Dual Monitor frontend?

[Lilwolf]

From another thread... I started thinking about having a dual screen frontend.  I am currently working on a new update the JFront (might rename this... big changes)... So its more of just a starting idea.. I don't know if anyone would actually want / use it..

The idea... dual monitor frontend.  The frontend would ALWAYS run in the second window.  And mame would ALWAYS be running some game in the right.

I would then kill the current mame, and start the new one on command.

So why would you want it?

There are super cheap 3-4 inch TV monitors.  It would be very very simple for the most case.  It would be mostly pictures.. But I would have to play with what would work.  

So, what I see it doing.

- Display preview screens of the games
- Display the marquee of the current game running
- Popup for control information about the current game
- Popup for history of current game maybe
- Maybe a MP3... but that I'm hoping to get in the current version (with fun aspects)


but a lot less then the normal version.  So it would be readable on a 3 inch screen.


But I also have to decide if I think that my cabinet could fit a small 4 inch monitor.  And if I could talk my wife into letting me buy on...
"Can I spend 100 bucks on a small monitor"...
"why?"...
"Because it would be cool!"...
"Who would think so?"...
"Me... and maybe the kids"  (always bring up the kids on why to buy yourself toys... helps)...
"Yeah right!"... (but she sees through it... or I overuse the excuse)...
"because it would make our life better!"...
"How does it make MY life better?"....
"Because if I get one... It will remind me to that I owe you back massages"...

if this doesn't work... I might have to come back on and ask for some advice.

but does anyone else think it would be cool?  

[SirPoonga]

"Because if I get one... It will remind me to that I owe you back massages"...

sounds like my roommate and his girlfriend.

[housenm]

It's the same thing all over the world

[Howard_Casto]

It would work fine... mine already has some dual monitor support.  The problem I've been having is finding a suitable secondary monitor.  Those 3-4 inch tvs are too blurry to show even the simplest of graphics... i think it'd have to be lcd.  

[Spaced Invader]

I was thinking of the same thing but 9in VGA for FE and 25in TV for games. I didn't think I could do it with any current FEs. So, Howard, DK can support dual monitors (FE on one and Game on other..able to kill current game and start another)? I love DK and if it can function anything close to this it would ideal for my application.

[Howard_Casto]

No dk supports fe and game on one monitor and supplimentary data/graphics about the current game on another.  

I think lilwolf's idea is interesting, but in all honesty I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense.  I would still like to see it implemented though, as there could be something I'm missing.  

[Lilwolf]

I like the idea.. but the question is how useful it would be.

I might take my little 4" TV and see how the output is (skinners make this pretty easy)...

The trouble is the text..   because I think it would be cool to be able to pull up the controls.dat info and the moves in the other window... but if you cant' read it... one of the major uses is gone.

but the real question... would I ever like having a second monitor on my cabinet... And the answer might be no... no matter how cool I think it is.

[BeefyD]

I think that would be a great idea to have the CP layout for each game.  6 buttons per joystick, and when people come by and try to play defender, they ask which buttons do what.

Select the game, and then while the test/title screen is up, the 4 in. monitor shows the CP instructions. That would be cool in my humble opinion.

Also probably because I'm still a newbie...

[paigeoliver]

The REAL reason for a Dual Monitor front end is for Playchoice cabinets. They already have two monitors stacked in them, they are already "generic" looking. They would be perfect for Mame.

Anyway, no need to use a 4" TV display, with the right setup you could easily integrate a 13" monitor if you thought your design through before hand. Like, imagine a standard Pac-Man cabinet, make the marquee area like maybe an inch and a half taller and you would be able to get a 13" tube in there to run your front end., heck, you might be able to get two in side by side to show the front end on one monitor, the marquee on another, and the game on a 3rd.

Anyway, wouldn't it be MORE difficult to try to drive TV out via one vid card and VGA via another at the same time?

[mp2526]

Anyway, wouldn't it be MORE difficult to try to drive TV out via one vid card and VGA via another at the same time?

Why not just use a dual head video card with video out capabilities.  I have two at home, but I can't think of the manufacturer off the top of my head.

