Setup Help Required

[Dariusz]

Hi there,

HyperSping looks great when running, but I have a few setup questions which I hope members can assist me with:

1. Running Mame:

I have setup just the following paths in the mame.cfg file being:

"
[exe info]
path = Q:\ClrMAMEpro\mmame0126b
rompath = Q:\EMULATOR_ROMS\Mame_ArcadeRoms_126b
userompath = false
exe = mamepp.exe
romextension = zip
parameters =
pcgame = false
pcgameextension =
winstate = HIDDEN
"
But when I launch HyperSpin with the mame paths above, once say a game is selected, ie. Elevator Action, nothing happens when the enter or space bar keys are selected?

Any idea how to launch the game? Have I missed an settup option?

3. Where are all the other games in the mame game list? I know that the artwork does not exist (only what come with the torrent pack), but do I have to refresh the game list or have them shown some how nased on my rom path setup above?

4. I'm I correct to assume the title of the game artwork on the mame wheel is still being developed for the remainder of the mames, and what available are the odd 20-30 so which came with the torrent? Will there also be an update file avaiable for just the title of the game artwork just for the wheel?

5. Default Mame menu setup?

How can I setup HyperSpin so when at launch, the default menu is the mame menu?

6. How can I set up the artwork for each game in the Mame gamelist to have only the full screen of the emumovie flv movie playing in the background which only the HyperSpin wheel in place.

7. Is it possible to have music setup as the background to my option in 6 above. I like to run the arcade ambiance music created by Andy Hofle.

Thanls in advance for any replies.

Dariusz

[BadBoyBill]

1. Put backslash's on your paths.

3. Use HyperHQ to make a mame list. Then use HyperLogo to make wheel images.
http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3351#post3351

4. We are not currently working on just wheel images for mame, but making themes that include the images you need. Or use the above program to make wheel images art.

5. Settings.ini Menu_Mode = multi ----> Menu_Mode = single
Single_Mode_Name -----> MAME

6. Emulator.ini

[video defaults]
width = 1024
height = 768
x = 0
y = 0
rotation = 0
animation_time = .5 or 0
animation_type = none
animation_start = none
border_color = 0x000000
border_size = 0
forceaspect = both
belowwheel = true

7. No background music option yet, just only per game background music.

[Dariusz]

Hi BadBoyBill,

Thank you for your reply.

I have just managed to try your recomendations from the post above, but I seem to contiune to have problems.

I have managed to get HyperSprin started with the MAME as the default screen. I can now also launch the default 49 games within the list.

But I cannot still acheave the following:

1. Creating MAME game list.

I cannot create the mame game list by importing it from mamepp.exe.When HeperSpin is launched, there are still the 49 defult games in the game list. I have attempted as you have sugested to use HyperHQ by selecting the games list tab, followed by selecting 'mame' under emulators, and then selecting 'mame' in the gameslist, which shows 49 games in the games list window. But I cannot seam to find a way of updating the mame games list from 49 games to what available in the mamepp.exe fime (mame executable).

2. Creating the game fonts for the mame game list wheel:

I have used as you have sugested Hyperogio 0.1 to create the fonts, but I get the following message when running the 'HyperLogo' executable:

"The application has failed to start because its side-by-side connfiguration is incorrect. Please see the application event log for details"

From this point I do not know what to do, as there application will not start, and there is no event log. Any idea what the problem may be?

Just to let you know. I have placed all my mame emumovie FLV's into the Q:\HyperSpin1004\Media\MAME\Video directory. I assume this is the right thing to do? BTW. Is there a way to point the path for Q:\HyperSpin1004\Media\MAME\Video to be else where?

Also will you be offering an mame font games list pack for download in the future?

3. How do I configure HyperSpin to have the following theme:

"The old FE 'Game Launcher' style background with FLV's videos instead of screen shots, and the use of the HyperSpin Wheel."

I have used your config as suggested in your earlier post being:

"
mame.ini

[video defaults]
width = 1024
height = 768
x = 0
y = 0
rotation = 0
animation_time = .5 or 0
animation_type = none
animation_start = none
border_color = 0x000000
border_size = 0
forceaspect = both
belowwheel = true
"

But the background still in the case of the 49 defult games continues to have the default themes.

