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Author Topic: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project  (Read 15267 times)

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Kevin Mullins

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AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« on: October 01, 2006, 11:16:14 pm »
Started talking about this on the software list sticky in the Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Forum and wanted to move it before I strung it out and abused that particular thread.
 Any interest and ideas from everyone on this project I'll be getting myself into shortly will be much appreciated.
(I don't physically have the juke yet, but it won't be long before I do)
So I want to get familiar with and play with the software a bit, because it will be the hardest part. The mechanics of making it work will be easy in comparison.
So to catch everyone reading up to speed, here it is so far.

OK.... hoping not to sound like an arse here, new to the jukebox software scene. I've gone through this thread a bit and noticed alot of great looking software. Most of which seem to be touchscreen operated and suited best for that purpose. The compiled lists are great, but don't really designate which operation method they are best used for. (keypad or touchscreen)
I have an actual original jukebox with no guts to it and was planning on installing a PC, jukebox software, etc, etc. (fixing it original would be outrageously expensive)
I plan to use the original keypad that is already on the machine just as if it were all back to original aside from a monitor to view.

My question is:
Can anyone recommend a strictly key mappable type jukebox software?
( Not interested in touchscreen options at all )

DOSCab/WinCab Jukebox is completely key-mappable and can adapt to several different control schemes.  What model jukebox are you adapting?

--Chris

It's an AMI Disco 200.




A friend of mine got a trade deal on three jukes, two just need minor repairs he plans to sell, this one is totally empty of it's inner workings so I'll get that one and help him fix the others. And I had already had my eye on it anyways for this sort of project. So it should work out good. (now that I get a chance to play with it) I haven't actually picked it up yet, so I'm not sure how many keys, etc it has just yet. And I'm not sure how I will do the monitor on it quite yet as I've only seen pictures of it so far. As much of it as possible will remain original.

Thanks for the heads-up on the software. I'll go check those out and play around with them.
I'll try not to disturb this particular thread with my project..... might start a new one somewhere, just needed suggestions on software and the lists in this thread were great but I needed that tid bit of clarification to try a couple out.

And I'm not sure how I will do the monitor on it quite yet as I've only seen pictures of it so far. As much of it as possible will remain original.
Do you even want to put a monitor on it?  You can just use the original titlestrips... I'll be happy to help you configure the software, you'll need a custom skin to match the control panel layout.  But you're right that we shouldn't take up this thread; you may want to re-post it in  the DOSCab/WinCab forum if you want to give it a try.  (Using a DOS-based PC instead of Windows would mean you wouldn't have to wait long for your juke to boot...)

--Chris

Hey Chris.... now that sounds like an idea if what I'm thinking is what you mean.
Basically use the original title strips as the list of music to choose from and then map the keys to function similar as they normally would for selection, etc.
And I have plenty of parts around to build a DOS based PC if you still recommend that as well. (have to brush up again on DOS)  ;)

Will DOSCab allow selections such as --BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--, G6, A3, etc and then just "add" them to the playlist that already playing like a regular old jukebox would?

EDIT: Just checked out the web site for DOSCab/WinCab and think it already answered my last question.
EDIT 2: Yup.....Just finished playing with the software a bit and it looks like it will do exactly what I need. Very easy to edit the .ini files as well.

Next question: If I need to make a custom skin to match the original juke selection table will I need any other specific editing software to modify one?

« Last Edit: October 02, 2006, 04:18:41 am by Kevin Mullins »
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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2006, 08:11:09 am »
The Disco was also sold as the Fiesta and the Claremount; the actual model number is R-83. The R-83 is pretty basic control-wise; just a 10-key pad with a reset (I think) button.  The tricky part is the skin; although it's a singles-style box, I believe it needs three digit input (200 selections, with selection numbers starting at 100), which means you need to use a CD-skin to simulate it until I can get three-digit selections working for singles.  Essentially, you will have a two-album CD skin with each album having 100 tracks. The track lists will run off the screen but it's irrelevant as they'll never be seen without a monitor.  You'll also need to enable the UseTrackZero option, which was added specifically to support this type of selection system.

