MaLa and rotating games on exit

[squirrellydw]

I have a 3 sided cocktail table and most games work great but I only have a trackball and spinner on the 3rd CP.  Some games like Centipede I have set to play vertically on the horizontal screen side.  When I exit the game it rotates the MaLa game list menu like it is set up to do BUT I don't want it to rotate after that game.  Anyway I can change this so it doesn't rotate?

Thanks

[loadman]

   You might have to put it in a seperate gamelist

[squirrellydw]

I don't wanna use a separate game list.  any other ideas, can I modify the ini somehow of the game?

[loadman]

I don't wanna use a separate game list.  any other ideas, can I modify the ini somehow of the game?

You can modify each mame game with a separate .ini for rotation settings But how is that going to help you, as MaLa is the thing you want to control isn't it?

MaLa can be set to follow match the gamelist rotation or on a per game basis (to match) or ignore it all and just stay in the default position.

You can't tell MaLa to do the opposite to the game.

[squirrellydw]

No big deal I can live with it......maybe a future version a MaLa will allow you to make exceptions to rotate on certain games??

[shock_]

Just played around trying to work out what you were saying, but now I get it.  If a game is vertically orientated, even if it's played at 0° rotation inside MAME (ie horizontally) MaLa will respond by swapping into vertical mode.

So the enhancement you need is for MaLa to watch for the last-known video orientation from MAME rather than just (presumably) reading the relevant data on the ROM.

Have you tried the other option, which is to bind a button or a shifted button to rotate MaLa, and then MaLa causes MAME rotate to suit?  This seemed to work better for me when I tried it a moment ago.

You're going to be telling something which orientation you want to play it in, so make it MaLa rather than MAME, since it works better for what you need to do this way.  To stop playing Gyruss and start playing Centipede, you'd move your seat around to the trackball side, hit the MaLa rotate button so you can see what you're doing again, find Centipede and launch it.

[squirrellydw]

I will try the shifted button option.  You skin you made me and for MaLa is great, I will take some pics of my finished cocktail table soon.

[shock_]

 

I saw a pic in your project thread with the lid off, but the monitor running.  Looks nice 

I've been combining my multi-emulator plans with that Applesque skin lately and it's working out quite nicely.  Changing emulators and gamelists on the fly without using MaLa tree

My cab will only have two sides, but since the screen rotates I am faced with similar issues as you, ie. only one CP has a trackball, but the screen might not agree with where the game thinks it is at all times.

[squirrellydw]

Nice layout, I really like the icons on the bottom.  Any chance you could add something like that to the skin you made me if I tell you what I want?

[loadman]

I will try the shifted button option.  You skin you made me and for MaLa is great, I will take some pics of my finished cocktail table soon.

Ditto...  Both your Tables are supa kewl (as my son would say). My table is just a two sided vertical.

Anyway.....

As for the original question. I had another thought.  We could make a quick custom plug-in. If the game appears on this list MaLa will rotate a certain way.

If you want to try that send me a list of games and what you want it to do eg 0deg 90deg 180 deg etc

Any should it only happen on game exit???

[squirrellydw]

I will send you a list and yes only on game exit.  I can tell you some of them now off the top of my head.  All vertical games that require a trackball, spinner or steering wheel.  Centipede, arknoid (spelling), spyhunter.  thats all I can think of.  It would have to rotate 90deg to the right for my setup or I guess 270 deg to the left??.

[loadman]

I will send you a list and yes only on game exit.  I can tell you some of them now off the top of my head.  All vertical games that require a trackball, spinner or steering wheel.  Centipede, arknoid (spelling), spyhunter.  thats all I can think of.  It would have to rotate 90deg to the right for my setup or I guess 270 deg to the left??.

Kewl.. I'll get on it.

Just confirming that this needs to be set for certain games. Can we just have this rule apply to certain gamelists or does it have to be on a game basis?

[shock_]

Nice layout, I really like the icons on the bottom.  Any chance you could add something like that to the skin you made me if I tell you what I want?

PM sent.

[squirrellydw]

I will send you a list and yes only on game exit.  I can tell you some of them now off the top of my head.  All vertical games that require a trackball, spinner or steering wheel.  Centipede, arknoid (spelling), spyhunter.  thats all I can think of.  It would have to rotate 90deg to the right for my setup or I guess 270 deg to the left??.

Kewl.. I'll get on it.

Just confirming that this needs to be set for certain games. Can we just have this rule apply to certain gamelists or does it have to be on a game basis?

I would prefer just certain games,  I like to have all my mame games in one list and other emu is another.

[squirrellydw]

Nice layout, I really like the icons on the bottom.  Any chance you could add something like that to the skin you made me if I tell you what I want?

PM sent.

got it, I will try to send you an idea this week

[squirrellydw]

If you could combine yours with this it would be great.  I like how Knievel has this but I like you icons.  If you can make the joysticks BLUE that would even be better.

For selecting games mine is set up as.....UP and DOWN scrolls and LEFT and RIGHT goes by letter.

Let me know what you can do and it would have to be for both the vertical and horizontal layout.

[loadman]

I will send you a list and yes only on game exit.  I can tell you some of them now off the top of my head.  All vertical games that require a trackball, spinner or steering wheel.  Centipede, arknoid (spelling), spyhunter.  thats all I can think of.  It would have to rotate 90deg to the right for my setup or I guess 270 deg to the left??.

Kewl.. I'll get on it.

