Alternate Frontend For Mame

[zaq121]

If anyone is interested, I wrote up an relacement frontend for mame. It's main additions are filters and the ability to show images. Filters are defined by you in a text config file.

This works *with* mamegp32, it is not another port of mame. Figured I better add that.

Updated: 11/24/05 to 006
Compiled
Source Code

Images (100x100)
Images (125x125)

Screen shoots are using the 125x125 images.

 

[alyinsanfran]

Holy crap!!!!
Where did this come from????

Awesome!!!!!!!!

Downloading now...

 

[barnesy]

Haha! I like 'if anyone is interested'! This looks fantastic!

 

[bagmouse7]

Thanks, it looks great. I am downloading it now!

 

[alyinsanfran]

First problem: no "frontend.fxe" file! It expanded to "mamegp32.fxe"....

I renamed it to frontend.fxe, but on opening it (called "mame32.gxb" with no logo in browser) the GP reset.

Have I missed something obvious?

 

[Franxis]

Great zaq121 !

 

[Franxis]

Some suggestions:
- Frontend has to be named mamegp32.fxe. You could add an alternative frontend named mamegpdr.fxe to call drz80 enabled fxe's: gpmm\mamegp32\drz80\*.fxe
- You could add new functionalities: controller configuration (gpmm\mamegp32\key\*.key), analog controls configuration (gpmm\mamegp32\joy\*.joy), the possibility to clean configuration files (gpmm\mamegp32\cfg\*.cfg), etc...
- Is it BLU+ compatible?

Zaq121 i tried yesterday to compile your code but i was unlucky and it was so late sorry.

 

[alyinsanfran]

I see, it completely replaces mamegp32.fxe... you'll want to alter your readme to reflect that, at the moment it sounds like a whole different fxe.
Anyway, did that, worked ok.
But....
Not blu+ compatible!

 

[daclassicgamingmaster]

its not blu+ compatible? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[PSyMastR]

its not blu+ compatible? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

​

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

[alyinsanfran]

Sorry, yep.
However, this has much promise!
Sunny days are ahead, once this is developed further (grovel, plead....) it'll be a nice piece of kit.
But for now... MameGP32 is wonderful as is.

 

[zaq121]

I see, it completely replaces mamegp32.fxe... you'll want to alter your readme to reflect that, at the moment it sounds like a whole different fxe.
Anyway, did that, worked ok.
But....
Not blu+ compatible!

​

It was a very quick text file that I wrote up.

I think I saw some examples for blu+, let me go look and compile one up.

 

[daclassicgamingmaster]

maybe ill shove it on my FLU to see it in action h34r:

 

[alyinsanfran]

I see, it completely replaces mamegp32.fxe... you'll want to alter your readme to reflect that, at the moment it sounds like a whole different fxe.
Anyway, did that, worked ok.
But....
Not blu+ compatible!

​

It was a very quick text file that I wrote up.

I think I saw some examples for blu+, let me go look and compile one up.

​

Thanks zaq121, appreciate you sorting it out for us 'late adopters'...

DaClassicGamingMaster... feedback? What do you think?

 

[daclassicgamingmaster]

I see, it completely replaces mamegp32.fxe... you'll want to alter your readme to reflect that, at the moment it sounds like a whole different fxe.
Anyway, did that, worked ok.
But....
Not blu+ compatible!

​

It was a very quick text file that I wrote up.

I think I saw some examples for blu+, let me go look and compile one up.

​

Thanks zaq121, appreciate you sorting it out for us 'late adopters'...

DaClassicGamingMaster... feedback? What do you think?

​

dunno. I can never get mame to work

im gonna retry and post back when i (hopefully) get it working.

thanks for making a blu+ version in the meantime, zaq B)

 

[DaveC]

If anyone is interested, I wrote up an relacement frontend for mame. It's main additions are filters and the ability to show images. Filters are defined by you in a text config file.

This works *with* mamegp32, it is not another port of mame. Figured I better add that.

Compiled program
Source Code

Images (100x100)
Images (125x125)

Screen shoots are using the 125x125 images.

​

Hi, I was wondering could something be added to the front end where the user could edit a file (similar to the analog settings) to set which .FXE it loads? This way I could set it so single optimised game fxes (ex. Ghosts n goblins), the DrZ80 fxes, and the games that only work with the non-DrZ80, would automatically load the appropriate fxe from the main list. The front end would just show the game name only and with an editable list would know to load the DrZ80, Non-DrZ80, or single game optimised fxe. Otherwise it is getting hard to remember what works better with what. It is kind of confusing as there is getting to be so many variations.

Thanks and good work.

 

[Franxis]

DaveC, the problem is that frontend executable can't send his name to launched executable, they have a fixed name in their code. TheGrimReaper had problems sending long string parameters from frontend to launched executables. Then it will be a problem now to go back to general frontend. Normal fxe's suppose mamegp32.fxe and Drz80 fxe's suppose mamegpdr.fxe. I don't know about optimized single game fxe's, probably the code to get launched game is disabled.

 

[zaq121]

TheGrimReaper had problems sending long string parameters from frontend to launched executables.

Did you guys come up with what the limit was?

Right now I am tagging on my menu state, which the mame fxe driver should pass back to the front end (my slightly modified version does), so that you return to the last item you were on..... but it seems to be quirky, I guess this is why.

oh, and I compiled a blu+ version... I will need to look at the code so I can just make this a config option.

blu+ version

 

[zaq121]

Hi, I was wondering could something be added to the front end where the user could edit a file (similar to the analog settings) to set which .FXE it loads?

I haven't used any of the optimized versions yet, but now I will take a look at them.

I should be able this ability in frontend.cfg

 

[PSyMastR]

Well, Im adding the images right now for the Blu+ version. Its taking forever
Anyone know of some good MAME games? That are worthwhile. Also, do you know of any top down plane games, with those blue/red/purple weapon upgrades. I forgot the names of those games.