Image " loading " when launching a game ?

[Sebiohazard]

Good morning all !

I would like to know how to have a " loading " image when I launch a game with an emulator on Attract Mode ?

Greetings !

[Mark Norville]

I do not think that this feature is included

Someone asked in this thread a similar question http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=4162.0

You only have 7 seconds of blackness before the game loads, so a loading screen or logo would only last about two seconds and you would have five seconds of blackness instead.

I do not believe that anyone has done this in any theme, even though I could be wrong, as I have not tried every theme, I am not sure if you can use rocket launcher and have something like a loading screen happen.

Hopefully someone else might say that I am wrong, but as I say I don't think that this is currently possible, unless a script is made.

Regards

Mark

[JonahUK]

Good morning all !

I would like to know how to have a " loading " image when I launch a game with an emulator on Attract Mode ?

Greetings !

Here are some options that might be useful:

https://github.com/keilmillerjr/fadetogame-plugin
http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=3918.0
https://idahogaragecade.com/2019/06/27/attract-mode-plug-in-now-loading/

Alternatively, you could add rocketlauncher into your build and use its functions for it.

Please note that I haven't tested any of the above as launching is pretty instant for me anyway.

[Mark Norville]

Good morning all !

I would like to know how to have a " loading " image when I launch a game with an emulator on Attract Mode ?

Greetings !

Here are some options that might be useful:

https://github.com/keilmillerjr/fadetogame-plugin
http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=3918.0
https://idahogaragecade.com/2019/06/27/attract-mode-plug-in-now-loading/

Alternatively, you could add rocketlauncher into your build and use its functions for it.

Please note that I haven't tested any of the above as launching is pretty instant for me anyway.

I have now tested all three as our friend here does not speak English as a native language and his knowledge is bad, so I will give them a review as I found them. It is in order of the links supplied

1) It is useless to be blunt lol. It actually takes longer to load a game than before. It will fade the screen but then the screen goes black and you still have the loading time in between. So before it would take 7 seconds to load the game, but using the fade in then if you have it set to three seconds. It will fade for three seconds and then it still takes seven seconds for the game to load in blackness. So the game is now taking ten seconds to load.

2) Is far too complex for him, I looked at it for two seconds, saw that you had to do X,Y and Z to get it running and then gave up. Sadly this one is not plug and play

3) Sadly this one is pretty useless as well the video demo looked good, but when you try it yourself then it does not work like the demo. The images are set for 640 x 480 display, it does not full screen on a 1920 x 1080, even when you increase the graphic and the nut file to 1920 it still does not display at full screen. Again this is pretty useless as it shows the splash screen for three seconds (example) and it is still taking another seven seconds after that in blackness so now loading at ten seconds again.

So 1 & 3 are just showing a display or fading for however long you set it for, but it still goes to blackness for seven seconds (my computer) but it does not make the game load any faster.

I just done a test on Coinops Player 3 Max as I was using my stop watch on the phone that took ten seconds to load as well, but that is with the logo zooming out, so none of them are actually any good, just a bit of eye candy and three odd seconds of wasted time not playing a game.

Regards

Mark

[progets]

FadeToGame plugin with some modifications shown here http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=1893.0

[JonahUK]

FadeToGame plugin with some modifications shown here http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=1893.0

Did a test using the info in that thread and it worked fine so if anyone does want a loading screen, that would be the way to go (without adding rocketlauncher).
Although it might be possible to change "title" to "emulator" so only an image per emulator would be needed rather than per game.

However, as stated by another poster, any method should be considered purely cosmetic.

My current build takes roughly 2/3 seconds from selecting a game to actually being in game so I wouldn't personally use anything that adds to that time.

[progets]

Yes, you can change "title" to "emulator" or even a single "loading image" for all systems.

I also agree that games load so fast I don't use this and I was just answering the question. Different people have different preferences.

[Mark Norville]

I think that the people asking for this, think that it makes the game load faster.

So for my system it takes seven seconds to load a game, they are assuming that the now loading screen loads on top and the game loads in the background, but as you know it does not work like that.

Which is why I was testing these at three seconds as I was expecting it to do the same, so I was trying to cut the loading time down.

