Arcade Music Box and MAMEWAH

[RomanStewart]

I really need some help. I've managed to figure out how to set up Daphne in MAMEWAH and PinMAME. For the life of me I can not figure out how to get Arcade Music Box to work in MAMEWAH. I'm not a programmer and some of the stuff I've read in these threads leave me bewildered. I've gotten into this mainly because I'm helping a family member get this put together for his cab, so experiance is not on my side. I'm including the .ini file I've got started for AMB. Could someone look over it and tell me what I'm missing? Also I can't seem to get MAMEWAH to generate a list of the songs. They were downloaded from iTunes and reside in the Documents and Settings folder. I can get AMB to pull the songs from this folder when it runs by itself.

Is there someone out there that can explain this to me like the moron I am? Thanks in advance for your time.

Roman

### 0006.ini (mamewah v1.61) ###

emulator_title                            Arcade Music Box

### List Generation Settings ###
rom_path                                  "C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\bin\AMB.exe"
rom_extension                             lnk
dat_file                                 
nms_file                                 
catver_ini_file                           
list_generation_method                    rom_folder

### Execution Settings ###
emulator_executable                       PC
commandline_format                        "[rompath]\[name].[romext]"{nodosbox}{nosafelaunch}
alt_commandline_format_1                  [name]
alt_commandline_format_2                  [name]
game_specific_config_path                 

### Artwork Locations ###
artwork_1_image_path                     
artwork_2_image_path                     
artwork_3_image_path                     
artwork_4_image_path                     
artwork_5_image_path                     
artwork_6_image_path                     
artwork_7_image_path                     
artwork_8_image_path                     
artwork_9_image_path                     
artwork_10_image_path                     
movie_preview_path                       
movie_artwork_no                          1

### Screen-Saver Settings ###
enable_music_in_screensaver               0
saver_type                                blank_screen
movie_path                               
movie_fullscreen                          1
quit_delay                                30
wrapper_executable                       
wrapper_commandline_format                [name]{nodosbox}{nosafelaunch}
scr_file                                 

### External Application Settings ###
ipc_file_or_path                         
app_1_executable                         
app_1_commandline_format                 
app_2_executable                         
app_2_commandline_format                 
app_3_executable                         
app_3_commandline_format                 
auto_launch_apps                         

### Additional Settings ###
music_path                               
lcd_display_file_path                     
lcd_fe_text                               

### Settings used by MAMEWAH ###
current_list                              1
 

[Minwah]

Arcade Music Box is a standalone jukebox so you would probably be best off not treating it as an 'emulator', and just launching it as an application.

In your emulator.ini file(s), set:

app_1_executable                C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\bin\AMB.exe         
app_1_commandline_format   

You can then launch it at the press of a button (or selection in the menu).

[rockmes]

just an example of what l got


### Jukebox.ini (mamewah v1.61) ###

emulator_title                            Jukebox

### List Generation Settings ###
rom_path                                  c:\arcadejukebox8
rom_extension                             LNK
dat_file                                 
nms_file                                 
catver_ini_file                           
list_generation_method                    rom_folder

### Execution Settings ###
emulator_executable                       PC
commandline_format                        [name]{nodosbox}{safelaunch}
alt_commandline_format_1                  [name]
alt_commandline_format_2                  [name]
game_specific_config_path                 

### Artwork Locations ###
artwork_1_image_path                      c:\arcadejukebox8\images
artwork_2_image_path                     
artwork_3_image_path                     
artwork_4_image_path                     
artwork_5_image_path                     
artwork_6_image_path                     
artwork_7_image_path                     
artwork_8_image_path                     
artwork_9_image_path                     
artwork_10_image_path                     
movie_preview_path                       
movie_artwork_no                          1

### Screen-Saver Settings ###
enable_music_in_screensaver               1
saver_type                                slideshow
movie_path                               
movie_fullscreen                          1
quit_delay                                30
wrapper_executable                       
wrapper_commandline_format                [name]{nodosbox}{nosafelaunch}
scr_file                                 

### External Application Settings ###
ipc_file_or_path                         
app_1_executable                         
app_1_commandline_format                 
app_2_executable                         
app_2_commandline_format                 
app_3_executable                         
app_3_commandline_format                 
auto_launch_apps                         

### Additional Settings ###
music_path                               
lcd_display_file_path                     
lcd_fe_text                               

### Settings used by MAMEWAH ###
current_list                              0

[Space Fractal]

Arcade JukeBox 8 and Arcade Music Box is not the same jukebox application! You should install Arcade Music Box on the standard folder to avoid problems, and config it using the config manager.