Any idea (if it is possible) how I can create my desired theme as described above? ie. A game selected (highlighted) on the game wheel whaving its video displayed only utilising the whole screen?

Your help on the above is appreciated.

Keep up the good work.

Kind Regards,

Dariusz

[brian_hoffman]

Can you post your LOG? its in the hyperspind folder.
Also as far as the side by side config error.. You need the C++ runtime.
there is a link in the included documentation in the program

Also it your mame ROMS are not in a directory called ROMS within the folder where mame is.. You need to specify the roms location to mame. Usually by using the -rp switch

EG... Mamepp.exe ROMNAME -rp "romdirectory"

[Dariusz]

Hi Brian_Hoffman,

Here is my log file below. I don't have a problem with launching mame games from within Hyperspin, so I don't know what the -rp switch you mention about is about? could you please explain further

Log:

01:02:22 PM | HyperSpin Started
01:02:22 PM | Startup Program Unvavailable
01:02:22 PM | Menu mode is single
01:02:22 PM | MAME.xml found
01:02:22 PM | Entering windowed mode
01:02:22 PM | MAME.xml loaded
01:02:22 PM | Loading wheel images
01:02:23 PM | Entering Menu
01:02:40 PM | Excecutable is mamepp.exe
01:02:40 PM | Running in normal rom mode
01:02:40 PM | Executable Found
01:02:40 PM | Rom Found
01:02:40 PM | Attempting to launch
01:02:40 PM | Pausing Animations
01:02:41 PM | Launching file
01:02:41 PM | Command Line is: "Q:\ClrMAMEpro\mame0127b_i686\mamepp.exe" "Q:\EMULATOR_ROMS\Mame_ArcadeRoms_126b\elevator.zip"
01:03:06 PM | Exiting HyperSpin
01:03:06 PM | Exit Program Unvavailable


I have now sucesfully:

1. Created my mame games list from using the toll posted earlier on onother post, being: dir2xml tool.

the down side is that it only created a file based on the rom name and not the game name. :(

2. Created the wheel logos for mame using the HyperLogo0.1.1 tool.

Atleast this is a start till the wheel images get released slowly.

3. In regards to my third point in my previous post (ie. creating a game launcher theme stype for all mame games), I have the following problems now:


With the newly imported mame games, te background looks like the screen image provided, where the FLV video is only shown only in the top left quodrent of the screen, and FLV video being shown is only a postion of the video also (bottom right quodrent of the video only being shown)

Any way of correcting this so the FLV video get shown on the whole screen.

Also with the 49 default mame games, the default theme get shown and not teh game launcher stype I'm after. Any help here is appreciated also too. Thanks.

I have posted the mame.ini file below for review it that may be the cause to my problmes?

[exe info]
path = Q:\ClrMAMEpro\mame0127b_i686\
rompath = Q:\EMULATOR_ROMS\Mame_ArcadeRoms_126b\
userompath = true
exe = mamepp.exe
romextension = zip
parameters =
pcgame = false
pcgameextension =
winstate = HIDDEN

[video defaults]
width = 1024
height = 768
x = 0
y = 0
rotation = 0
animation_time = .5 or 0
animation_type = none
animation_start = none
border_color = 0x000000
border_size = 0
forceaspect = both
belowwheel = true

[sounds]
game_sounds = true
wheel_click = true

[artwork1 defaults]
x = 512
y = 160
rotation = 0
animation_time = .5
animation_type = ease
animation_start = top
animation_rest = none

[artwork2 defaults]
x = 200
y = 500
rotation = 0
animation_time = .5
animation_type = ease
animation_start = right
animation_rest = none

[artwork3 defaults]
x = 200
y = 500
rotation = 0
animation_time = .5
animation_type = ease
animation_start = left
animation_rest = none

[artwork4 defaults]
x = 512
y = 500
rotation = 0
animation_time = .5
animation_type = ease
animation_start = none
animation_rest = none