Yes, it kind of looks good when you first see it, a bit like intro's and things like that, but when you work out how much time you are losing, it all adds up, especially when you get to my age. So if you do play twenty games a day, that is a minute of your life that you are losing just to have something look pretty. A minute a day, seven days a week, that is seven minutes. It all adds up to time wasted on your life.

Yes I am morbid, but hell I would sooner spend that time enjoying myself, rather than thinking, that looks pretty lol

Regards

Mark

[Sebiohazard]

Good morning all !

I would like to know how to have a " loading " image when I launch a game with an emulator on Attract Mode ?

Greetings !

Here are some options that might be useful:

https://github.com/keilmillerjr/fadetogame-plugin
http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=3918.0
https://idahogaragecade.com/2019/06/27/attract-mode-plug-in-now-loading/

Alternatively, you could add rocketlauncher into your build and use its functions for it.

Please note that I haven't tested any of the above as launching is pretty instant for me anyway.

Hello thanks for the links I tried the FadeToGame & Now Loading plugin... I can't find a way to get a good rendering... if I only activate the Now Loading plugin, the screen appears too little time...

If I activate the FadeToGame plugin I can adjust the fade time but I don't have the "Loading" image
In addition, with the Now Loading plugin, you can still see the emulator window... it's not aesthetic in the end...

I think that the people asking for this, think that it makes the game load faster.

So for my system it takes seven seconds to load a game, they are assuming that the now loading screen loads on top and the game loads in the background, but as you know it does not work like that.

Which is why I was testing these at three seconds as I was expecting it to do the same, so I was trying to cut the loading time down.

Yes, it kind of looks good when you first see it, a bit like intro's and things like that, but when you work out how much time you are losing, it all adds up, especially when you get to my age. So if you do play twenty games a day, that is a minute of your life that you are losing just to have something look pretty. A minute a day, seven days a week, that is seven minutes. It all adds up to time wasted on your life.

Yes I am morbid, but hell I would sooner spend that time enjoying myself, rather than thinking, that looks pretty lol

Regards

Mark

I agree with you it's not ideal as I mentioned earlier in my message... the ideal would be the Now Loading plugin with settings like for the FadeToGame plugin which would adjust the display time of the Loading image... I don't know if this is possible ?

Greetings !

[progets]

As I mentioned above, you can modify the FadeToGame plugin and simply change the "title" to "<path_to_your\loading_img.jpg>". You might also need other modifications in the link I listed to get it working how you like.

I.E. change line 25 of the FadeToGame plugin.nut

Code: [Select]

shade = fe.add_artwork("title", 0, 0, fe.layout.width, fe.layout.height);
to

Code: [Select]

shade = fe.add_artwork("<path_to_your\loading_img.jpg>", 0, 0, fe.layout.width, fe.layout.height);
or

Code: [Select]

shade = fe.add_artwork(<path_to_your\loading_img.jpg>, 0, 0, fe.layout.width, fe.layout.height);

P.S. Don't add the angle brackets (< and >) they are just there to show what you need to substitute for your configuration.

[Sebiohazard]

Hello I don't have the same thing in the plugin.nut file:

Code: [Select]

constructor() {
user_config = fe.get_config();
toGameRunTime = user_config["toGameRunTime"].tointeger();
fromGameRunTime = user_config["fromGameRunTime"].tointeger();

shade = fe.add_image("loading.jpg", 0, 0, fe.layout.width, fe.layout.height);
shade.set_rgb(0, 0, 0);
shade.visible = false;
shade.zorder = 9999;

fe.add_transition_callback(this, "transitions");
}
I added an image that I renamed loading.jpg but when launching a game nothing appears... I don't know what to do ?

[progets]

You don't have a path in your "loading.jpg" statement. You might need to adjust this depending on where you have the file stored.

If you need further help, let us know where your "loading.jpg" file is located and also let us know where your attract.exe file is located.

[Sebiohazard]

If you need further help, let us know where your "loading.jpg" file is located and also let us know where your attract.exe file is located.

Hello thank you for your help the path is as follows:

Code: [Select]

$PROGDIR/plugins/FadeToGame
Greetings !

[progets]

Based on the information you provided, it should work. I tested it on my build and it worked as expected. Make sure your "loading.jpg" image is the correct resolution for your build/AM setup.