here are the steps which took me a lot of digging to find a useful video on the topic.
the info at the attractmode forum which you'll find as a top entry on a google search is not useful and outdated. hmmph..
These steps are specifically for getting the attractmode program itself on your functioning retropie build. It assumes you have retropie working, which will involve little nitpicky things like enabling SSH so your PC can talk to your Pi over wifi (eta prime vids teach about that kind of topic)
if you get this far, i can post more about how to tell attractmode to see your mame file location, and how to tell it to see your scraped graphic files
--------------------
more detail since the instructions are elusive and vague when it comes to retropie.
for putting attractmode on a retropie image:
1-install attractmode from the retropie setup menu under experimental packages
2-you have to connect to the pi with a program called Putty from your computer.
This lets you work from the Pi command prompt at your PC.
3- Following this YT tutorial-
at command prompt:
---type> nano menu.sh <hit enter>
---copy the following text then right click to paste it into the text file.
---then use ctl-X and Yes to save the file.
---<type> chmod +x menu.sh <hit enter>
---<type> ./menu.sh <hit enter>,
---putty will get disconnected due to the reboot.
4- attractmode will now be an entry on the retropie menu.
5- continue with download of the attractmode layouts from Frizz's website,
6-using winscp to copy the files from PC to the Pi.
---in winscp, go to options>preferences>panels and check the box for show hidden files
---use winscp to copy the layout folders to the Pi at /home/pi/.attract/layouts
-----contents of menu.sh-------
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup
cat >> /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/EmulationStation.sh << EOF
clear
echo "Switching default boot system to EmulationStation and rebooting"
echo ""
sed -i 's/attract/emulationstation/g' /opt/retropie/configs/all/autostart.sh
sudo reboot
EOF
cat >> /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/Attract-Mode.sh << EOF
echo "Switching default boot system to Attract-Mode and rebooting"
echo ""
sed -i 's/emulationstation/attract/g' /opt/retropie/configs/all/autostart.sh
sudo reboot
EOF
chmod +x /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/Attract-Mode.sh
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/audiosettings.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Audio Settings.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/bluetooth.rp >> /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Bluetooth.sh
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/configedit.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Configuration Editor.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/wifi.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Configure Wifi.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/filemanager.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/File Manager.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/raspiconfig.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Raspberry Pie Setup.sh"
echo sudo reboot >> /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Reboot.sh
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/retroarch.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Retroarch Setup.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/retronetplay.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Retroarch Netplay.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/rpsetup.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/RetroPie Setup.sh"
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/runcommand.rp >> /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/RunCommand.sh
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/showip.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Show IP Address.sh"
echo sudo poweroff >> /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Shutdown.sh
echo sudo /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu launch /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/splashscreen.rp >> "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/Splash Screen.sh"
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/box
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/cart
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/box
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/marquee
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/video
mkdir /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/wheel
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/audiosettings.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Audio Settings.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/bluetooth.png /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Bluetooth.png
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/configedit.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Configuration Editor.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/wifi.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Configure Wifi.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/filemanager.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/File Manager.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/raspiconfig.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Raspberry Pie Setup.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/retroarch.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Retroarch Setup.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/retronetplay.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Retroarch Netplay.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/rpsetup.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/RetroPie Setup.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/runcommand.png /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/RunCommand.png
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/showip.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Show IP Address.png"
cp /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/splashscreen.png "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap/Splash Screen.png"
chmod +x /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/*.sh
wget
http://attractmode.org/images/logo.pngmv logo.png /home/pi/RetroPie/retropiemenu/icons/Attract-Mode.png
cat >> /home/pi/.attract/emulators/Setup.cfg << EOF
# Generated by Attract-Mode v2.2.1
#
executable /bin/bash
args "[romfilename]"
rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup
romext .sh
system Setup
artwork box /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/box
artwork cart /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/cart
artwork flyer /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/box
artwork marquee /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/marquee
artwork snap /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/video;/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/snap
artwork wheel /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/setup/wheel
EOF
sed -i '/\<sound\>/i \display Setup' /home/pi/.attract/attract.cfg
sed -i '/\<sound\>/i \ layout Basic' /home/pi/.attract/attract.cfg
sed -i '/\<sound\>/i \ romlist Setup' /home/pi/.attract/attract.cfg
sed -i '/\<sound\>/i \ in_cycle yes' /home/pi/.attract/attract.cfg
sed -i '/\<sound\>/i \ in_menu yes' /home/pi/.attract/attract.cfg
sed -i '/\<sound\>/i \ filter all' /home/pi/.attract/attract.cfg
sed -i '/\<sound\>/i \ ' /home/pi/.attract/attract.cfg
sed -i 's/window_mode default/window_mode fullscreen/g' /home/pi/.attract/attract.cfg
attract -b Setup
sed -i '/<\<gameList\>>/a \ </game>' /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/gamelists/retropie/gamelist.xml
sed -i '/<\<gameList\>>/a \ <image>./icons/Attract-Mode.png</image>' /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/gamelists/retropie/gamelist.xml
sed -i '/<\<gameList\>>/a \ <desc>Change system boot to the Attract-Mode frontend and reboot.</desc>' /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/gamelists/retropie/gamelist.xml
sed -i '/<\<gameList\>>/a \ <name>Attract-Mode</name>' /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/gamelists/retropie/gamelist.xml
sed -i '/<\<gameList\>>/a \ <path>./Attract-Mode.sh</path>' /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/gamelists/retropie/gamelist.xml
sed -i '/<\<gameList\>>/a \ <game>' /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/gamelists/retropie/gamelist.xml
sudo reboot