If it dosent generate a list, please create a shortcut to exe file, and put it on the main AMB directory (a shortcut use LNK as extension, but it hided). But remeber to delete the config shortcut, and then regenerate.

A thing about AMB:
- MAMEWAH can NOT generate songs from AMB, wich is not the scrope of AMB. Arcade Music Box is just a PC application, and is designed with MAMEWAH in mind, hince they look pretty the same.

I hope you can get this running (it find, you have contacted my per email)!

[RomanStewart]

MinWAh,

Will this bring up the AMB program itself and leave MAMEWAH running in the background? I made the change in the .ini file. Got rid of the command in the emmulator_executable line and the commandline_format. So, the only thing I have is that command you wrote in your reply. The thing is it's not working. I have the "" around the command "c:/Program Files........" I select "Run external application" and it goes to the Default MAMEWAH screen.(I have no layout set up)

Space Fractal,

I did E-mail you about the problem I was having. I greatly appreciate your time. I wasn't understanding your explanation.......it's not registering what your telling me to do and knowing how to do it. I thought maybe if I got a few explanations from different people something would click.(It worked for everything else I've tried to set up) 

Thanks again to both of you!

[Space Fractal]

MAMEWAH wait until AMB is closed, yes. It just  a PC applications, and PC games is doing the same things (if you have any PC games installed)...

You should get a gamelist with these two entrys in your gamelist, if you did doing correct:

"Configuration Arcade Music Box 2"
"Start Arcade Music Box 2"

if not, please regenerate the list from mamewah menu. But You can of course delete the first, so poeple dosen't can config AMB (it best to delete the shortcut self, and then regenerate).

FORGOT THIS

[Minwah]

Will this bring up the AMB program itself and leave MAMEWAH running in the background?

Yes, when you quit AMB it will return to Mamewah.

I made the change in the .ini file. Got rid of the command in the emmulator_executable line and the commandline_format. So, the only thing I have is that command you wrote in your reply. The thing is it's not working. I have the "" around the command "c:/Program Files........" I select "Run external application" and it goes to the Default MAMEWAH screen.(I have no layout set up)

Not sure if you understood before, but get rid of your 0006.ini file - you do not need a seperate ini file for AMB (although some of the others here do it this way*).  Edit your emuname.ini files (eg mame.ini etc) and set the lines *exactly* as I posted - ie do NOT use quotes.

* I don't really see the point of having AMB set up as an 'emulator', which is why I chose to explain it this way.

[Space Fractal]

Personally I used it as a emulator, just because it more visable for people to find it, and doing it that way (I created a skin, used on the standard jukebox skin).

But both methods is fully legal, but not all people would find AMB, because it need it own button to launch it (you could even label it).

But it It just some sort of temperament.... And that it (sorry I diddent notice, what you have mean, minwah)!

[Minwah]

Personally I used it as a emulator, just because it more visable for people to find it, and doing it that way (I created a skin, used on the standard jukebox skin).

But both methods is fully legal, but not all people would find AMB, because it need it own button to launch it (you could even label it).

Yes I see what you mean.  You can also use the menu to launch it, but I realise people might also not notice this.

But it It just some sort of temperament.... And that it (sorry I diddent notice, what you have mean, minwah)!

I think you are saying you didn't notice what I was trying to explain...if that is so then no problem!   Sorry if I misunderstood...

[Space Fractal]

100% correct MINWAH.

Now it up to RomanStewart, how he would launch it (what do you think?).

