Slight Mala Frustation

[FrizzleFried]

Ok...I make a new custom layout in Mala...(vertical)....save it...it loads fine in the layout generator....and all components appear fine in MALA itself...but in MALA the background image does not show up at all...

Is MALA setup like MAMEWAH where a specific name must be given to the image file...it doesn't appear to be the case as other layouts use other names,  but who knows.

What else can I be doing wrong?

Again...MALA LAYOUT shows my background no problem,  but MALA itself shows a gray screen with all the layout correct aside from missing background.

The image is a JPG (as i have seen others use).

Thanks!

[loadman]

Did you search for a solution? 

have a look here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=62865.0

Quite a common question and IMHO should be in the FAQ on the website if possible..

 

[FrizzleFried]

Thanks loadman,  I did search,  but the search feature of this website sucks (to put it mildly).

I'd really like to get MAMEWAH working correctly with WinCab in a vertical setup as I am happier with MAMEWAH's navigation, etc...but I may have to go with MALA (see my other "frustration" post if you want more info why).

[FrizzleFried]

Nevermind....managed to get it going...thanks again!

[loadman]

Nevermind....managed to get it going...thanks again!

This hobby is supposed to be Fun 

Glad your day of frustration has ended   

[FrizzleFried]

It IS fun...most of it that is...though this is the most frustrating part of it.  Couple that with the fact that I have recently (as in yesterday) started my latest attempt to kick a "bad habit" and things get squirley really fast!



I now have another small issue (or not).  Does MALA support "generic" screenshots for games missing screenshots?   Same question in regards to marquees.  If so,  what do I name the files (and I imagine I also put them in the same directory as my background artwork?)

[loadman]

 

Nope..  Sorry. 

but Full sets are easy to acquire   

You have the option of having it pull up the snapshot for clones of the master

[FrizzleFried]

Awe...bummer...maybe a good suggestion for the MALA team?   They do seem very open to adding things the community wants.   Are there any instructions on how to use the TEXT, ANIMATION, and the DEFINABLE options in the layout editor?

[loadman]

Awe...bummer...maybe a good suggestion for the MALA team?   They do seem very open to adding things the community wants.

You may want to post that idea to SWINDUS. I'm sure he is sick of me asking for things :-)

   

Are there any instructions on how to use the TEXT, ANIMATION, and the DEFINABLE options in the layout editor?

Someone else needs to feild this one. I am hopless with layouts

An example with basic animation is:

http://mala.arcadezentrum.com/layouts.html#retrogui

Look at the invaders on the arcade layout

If you want more animation 'bling' on your layout you might want to look at Atomic

[headkaze]

FrizzleFried: You need a nice smooth puff of a cigarette

Just kidding, good luck on quitting and try not to get too agro!

[swindus]

I now have another small issue (or not).  Does MALA support "generic" screenshots for games missing screenshots?   Same question in regards to marquees.  If so,  what do I name the files (and I imagine I also put them in the same directory as my background artwork?)

Sure!

MaLa does support a default image for snaps, marquees and control panel pictures when no picture for the selected image is found. Have a look in the layout editor and load a picture into the 'default image' field in the object properties dialog of your snap, marquee or control panel object. Then copy/place those images in the layout folder.

One hint: In the current version of MaLaLayout is a bug which doesn't save the name of the default image in the layout  file (*.mll). So you have to add the filename of your image without a path by hand in the mll file, just use a text editor and search the line 'MarqueeDefault=' in the [Vertical] and/or [Horizontal] section.

[FrizzleFried]

Thank you Swindus...

...any suggestions on how to learn to use the TEXT,  DEFINABLE & ANIMATION options in the layout editor?

Are there any docs anywhere for these?

