Some Mala screens I'm working on (done for now I think)

[shock_]

Cheers, Tiger-Heli 

Any chance of combining this one and the Apple one?

I'll see whether it works or not, but  you might just have to choose

[shock_]

Well this thread is > a month old now and I think I've pushed this about as far as I can without actually having my cab built and all the final button functions decided

Here's where I think I'll let it rest for now - and an applesque with the emu menu for good measure.  Both are screenshots of the layouts in action under MaLa.

I will package and release at least some of this stuff properly if I can find the time!

[squirrellydw]

WOW, nice work

[shock_]

Okay one more tiny revision!

If anyone wants to play, here's an alpha release - horizontal and vertical included.

[Organic Jerk]

That start button in your first theme is pretttyy... did you pull that graphic from somewhere or did you make that yourself? 

[shock_]

That start button in your first theme is pretttyy... did you pull that graphic from somewhere or did you make that yourself? 

From here.
http://www.localarcade.com/4images/details.php?image_id=435&sessionid=

[loadman]

 

[squirrellydw]

are they the only emulators you have or can you add more?  It would be cool if you could add them all and then some how just pick the ones you wanted to show up.  Probably can do it though.

[shock_]

Yeah that's the tricky part  - and probably a reason why most other multi-emulator skins you see have one indicated per screen and no visible menu, like retroGUI, say.

Everyone is going to have a different set of emulators that they run - and even that will change over time too probably.  The set in those screenshots is just what I plan on running.  And the same obviously goes for the help instructions too.

What I'm planning to do is prepare the source photoshop file so empty buttons can be added, buttons can be removed, and text/images can be changed.  The downside is that to customise for your own needs you need to edit that file.  I will provide a flat file as a PNG as well [edit - below], with empty template buttons, so people with any cheap old software that allows selecting sections, copying and pasting, should be able to do one up with the correct emulators to suit them.

There may be a better way but I don't know it yet.

This whole skin (well two, now) was me setting up a custom theme for my own cab so I didn't mind it working differently to how others do.  I work in web design, and this is very similar to designing for kiosks, where you can take advantage of everything you know about the end platform.  I don't mind sharing the work, but it's still primary a custom job

Since you've been gushing praise at me though, squirrellydw, I'll set something up for you

[edit - have attached 2 x 1280x960 below, with clean blank buttons ripe for duplicating, moving, adding labels and whatever]

[Encryptor]

shock_

Great work! I am using mala now and like it a lot. Why does v5d look so different from the applesque one below it?

Encryptor

[shock_]

Thanks mate.

"V5" is a just a completely different skin to the applesque one (see applesque thread here) - I only cross-posted it here since squirrellydw asked me to combine a feature.  I like 'em both - but I'm biased

[Encryptor]

Yeah I was following that thread as well.  It's very sharp looking!  Is "V5" available for download anywhere or is that your own special frontend?


Encryptor

[shock_]

I haven't posted it yet but I probably will some day soon - I don't forsee much use for that skin by other people per all the reasons above, but I'm not going to hoard it either   I'm still not 100% on it but it needs to be put in a drawer for a while or I'll just mess it up.  Besides - it needs a snappier name

[Encryptor]

I don't like it for what it can do with other emulators. I just think the color scheme looks great and the layout is nice. I'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks.

Encryptor

[squirrellydw]

thanks Shock_, very nice.  Now to find time to work on it.  Once i have my cocktail cab all done, any chance I could get you to modify the Apple one for me a little?  I like the one you are working on for yourself with buttons showing what they do.

[shock_]

Yep - us cocktail guys have to stick together !! 

[loadman]

Yep - us cocktail guys have to stick together !! 

There is another type of cab?   

[squirrellydw]

Yep - us cocktail guys have to stick together !! 

thanks, you will be getting a request sometime in April

[shock_]

Encryptor: this might be useful for you right now.

Download 2 x 1280x1024 PNGs here, a bit over 1 MB 7zip format.
http://s26.quicksharing.com/v/595249/v5_blanked.7z.html

edit: the attached screenshot has the completely wrong name - don't be fooled, it isn't applesque at all!

[Encryptor]

shock_

I got it. Thank you very much!

Encryptor

[Encryptor]

shock_

I have a question I hope you can answer. In the pic of v5d above. Is that cab pic from the cabinet directory? If so how did you get it to load? I don't see an option to select the cab pics. Their is snap, title, marquee and so on but I don't see an option to show the cab pics.

I see there is things you can define but I can't figure out how to make it show the cab pics. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Encryptor

[shock_]

Yep - it's a definable.

I don't have MaLa in front of me right now to check exactly, but here's what you need.

• Mr Do's cabinet pics.
  These are much bigger and cleaner than other sorts I've found. You can merge them with other cabinet pics in one directory for a more comprehensive (/super) set if you like, or just leave them separate to ensure big clean cabs are all you see, albeit with more blanks.
• Set up a definable in your MaLa layout.
  Create a definable 1, and make the box as big as the largest expanse of cab you can tolerate. Save your layout and head over to MaLa to run it.
• Point "definable 1" to your cab pics directory in MaLa's options
  This is the part I can't remember exactly where to point you to, but I'm sure you'll find it. Mr Do's cabs are saved with the same names as the roms, so leave the option beside the path to the definable as ROM NAME or similar.