[RomanStewart]

I guess either way would be fine, just as long as it works. I would, of course, have to explain how to launch it to the person I'm setting this up for.

As far as deleting the 0006.ini file, that was generated by the MAMWAH configuration program I'm using. I've noticed that everything that's been configured through that has it's own *.ini. So lets see if I'm on the right track. I should delete that file. Edit the MAME.ini and have no entry in any other line except the line to run the external application. I know you said not to use the quotes, but when I tried it without them last night I got an error. When I added them the error went away, but didn't run as I thought it was supposed to.

I'll try this out tonight when I get home. Thanks to the both of you I know this takes up your time. Hopefully I'll get to learn this stuff good enough to repay you guys by helping others who are having trouble.

[RomanStewart]

Correction:Edit the emulator.ini, but only show the line for the external application. Then rename that as my AMB.ini file? By doing this it should run the actual AMB program, pushing MAMEWAH into the background, and there would be no need to generate a song list since it is already done in the AMB program. (Right?)

[Minwah]

Roman: No I'll try to explain again.

What emulators do you have setup in Mamewah?  Lets say for example you only have one emulator, MAME, which uses mame.ini in Mamewah.  Edit this mame.ini file, and leave all settings appropriate for launching MAME (ie the rom_path, emulator_executable etc.).  Now *in addition* to this add the lines as I posted above.  What this means is when you have MAME selected in Mamewah, this application (AMB) will be available.

If you have more emulators setup, you might want to add the same lines into their respective emuname.ini files (emuname is just whatever you called them) so that AMB can be launched regardless of which emulator is selected.

Hope that makes sense.  Basically forget about having an AMB specific ini file, it is not required for this method.

[Space Fractal]

One thing to notice, if you using the MINWAH Method (haven't tested that):

Arcade Music Box NEED to been started from it own start path. If MAMEWAH dosen't set the currect path to the folder, before running AMB.EXE where the exe file is, AMB.EXE defuct to run, and quit again (maybe with a error too).

To avoid this problem, the executable link it to it shortcut instead, so....

app_1_executable C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\bin\AMB.exe         

may have been changed to this:
app_1_executable C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\Start Arcade Music Box ]2.lnk

You can even alter controls.ini to add the required button to easier start that application.


[EDIT] THIS DO NOT WORK, FORGOT IT [/EDIT]

[RomanStewart]

Okay, I understand what your saying MinWah.

I got rid of the 0006.ini file. I went to every emulator .ini and added this:
app_1_executable C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\Start Arcade Music Box 2.lnk (I renamed the shortcut and added the .LNK)

So as you said no matter what emulator I'm in I can launch AMB. (To answer your question from before, I've only set up MAME, Daphne, and VirtualPinball in MAMEWAH.)

I go to launch it now and it does nothing. I've read through a ton of threads, MinWah, and in some of them you've written about no spaces in the file name, and quotes around the path name(?).

You guys have been very patient, thanks. Sometimes you can't lead me to the water...........you just have to throw me in! 

[Space Fractal]

There are some bugs (i been sad Minwah) in MAMEWAH. I tried doing that myself:

- using C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\bin\AMB.exe wont work (AMB mucked up as i said)
- using C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\Start Arcade Music Box 2.lnk (MAMEWAH never launch it)

So you need to make a bat file instead and point it to C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\bin\Arcade Music Box.bat

In the new bat file, created with Notepad, you can write this in that file:

c:\
cd C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\bin\
amb.exe

(may be there should not a slash after \bin). Now it should run with that bat file (that works here).

[Minwah]

I got rid of the 0006.ini file. I went to every emulator .ini and added this:
app_1_executable C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\Start Arcade Music Box 2.lnk (I renamed the shortcut and added the .LNK)

I'll say again...use the EXACT LINES I TYPED EARLIER.  LNK files will NOT work.

I go to launch it now and it does nothing. I've read through a ton of threads, MinWah, and in some of them you've written about no spaces in the file name, and quotes around the path name(?).

Quotes around romnames etc. are for commandline_formats only.

