Mamewah exit hook?

[welshmark]

Mala (I'm using RC8 as RC9 seems to have a problem with lnk files) has a really nice "exit hook" function where you can assign any key to automatically exit whatever application you're running and jump back to the FE.  Does mamewah have anything equivalent?  One of the apps I'm running on my jukebox is PowerDVD and I have no way to exit it with my setup.

Why don't I just use Mala?  Glad you asked.  Mamewah has a nice function that allows you to run an application before it starts, so I use that to load the custom keyset for my Keywiz (I'm using Mamewah as my shell).  I can't figure out how to do the same thing in Mala.

I think both FEs are awesome, but both have a particular function I wish the other had.  Maybe they do and I'm just missing it .

[Zebidee]

You could use a batch file, either to:

1) pre-load executables before the emulator for your Mala FE; or

2) kill processes before loading MameWAH FE at once.  Make the batch file to kill processes and then launch mamewah - then give it a keyboard shortcut to make it accessible from your CP.

[gonzo90017]

Closemul is what you're looking for http://lustar.free.fr/clusters/closemul/

[welshmark]

Thanks gonzo90017 - that was exactly what I was looking for.  Spent a while figuring out how to configure it (turns out I had to use exit mode 5 to work with PowerDVD), but now it works great.

[gonzo90017]

No problem. Happy to help.

[Anubis_au]

Is anyone able to email me a copy of Closemul?

The archive linked on the site seems to be corrupted (according to my Winzip).

Thanks.

[Zebidee]

Try this to get you out of trouble:


Originally posted here:
http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=79679&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=&vc=1

[unclet]

It is possible I am misunderstanding what you want..... with that being said I think MALA can do what you want.  If my interpretation is wrong as to what you are requesting then just ignore everything I am about to say.    I am at work right now and I am extremely bored so I thought I would spend some time with this topic ....

When an emulator game is selected for the first time MALA can execute a keyboard encoder configuration file for you before the game starts so you can map your encoder appropriately.

There is one place to do this for the "Mame" emulator (first pic), and another place you do this for each of the "Other Emulators" you have defined (second pic).

The "Encoder config file" is the keyboard encoder's program executable which will perform the key mapping.
The "Config files path" is the text file which defines how the keys should be mapped and which should be used as input to the keyboard encoder's program executable.
The "Config file extension" is the extension of the text file which defines how the keys should be mapped

"I think" the "Use game based encoder programming" box is used to indicate to MALA that game-specific encoder configuration files might exist which should be executed everytime the game is selected.  In other words, I believe MALA allows a general "emulator" keyboard encoder mapping file to exist as well individual game-specific keyboard encoder mapping files to exist (which share the same name as the game rom I believe).  I believe this is how this option works.  It has been awhile since I configured MALA for myself   

[unclet]

Now, if you want to execute command(s) before the game starts (BAT file, DaemonTools, etc...), you can do this by adding command(s) to the "Pre Commands" list (see pic).  You also can add command(s) to the "Post Commands" list to execute command(s) after the game has exited.

** Sorry about not showing you a real example of this menu being populated, but I am currently at work and do not have MALA installed here.     I just wanted to show you the menus available to do what you want.

** The "Pre Commands" and "Post Commands" listed are "greyed-out' since I do not currently have an emulator configured at this time.  Once you define an emulator (which I am assuming you know how to do), then you can add "Pre/Post Commands" stuff no problem.  I think you just right-click on the "Pre Commands" box and when the menu comes up, you select "Add".  Then type in the command line statement you want executed.

[unclet]

Forgot to mention this .......

If you go into an emulator and select a game to play, MALA can execute a keyboard encoder file for you (see previous posts) and thus will remap all your buttons so you can play this game.

When you exit the emulator and go back to the MALA menu, then you might want to remap your control panel back to the MALA menu keyboard mapping configuration to allow you to once again navigate through MALA using your arcade controls.   

You remap your keys back to your MALA-menu-specific mappings here (see pic)

If you do not want MALA to reconfigure itself back to the MALA keyboard mappings when you exit a game, then you check the "Load config on first game of a new selected emulator only" checkbox.   

Why would you not want MALA to remap the encoder when a game exits and you return to the MALA menu?

Well, take me as an example (since I believe I am the reason this option exists).  My encoder (KE72 Hagstrom encoder) takes about 3 to 6 seconds to load in a new configuration file through the serial port.  This is a long time compared to the instantaneous loading I believe other encoder provide.   Anyway, before this MALA option existed, my encoder would get remapped everytime I exited a game and this was just not acceptable due to the amount of time it would take. Imagine trying to start up a few games to see which one you wanted to play, but upon exiting you must wait up to 6 seconds for a configuration file to be loaded each time ..... annoying.   Anyway, since I have a 4-player control panel with a dedicated 4-way joystick, I decided to always have the dedicated 4-way joystick (and associated 4 buttons) be mapped to the MALA configuration all the time.  This means when I enter an emulator and MALA remaps my encoder, then the dedicated 4-way joystick is still mapped to the MALA menu configuration.  This means, when the emulator game is done and I exit, then there is no reason to remap the encoder at that time.   I can still navigate through MALA no problem. 

Anyway, I thought I would mention what this option was all about.  Not sure if anyone else is really using it since most people do not mind reconfiguring their encoder back to the MALA mappings everytime a game exits since the mapping is usually performed very very quick (ie: it does not bother them).

PS:  Oh yeah .... the "Display message box when programming" optino will infom MALA to display a text box on the screen indicating the encoder is being loaded so if the mapping takes a while to work, then the user will understand what is going on.  Without this text box, the user might think MALA is not responding and that would be bad.  People with encoders which load very quickly most likely would not want to use this option since the text box would display and disappear too quickly to read.