Best Control Panel Viewer that works with MaLa ?

[mike boss]

Looking to add a lil enhancement to my MAME machine.
Thinking a control panel viewer would be a good add on.
Lord knows other day playing some games I forgot what did what and how many buttons were required.
Sooo................. the hunt is on.

Any thoughts ?

[chopperthedog]

Set up the info window in mala. I have mine edited with P2 start push in gamelist on my cocktail table to show controls, history, panel pic, marquee pic scrolling with joystick and same button closes window. You just need the appropriate mame ini and dat files.

added pic.

good day.

[mike boss]

Ok, cool.
Good to know. I'll look more into this.
I did some mockups of my control panel and wanted something a lil more graphic.
However this is a decent alternative.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,129954.0.html

Can you tell me more about the dat files and where to find them ?

[chopperthedog]

http://controls.arcadecontrols.com/controls/controls.php

some other info: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/board,45.0.html

Copy to mame folder and set location in mame config. If you have never used this file before then refresh "All Games" list, go into mala config / game lists tab / and tick "Update games metadata in all lists" box. This will allow your other mame game lists that you have to show the control info. Then you can use the text definable s in mala layout to put control text labels on your panel mock up.

http://www.arcade-history.com/

I like the history dat. Mala will so the history in the "info window" if set up. Some really great info within the history file on each game, also fun to read.


good day.

[chopperthedog]

To show how the ini can be used within a layout. Disregard how it looks I don't use it this way.


good day.

[mike boss]

So I can do this in Mala where it pulls up my panel mock up ?
And like stand along CP viewers it will appoint the required labels ?

[chopperthedog]

A theme-able custom info window would be pretty sweet... But I just took a pic of my button on the table and added the custom text for each individual button in the layout that pulls the info from the control.ini. I suppose to pimp it up, you could create text windows that are identical but different colors and play with a shadow type effect with overlaying offsetting and bringing the main color to front.

incorporate your panel mock up within your layout.


good day.

[chopperthedog]

I used to have the graphic of the buttons on my layouts before i.e. my 3 button example above. But It's something I didn't need to see constantly. Once I figured out the info windows and the fact you add/delete and order them. I just ordered it so the control window is the first thing to show up when info button is pressed in mala. Keeps down on the layout clutter IMO.


good day.

[mike boss]

I've attached an image I created of my control panel.
The outcome I was hoping to achieve is displayed below (as a mock up).
For example, say I'm playing Narc or NBA JAM (as displayed) in the example, it would show my panel and what does what.
My panel is laid out 3 over 3 as displayed.

From what  I understood some of these panel viewers allow you to upload (or use an existing) your control panel image.
You then tell it what is what, so in my case button 1 thru 6.
It then knows what is what and will display the required controls for the selected ROM.

It's an amazing tool, obviously a huge help. Would certainly be a plus to not just myself, but any user of the cabinet.
However I'm loyal to MaLa, and I'd love a solution in MaLa.

To add, I'd love to display specific controls per ROM in Mame, but a general single mapping image per console emulator if it was possible also.

[mike boss]

Just playing around with MaLa again today and noticed as you configure MAME, MaLa has an option for Control Panel viewers.
I really gotta get on this.

[TopJimmyCooks]

he said good day.

[mike boss]

I installed CP Wizard and it pulls up the panel image before game load which is great.
I need to do quite a bit more reading, and many more docs are needed to provide the best experience.
(IE - tons more info needed !)

I could not for the life of me find CPViewer2.

I'd like to do some more work on this. I need something that works and looks good.