Anyone have any ideas on some way to drive the LED display on that?  :)  That would be worth the programming effort for the coolness factor alone...

--Chris
DOSCab/WinCab Jukebox: http://www.dwjukebox.com

Kevin Mullins

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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2006, 10:10:15 pm »
Still don't have the juke cab yet..... been busy.
But in the mean time I was messing around with the software. (which is key to the success of this project)
Slowly but surely I'll get the hang of this stuff.

But I was playing with the song tags and such to get them to show up correctly in the DosCab/WinCab software, I have it set to list them by Artist, but every one that I edit the tag the artist always shows up as "Various Artist" after it does it's little update.
The tag editing software seems to be working fine and doing what it says it does when I open a song with Media Player, it'll show exactly as I've changed it to etc.
This is the editing software I was trying: http://www.mp3tag.de/en/
Any ideas?

It would defineately be cool to get the LED digit display to work in conjunction with the selections made. I'll have to wait and see the hardware that's left in it and maybe be able to go from there and figure something out. Maybe it'll have something still usable for that part. (?)

I'll start messing with the skin for it once I get the basics understood well enough on editing the .ini's and all it's options, etc. Should be easy enough from the looks of it so far.
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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2006, 10:18:14 pm »
But I was playing with the song tags and such to get them to show up correctly in the DosCab/WinCab software, I have it set to list them by Artist, but every one that I edit the tag the artist always shows up as "Various Artist" after it does it's little update.
Sounds like the tag editor is going out of its way to preserve the file date.  If the file date hasn't changed the juke doesn't re-read the tags. Check to see if preserving the date is an option in the software that you can turn off.

--Chris
--Chris
DOSCab/WinCab Jukebox: http://www.dwjukebox.com

Kevin Mullins

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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2006, 11:07:46 pm »
The file date info and such was being updated by the editor and DOSCab "seemed" to be updating it, but when it did I got a whole bunch of 'Various Artists".
Found an option on the editor setup to NOT allow it to change the date info, still no go.

BUT..... I went in and deleted the index files and such out of the DATA folder and when I restarted DOSCab it of course updated every song again...... and they were all correct, all the artists names were right, etc.  ;D (go figure)

Oh, and I did find a decent pic of the Fiesta (ugh) version of this juke unit and it does appear to have a 10 numerical keypad with an Enter/Select button. (like you had mentioned)
http://www.pinballrebel.com/archive/ami/r83/r83.htm
I still don't have my hands on the actual juke yet, so I've been gathering info here and there. Defineately would be cool to get the LED selection display to work in conjuction with the software. I'll have to wait and see what all is left in there when I get it, maybe there will be something workable once I see what it actually has and how it worked originally. (see how software might drive it)
« Last Edit: October 04, 2006, 11:09:46 pm by Kevin Mullins »
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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2006, 11:15:56 pm »
You'll almost certainly have to replace the display... just trying to think about how to go about designing a circuit I can talk to... or see if there's some serial LED controller out there.
--Chris
DOSCab/WinCab Jukebox: http://www.dwjukebox.com

Kevin Mullins

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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2006, 11:32:09 pm »
Just edited a few more "Artist" tags and it seems to be working fine like it's suppose to now every time.  :dunno

It seems like I had read about a serial led (actual digits)controller of some sort on one of the other forums. Might have to go take a look around.
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Kevin Mullins

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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2006, 02:37:24 pm »
 :angry: Just wrote up a whole lengthy speal of an update and lost it all when I went to post it. (attached a wrong file type...oops)

Anyways.... back on the project, got the actual juke now, things are looking good and should work out easy enough once I finish figuring the software out. And it's got a cool array of like eight lights in the base of it that should flash in relationship to the music via a controller if I get it working also.

Is it possible to change the numbering sequence to start at 100 when using the singles skins?

The CD skins want to put everything up by album (of course) which creates "pages", therefore I had duplicate numbers. (101 x2, 201 x2, etc)
Or would I have to edit all the music tags and eliminate the artist/album, etc?