[Special Art A]
default = yes
active = yes
x = 512
y = 720
in = .4
out = .4
length = 3
delay = .1
type = normal
start = bottom

[Special Art B]
default = yes
active = yes
x = 512
y = 740
in = .4
out = .4
length = 3
delay = .1
type = fade
start = none

[Game Text]
game_text_active = true
show_year = false
show_manf = false
show_description = false
text_color1 = 0xffffff
text_color2 = 0x0099cc
stroke_color = 0x000000
text_font = Style1
text1_textsize = 26
text1_strokesize = 7
text1_x = 32
text1_y = 610
text2_textsize = 36
text2_strokesize = 8
text2_x = 30
text2_y = 640

[Genre Screen]
allgames_title = All Games
text_color = 0x000000
text_x = 150
text_y = 200
stroke_color = 0xffffff
stroke_size = 7



BTW, how do I configure Hyperspin to launch in full screen mode?

Thanks,

Dariusz

[joebells]

to run in full screen change the line that reads FullScreen = false to true in the settings.ini file in the settings folder

[BadBoyBill]

video
x = 512
y = 384

set the time to .5 not 0 or .5 like it has it.

[brian_hoffman]

First you said



"[exe info]
path = Q:\ClrMAMEpro\mmame0126b
rompath = Q:\EMULATOR_ROMS\Mame_ArcadeRoms_126b
userompath = false
exe = mamepp.exe
romextension = zip
parameters =
pcgame = false
pcgameextension =
winstate = HIDDEN
"
But when I launch HyperSpin with the mame paths above, once say a game is selected, ie. Elevator Action, nothing happens when the enter or space bar keys are selected?

Any idea how to launch the game? Have I missed an settup option?"




Now you say.



Hi Brian_Hoffman,

Here is my log file below. I don't have a problem with launching mame games from within Hyperspin, so I don't know what the -rp switch you mention about is about? could you please explain further


Thanks,

Dariusz

So which is it,,, Can you launch mame games....yes or no?

[Dariusz]

Thanks Joebells, BadBoyBill and Brian_Hoffman,

Thank you for the reply.

Brian_Hoffman, Yes, I can now get mame games runnjing. It was a problem in my very first post which BadBoyBill help me out on. But thank you..

Will attempt the sugestions above now.

Thanks,

Dariusz

[Dariusz]

BadBoyBilly & the team,

Having played around with HyperSpin today, I must say its Great. Well done, and I look forward to furture releases.

I do have a few quick questions:

a) Can I import my own font (.ttf) into HyperLogo? And if so, where do I place the .ttf font fille so HyperLogo can locate it?

b) Having updated my mame game list using the dir2xml application, is there a way to rename the names in the game list from the rom names to the game names?

C) Within HyperSpin, when in the game menu, the FE on the bottom of the screen shows the following : "System Select", "Next System" & "Pervious System". Is there a way to disable it from being viewed? If not, can the names be changed by the user to cater for their setup?

d) I notice that when viewing emumovie FLV's, the volume varies from game to game when previewed. Some are set loud by default. Has HyperSpin have an option to set the maximum threshold volume in preview mode so the loudness of the previws can be adjusted so its consitant (in a way).

Thanks,

Kind Regards,

Dariusz

[BadBoyBill]

a) I'm mainly assuming it uses fonts at the standard location in your windows fonts directory.

b) Not sure.

c) Settings.ini Special Art A & B can have theyre active values set to false to remove those artworks.

d)Not really, I'll look into it though.

[Dariusz]

Further to mo post abive,

e. Can you set the paths to where the FLV's and snaps are located in the HyperSpin settings rather then copying the files to Q:\HyperSpin1004\Media\MAME\Video?

Thanks,

Dariusz

[Dariusz]

Hi There,

Having played around more with HyperSpin to familiarise myself, I have a few more questions I hope someone can assist me with:

Background - My theme setup:

1. I've created a mame start up theme where I have the wheel listing the mame games, and the background taking the whole screen just showing the FLV video of the selected game in the game list - Game launcher style theme but using video instead of snaps, and utilising the HS wheel.

Questions:

With the wheel based theme I have set up, I have the following screen transitions when moving up or down the mame game list:

a) Current game selection prior moving to the next game on the list just shows a full screen video of the game. No wheel displayed during video.
b) When selecting the up key to move to the next game on the list, the screen goes black for a moment with the wheel appearing showing the games list (black screen has text saying 'no background image').
c) Within a second or so from step b), the game video (full screen) appears without the Wheel. And the cycle continues ... ie goto A).

Is there a way to configure HS with the theme I have above so:

a) Current game selection prior moving to the next game on the list just shows a full screen video of the game. Wheel is shown is the foreground.
b) When selecting the up key to move to the next game on the list, the screen switches to the next video without a black screen or pause. Wheel continues to be shown in the foreground with out disappearing. And the cycle continues ... ie goto A).

I ask this question, as the black screen act as pauses between game selections which is annoying to me. Be nice to have a smother transition between FLV videos.



2. With the theme setup I have above. When installing HS originally, HS came with (from memory) 19 themes. When I use my theme setup above, and I get to one of the 19 games, my full screen background theme gets replaced with the default theme from one of the 19 games selected.

Is there a way to configure HS so when one of the 19 games is selected, the full screen video of the game is shown as the theme like the set up on my other games? BUT while keeping the game font on the wheel from the 19 games?



3. Currently for my mame setup theme with HS, I have copied all my FLV videos (emumovies) to the following directory:

Q:\HyperSpin0604\Media\MAME\Video

Instead of coping the videos into the above directory, can I configure HS to look into a different directory (path) other than above?, as I would like the directory to be different to the above default.



4. Game font on wheel question - There are a number of mame game themes been created (150+ and continues to increase) which are available on the HS web site. What is the easiest way of updating just ONLY the game font on the wheel on my theme setup? Is is a matter of:

a) Downloading each separately the game theme from the HS web site
b) Extracting the game font image from the theme, and
c) Place the game font image in the dir: Q:\HyperSpin0604\Media\MAME\Images\Wheel

Is there a easier way to do this? And will there in the future (near?) game font images just for the wheel that can be downloaded from HS web site as a pack?



5. I haven't tried this, but what is involved in updating a game theme (say a 1942 theme) which has been downloaded from HS web site? Is it as easy as unzipping the file contents in a specific HS directory?

Thanks in advance for any replies,


Keep up the good work HS team.

Dariusz

[BadBoyBill]

1. Set your video to belowwheel to yes in the ini file so the video's show below the wheel. I shoulda made it to true or false but its to late for that now. Set a transition you want for the video you like, for your setup you might want animation type = fade. If you want fullscreen video in the background change the width and height in the ini file to 1024 x 768, take the default.png in your background folder and replace it with a black 1024 x 768 image.

2. To get the orignal themes to display a full screen background delete every file in you Themes folder (all the xml'), this will cause those themes to revert to the ini file for the default settings. Then you want to delete all your artwork files and background images. So you just have only the wheel images and videos.

3. Your videos have to be in that directory.

4. Theres no easy way of just getting only the wheel images. You have to download someones theme and get it out manually.

5.Yes, just unzip into the media/mame directory, but be careful not every theme everyone made is packaged the same so that wont work necessarily, just unzip it and copy the files over.

[Dariusz]

Hi BadBoyBill,

Thank you for the reply to my earlier questions.

I just managed to play around with the settings in response to my question 1 (your answer in 1). I'm note sure if its related to my question 1, but you did give me a answer in you 'status update' forum topic on the same question (1), giving me the following answer which I believe is the right answer to my question 1, being:

"The black screen your seeing is just the background while spinning the wheel, you dont want the video to be playing or switching while spinning the wheel, it will make the wheel real slow. You see this feature with other FE's usually because they are only using text lists which doesnt interfere as much as the way were doing it. If I did it youd be trying to load a full screen 5-15mb video every wheel turn while your spinning the wheel very fast just wont work."

