Color of Screen During Mode Changes

[FrizzleFried]

I suspect I know the answer to this... but during mode changes my screen turns all white for about 1 second or so... any way to change that to "all black"?

While I know my changes are slim,  the reality is that it's an "automatic no" unless you ask!

Right?!

[FrizzleFried]

...and another oddity noticed is that since I switched to Super Resolutions... using Attract-Mode,  when I select a game,  it used to either turn the screen black then start the ROM loading process... or if installed and enabled,  I could "fade to black" and do the same...

Since the Super Resolutions,  when I select a game,  the entire screen freezes (all graphics remain)... for about 2-3 seconds, then the ROM loading process begins.  Anyone know of a way to either get it to return to black screen... or even better yet... load up a "NOW LOADING" screen?

The solutions for the NOW LOADING screen over at the Attract-Mode website include using the FADE TO BLACK plugin which seems to have no affect now... with Super Resolutions installed?

Thanks for any suggestions!

[FrizzleFried]

I found this little program while searching for solutions to my issues.  It does a few things if you drop it in to your START  folder (be sure to have security set so as that the program will be allowed to run without interruption)...

(1) It changes the mouse cursor to transparent.
(2) It closes whatever window may be open on the desktop.
(3) It creates a borderless black window that.

MAME and Attract-Mode are allowed to be seen on top of the black window...

Basically it eliminated the "white screen" popping up issue I had... it eliminates any/all "mouse cursor" visibility issues when selecting games, etc...

It works great!

The only issue I have left is the odd one that cropped up when I moved to Super Resolutions... rather than dropping to a BLACK SCREEN (or a loading screen or any screen) when a game is selected... it simply freezes the screen (animation s stop, etc) for 2-3 seconds then loads up the ROM.   I'd love to change this behavior to at least drop to a BLACK screen... though a "loading" screen would work too.

There is a plugin for attractmode that allows a "fade to game" option... it worked great with regular resolutions... it no longer works with Super resolutions... I only get the behavior described earlier.

EDIT: Here is the download page for ATTRACTTRUEBLACK below... which includes more specifics, etc: http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=1569.msg11093#msg11093

[Calamity]

It's good you sorted out the issue with white backgrounds. I've never seen that issue.

I'm trying to think of a reason why super resolutions would make any difference for frontend->mame transitions. Super resolutions are just like any other resolution but wider.

That freezing behaviour sounds like the issue with slow mode polling on GM startup. Again, if this is the case, the issue should also happen with normal resolutions.

On a side note, I'm radically against frontends trying to influence things any further their "ShellExecute" call.

Sorry for this worthless post, anyway.

[FrizzleFried]

Well... here is a video of what is going on now. 

NORMAL BEHAVIOR:  Select a game,  the screen goes dark then loads GROOVYMAME.   

CURRENT BEHAVIOR: Select a game,  the screen FREEZES then loads GROOVYMAME.

Attract-mode folks can't explain behavior.  There is a plugin that dims the screen before loading groovymame... and oddly,  that plugin is not working at all as well.

NOW... I'm guessing the issue lies with attract mode as in their logs you can see where I select and there it loads Groovymame... but they're stumped thus far ... having never seen the behavior.

I am posting a video of the current behavior here:



Turn up the volume... you can here at what point (loudly) where i hit the button to select the game.  At that point the screen FREEZES completely before loading the ROM.

Has anyone seen this behavior ... and if so ... have they rectified it ... and if so ... how?



Thanks!!

[MiteWiseacre]

I gave up on Attractmode after I went to groovymame, I could only either get the front end to launch and then the emulator would be invisible in 648x486 or Attractmode would be invisible and and games would launch normally in 640x480 desktop
Sort of sounds similar to your troubles?

[FrizzleFried]

Well... I've managed to outsmart the behavior exhibited.   I figured "fine... if,  for whatever reason,  the video card wants to freeze the last frame before loading rather than blanking,  lets give it a frame worth freezing"... and I set out to figure out how to display a "NOW LOADING" type of screen on attract-mode after a game is selected.

It seems there was no current implementation of such a screen.

I hacked together a plugin for attract mode and now...



But of course I wanted selection for folks so I included 10 different LOADING screens to choose from.

I'm just having an issue with the LOADING screen popping up during the video intro to attract-mode (which I don't use so it' doesn't affect me).  Once I fix that issue I'll release the plugin...

[FrizzleFried]

I gave up on Attractmode after I went to groovymame, I could only either get the front end to launch and then the emulator would be invisible in 648x486 or Attractmode would be invisible and and games would launch normally in 640x480 desktop
Sort of sounds similar to your troubles?

Nope.  I did have an issue where Attract-Mode was selecting 640x480i versus 640x480p but that was rectified with couple of registry tweaks to fix the "DO NOT DISPLAY MODES THIS MONITOR DOESN'T SUPPORT" option that doesn't work in some versions of Windows for some strange reason.

[bjt42]

I had a similar one-frame flash, but when exiting GroovyMame. I got it to go away but selecting "non-blocking mode" in the AttractMode emulator options.

[krick]

I have a different Attract Mode issue. 

I have Attract Mode in my startup folder to that it launches on windows startup, which is does, but it is somehow BEHIND my task bar and doesn't have focus.  I have to click on it with my mouse to give it focus before it will respond to input.

Once I give it focus, it's fine but it's annoying to have to do that every time I start the cabinet.

I saw someone online saying that they thought it was due to a poorly written system tray application grabbing focus on Windows startup but I haven't been able to confirm that.

Any thoughts?

[FrizzleFried]

I have a different Attract Mode issue. 

I have Attract Mode in my startup folder to that it launches on windows startup, which is does, but it is somehow BEHIND my task bar and doesn't have focus.  I have to click on it with my mouse to give it focus before it will respond to input.

Once I give it focus, it's fine but it's annoying to have to do that every time I start the cabinet.

I saw someone online saying that they thought it was due to a poorly written system tray application grabbing focus on Windows startup but I haven't been able to confirm that.

Any thoughts?

In the GENERAL SETTINGS you can select to run the front end as "FULL SCREEN,  WINDOWED,  WINDOWED (NO BORDER) and FILL SCREEN"... have you tried other modes?

I'd start there if you have not... let me know.

[FrizzleFried]

BTW... if anyone wants the "NOW LOADING" plugin I put together for Attract-Mode... go HERE.