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Author Topic: GameEx in a 3-sided cocktail cab - screen flipping  (Read 1655 times)

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GoTheBunnies

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GameEx in a 3-sided cocktail cab - screen flipping
« on: October 21, 2010, 01:55:37 am »
Hi guys,

Just wondered if anyone is using GameEx on a 3-sided cocktail, and if so, how you overcame the problem of getting your cocktail games to play vertically and flip for the 2nd player.

I've asked the question on the GameEx forum, but I'm getting some conflicting answers.

Keeping in mind that the 'normal' position for the screen is to be horizontal on the 3rd side - I need to set it so that when a 2-player cocktail game is selected, it first of all rotates to face Player 1, and then flips when it's Player 2's turn. As far as I can tell, I need to do a couple of things - go into the Mame settings for each individual game, and set it to rotate 90 degrees, and also set the dipswitch to cocktail? There may be a quick way to do this, however, and that's with CFG Magician?? (note the question marks - I'm looking for clarification that this is the best way to go?) If it is, how do I indentify the cocktail games? With RomLister, or will CFG Magician do it?

Seems a messy (and time consuming) way to get it done? I'm surprised a front end wouldn't have a better option? Mala deals with is much better doesn't it??

Thanks - any input from experience would be appreciated! 

Thenasty

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Re: GameEx in a 3-sided cocktail cab - screen flipping
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2010, 08:02:37 am »
Some games supports Cocktail mode. Mame deafults to non-cocktail mode for the supported games. Each one must be set in a DIP switch settings in MAME config to enable cocktail.

If a game does not have cocktail support, there is no easy way to support it. You need to re-program MAME or the game itself so when it's players 2 turn, the controls will switch also.

I know that Advmame has a switch in the INI/RCC file that you can globally set the games in cocktail mode (if it supports it that is). So every games that is supported will default to cocktail mode.
Maybe the newer MAME has this capabilities. I am stuck at version .106 (the last version of Advmame, this is what I use).

Also read the MAME.DOC, it might give you a hint of how to support cocktail globally. Maybe there is a line that is needed to be added in INI/CFG file.

Maybe someone here that is using a Newer version of Mame will chime in and gives you what you are looking for.
Thenasty's Arcademania Horizontal/Vertical setup.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=26696.0

Free VGA Breakout Cable
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=38228.0

Ultimate All in One Coin Mech write up (Make your own)
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=19200.0

NOP

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Re: GameEx in a 3-sided cocktail cab - screen flipping
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2010, 09:47:58 am »
romlister pulls out the games that support screen flipping whenyou hit the "cocktail" checkbox in the upper left corner of the main GUI.  There's really not *that* many games that support it, and when I was putting together my machine, I found a dozen or so (IIRC) that seemed like the game worked fine, but then when P2 came up, either the graphics were hosed up or the controls were bad or something that made it unplayable.  This was with MAME 1.11 I believe. 

Because of that, going through them by hand, orienting the screen properly, checking the coin button, playing 2 players and verifying P2 works was the only way to go.  While as Thenasty says, there may be ways of setting everything up automagically, I really suggest doing it by hand to not only verify everything works the way you think it should, but you'll also get to know your machine well, and you can start to weed out some of the really, really, really bad games or the clones that just don't offer enough difference to qualify for your machine.  Grab a beer or two, have a friend over and spend an afternoon doing it.  Sort of like boot camp.  You might hate doing it while you're in the thick of it, but you'll be better off when it's done. 

oh, THEN SAVE YOUR WORK!  ;)