So it lookes like there is no way of removing the black screen in HS while moving throught the games on the wheel. I do hope that there maybe an option in furure released to have this option as some other FE like Atomic has. But if in the mean time HS cannot do it. Is it possible for a simple fix in a near future release to:

To remove the black screen, have the screen pause on the vedio playing at the tim eof moving up or down the wheel, so that the paused screen replaces the blackscreen untill the next gane video is played? This maybe an option to reduce the CPU resourses?

Now

To you earlier response to question 1, I have tried the options below for my theme, but nether seam to work. Summary:

BELOWWHEEL - I played around with the 'belowwheel' option in the ini file. By default it is set as = 'false', but after changing it to 'Yes' and trying 'true', and running HS after the changes, I could not notice any difference. What am I suppose to notice as I did not understand the earlier description you gave?

ANIMATION TYPE - I've set the animation type to fade, but in my video perviews I do not notice any fading? Are there other setting required to be configured?

Thanks again for the reply,

Kind Regards,

Dariusz

[BadBoyBill]

I know what your trying to do , unfortunately HyperSpin wasnt designed to run the way that your trying to achieve, but it can almost run that way.

belowwheel = false or it might be yes, but make sure its lower case

Theres no way out of having the video leave the screen when you move the wheel, thats just how it was designed, so you will see a background image while the wheel is spinning. You can use a black image or you can choose an image that you would like to see, but it cant be a paused or playing video.

[Dariusz]

Hi Badboybill,

Thanks for the reply.

BYW, what is belowwheel suppose to do?

Thanks,

Dariusz

[BadBoyBill]

Puts the video below the wheel so its not covering the video.

[Dariusz]

BadBoyBill,

Thanks for the reply. Sorry, I may sound stupid, but I still do not understand what you mean by 'Puts the video below the wheel so its not covering the video'. To me is sounds contradicting!

I have tried to set the belowwheel setting to false, true & yes, and based on my theme setup (having full screen video), nether option makes a difference (ie. I do not notice any changes at ALL!). Could it be there is a problem?


BTW. Is there a way to have the wheel always on top, even while the video is playing?


Lastly, I've created based on the 'mame' themes available, a wheel logo pack (both team & user packs). Can your team use the pack(s) I created (ie. put on your download site?)?


Thanks,

Dariusz

[Dazz]

I think Bill meant by "Puts the video below the wheel so its not covering the video"... This places the video layer below the wheel layer.

Perhaps an image example will explain better...

Lowest
---------
Video - Video
Wheel - Red
Artwork1 - Blue
Artwork2 - Green
Artwork3 - Purple
Artwork4 - Orange
-----------
Highest

Note that the Wheel layer is above the video in my example. This is what the below wheel does. If you don't use below wheel then the video will appear above the Wheel layer.

[Dariusz]

HI Dazz,

OK thank you for tou response, I think I now understand what 'belowwheel' does, basically:

a) if set to 'false' - The wheel layer will be placed on top of my video layer, even if the wheel is spinning or not.

b) if set to 'yes' or 'true' (which ever works!) - The wheel layer will be placed below my video layer, if not spinning the wheel.


Unfortunatly, I cannot get any of the options for 'belowwheel' working. What I mean is that if I try the settings: false, true or yes, the end result is the same every time:

a) When the wheel is not spinning, the wheel layer is behind the video layer.

b) when the wheel is spinning, the wheel layer is on top of the video layer.

I have attached below screen shots of both a) avd b) situations below.

Look forward to response.

Dariusz

[BadBoyBill]

You deleted all of your xml files for each game right?

[Dazz]

Dariusz - Have you tried building the them using HyperTheme (http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/downloads.php?do=cat&id=4)?

HyperTheme is the official theme creation program for HyperSpin. Perhaps try putting your theme together in HyperThem and then you can see how the info is built into the xml theme file.

[Dariusz]

Hi Guy's,

Thanks for the fast response.

BadBoyBill,

Sorry, I do not understand what you mean by: 'You deleted all of your xml files for each game right?'. I only have one xml file for mame which is located in my You deleted all of your xml files for each game right? directory. This is only the one xml file I could locate which contains the list for the wheel! But how might your response solve for my problem if I delete the xml files for each game (which I cannot locate within the HS directory structure)?