I was having pretty good success with the "testskin" and getting it to do what I wanted, except for the numbering issue. I hadn't put all the strips in that are needed yet until I had figured the numberng parts out. And I added some buttons to the top right, just no graphics yet. The point of doing all that was to play with the numbering and also the "sequence" of the numbering. This AMI Disco has an alternating numbering sequence between the 100's and the 200's running vertically. (the test skin is numbered horizontally right now)

Example of the AMI sequence:
Seven columns wide, thirty songs in each column .... except for the middle(third) one, it only has 20 songs. (30x6=180 +20x1=200 songs total)

100
200
101
201
102
202
103
203
etc.

Is there any pro's and con's I'm missing as far as using individual strips versus a strip grid?

Any pointers, suggestions, slap upside the head to get me going in the right direction on the numbering issue?

Also started looking up some potential ideas for driving the three digit led display:
http://wiki.tcl.tk/10431
http://wiki.tcl.tk/10439
Now I'm no programmer at all, so if anyone could let me know if these are easily possible I would appreciate it. The hardware aspect of it is no problem, I'm lost on the whole "tcl" coding stuff, but otherwise looks simple enough to do.
There are actually a couple other standard leds on the selection display which might be an option to play with getting to light as well, but not neccissary, the digits would be awesome though. The other small led's are "make selection", "reset and make another selection", "now playing", "your selection". Those are just lights that light up when that particular function is requested.

« Last Edit: October 16, 2006, 09:38:32 am by Kevin Mullins »
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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2006, 12:40:55 am »
Is it possible to change the numbering sequence to start at 100 when using the singles skins?
Not yet.  Currently, the only way to start at 100 is to use a 2 CD skin.  I'm working on it.
Quote
The CD skins want to put everything up by album (of course) which creates "pages", therefore I had duplicate numbers. (101 x2, 201 x2, etc)
Or would I have to edit all the music tags and eliminate the artist/album, etc?
Yeah, for now you would have to make all the albums the same. 
Quote
Is there any pro's and con's I'm missing as far as using individual strips versus a strip grid?
Individual strips can be positioned anywhere, wheras grids are always in grids.  Of course, grids are what you want 99% of the time... Also, strips are numbered in order, so if you want an unusual numbering arrangement you may need to use individual strips.
Quote
Any pointers, suggestions, slap upside the head to get me going in the right direction on the numbering issue?
No, I just need to get off my tail and write the code to support it.


Also started looking up some potential ideas for driving the three digit led display:
http://wiki.tcl.tk/10431
http://wiki.tcl.tk/10439
Now I'm no programmer at all, so if anyone could let me know if these are easily possible I would appreciate it. The hardware aspect of it is no problem, I'm lost on the whole "tcl" coding stuff, but otherwise looks simple enough to do.[/quote]
Well, I wouldn't use TCL, but I could do the same thing in C... time to go shopping at Mouser!
Quote
There are actually a couople other standard leds on the selection display which might be an option to play with getting to light as well, but not neccissary, the digits would be awesome though. The other small led's are "make selection", "reset and make another selection", "now playing", "your selection". Those are just lights that light up when that particular function is requested.
Can you get me a close-up picture of these?

Thanks!

--Chris
--Chris
DOSCab/WinCab Jukebox: http://www.dwjukebox.com

Kevin Mullins

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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2006, 10:05:53 pm »
Well, at least it seems I'm on the right track in figuring out the software options.
I'm not totally lost yet.....
I'll keep playing with it some. I'm keeping it a no frills simple application.
Just enough to function.
Thanks for clarifying those points I had questions on.

I'll try to get a couple close-ups of the digit display and LED's.
(the macro on my camera hasn't been working for close-ups)

I'm assuming you want the circuit trace portion right?
It seems like a pretty straight forward layout, easy to trace out.

