictures and everything I have installed.

In Attract, if I click on a rom, it seems that mame64 is being opened, but shortly after, it returns to the Attract menu again and somewhat later I see an crash error of mame64, with a very long log list, which is too complex for me to make sense.

@akafox, you asked Thermo to run attract via command line mode, so I did; ./atttract. Guess what happened? The pictures showed! Guess what happened when I double clicked on a rom? It started the game, just like with mame. No crashes or what so ever. Only thing is when I exit the rom, everything else exits as well, so no going back to attract.

Maybe start with the first question, if I open the attract app, I don't see the pictures and trying to open a rom, causes a crash on Mame. If I use the command line, everything works fine. Why is it different and what can I try to solve it?

Thanks in advance,
Geoffrey
p.s. here's the script below:
# Generated by Attract-Mode v2.6.1
#
executable           /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/mame64
args                 [name]
rompath              /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/roms/
romext               .zip;.7z
system               Arcade
info_source          listxmla
nb_mode_wait         1
exit_hotkey          Escape
pause_hotkey         /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/marquees
artwork    marquee         /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/marquees
artwork    snap            /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/snaps

[G_attract_Mame]

Additionally, I tried some changes to the launch script (see below), but with no success, hence the same results: attract starts, romlist shows, no bezels and a get a mame64 crash when I try to start a rom.

Still don't understand why the commandline ./attract works great, but the app launcher fails?

#!/bin/bash
#cd "${0%/*}"
cd /applications/attract.app/contents/macos/
./attract

[akafox]

I am not on mac...
and my mame 221 seems to be broken (hangs on launch)

but..from your AM config change

Code: [Select]

executable           /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/mame64
to

Code: [Select]

executable           /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/./mame64
report back to me here

[G_attract_Mame]

I am not on mac...
and my mame 221 seems to be broken (hangs on launch)

but..from your AM config change

Code: [Select]

executable           /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/mame64
to

Code: [Select]

executable           /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/./mame64
report back to me here

Thank you for the reply. As for mame221, haven't tried it, but did you do an update and/or installed it on another location? I had errors with bgfx, but I fixed it, when I changed a config file and adjusted the bgfx path, it worked fine. If you are using linux, I think it should be similar to mac?


As for your suggestion, I just tried it, but with the same results; when I open the attract.app, I don't see the bezels and when I click on a rom, it makes mame64 crash.
When I try it again via the command line option; ./attract, I see the bezels and when I open a rom, it starts and works perfect. I only don't get back to attract when I close it, but that is for another time.
Below the Mame.cfg and below that what happens when I do it via the command line.

Mame.cfg:
# Generated by Attract-Mode v2.6.1
#
executable           /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/./mame64
args                 [name]
rompath              /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/roms/
romext               .zip;.7z
system               Arcade
info_source          listxml
nb_mode_wait         1
exit_hotkey          Escape
pause_hotkey         /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/marquees
artwork    marquee         /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/marquees
artwork    snap            /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/snaps

When I do ./attract, select a rom and close it:
Attract-Mode v2.6.1 (OSX, SFML 2.5.1 +FontConfig +SWF +Curl)
avcodec 58.54.100 / avformat 58.29.100 / swscale 5.5.100 / avutil 56.31.100 / swresample 3.5.100

Config: /Users/geoffreyhans/.attract/attract.cfg

*** Initializing display: 'MAME'
 - Loaded master romlist 'mame2' in 173 ms (13241 entries kept, 0 discarded)
 - Constructed 1 filters in 0 ms (13241 comparisons)
Fontconfig error: Cannot load default config file
Fontconfig warning: ignoring UTF-8: not a valid region tag
 - Loaded layout: ../config/layouts/Basic/ (layout.nut)
 ! Unexpectedly lost focus to: Unknown
 - Working directory: /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/.
*** Running: /volumes/Roms2/Mame0220/./mame64 alexkidd1
 ! Unexpectedly lost focus to: Unknown
317-0021.key ROM NEEDS REDUMP
WARNING: the machine might not run correctly.
Average speed: 100.01% (5 seconds)

[akafox]

Additionally, I tried some changes to the launch script (see below), but with no success, hence the same results: attract starts, romlist shows, no bezels and a get a mame64 crash when I try to start a rom.

Still don't understand why the commandline ./attract works great, but the app launcher fails?

#!/bin/bash
#cd "${0%/*}"
cd /applications/attract.app/contents/macos/
./attract

Can I ask why you are using this script and not launching AM from the command line?

also you might want to change

Code: [Select]

#!/bin/bashto

Code: [Select]

#! /bin/bash(yeah it might be picky but well it is 'code' we are talking about here...)

The other question I have is...Attract mode itself if being run from the external drive or from your main drive. If so just for the sake of knowing...run AM from your main drive and see what happens...

 Mame is being run from there as well correct?

Something keeps stealing Attract Mode's focus..but it looks like it maybe happening right before and exiting a game...so it ..looks... normal...

[Leecher]

I'm using Attractmode for SNES and NES for a while now on my Windows 10 PC.
And I've just installed Mame64.exe, played some games, just to confirm that it's working properly.

But when I add Mame64 to attractmode, it says that it found my games (which is 5), but it won't display them. Please help.

Arcade 16-bit.cfg

Code: [Select]

# Generated by Attract-Mode v2.6.1
#
executable           E:\Dics archive - video and games\Games\Emulator\Mame\mame64.exe
args                [name] -skip_gameinfo
rompath              E:\Dics archive - video and games\Games\Best Video Games\Arcade 16-bit
romext               .zip;.7z;<DIR>
system               Arcade
info_source          listxml
artwork    flyer           scraper\Arcade 16-bit\flyer
artwork    marquee         scraper\Arcade 16-bit\marquee
artwork    snap            scraper\Arcade 16-bit\snap;scraper\Arcade 16-bit\video
artwork    wheel           scraper\Arcade 16-bit\wheel


[Leecher]

I found the problem. My Avast antivirus is preventing Attract.exe from creating the romlist textfile. I found it when I forced the creation of the romlist by reading this thread:

http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=1457.0

Code: [Select]

attract --build-romlist mame --full
I allowed it, and it works now.