[Howard_Casto]

Because, dual head video cards still only have one video out, and that would be reserved for the primary monitor.  You'd have to use two video cards.... of course the second one could be a cheap pos as it won't be displaying anything fancy.  

But I'll repeat again... I've tested tv out on small monitors.... the quality isn't good enough to display any amount of text(even large text).... it MIGHT do for very simple graphics.  

[Howard_Casto]

The REAL reason for a Dual Monitor front end is for Playchoice cabinets. They already have two monitors stacked in them, they are already "generic" looking. They would be perfect for Mame.

They are also of a substandard quality due to the thinner walls and have the "wierd" inverse sync monitors which are a pain to deal with.  Unfortunately looks can fool you, they are a poor choice for a mame cab.  

[paigeoliver]

The REAL reason for a Dual Monitor front end is for Playchoice cabinets. They already have two monitors stacked in them, they are already "generic" looking. They would be perfect for Mame.

They are also of a substandard quality due to the thinner walls and have the "wierd" inverse sync monitors which are a pain to deal with.  Unfortunately looks can fool you, they are a poor choice for a mame cab.  

Have you ever even OWNED a Nintendo cabinet Howard? Actually, have you owned ANY original cabinets. I often see you commenting about them, and more often than not you are wrong.

I have owned 4, and my best friend also has a playchoice machine.

The cabinet design is FAR from substandard. The walls are slightly thinner, but they are laminated plywood, and not chintzy particle or MDF, so they don't NEED to be as thick. The monitor mounting design helps to make the cabinet sturdier than many other cabinets.

Yes, they DO use inverse sync monitors. But I did not even begin to suggest using those monitors. Playchoice cabinets often get robbed for these monitors due to the fact that Donkey Kong uses them.

[Howard_Casto]

I'm not wrong..... as usual i'm right... I'm aware of the plywood construction, but that doesn't mean a whole lot when the wood is the wrong thickness.  That means controls, t-modling, ect all don't fit quite right (unless you get the fugly colors nintendo t-modling comes in or the hokey nintendo joysticks).  Like I said, inferior quality.  

Why would you go to the added effort and expense of getting a machine with dual monitors and not use them?  It's veery difficult to find a playchoice cab without mointors for the reasons I mentioned above.  If the electronics aren't salvagable, distributors generally trash nintendo cabs, making it very hard to find empty ones.  So you will be paying for those monitors regardless of if you use them and good luck trying to sell them.    

They are just too hard to work on, which was the point I gave that seemed to slip by you in lue of unwarranted hostility towards me and my usual good advice.    

[Lilwolf]

I wouldn't consider the video card to be the problem.

I have 3 computers in the house (other then my firewall)... all 3 handle 2 monitors great.  The cheapest one was about 25 bucks...  I think I could get it cheaper if I looked.

btw... does arcadeVGA cards handle TV out with DVI?  And allow a DVI->VGA?

[paigeoliver]

Actually those monitors are quite easy to sell. Donkey Kong series builders and restorers buy them up quickly.

Now, onto other things.

Howard you are usually right about general Mame and control type stuff, but most of your knowledge about original games and cabinets appears to be secondhand. and if often incorrect.

Anyway, as someone who has actually owned Nintendo cabinets (and MANY others), I can say for sure that they are a wonderful cabinet, light, yet still sturdy, they have nice wheels in back, and the control panel designs on most make it simple to make your own panel for them.

Also, you DO NOT have to use the chintzy nintendo playchoice sticks. They can be replaced with other sticks with no real issues. They DO have a different bolt pattern, but that isn't that big of a deal (if you use Wicos then you can just drill new holes in the wico bases to mount them to the nintendo bolt pattern, otherwise you can usually make some sort of mounting plate).

The thickness of the walls of a cabinet have absolutely NOTHING to do with the type of controls you can install on it. I am not even sure how you made that connection? As for the Nintendo control panels themselves, some are wood and some are metal.

I am not big on assorted t-molding colors, so I can't comment much on that, except perhaps to say that standard sized t-molding actually looks just fine on Nintendo cabinets, it only overlaps a tiny bit on each side.