Just confirming that this needs to be set for certain games. Can we just have this rule apply to certain gamelists or does it have to be on a game basis?

I would prefer just certain games,  I like to have all my mame games in one list and other emu is another.

OK try a game of ROM name= 'CENTIPED' with the attached plug-in and tell me what happens 

[squirrellydw]

Let me see if I can explain this....

When the game list is on the vertical menu screen and I exit the game it rotates in the correct horizontal position.  But if I select it from the horizontal menu screen and then exit the game it rotates back to the vertical position.

I will post a little movie clip of it for you.

[squirrellydw]

Here is the quick video I shot, hope it helps. 

[squirrellydw]

I also just noticed that it rotates all the games incorrectly.  I tried MK3 and it rotated from horizontal to vertical on exit.

[shock_]

If you could combine yours with this it would be great.  I like how Knievel has this but I like you icons.  If you can make the joysticks BLUE that would even be better.

For selecting games mine is set up as.....UP and DOWN scrolls and LEFT and RIGHT goes by letter.

Let me know what you can do and it would have to be for both the vertical and horizontal layout.

Not sure exactly what parts you want me to replicate, and in what style... see attached ??

[squirrellydw]

that looks great.  Can you somehow add/fit in load game, insert credit and select player?  Also will there be enough room on the vertical layout?

[shock_]

I'm a bit concerned at the legibility on your screen - although the huge-ness of it should help somewhat

See attached - is this headed in the right direction?

(nice thread self-hijack here, too... we're all working on your cabinet right now  )

[squirrellydw]

I like that.  Can you make all the buttons black and make the wording bold like in the first one you posted?  oh one other thing, can you make the blue a little brighter and bolder like on yours that surrounds 'arcade".  Maybe not as bright blue but brighter than what I have now?  Sorry for all the changes but you really do great work.    

edit....How about on the top put the joysticks in the middle and the EMU button on left like it is and the LISTS button on the right.

[shock_]

I like that.  Can you make all the buttons black and make the wording bold like in the first one you posted?

Done.  Sorry, I looked at your cab photos and completely didn't see that. I had it in my head that your 1up and 2up were white and the rest black. 

Font is back to "Slicker" which is the gamelauncher font, as well as what Knievel used by the looks of things, and (I think) what is printed on your buttons.

oh one other thing, can you make the blue a little brighter and bolder like on yours that surrounds 'arcade".  Maybe not as bright blue but brighter than what I have now?  Sorry for all the changes but you really do great work.   

Done - since you did the "bow down" emoticon again   Blue enough for you?  I have left the secondary snap window a little more washed out to increase the sense of depth for it.

edit....How about on the top put the joysticks in the middle and the EMU button on left like it is and the LISTS button on the right.

Done.  The balance definitely looks better.

If I ever visit the USA, you so owe me a beer

[squirrellydw]

   perfect, and if you visit the US I will buy you a few beers.     Thanks, let me know when I can download it or email me at

squirrellydw at gmail dot com

[shock_]

attached.

[squirrellydw]

just use the one that I attached in the last message, but save the new images instead

Do I need to rename them to match what I have now or just keep them the same?  I am sure I can figure it out but I am at work right now.

[squirrellydw]

Sent you 2 PM's shock

[squirrellydw]

Any update on the plugin Loadman?

[loadman]

Any update on the plugin Loadman?

The only way I can make it work the way you want is to put a timer on the plug-in. That effectively means there would be a delay of up to sec before it rotated back to the position you want after playing certain games. Otherwise MaLa will overide it

Is that acceptable?

[squirrellydw]

wow a hole second    yeah I can handle that.  I have no idea what the timer really has to do it with it but whatever, you are the programer I just play games.  I won't be able to test it out till next weekend though, I am on vacation starting now   

[loadman]

wow a hole second    yeah I can handle that.  I have no idea what the timer really has to do it with it but whatever, you are the programer I just play games.  I won't be able to test it out till next weekend though, I am on vacation starting now   

OK Enjoy your 'break' 

I will post my next version on this thread later   

[squirrellydw]

how is it coming along, I am ready to test

[loadman]

how is it coming along, I am ready to test

I have written it so that it pops up with a message if it detects you just played a game on the 'Rotate list'  .So many distractions.  I will finish it soon 

[loadman]

Ok try this:  attached

At the moment it is hard coded just to react to the rom name 'CENTIPED'.

It waits a sec or so after you quit a game

Let me know how you go.

If it's OK I will mod it so it will read a text list of rom name on start-up or something so it just does not work for CENTIPED 

[squirrellydw]

   nope, still rotated, nothing seemed to happen 

[loadman]

  nope, still rotated, nothing seemed to happen 

Really,,,

Do you have that rom name?  'CENTIPED'

Code: [Select]

procedure MaLaGameQuit(); cdecl;
begin
     if sgame = 'CENTIPED' then
     Rotate.Start;  // Rotate after 1 sec delay
end;
Give me a few 'rom names' you have so that I can add it to the code

[squirrellydw]

I checked and I do have that rom along with centipd2, centipdb and centtime

[loadman]

Ohh, Maybe it's case sensitive

Try this (attached)

   

Code: [Select]

if (sgame ='CENTIPED')
     or (sgame ='centiped')
     or (sgame ='centipd2')
     or (sgame ='centipdb')
     or (sgame ='centtime')
        then
     Rotate.Start;  // Rotate after 1 sec delay