Different layouts for different emulators

[JeffB13]

Hello,
I have MALA up and running with a custom Tron layout for MAME.  I also have MALA setup to launch the Fix-it-Felix .exe as a separate emulator. 

Is there a way to have a different layout for the second "emulator"? 

Also is there an easy way to switch emulators?  Right now I have to right click and select switch emulators.  Would be nice if there was a one button option for when this goes into a cabinet.

Thanks

[nick123]

if  you search for mala tree i think this will do what you require. from the front menu you select the emulator then you select the game from a sub menu. ive only briefly looked at it myself and havent got it working yet but  this is what i intend to use.
for different graphic for each emulator search mala layouts.

[bbmonster]

If you don't want to go the tree route there is an option to switch layout based on emulator. That's on the same tab where you choose the layout. You name the layout as the same name as the emulator. You can also switch layouts based on game list too.

As for the emulator switching from the control panel, look at the controls tab in the options window. You can set it there.

[JeffB13]

I tried messing with that last night.  Renamed three layouts with what I thought was the same name as the emulator, but everything was greyed out and it pulled up the standard layout when I fired it up.  I am assuming one of the layout names wasnt' correct so it defaulted to the standard. 

When it says the layout name has to match the name of the emulator, what emulator is it referring to?  Does it need to match the .exe file name?

[bbmonster]

For the auto layout switch, the name you gave to the emulator when you added it in the other emu config tab,  not the exe. Then make sure the layout .mll has the same name. I'm unsure if it handles spaces differently though, I tend to name stuff camel case without spaces.

[JeffB13]

hmm, My other emulators have spaces in the names.  I'll get rid of them and see how that works.

[JeffB13]

Thanks.  Got it working.

[bmanbdaman]

It makes a difference for what characters are supported in Windows. Spaces are OK, special ones are not. If you enter an unsupported character then a Title will display in a generic layout (i.e. standard.mll) but not be loaded as a layout file (i.e. Atari/2600.mll).

The name of the template needs to match what you entered in Options-Other Emu Config-Emulators-Basics-Name per the GUI-Layout-Auto Layout Switch-Emulator option.

[Gatsu]

I'm having a similar issue, but with switching layouts with game lists instead of emulators.

How does the file folder hierarchy need to be setup? And what options to I need to have set in the GUI menu?

I'm only using mame. And I have my lists and themes named mame_mortalkombat and mame_main.

I can get the tree system to work, but I'd rather just have the layout change when I switch lists by pressing right or left on the player 1 joystick.

[Gatsu]

I currently have the following lists & layouts.

C:\Mala\mame.mll (which is my "main game list theme")
C:\Mala\mame.mlg
C:\Mala\mame\mame.jpg

C:\Mala\mame_mortalkombat.mll (just MK games list)
C:\Mala\mame_mortalkombat.mlg
C:\Mala\mame_mortalkombat\mame_mortalkombat.jpg

And I have the following options checked in MaLa:
GUI
- Layout Files are located in a folder with the same name as layout
(Under Auto Layout Switch)
- Gamelist (and I have my main mame.mll layout selected).

But when I start up Mala, it will not switch layouts when I switch lists.

I set the list switching controls to pressing left or right on the player 1 joystick. Would this have anything to do with it?