Looking for a Pre-Frontend for a Hybrid Pinball/Mame cabinet

[transfan]

Hello.

I am looking for a pre-frontend/shell for my hybrid cabinet. It features 3 screens, including a vertical 40", 22" backglass, and 13" DMD for pinball.

This is exactly what I am trying to accomplish:

- Player turns system on, system boots up, has custom boot logo.
- A window appears* on the vertical monitor with 3-4 choices. 
     -Play Arcade/Console: Loads arcade frontend
     -Play Pinball: Loads hyperpin frontend
     -Start Windows**
     -Shutdown
     -Joystick or flippers will scroll through choices.

Whenever you exit the frontend, it will default back to this main screen. 

In addition, I need the arcade front end to start rotated so it can be used vertically.  I do not want to rotate my desktop because hyperpin can't handle it. 

Also I have been out of the scene for several months.  Have any new or updated front ends been released that can handle vertical 1080p?  I would even be willing to use one of them if I could get it to do exactly what I want above.

[Howard_Casto]

I don't have any answers for you, but I do have a question. 

Are there any emulators/simulators that actually support a dmd?  I don't think there are, and even assuming there is, why would you not simply display the DMD on the 22 inch monitor?

[transfan]

Yes, both Visual pinball and Future pinball support DMDs.  The second screen contains the backglass.

[Dazz]

Yes, both Visual pinball and Future pinball support DMDs.  The second screen contains the backglass.

Correction - Only Visual Pinball supports a DMD (PinMAME).  Future Pinball does not.  The DMD in FP can only be attached to the backglass image and can't be moved to another screen.

[gwjrabbit]

I'm trying to solve the exact same problem, but haven't made much traction yet.  My thought is perhaps to do something in autohotkey, but i haven't gotten very far.  What your looking for is EXACTLY what I'm looking for, although I'd like the menu to be the default -- meaning, if I quit MALA or Hyperspin (which I'd probably use for the two menus), it would go back to the main menu.

[Howard_Casto]

Yes, both Visual pinball and Future pinball support DMDs.  The second screen contains the backglass.

Correction - Only Visual Pinball supports a DMD (PinMAME).  Future Pinball does not.  The DMD in FP can only be attached to the backglass image and can't be moved to another screen.

He didn't say a 13" monitor, he said 13" DMD, as in an array of leds.  I know there is a hack of pinmame called pinmame-hw that pretty much disappeared, but it was pretty much geared towards using a computer to replace pinball pcbs... in other words no visual pinball linkup.  I don't keep up with VP anymore though so something new could have came out. 

It doesn't answer my question of why though.  DMD displays are expensive and complex to drive via a computer.  I don't know why in the world a person wouldn't just display it on the backglass monitor as it offers more flexibility.

[transfan]

To clarify, I meant a 19" monitor simulating a 13" dmd.  To me it's only 13" because that is the visible space.  Sorry for the confusion.

And yes FP doesn't handle 3rd monitor dmd. 

[Dazz]

Yes, both Visual pinball and Future pinball support DMDs.  The second screen contains the backglass.

Correction - Only Visual Pinball supports a DMD (PinMAME).  Future Pinball does not.  The DMD in FP can only be attached to the backglass image and can't be moved to another screen.

He didn't say a 13" monitor, he said 13" DMD, as in an array of leds.  I know there is a hack of pinmame called pinmame-hw that pretty much disappeared, but it was pretty much geared towards using a computer to replace pinball pcbs... in other words no visual pinball linkup.  I don't keep up with VP anymore though so something new could have came out. 

It doesn't answer my question of why though.  DMD displays are expensive and complex to drive via a computer.  I don't know why in the world a person wouldn't just display it on the backglass monitor as it offers more flexibility.

This is why... and in our applications actually displaying on the backglass monitor does not offer more flexibility.  A 2 screen setup is actually much less flexible than a 3 screen setup.