[swindus]

With the text objects you can display various text information for the selected game, the selected gamelist and more. There is a popup menu in the text object properties dialog where you can choose from a lot of placeholder:

Game values:
- Buttons (~g_buttons) Button count
- Clone of (~g_cloneof): Name of master
- Coins (~g_coins): Coin count
- Control (~g_control): Controller type
- Description (~g_description): Name of the game
- Genre (~g_genre): Genre of the game
- Orientation (~g_orientation)
- Players (~g_players): Player count
- Manufacturer (~g_manufacturer)
- Resolution (~g_resolution) XPixel x YPixel
- Screen (~g_screen): Raster or Vektor
- Year (~g_year)

Gamelist values:
- Count (~l_count): Count of games
- Filter flag (~l_filtered): Filter flag (displays (F))
- Name (~l_name): Name of list
- Position(~l_position): Current position in the list

and so on ....

An example: to display the current position and the count of games in a text object enter the following:
'~l_name: ~l_position of ~l_count selected' will result in: All games: 3 of 200 selected

To display the manufacturer and the year of a game:
'~g_manufacturer, ~g_year' will result in: Atari, 1979

The definable images can display images like the snap or marquee objects. The advantage here is that you can change the naming used by MaLa to find an image in various ways. For example if you use 'Buttons' for the naming MaLa is searching the image 1.ext, 2.ext and so on depending on the player count of the selected game (ext = jpg, png, gif or bmp) which makes it possible to display the count of players with an image. If you use 'Rom (default)' as naming the definable acts like the snap or marquee object to display a rom name based image (cabinet, flyer, whatever).
Here is an example of the use of 3 definables (player, controller, button) in a layout:


The animation ojects are fullscreen images which can move to a direction over the screen.

Maybe its a good idea to download and try different layouts from this page:
http://mala.arcadezentrum.com/layouts.html
Load the layouts in the layout editor and check the text and animation objects to get an idea.
VCP03 -> use of definables
retroGUI -> use of animation objects

[FrizzleFried]

I looked at RetroGUI already but couldn't figure out where the animated file is?  I found the image of the space invaders,  but it wasn't animated?

Perhaps I am using the wrong application to view it?  What would you suggest (freeware if at all possible)?

...and thanks for the help.   It's sort of a pain in the ass to tinker with the cabinet standing there holding a wireless keyboard...I think it's time to clone that drive and bring it here to work on (while I can sit).

[swindus]

You need to watch the layout with MaLa, not with the editor to see the animation. MaLa itself moves the image, the image is a non animated one.

You can also view a small preview in the layout editor. Menu View -> Preview

[loadman]

I now have another small issue (or not).  Does MALA support "generic" screenshots for games missing screenshots?   Same question in regards to marquees.  If so,  what do I name the files (and I imagine I also put them in the same directory as my background artwork?)

Sure!

MaLa does support a default image for snaps, marquees and control panel pictures when no picture for the selected image is found. Have a look in the layout editor and load a picture into the 'default image' field in the object properties dialog of your snap, marquee or control panel object. Then copy/place those images in the layout folder.

One hint: In the current version of MaLaLayout is a bug which doesn't save the name of the default image in the layout  file (*.mll).

I learn something new every day 

[headkaze]

...and thanks for the help.   It's sort of a pain in the ass to tinker with the cabinet standing there holding a wireless keyboard...I think it's time to clone that drive and bring it here to work on (while I can sit).

If you get your cab setup with a wireless network connection you can use Remote Desktop to configure your cab remotely.

[FrizzleFried]

Hell...I didn't think of that...no need for wireless (I don't even want to go in to how much I loathe wireless) as all 3 of my cabinets are WIRED to the network...

I guess that makes me a dumbass...   

 

Thanks for the advise!

 

[loadman]

...and thanks for the help.   It's sort of a pain in the ass to tinker with the cabinet standing there holding a wireless keyboard...I think it's time to clone that drive and bring it here to work on (while I can sit).

If you get your cab setup with a wireless network connection you can use Remote Desktop to configure your cab remotely.

Good Idea

and/or you can have mala set-up at work (bare bones) just a couple of roms if your work does not allow that sort of connection (like me)

I have it set-up on this work PC to answer Forum questions . I can't do-layouts as that is artistic  I can't do that