I'm also contimplating sticking a regular stereo in there to have a true radio option and also to amp the sound from the pc. There's like a total of 5 speakers in this thing, the two in the base are at least 8", the other three are 4.5-5". I figured instead of throwing a simple amp in there why not give it the radio options with a remote and all that jive. Not sure yet though.  :dunno
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Kevin Mullins

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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2006, 12:17:36 am »
Note: The only real reason I'm concerned with numbering sequence and the ability to visually "see" the list and how it's actually numbered in relationship to the real jukebox is so that when I go to makle up the real songs strips..... I know which song goes where.

I've been playing with a 2 CD skin style like you suggested with the strip grid and it seems to be working out well, after I figured out the tag editing software again to get them to show up in the same album, etc. And it really only shorts me the very first two selections, "100" and "200", the rest should work great.
I'll take a pic of the actual juke strip panel and it may make more sense why I have so many numbering and sequence type questions.

Next question is:
Can you scroll up and down on each album list? Or read the data file list in some way?

I know you can "page" next or previous, but not sure about up and down.
(haven't look very hard for other options yet either)
I've made the grid large enough to hold 100 songs each..... but as you mentioned before they run off screen (vertically). The songs are there, just can't view them. So now the question goes back to when I get ready to make song strips for display in the juke..... I need to be able to see which song goes where. (or I'll just have to play each one once to see what it is  ;))
« Last Edit: October 17, 2006, 12:21:36 am by Kevin Mullins »
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Kevin Mullins

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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2006, 02:06:24 am »
Very few updates at the moment..... trying my options before I jump to too many questions.

1. Still need to figure out a better way to display the two song lists. Seems even if I setup the grids to be from top to bottom of the page it still wouldn't be enough space to list 100 songs vertically.

Is there any way to "split" each half of the grid and have two lists per album?
Then there would only be 50 songs per vertical list x 2 for each album.

2. Has anyone try to run their jukebox "remotely" from another PC?
I already have the jukebox pc all networked for easy file swapping etc, so I figured I'd try this out as well.
I've been playing with Anyplace Control software and it seems to work pretty good....except while running the jukebox software. I don't seem to have any keyboard functionality while that program is running. It works fine for anything else though, including DOS prompt window, notepad, Internet stuff, etc.
http://www.anyplace-control.com/

3. Picked up one of those usb number pads like for a laptop and it seems to work good and I will be able to map any extra functions I may need without haveing to keep a full-size keyboard actually inside the jukebox. Might even make it accessible from the back of the machine for things such as volume control or to clear the currently playing song, etc.
http://www.mic-innovations.com/details.cfm?id=KP25B

More to come as time allows, still working on the hardware side of things as well. (the amplifier and crossover setup)
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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2006, 09:33:05 am »
2. Has anyone try to run their jukebox "remotely" from another PC?
I already have the jukebox pc all networked for easy file swapping etc, so I figured I'd try this out as well.
I've been playing with Anyplace Control software and it seems to work pretty good....except while running the jukebox software. I don't seem to have any keyboard functionality while that program is running. It works fine for anything else though, including DOS prompt window, notepad, Internet stuff, etc.
http://www.anyplace-control.com/
This is probably because I'm looking at the actual hardware via DirectX and Anyplace Control is probably looking at the Windows GDI message queue.  I'm willing to bed you'd have the same problem trying to control any DirectX game via keyboard with Anyplace Control.
--Chris
DOSCab/WinCab Jukebox: http://www.dwjukebox.com

Kevin Mullins

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Re: AMI Disco 200 Jukebox Project
« Reply #13 on: December 16, 2006, 10:28:01 am »
I'm willing to bet you'd have the same problem trying to control any DirectX game via keyboard with Anyplace Control.

Hmmm.... haven't tried it on anything except for what is loaded with Windows98.
(this is a bare bones system)
I may have to load a game or two and see what happens then.

Their "support" department wasn't much help.
Quote
I think that your DOS program has some protection. It disables input of Anyplace Control. Unfortunately we can't help you to solve this problem.

I think I'd be more inclined to go on your advice on this one.   ;)
Not a technician . . . . just a DIY'er.