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New Frontend - yet another...
jmark:
Folks:
I really haven't found a frontend out there that does all I want it to and look like it's not windows either - RD and ArcadeFX are the closest yet, but I want something that is completely database driven, has extreme customability, sounds, graphics, video... basically the whole nine yards... so I'm going to take the advice so often given... "If you're not happy, go make it yourself!"...
So... before I start (and this will be a LONG term project)... I'm interested in hearing *all* of the possible features you'd like to see in an frontend whether they're outlandish or not, whether you think they're feasible or not... anything and everything goes... we're talking extreme customization here...
Anyone care to start? :D
Howard_Casto:
Great so you've decided to make a front-end.
(Howard plants tongue firmly in cheek.)
Here's some things you can do right now to make development faster and more efficient. If you follow this 8 step program your fe will be great!
#1 If you have a significant other go kiss them goodbye. You won't be seeing them for a while and they'll probably leave you.
#2 Go look outside, don't actually go outside because you won't be doing that for several months either and there's no sense teasing yourself.
#3 Go to the room where you'll be programming. Stock it with junk food and plenty of pOrn. Why? see #1.
#4 This is the important one. Become really creepy. I'm not talking kinda creepy I'm talking hermit/hobo creepy. It's a little known fact that all good programmers are creepy. Your program will not be any good unless your creepy.
#5 Grow an attitude. Your a freakin programmer now for christs sakes! Your fe is the best thing since sliced bread. Others should give you things and dance merrily around you just for that. Oh and no need to be respectful to others because they are gonna suck up to you anyway. This is one of the few perks to becoming a fe developer.
#6 Learn to hate your users. I can't stress this one enough. Remember they are the guys that are too dumb to configure your fe. You made it so simple afterall that you only need a minor in cis to figure out how to set it up. These are the same people from #5 so don't worry too much about them and treat them as inferiors.
#7 Give the users every single thing they want, except for one real minor thing. Why? Because it's fun. :) Also this will make them unsatisfied and cause them to make another fe that has more features than yours.
#8 Be resentful towards the new fe's on the scene. Afterall, look how much they ripped you off!!! A list of games that you can scroll through and select one to launch the game.... hey you thought of that !! Remember they're all ungrateful sobs afterall and would be able to do it if you hadn't shown them how. Be sure to point this out at every opportunity btw, they'll be very receptive to it.
Ok now if you follow my simple 8 step plan your on your way to becoming a world famous fe developer. Don't forget to keep your stick on the ice and remember, were all in this together.
Lilwolf:
Howard, all you have to do is not release it and you get all those things :)
I went a different route.
I went for features I wanted.
1) I wanted it to look like ArcadeFX
2) Be complete run from a joystick
3) have multi control panel support
4) be able to configure my encoder automatically (note. I removed this feature pergame, but kept it so I can change it when changing from one emulator to the next....)
5) configure my mame for me (because I coudln't get in and configure mame from the control panel
6) handle 4 player cabinet for 4 player games, and all 3player or less games act as if the left joystick wasn't there
7) custom categories.
8) favorites that can be set with a joystick
9) Skinnable (so I can copy other FE's easier)
I never planned to continue with it when some of the other FE's came out. But they don't handle all my requirements.
btw, howard is right about the amount of time it takes. Spend a good week on design before you start. I've rewritten every class multiple times to add single features.
Also consider if you want to share it. Why? I add features that take me 5 minutes and I have it running on my cabinet. Then I try to add a way to configure it that others will be able to use, and it takes me 2 hours plus a rewrite of a class.
IE, the configuration will usually take more time then the option.
btw, I am planning on releasing. But I'm still trying to get the last few options in a configuration. I broke a bunch of stuff recently and haven't been able to get any time to code. So hopefully soon
)p(:
--- Quote ---btw, howard is right about the amount of time it takes.
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Lilwolf:
yes, only tweaks... and your frontend looks just like it used to :)..... yup, 3d is only a tweak