My AttractMode wont work on my Windows 10 machine

[barnettd]

I am building an arcade cabinet for my house and am using an old computer that runs windows 10 on it.  I have Attract Mode installed and it sees my MAME emulator and my ROMs, they are in the ROMs list on AttractMode, but when I try to run a game through Attract Mode, the screen goes black for about 2 seconds then returns to the Attract Mode screen.  Does this on all games.

I can run the games just fine from MAME, everything works properly, but WONT run through AttractMode.  This is the front end I want to use on my MAME cabinet but its frustrating that it wont work.

Please help....

Dave

[Sebiohazard]

Hello !

Send the configuration files of the machines you want to emulate here

Greetings !

[Mark Norville]

Hi Dave,

Trust me, Attract Mode does work on Windows 10, myself and many others are on Windows 10.

So it is user error and not AM that is at fault.

However, we will help you to get up and running as quickly as possible.

Give me chance to have a coffee and then I shall post my MAME settings, so you can have a look at yours compared to mine

Regards

Mark

My settings change directories for yourself

Emulator name  - MAME (Arcade)
Excutable - c:\emulators\MAME\mame.exe
command arguements - [name]
rom path - D:\Arcade\MAME\roms
rom ext - .zip
System ident - Arcade
additional import file - C:\Attract Mode Arcade Wall\metadata\mame.xml, catver.ini, nplayers.ini
Add artwork your directories
whatever artwork you choice
marquee
snap = video

Generate roms list

Once you have the correct settings, usually user error is a typo then everything works

However, just to give you a tip for the future, when you make a first post, it is not a good idea to blame software for something not working. I am a bit mellower in my old age, well since yesterday at least, but when people make a post like you have rather than thinking that it might be something that you have done wrong, then it kind of rubs people up the wrong way.

It would be like you buying a PC and then going back to the computer store and saying

Oh this PC it rubbish, it does not work.

The computer store asking you, did you turn it on?

Turn it on? Turn it on? How do I turn it on?

Computer store, you press this switch Sir, see it works.

Well, well it is not my fault, having to flick a switch, damm stupid idea.

Regards

Mark

[progets]

Most common issues with MAME in AM are:

1. You don't have the correct "rompath" entered in the mame.ini file of the mame emulator (nothing to do with AM)
2. You are using "args [romfilename]" in the AM emulator.cfg file which needs to be "args [name]".

Post your mame.ini from mame and mame.cfg emulator file from AM if you need more help.

[barnettd]

I have included both files from MAME and ATTRACT MODE 64.

I have compared my setting against the settings that Mark Norville posted.

I cannot find anything.  Maybe I missed something.

Can anyone see anything that needs to be changed??  Or a setting in Windows 10 that I need to set so this works properly?

Thanks

I have 2 windows 10 machines that I have used this on.  Neither one works properly.  Appreciate anyone's help getting this software working.  Looks like great software, I like how it displays and will make my game look great when I get it working on my system.

[progets]

Remove the "working directory" line from the mame.cfg file.

[Mark Norville]

This is your configuration, Progets has already said to take out your workdir, however I will highlight it

executable           C:\mame\mame.exe
args                 [name]
workdir              C:\AttractMode64\. You have a \. straight away that is WRONG I am not sure if you made an innocent typo on the post, or if that is how you actually have it in your set up. So apologies if it is just a typo.
rompath              C:\mame\roms
romext               .zip;.7z You don't need ;.7z as all MAME packs are .zip you should not have any .7z files if you do though keep that in
system               Arcade
info_source          listxml I never use this as it adds extra results into your display, I had loads of new games that I never saw before I tried them and they were not working roms
artwork    marquee         $HOME/mame/marquee I never use $home why just use the full directory path
artwork    snap            $HOME/mame/video;$HOME/mame/snap I never use $home why just use the full directory path

You need to fill out the additional input fields add a directory called metadata inside of your AM and keep your XML files in that, also for mine I just put one directory list, and then I put ;catver.ini but I was being lazy so they need to have the full field to them as well

You also do not have artwork for LOGO's a major boob boob there, especially if you want to use wheel based themes. Yes sorry I did not include that on my list, but that is because I do not like wheels and I hate the hyperspin look

additional import file - C:\Attract Mode Arcade Wall\metadata\mame.xml;C:\Attract Mode Arcade Wall\metadata\catver.ini;C:\Attract Mode Arcade Wall\metadata\nplayers.ini

Regards

Mark

In need of a cup of coffee

[barnettd]

Mark

I made these changes to my file and now AttractMode works bringing up MAME.  So the games seem to be playing now as they should.  I appreciate the help with this.  Thank you

[Mark Norville]

Glad you are up and running

So what was it

Attract Mode being shit or human error?

Come on you can tell me, I won't tell anyone else lol

However, your journey does not end at MAME. I am not even close to getting all of this set up, but trust me so far this is the best front end I have tried, it has so much potential and I am glad to be free of HS and CO.

A few tips for you

1) Start slowly don't rush your build
2) Check for typo's and then triple check for typo's
3) When you make a change no matter how small exit the software and load it back up again, it will save headaches in the long run

3a) Some changes are instant
3b) Some changes need to go back, and then re enter for them to work
3c) Some changes need a full shut down of AM and reloading

I found myself making changes and screaming at the computer why is this not working, then realising I need to shut down, so now I shut down as much as possible, even though I am learning sort off what works instantly and what doesn't

4) Plan your build and then re plan it, do the job right the first time. I am terrible for doing things and then thinking I could have done it better and then changing things
5) Do not do stuff first thing in the morning or last thing at night, when you are tired you make mistakes, mistakes cause frustration and frustration is not a good thing
6) Once you are more used to the system, edit the files via notepad or similar, the back end is a waste of time, so to give an example
7) As I am bored, take days off from it and go and do something else. At the moment I am going through ten years of my life on hard drives, trying to finally put all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together. I have transferred years of downloads, from a half a TB HD, to a 1TB, to a 2 then a 3, now and 8 and then now I am looking at 18. Don't do what I have done, suffer a burn out, where instead of a hobby, it feels more like a full time job. In emulation you have an end point, simply because they do not make any more ZX81 games as an example, but if you try chasing stuff that they carry on producing, then you are always chasing that dream. Whether it be movies, music, games, porn. All of those will be forever ending, and you will never achieve your dream. Well you will at some point, e.g I have more movies than Netflix and Amazon combined, but it is always next weeks movie, next month and next year.

Romslist folder

Bubble Bobble Menu.txt

#Name;Title;Emulator;CloneOf;Year;Manufacturer;Category;Players;Rotation;Control;Status;DisplayCount;DisplayType;AltRomname;AltTitle;Extra;Buttons;Series;Language;Region;Rating
All Games Bubble Bobble;All Games Bubble Bobble;@;;1;;;;;;;;;;;Bubble Bobble Collection;;;;;
Bubble Bobble Arcade;Bubble Bobble Arcade;@;;2;;;;;;;;;;;Bubble Bobble Arcade;;;;;
Bubble Bobble Computers;Bubble Bobble Computers;@;;3;;;;;;;;;;;Bubble Bobble Computers;;;;;
Bubble Bobble Consoles;Bubble Bobble Consoles;@;;4;;;;;;;;;;;Bubble Bobble Consoles;;;;;
Bubble Bobble Bonus Games;Bubble Bobble Bonus Games;@;;5;;;;;;;;;;;Bonus Games;;;;;

This is how you make a collection and sub collection. However, if I want to make a Street Fighter collection I rename the file to Street Fighter Menu.txt and then replace the Bubble Bobble for Street Fighter.

If I was doing that in the menu system it would take a lot longer, when I can just find and replace in notepad so all the changes are made at once.

7) Search first, but don't be afraid to ask if you cannot find

The forum might not be the busiest any more, but you have Progets and myself and others that will always help, however when I first started here by the time no one had answered I had worked out what I needed to do. So I try to help as much as I can, even if I give an answer that is wrong, or sorry I don't know but at least you will get a reply and then hopefully someone with more experience will tell me if I am wrong.

Don't ask questions first thing in the morning, I hate mornings and I need caffeine to wake the brain up, and don't ask last thing at night as usually I am semi drunk well mellow at least.

Regards

Mark