Dazz,

I just downloaded the HyperTheme to evaluate. I cannot edit my mame theme with the program, it just does not allow me to select edit from the mame menu. I can only use the app to create only?

The way I have created my theme is simple. BadBoyBill has assisted me in creating my theme in this thread. Basicaly I have the full screen video (emumovie) of the game selected on tje wheel as my background theme only with the wheel in the foreground. Its just that I cannot get the wheel in the foreground using the 'belowwheel' setting in HS.


But either way, if I set a different setting for 'belowwheel' - ie. try yes, false and true, I should be able to spot the difference when running HS, but unfortunatly there is no fifference when using either of the 3 settings.

Thanks,

Dariusz

[Dazz]

Dazz,

I just downloaded the HyperTheme to evaluate. I cannot edit my mame theme with the program, it just does not allow me to select edit from the mame menu. I can only use the app to create only?
Thanks,

DariuszHyperTheme is still a work in progress so editing does not function just yet. It will eventually though. Right now the app can only be used to create a new theme, but it is sooooo easy to use you can duplicate an existing theme easily in a matter of minutes.

In HyperTheme to make the video layer below the wheel simply click on your video layer and then select the check box that states "Below Wheel".

Is this similar to what you are trying to do? The green border is because I had the video layer as my selected/active layer in HyperTheme when I took the screenshot.

I know that you were asking about having the video paused when you move to the next game... How about taking a screenshot as the first frame of the video and using that as your background layer. This way when you navigate away from that theme you still have what appears to be part of the video in the background instead of a blank screen.

[Dariusz]

Hi Dazz,

Thanks for the response.

I have created a 1942 theme in HyperTheme, but as yet have not applied it.

The reason is I need to understand what you instruction is attempting to acheave. You help to assist m e to understand is appreciated. I give you my point of view, and I hope you can guide me from there:

Basically BadBoyBill has assisted me in creating a mame theme I wish to use thru out all the games listed on the wheel. The details can be found in this thread, but the idea if to just have a full screen of the video of the game playing which is selected in the wheel, just like the old FE - GameLaunched but video based. Theme created which I use works just great, but the only aspect I wish to refine is to have the wheel displayed while the full screen of the video is playing in the background.

One aspect of the changes I did to create mt theme was was to delete all the themes in my Q:\HyperSpin0604\Media\MAME\Themes directory which is now empty.

Also the video settings I have set for my theme are:

FROM THE MAIN MENU.INI FILE:
======================

[video defaults]
width = 400
height = 400
x = 300
y = 400
rotation = 0
animation_time = .5
animation_type = none
animation_start = fade
border_color = 0x000000
border_size = 12
forceaspect = horizontal
belowwheel = false



FROM THE MAME.INI FILE:
==================


[video defaults]
width = 1024
height = 768
x = 512
y = 384
rotation = 0
animation_time = .5
animation_type = none
animation_start = none
border_color = 0x000000
border_size = 0
forceaspect = both
belowwheel = true


I just was hoping the fix I sought was a matter of changing something in the above ini files, but it sound like that is not the case based on your above reply?

When I created a 1942 theme in HyperTheme, the only file created was in the theme folder called 1942.xml.

Where I fail to understand (I assume) is that if the HyperTheme 192 theme I created having the file 1942.xml, which is to be placed into my Q:\HyperSpin0604\Media\MAME\Themes directory, how is this going to help me when I had deleated all my themes?

I'm presuming you are asking me to create a theme for all my games to replace my current theme setup? If so, I think it would be to much of a administrative task for me to do and keep updated whenever new games have been release? Or have I missing somthing....?

Your help is appreciated in helping me understand.

I has hoping it a matter of making a correction to the exisiting ini file above to have the wheel on top of the video, but I cannot seem to get it operational.


BTW, the idea of having the snap as a fillin for the blank screen segment is a good idea. I will look into that, but I was hoping to reduce the administrative task of keeping HS up to date with future mame releases as easy as possible.

Thanks again,

Dariusz

[Dariusz]

just refreshing my above question before it gets off the page.