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Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 1:50 pm
by joeblade
Maximus...no longer supported, simple, clean, limited
GameEx..always updated, bit clinical, backend could be simplified
Hyperspin..always updated, lovely to look at, now had a major update so a lot of reconfiguring if you wanna switch...ultimately you get a bid tired of the animation, noises when your flicking from game to game...

so can this groovymame setup be controlled by Mala?

I mean so you could have a nice clean, simple, quick frontend with only the games you wanna play?

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 2:26 pm
by cools
Joe - Hyperlaunch has been updated, not Hyperspin itself.

Try setting up Hyperspin for UME using Software Lists. It's an absolute nightmare at the moment as all the databases are No-Intro filename based. Hypersync no longer works on XP 64 either, and the FTP doesn't contain updated wheels. Hyperspin itself - because it's Flash, cannot use all the standard MAME keys so you have to remap certain buttons. Hyperlaunch (the new one) is impossible to use in 640x480, so once it's in a cab you're boned.

It looks nice but it's caused me so much irritation it's not even funny anymore. But I think I can use the artwork assets in another frontend, and still avoid a damn text list ;) MALA doesn't look like I can, but MAMEWAH and AtomicFE look suitable...

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 2:58 pm
by joeblade
cools wrote:Joe - Hyperlaunch has been updated, not Hyperspin itself.

Try setting up Hyperspin for UME using Software Lists. It's an absolute nightmare at the moment as all the databases are No-Intro filename based. Hypersync no longer works on XP 64 either, and the FTP doesn't contain updated wheels. Hyperspin itself - because it's Flash, cannot use all the standard MAME keys so you have to remap certain buttons. Hyperlaunch (the new one) is impossible to use in 640x480, so once it's in a cab you're boned.

It looks nice but it's caused me so much irritation it's not even funny anymore. But I think I can use the artwork assets in another frontend, and still avoid a damn text list ;) MALA doesn't look like I can, but MAMEWAH and AtomicFE look suitable...
Apologies cools i meant hyperlaunch... :(

The no intro filebase has come up numerous times on the HS forum and requires a large amount of someones time to sort hence why very few have even hinted on it!
Again with the wheels, they really need a group of guys to be just on the art/logo/wheels creation but as is always the case most people are just too busy with their regular lives.
Didn't know HL no longer works in 640x480...sounds like their slowly moving this new build away from cab and onto HD setups... :problem:

Again haven't played much with MAMEWAH or AtomicFE but i've seen some vids and they look ok...bottom line for me would be nice background (retro arcade themed), simple list of the classic oldies & possibly a nice screengrab! Can't be arsed with vids as i want it to be quick and responsive!

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 3:02 pm
by cools
Same aims as me then ;) Might be a while before I take a look at it though.

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 3:24 pm
by baddy
Agreeing with you cools, my ongoing project is a mamebox running groovyume with a X300 radeon card.

The crt_emudriver install is a breeze, I got 200 modelines covering 99% of the games. GroovyUME works perfectly, pure pixel goodness

However, I'm now completely lost with how to run console games via UME through Hyperspin. The new Hyperlaunch is a nightmare to understand, so many buttons and parameters, makes my head spin...

So, I'm probably gonna change frontend, for something simpler with custom made xml's to list the games I like/wanna play and not end up with a 3000 games list I'll browse for hours before finding the game I wanted to play :D.

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 5:04 pm
by pubjoe
cools wrote:Correct. With 31k you don't need all that many modes. In fact you can get away with just one if you make it wide enough - 1280x480 works well ;)
I thought the whole thing with groovy was all the refresh rates. Resolution can be stretched by the crt but aren't there numerous modelines to cover the various refresh speeds?

Baddy, I hear you about wanting a responsive list. Mala has a pretty cool workaround which preloads the snapshots and plays a video when you pause on a game. It works very nicely. I ended up making a frontend where I batch-edited thousands of videos which overlayed an arcade cabinet, with the correct perspective. I then reran the batchjob, rendering only the first frame to png. I'm pretty proud of the result, and as the screenshots and videos are smaller than a modern icon, it's really snappy.

Old screenshot (I increased the text size)...
Image

http://forum.arcadeotaku.com/viewtopic. ... 20#p123139"

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 5:15 pm
by cools
Actually no, the thing with Groovy is the audio/video synchronisation with the refresh rates. CRT_Emudriver is the bit that lets you set up resolutions, groovy just takes advantage of them optimally.

