Ultracade ==> UltraStyle

[Boris]

A new Windows Frontend is coming...

http://ultrastyle.buddyhost.us/

(It is not made by me)

Boris

[Howard_Casto]

I like it.  

Hate the cube though, looks gimmicky and doesn't seem to serve any purpose other than making it difficult to view the screenshot.  

[Aceldamor]

Looks nice....I wish I knew scripting so I could help all you FE Devs out a little

Mabye you'll be able to create new wheel's based on gamelists

[Magnet_Eye]

Yeah, it looks promising. I agree with HC about the cube. Bleh. Needs to go! Would be cool if we get skinning options so we can change that.
 

[RetroBorg]

I love the name and the wheel but like Howard I don't like the cube.

[shmokes]

I kind of like the cube, I think.  I'd have to see it in action to be sure.

[Minwah]

Looks good  I don't like the cube either, at least with that skin...

[Smack]

Fear the cube...

Smack

[Popcorrin]

I like it and I like the cube.

[nighthawk2099]

Life to the FE!

Death to the cube...!

[ultrastyle]

I could make an option to make the cube just look like a static image if you prefer. i just thought since i was making it in 3D it would be appropriate. the cube spins kinda slow anyhow, it's not like you can't get a good look at the screenshot/title screen. but it would be easy to make it a static cube, which would really just look like a picture.
 Chris

[Spaced Invader]

Options are always cool...I like the cube BTW.

Good work...this looks like a contender.

[)p(]

I could make an option to make the cube just look like a static image if you prefer. i just thought since i was making it in 3D it would be appropriate. the cube spins kinda slow anyhow, it's not like you can't get a good look at the screenshot/title screen. but it would be easy to make it a static cube, which would really just look like a picture.
 Chris

Indeed just make it an option to not rotate with a frontal view. Then all people will be happy... :-)

peter

[ultrastyle]

I did. you can see a bit of the side so it still looks like a cube, but the screenshot/titlescreen is square.

[)p(]

I did. you can see a bit of the side so it still looks like a cube, but the screenshot/titlescreen is square.

Great work...now with yours soon there allready 3 fe's with wheel interfaces besides Kymera nad mine...people's fe choices grow by the day...

peter

[ultrastyle]

i've got to tell you, 3D Arcade is immensely impressive. I appreciate the encouragement. I am not yet capable of that kind of work.. Hell, I've been using Blitz3D demo until yesterday..  with this project, I made my first mesh in Wings3D. But, I quit my job about 2 weeks ago, so you could say i've had some time to spare..

[arcadecab]

Ultrastyle,

Just wondering if it was possible to have the sides of the cube represent different artwork files: ie, that one side would be a title screen, one side be a screenshot, one side be a marquee, a cabinet pic, control panel, and flyer.  There are six main artwork files available and six sides on a cube--I like the idea of being able to display all artwork files with a FE.  The cube could rotate and display them all.  If not possible, could it be implemented?
Also, I would really like to see an "ultracade" FE like this have the capability to display "motion" videos of games, such as the files found at 3darcade's site.  So when a game is selected, so you a motion demo of the game--like the actual ultracade does.
Overall, I really like the idea and the look of your FE so far.  When will a download demo be available?

[kahlid74]

That front end has a nice look to it.  Keep posting more info so I can grab it when it is done.

[ultrastyle]

Ultrastyle,

Just wondering if it was possible to have the sides of the cube represent different artwork files: ie, that one side would be a title screen, one side be a screenshot, one side be a marquee, a cabinet pic, control panel, and flyer.  There are six main artwork files available and six sides on a cube--I like the idea of being able to display all artwork files with a FE.  The cube could rotate and display them all.  If not possible, could it be implemented?
Also, I would really like to see an "ultracade" FE like this have the capability to display "motion" videos of games, such as the files found at 3darcade's site.  So when a game is selected, so you a motion demo of the game--like the actual ultracade does.
Overall, I really like the idea and the look of your FE so far.  When will a download demo be available?

I would love to be able to have attract mode for all the games you have an animation for, and eventually i think that will be an option. the cube is a different story. it is simply covered with a single texture. all of the controls are devoted to the wheel, so i don't know how you'd get to see the top and bottom. you can choose what directory the cube pulls the art from though, so if you prefer titles over screens, the choice is yours.

[Howard_Casto]

I think the problem with the cube isn't the fact that it rotates, it's the fact that al the marquees have these nice rounded edges and the cube is so sharp.  In othr words, the cube clashes badly with the rest of the design.

A cube with knocked-off corners might work, but it'd be a nightmare to skin.  

About titles, just alternate the texture every so many seconds.... that's what I do.  

[ultrastyle]

ulrtastyle is now available for download.
www.mameworld.net/ultrastyle
and casto, check out the screenshot from today, i'm learning 3Dmodeling just to appease you! Enjoy!
 Chris

[)p(]

ulrtastyle is now available for download.
www.mameworld.net/ultrastyle
and casto, check out the screenshot from today, i'm learning 3Dmodeling just to appease you! Enjoy!
 Chris

I like the swirling initial sweep..lovely :-)

The one thing I like less is the larger marquee model how it flashes as you move fast... Maybe you can make it static...will make it look more restful to they eye while spinning I think.

peter

[arcadecab]

Ultrastyle,

I really like the setup and look of this FE.  Just a couple of things:
1)  You mentioned on the website that you are looking into adding a "check box list" to select which games to include or not include.  The FE is in desparate need of a filter system or custom list so that I dont have to page through 4 different versions of games, etc.  Do you know how soon this would be available?
2)  Is it possible to make a true Ultracade "wallpaper" to use as the background to match the look of the actual Ultracade system?  I tried a wallpaper from their new official website, but it is a .bmp file and does not work.
3)  I know I mentioned it before, but I hope that perhaps at some point the motion videos (.avi) files for games can be used and/or allow the screen on the cube to switch to different artwork files on a rotation basis to display all the different artworks for games.  Perhaps not possible at this point, but IMHO would really enhance the FE.  
Keep up the good work.  Looking forward to updates soon.

[Howard_Casto]

Ok I tried it......

I agree with every point aradecab brought up.

Mainly filters are a must.... with mame's gamelist reaching up into the thousands, nobody is willing to manually tweak a gamelist anymore.  

Also the config utility doesn't work at all.
Even if it did work the captions for the marquee path and snapshot path are swapped.

Gaphically I think you've done a great job.... One bit of advice though.... do youself a favor, go to crashtest's page and download some borderless snaps.  The cube doesn't look bad at all with his snaps, apparently the retarded mame32qa snaps are so ugly they can ruin 3d renderings as well.  Rounded cube looks nice.

While we are on the subject... just an opinion....
I noticed you inheriantly wish to support mame32.  While I think this is admirable, be prepared for some of the stupidest users asking some of the stupidest questions ever.  Sure mame32 is very popular, but so is eating paste.  Like the paste eaters of the world mame32 users, in general, are young, have limited computer experience and possibly head trauma.  

About naviagtion.... the wheel spins very fast!  Good job getting such a fast render.  Unfortunately on more powerful systems it spins so fast that you can't stop accurately.  I think you need a scroll speed option.  Also while you are messing around with inputs, why not add in the ability to scroll via a mouse axis?  Then people with spinners would really have something to show off.  


A couple more things that probably have to do with it's "beta-ness":

When mame launches you kill the window and resize it, causing the desktop to show.  I'm aware that you usually have to kill the rendering upon launch so it can be re-initalized after the game is over, but a nice, fullscreen, blank form would be nice so we don't to actually see it.  

What no sounds?  A silent fe is a boring fe imo.  A nice "price is right" style click when you scroll through the wheel would be nice.  Configurable sounds would be better.
Background music would also be nice.


Also about the marquees.....  When I don't find one in my fe I take a "notfound.png" and overlay the game name on top of it.  You might wanna try it, as it looks far less "pregenerated".  Same goes for the snapshots.... nothing is more annoying than big white text that says "snapshot not found".


Overall tremendous effort..... I think this fe will turn out really nice, just keep on it.  

[Magnet_Eye]

i want the option to KILL THE CUBE!

 

Oh, and how do you filter out the clones?

[GamingGreg]

I like the wheel.  It looks nice.  I'm hoping you can use a spinner to rotate it.

However, I too don't like the cube.  I've never liked cubes since the Borg.  Fear the cube; it will assimilate you!    

[ultrastyle]

casto, you do realize i'm only 1 person, right? geez, do you send back a lot of dinners at restaurants? and why doesn't the config utility work, cause I switched 2 labels?

>About naviagtion.... the wheel spins very fast!  Good job getting such a fast render.  Unfortunately on more powerful systems it spins so fast that you can't stop accurately.

? I don't know what you mean by this. are you saying that when you press up it goes up more then once? you must have a pretty powerful cab and video card for it to be THAT fast.

>When mame launches you kill the window and resize it, causing the desktop to show.  I'm aware that you usually have to kill the rendering upon launch so it can be re-initalized after the game is over, but a nice, fullscreen, blank form would be nice so we don't to actually see it.  

I *May* be able to do this, i'm not sure. I am sorry that you have to be momentarily reminded that you bow to the microsoft god, as we all do.

and yes i'm going to support mame32, where i'm from paste eating isn't as popular as where your from, I guess.

you CAN scroll via a mouse, but i inadvertently rem'd out the mouse info in the first release. I can tell you that the mouse is much more sensitive then the joystick. in the version you have mouse buttons 1 & 2 should do the same thing as player 1 buttons 1 & 2.

as for the rest of the questions..
backgrounds have to be in .jpg format so if you have a .bmp
use a paint program that can save it as a .jpg and you should be fine. I don't know that i could offer ultracade wallpaper on my site though. They might not like it.

The cube has an option to be static. if you don't like the cube, there are many other cubeless fe's to choose from.

I do not like star trek.

>A nice "price is right" style click when you scroll through the wheel would be nice.

Funny, that is the exact same tic that i was thinking of!

I intended to have sounds from the start as well as a few things no one has asked me for yet. I have posted my intentions on the site. People are asking for all kinds of things. Daphne support, turn this off, turn that off,someone said I should use the 3DArcade cab models instead of the cube, one guy even asked for a DOS version...

as it stands now ultrastyle does more, as far as options, then ultracade does. I am going to try to make "skinable" backgrounds and sounds, so that you can choose a sub directory with a collection of sounds/wallpaper, and not have to rename files as you would now. i don't think .avi of attract mode is a good idea because that's a lot of .avi's you'd need on your machine. as far as screenshots w/o the white border, if you don't like it, then you can go to crashtest's page and get new ones, easy enough. I don't have a problem with d/l new screens if you'd rather see screenshots on my site w/o a border..

I wrote ultrastyle in Blitz3D. I learned OF Blitz3D 2 days before I decided to start this frontend, 3 weeks ago. I am doing the best I can with what I have. I realize trying to get to the middle of the pack of games isn't easy and thats only with 1832 games. If anything I would like the wheel to get me there faster then it does. Thanks for the support and the ideas, i'm trying to please everyone, i'm sure it won't happen, but, in the end as long as i'm happy with it, it's enough for me. What do you expect for free?
  Chris

[Edgedamage]

Hey you did a VERY good job amazing work. Please keep up the great work PLEASE!!

[Howard_Casto]

casto, you do realize i'm only 1 person, right? geez, do you send back a lot of dinners at restaurants? and why doesn't the config utility work, cause I switched 2 labels?

Where is all this hostility from?  I was trying to help.  

I'm one person, my fe is fully skinnable, runs on a custom directx engine, contains advanced filters and other such goodies. And for that matter the same applies to mamewah, kymera and 3darcade. I think the things I've mentioned are extremely minor issues that you should be able to fix no problem.  It may seem overwhealming, but trust me, these little things aren't nothin' on the larger scheme of things.  

The config utility doesn't work period. You save and nothing happens...  I had to manually edit the text files... if you check the forum others have reported this issue too.  I was mentioning the labels so you could fix that too. Sheesh!

Yes when I press up it moves more than once... and by today's standards my machine is rather modest.  It's an xp 2600+ with 512 megs of ram and a 7500 radeon.  In other words 3 year old technology.  

You don't know how to make a new form (gdi, not opengl or directx) and put it in front of everything?  I'm not sure what language you are using, but in every language I've used this is a pretty easy thing to do.  


I'm not trying to be mean, but you started it when you jumped on my case when I was trying to help you debug.  

I think you are taking things the wrong way....

)p(  and myself and many of the other developers are really impressed with your fe.  And you've got to understand something, )p( has been doing this for about 6 YEARS and I have for about 4 and a half.  We aren't easily impressed. (especially me)  

I've tried it all seen it all, and done it all when it comes to fe development.  I've also seen dozens upon dozens of people popping in and out with "look at my fe" only to find out that it's unoriginal and even more limited than the current fes (In other words it was a waste of time for them to make it, they could have used one of the existing ones.) They disappear and we never hear from them again. I like yours, and that's why I'm giving you all these suggestions.  I don't want to see it drop off the board when it has so much potential.  

With every new fe, I compare it to my list of 20 or so things a fe MUST have for the public to like it.  (Been here forever, trust me I know.)  I think all things considered, the things that you really need to add/fix are minor.  You already have the intangible distinctivness that some of the more advanced fes lacks.  I.E. people can tell it's your fe right off the bat and there isn't any way to make another fe look or "feel" like yours.  


Keep up the good work,
(or just take things the wrong way and get mad again)



Regardless I won't bother you anymore as so seem to be too fragile for my criticism.  Don't feel bad though as you aren't alone.  

[ultrastyle]

i wouldn't say i was mad at your criticism, it's just annoying when someone says, oh yea, do this too. and i was gonna do it anyhow. as far as the GUI, i have put this in a few places, and about 20 min ago added it to the site, it in written in VB.NET and requires .NET Framework 1.1 from windows update. barring that, I wouldn't know why it didn't save. but as far as helpful, you don't give a guy a lot to go on when you say the thing doesn't work, kind of a broad statement. and you post looked more like a complaint list then  constuctive criticsm. I've always had an issue with trying to get a point across in posts. i don't think geez falls under the catagory of hostility.

>You don't know how to make a new form (gdi, not opengl or directx) and put it in front of everything?  I'm not sure what language you are using, but in every language I've used this is a pretty easy thing to do.  

before i launch the game, i clear the graphics, which puts that little black box on the screen, it's there when i debug and look in the task manager, not only am i not sure i can make it full screen, but when it's there i can't even move it to see whats behind it. Like i said i wrote it in Blitz3D, which i've known about for about 3 weeks. I'm not trying to argue over any of this, sarcasm doesn't go a long way on a message board. I do appreciate yours and others input, and I don't expect everyone to pat me on the back and say "wa hoo, here's a hundred dollars!" But you could give it a try..

[ultrastyle]

I would like to hear ideas on how to use custom lists without me having to go through every game and decide what genre everything is. i don't have any, nor do i have access to (as far as the program is concerned) any pre-made sort lists. aside from the user making thier own list, i haven't come up with a good idea. i don't really want to *take* information from MAME32. That sort of undermines work someone else has done. If there was a repository of game breakdowns or something to that effect i would feel better using that type of thing.
  Chris

[Spaced Invader]

Catver.ini files are premade sort lists...most FE's allow you to sort using them. Many groups/people make these files using different catagories/labels/lists for sort criteria so using a different catver.ini changes the way things are sorted. Here's one catver.ini site to give you an idea (you can find many more by searching for catver.ini:

http://www.mameworld.net/catlist/

hope this helps...I love the FE by the way.  

[Spaced Invader]

Oh by the way "the user making thier own list" is a great idea...a Favorites list. Not trying to add to your workload...but it is a great idea.

I like your work...you've got a lot of talent...more programming knowledge will come in time as you learn your new language. But you've got what counts most...a good eye coupled with talent.

Oh, and don't mind Howard...he was being helpful and even polite...for Howard that is. He did have some good points..he's just a little rough around the edges...and also talented by the way.  

Keep up the good work...this thing looks awsome!

[ultrastyle]

catlist would be perfect, thank you spaced. now it's a matter of parsing it, which shouldn't take too long. after that, how to incorporate it.. all in all i think use of it will be included in the next release.

[Howard_Casto]

go on when you say the thing doesn't work, kind of a broad statement. and you post looked more like a complaint list then  constuctive criticsm.

before i launch the game, i clear the graphics, which puts that little black box on the screen, it's there when i debug and look in the task manager, not only am i not sure i can make it full screen, but when it's there i can't even move it to see whats behind it. Like i said i wrote it in Blitz3D, which i've known about for about 3 weeks. I'm not trying to argue over any of this, sarcasm doesn't go a long way on a message board.

When soemthing doesn't work at all barring a look at the source code it's a little difficult to describe anything more than "this feature doesn't work"  think about it.  

I hope you aren't talking about sarcasam coming from me?  I don't use sarcasam, and if I do it's accompanied by a "" I was dead serious about my comments, no kidding involved.  


I looked up blitz3d.... interesting

The black box occurs because in blitz the windowstate is reset when you clear the graphics (at least from what I can tell from the manual)

The best workaround you have available is the api call to setwindowstyleEx
(blitz can apparently interface with dlls)
set the form to borderless and the window state to maxamized.  Worst case you might get a slight flicker, but it should look far better than the black box.

You'll have to have the hwnd... but if that isn't available you can always call getforegroundwindow to get the hwnd.  

Hope that helps.

[froggerman]

I am trying to install Ultracade to see how it works and I am having some problems. I also noticed something in the config program. Changes must be saved on each page. If you make pages on the first page, Ultrastyle options and then switch to the second page, MyRomInfo options and then click on Save Config and close the application all changes on the first page will be lost.

When I try to run Untracade I receive the following error:
Unable to create 3D Scene

Has anyone else seen this problem? Or have any suggestions on how to fix it?

[ultrastyle]

froggerman,
 I am guessing it's 1 of 2 things.
 1. old video driver, if this is the case try to download the latest driver for your video card
 2. old video card, if this is the case try to swindle the latest video card
if #1 doesn't work, #2 probably will.
  Chris

[ultrastyle]

Also,
 froggerman is correct about saving the configuration information. each of those save buttons are for the specific page you are working on. I made them all look the same for asthetics. Maybe i will change the button names so as not to confuse future generations.

[Oldskool]

Looks great so far!

[RayB]

I know this thread is a little old, but I needed to comment on Ultrastyle's sarcastic remark:

I *May* be able to do this, i'm not sure. I am sorry that you have to be momentarily reminded that you bow to the microsoft god, as we all do.

See, if you build a MAME machine and you want it to look/act like an arcade machine (perhaps even coin operated    Perhaps have it set up in a Public Place for example) then no, you certainly would not want a Windows desktop flashing up.