Ignore what SpaceFractal has said (no offense SF)...he doesn't know how to do it so is probably confusing you.

[Minwah]

There are some bugs (i been sad Minwah) in MAMEWAH. I tried doing that myself:

Nope, it works fine!

- using C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\bin\AMB.exe wont work (AMB mucked up as i said)

You didn't actually say what 'mucked up'...

- using C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\Start Arcade Music Box 2.lnk (MAMEWAH never launch it)

LNK files won't work.

So you need to make a bat file instead and point it to C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\bin\Arcade Music Box.bat

In the new bat file, created with Notepad, you can write this in that file:

c:\
cd C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\bin\
amb.exe

No need at all to do this - Mamewah changes to the directory the EXE is in when launching any application, so this is all done automatically.

[Space Fractal]

Arcade Music Box could not start because a path error, when I tried the exe directly (yes it started AMB fine from MAMEWAH application launch menu)... It can of course doing that on my version, that is about v1.60?

Using BAT files you can name it what you like, because AMB is a ugly name to display in the launch menu (can you can make sure the set path works)..... That all! otherwice stick to MINWAH posts.


Ohh, another thing, did you use a fullscreen mode in Arcade Music Box? This is very important, otherwice it do not work from MAMEWAH!

[Minwah]

Arcade Music Box could not start because a path error, when I tried the exe directly (yes it started AMB fine from MAMEWAH application launch menu)... It can of course doing that on my version, that is about v1.60?

I'm not sure if you are saying it does or doesn't work - 'yes it started AMB fine from MAMEWAH application launch menu' ??  If it doesn't work maybe you need a newer version, I am not 100%...

Using BAT files you can name it what you like, because AMB is a ugly name to display in the launch menu (can you can make sure the set path works)..... That all! otherwice stick to MINWAH posts.

That is true.  As long as you place the batch file in the same directory as AMB.exe you should not need the cd\ blah blah stuff tho.

[Space Fractal]

Tested with MAMEWAH 1.61:

 Set Path from MAMEWAH do NOT work as it should, EVEN i removed the cd path etc. in the bat file. Look in the screenshot, what I got. Mamewah 1.61 is the officeil version you have on your homepage. It may have fixed in that version you have.

I made a soon a debugger version, so I can test, what it really happens (wich path MAMEWAH have sent).

Even using a BAT file, placed in somae folder in the AMB.exe path, it wont work, and returned back to frontend again. You are really need to set path with cd your self. That works.

You are need to create this bat file before it works (also here):

c:
cd "C:\Program Files\Arcade Music Box 2\bin"
amb.exe

[RomanStewart]

Space Fractal,

So basically I'm setting up AMB like I had to set up Daphne. I fully understand what your saying. I've also seen that error in your snapshot. I am using the fullscreen version.

So, make a .bat file in AMB and point it to the .exe, and then go to MAMEWAH and point it to the .bat.

I'll try this when I get home.

Thanks!

[Space Fractal]

ok. thanks for verifying (this is why a screenshots is very good). You may have the same version I have.

that error you saw came from AMB (So mamewah actuelly launched it) and NOT Mamewah.

There are a bug in MAMEWAH, that diddent set the correct path (in Mamewah v1.61), and there are a another bug in AMB, that diddent check the current path. I (trying to) fix the last bug in the next version (to prevent this to happen).

A BAT file works fine here, if you use "Launch Application" method. If you use AMB as a emulator, you need to use a LNK shortcuts instead. You can even setup a speciel button to start the jukebox, regardsless where you are in MAMEWAH (and label that button).

[RomanStewart]

I forgot to mention in my last thread that I did try both ways of setting this up. I did exactly what MinWah said and typed the exact path the way he had it, and that's when I would get the error. When I changed the path to end with the .LNK there was no more error, but nothing would happen.

I'm trying the .bat file now and I'll let you guys know how it works out.

[RomanStewart]

IT WORKS!!!!!!

The .bat was what it needed.

This is awesome, I'm extremely grateful for the time you guys put in to help me out with this.

You guys are the best.

Thanks!