The more I look at it, AtomicFE seems to do what I want.

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 5:55 pm
by pubjoe
It looks very similar to MalaFE. What do you like about it? I always found game lists a royal pain to set up in mala, but I think that's just the case generally. I absolutely despised the catagorising system. Desperately needs tags. Maybe some of this issues I had have been fixed or improved.

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 6:04 pm
by cools
It looks like the gamelist stuff is as simple as possible, no XML or other crap in there.

Need to check them all really.

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 6:26 pm
by mission65
Pubjoe, could I have a copy of your layout pls

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 6:40 pm
by trev1976
Im hoping to get a groovymame set up soon , Ive been recommended to use maximus arcade as a frontend , Im not really bothered about videos and picture as ive done all that before with my xbox and HTPC , I just want to be able to get to the games easily

Hopefully the set up goes well , Im going to wait it out and get a DSD Jamma adapter rather than a JPAC or JammaST

If groovymame is as good as ive been told then im pretty excited , Id only use it for games from 80's to mid 90's

Just find it hard to belief its that good as ive been so disappointed in the past with emulator set ups on CRT's with all that horrible flicker/no scanlines/tearing :problem:

BTW does anyone know how this CRT Driver handles GGPO ?

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 6:51 pm
by pubjoe
Mission65,

Yes but not for a while I'm afraid. When I get the computer up and running I can retrieve it, but it'll take some time and sadly it's far down my list of priorities, and I don't have the means to quick swap a sata hdd at the moment.

I best not be optimistic about a time. I told someone I'd send them the layout file over a year ago, and erm... doesn't time fly?! :problem:

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 8:43 pm
by mission65
:lol:

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 9:10 pm
by joeblade
Baddy, I hear you about wanting a responsive list. Mala has a pretty cool workaround which preloads the snapshots and plays a video when you pause on a game. It works very nicely. I ended up making a frontend where I batch-edited thousands of videos which overlayed an arcade cabinet, with the correct perspective. I then reran the batchjob, rendering only the first frame to png. I'm pretty proud of the result, and as the screenshots and videos are smaller than a modern icon, it's really snappy.
Like the sound of that workaround pubjoe but tbh it's not just about the responsiveness mate...i've come to realise that i only need about 100ish "core" games with the simplest but attractive interface running as a frontend...as someone who spent a wee while setting up HS you come to realise "less is more"...particularly when actually playing the game is the important part.

BTW....your templates that you did some time ago were awesome...still wish i had my Eggy2 :awe: :( `

Really liked "Mike Boss's" DK Mala layout actually...something along those lines....

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 9:21 pm
by joeblade
Just checking out AtomicFE...like the idea of using an arcade flyer maybe as a BG with an area available for your games list.... :think:

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 9:22 pm
by cools
Mala will almost do what I want. It has a scrolling image list function, but it doesn't support transparent PNGs, nor smooth scroll. The latter is the killer.

For a text list frontend however it's excellent.

joe: you can do that with Mala as well.

I have yet to checkout AtomicFE properly.

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 24th, 2013, 9:35 pm
by joeblade
cools wrote:Mala will almost do what I want. It has a scrolling image list function, but it doesn't support transparent PNGs, nor smooth scroll. The latter is the killer.

For a text list frontend however it's excellent.

joe: you can do that with Mala as well.

I have yet to checkout AtomicFE properly.
Yeah i agree, smooth scroll does add a touch of class!! ;)

However I can probably live without that...will have to download Mala tomorrow and have a play if i get time...gonna check out some mala vids now.. :)

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 25th, 2013, 8:48 am
by cools
AtomicFE doesn't have smooth scroll either. It's also very French in its setup and configuration :)

pubjoe: what do you use for batch editing images? Say I've got a couple of thousand alpha transparent PNGs I want to resize consistently and flatten onto a background, losing the transparency?

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 25th, 2013, 9:31 am
by pubjoe
Christ, it's four years ago now, but according to 2009 pubjoe, I used virtualdub.

I remember doing the videos but not so much the images. I think virtualdub had an option to render frame 1 only, minus video compression, to png.

Re: GroovyMAME/UME for dummies

Posted: July 25th, 2013, 9:58 am
by pubjoe
Yeah, I must have used virtualdub for both images and video. It relies on plugins for editing features. The program really confused me to be honest. You'll love it. :awe: