Am I done????

[shorething]

Ok guys! 1st time poster!

Thanks to the book and all of your posts - I'm finally done construction!!!!

My cpu is in there, and the control panel is finished as well!

I want to make sure I am using MAME correctly.

I installed mame.32

Then I installed the ROMS.

The games work just fine.

The question is.... do I need a "front end?"

I DO see an icon before each title in the list. I DO see a "scren shot" when I click on a game.

So, am I all ready to go?

JUst want to make sure I'm all ok on the tech tip befor eI start tricking out my cab with some cool neon (i'll follow up in another posting!)

Thanks!!!!

[Wizard of DelRay]

If you're using MAME32 then you don't need a front end.  If you want a more authentic looking cab (as authentic as you can get with a MAME cab anyway), then get a command line version of MAME and MAMEWAH.

[versapak]

Functionally you are done, but...


It all comes down to how you want your software to look. That is what the front ends are for. You can completely customize their appearance, and give them a unique look that is all you. As well as not having it be obvious that you are running windows in your arcade cabinet.

[shorething]

so - what is the next step if I want to experiment with a fromt end for a more authentic look?

Just download mamewah?

If I don't like it  - can I just get rid of it?

[dmish82]

I'm currently messing with mamewah right now and had some of my own questions. Is it better to run mame32 or mame w/ mamewah(or does it matter?). also, is there a link to site with some code to give you a generic set up for mamewah? I'm looking to be able to have mame start when windows loads, or if that's not possible, have an icon on the desktop that can be run from my control panel.

[Wizard of DelRay]

Go here to get MAMEWAH.  And check here for Crazy Cooter's tutorial on MAMEWAH 1.51.

And yeah, if you don't like it you can uninstall it.

[Tiger-Heli]

Is it better to run mame32 or mame w/ mamewah(or does it matter?).

Doesn't really matter - I would think mame would have less overhead than MAME32, but I have also heard MAME32 works better than MAME on some games/systems.  You can always install both in separate folders and have MAMEwah pick and choose for specific games (after you tell it which to use for each one).

I'm looking to be able to have mame start when windows loads, or if that's not possible, have an icon on the desktop that can be run from my control panel.

Just paste a shortcut to MAMEwah in the startup folder.  You can also use MAMEwah in place of the explorer shell if you don't want to see the desktop at all, but that more complicated.

[deadmoney5]

You can always install both in separate folders and have MAMEwah pick and choose for specific games (after you tell it which to use for each one).

How can you use Mame32 with Mamewah?  I thought you needed the command line version?

[Gunstar Hero]

LOL.  

Being done is an illusion...


There will always be another tweak... another modification... another upgrade...

Once you start down the MAME Cab path, the flower known as "done" is always just over the horizon...