You should be good to go!

[Encryptor]

shock_

Thank you very much. That worked like a dream! Do you know of a tutorial for Mala? I went to the Mala forums and there is a tutorial there but you have to register to be able to download it and the site is all in german and I couldn't figure out enough to even register.

But I'm thinking that tutorial is probably in german as well so I don't know how much good it would do me even if I could get it. There are other custom things you can do with Mala but there's no where that tells you how to do it. The layout page on the Mala site is more a WHAT it can do instead of HOW to do it. Any suggestions?

Encryptor

[shock_]

The closest thing I know is a lovely effort by unclet, linked via the Wiki. Even that, though, doesn't deal with MaLa layout, if I remember.

One day I might try and write something myself, since I agree, more documentation would be a bonus.

In the meantime, basically anything posted by Swindus or Loadman in this Software forum is helpful

I found this thread helpful at some stage, too, to get my head around GameLists, somewhat, too.

Still trying to reverse-engineer that RetroGUI layout to teach myself what the heck MaLa's animation capability is all about, but I've been planning to use it to simulate a Galaga starfield behind the gamelist.  One day I'll get around to that, and hopefully it won't look like utter 

[Encryptor]

Yeah I hear ya. I haven't found much written about Mala layouts at all. There is the definables and the custom along with the animation. Also there is something at the bottom of the list that says z-order? I'm surprised that someone would write such a customizable program and have no documentation as to how to utilize all that customization. It's a shame.

Thanks again for the info. If I find anything I'll let you know.

Encryptor

[shock_]

Custom is just for adding fixed graphic elements I think; gamecreature's layout (the one pictured on the Wiki page) uses one to partially obscure the snap and achieve a round "window".

Definables is basically anything that isn't explicitly a snap, marquee, control panel, etc - but technically you could use definables for that too, if you really wanted to.

Z-order is the depth - i.e. the way different things are layered.  If you want a cab shot to partially obscure a snap, make it higher in the z-order.  Videos are always top no matter what, which is just a limitation of windows + the way the program works.

I think cool programs where documentation is incomplete is the norm, rather than the exception!  Maybe there's something auf Deutsch that I haven't found yet, but it would be cool to take the pressure off Swindus and help compile something ourselves. In the meantime, download any clever looking layout you find, take it apart to see how it ticks and it'll all eventually make sense I hope.  That's what I'm doing.

[loadman]

I think cool programs where documentation is incomplete is the norm, rather than the exception!  Maybe there's something auf Deutsch that I haven't found yet, but it would be cool to take the pressure off Swindus and help compile something ourselves. In the meantime, download any clever looking layout you find, take it apart to see how it ticks and it'll all eventually make sense I hope.  That's what I'm doing.

That would be excellent   

[shock_]

I hope you realise you're involved, loadman 

[loadman]

I hope you realise you're involved, loadman 

He he...  My 3 year would make a better layout than me.  I've got no artistic Idea.

But intuative as I find MaLa Apps to be it is always good to have some docs and tips documented.

If you care share what you know/learned so far I can compile and add to it ready for Swindus to post 

[edge]

how about starting a Mala wiki? 

I can find a host if there's interest.

[loadman]

how about starting a Mala wiki? 

I can find a host if there's interest.

Maybee we should resurrect that idea.

 There used to be one 2 years ago.

[shock_]

Might also be time to start a dedicated thread for the idea, rather than left this one drift further

I'll try and put a suggested outline of wiki pages together in the meantime and post again.  Is there any reason it couldn't be an extension of the BYOAC wiki?

[Silver]

I'll try and put a suggested outline of wiki pages together in the meantime and post again.  Is there any reason it couldn't be an extension of the BYOAC wiki?

I reckon just use the BYOAC wiki. It's very BYOAC related if you ask me.

[edge]

yes - even better idea. a subsection on the BYOAC wiki makes a lot of sense. 

[loadman]

yes - even better idea. a subsection on the BYOAC wiki makes a lot of sense. 

Kewl.

It's easy to change the Wiki

I have updated bits on the MaLa section before

[Silver]

Good Good, Here you go, a nice blank page to get you all started.... 

http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Mala#Mala_Setup_Guides

[edge]

thanks, silver!

[slsimon]

Decided that trying to squeeze too many definables into that space was a bad thing.

Trivia: did you know that you can calculate with the golden ratio directly in Google?  Cool !

Very cool Mala layout design.  I am actually looking for a layout just like this.  Would you be willing to email me a 800x600, 1024x768 and a 1278x1021 setting of this layout?  I like how you incorporated the different buttons that will allow one to switch to different rom sets.  Very nice.  Thanks, Shane

[shock_]

Posting Photoshop file - rar'ed and renamed to .zip

rename file back to .rar, and download all three parts to get at the bits inside.

See this thread/message for explanation of this post:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=69785.msg725549#msg725549

part 1 of 3

[shock_]

part 2 of 3