Launching .avi and other files alongside games

[gigapede]

Is there a way to include .avi and/or .bat or .scr files in the 'gamelist'?

I've read the forums, and I can't seem to find this answer anywhere.

On a related subject, how do I get the jukebox to fade out when the 'play movie' screensaver kicks in?

Thanks!  (And *thank you*  Swindus and Loadman!  MaLa popped one of my eyes out!)

[SGT]

If you want to put these files into their own gamelist, that's not a problem.  If you are wanting to mix them into game lists with Mame or other emulators, it can be done though it's a little complicated.

[gigapede]

Let's start with the 'easy' solution!

If anyone wants to take a stab at explaining the 'complicated' solution, it would probably be good for the boards. 

I'm writing a 'how to' for MaLa (even though I'm not qualified as a user) in plain English, based on the info I find here.

It won't be comprehensive yet, but it will evolve like MaLa and MAME, and hopefully become a bible.

[SGT]

To create a game list of several batch files, you set up a new emulator like the screenshots below:

You leave the executable field blank.  After you have it working like you want it, you can set the windows state to: hidden.  Don't forget to refresh the main game list if needed (Right click while viewing the Bat file game list).

AVIs would be similiar except you would specify the executable.  This would be whatever app you want to use to play the AVI.  For example:

C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe

For the complicated solution of mixing emulators in one game list, see the pinned topic near the top of this forum entitled:

"GameLists: Multiple emuls in same list work-around solution"

[gigapede]

Great answer, thanks!  It worked and I'm crusing.

As a victory lap, since MaLa plays .avi's =in= MaLa (without the 'windows player' window and at full screen), isn't there a way to tell MaLa to play movies directly?

For example, try playing an avi as a MaLa screensaver vs. using this technique using Windows Media Player.  MaLa takes over the screen and plays wonderfully...  Can't we tap into MaLa's player?  Does anyone know the answer?

[loadman]

Hmmm

I am posting a MaLa standalone video player here tonight (using the same video engine as MaLa) for users to test video's without the need to fire up MaLa..

Possibly I could add an option to run fullscreen then you could set that as the default windows media player, would that work? 

[gigapede]

Your solution sounds great!  Playing video fullscreen would eliminate the 'player' look of 'Windows Media Player' and turn the monitor into a movie screen.

Basically, the cab becomes a 'movie jukebox' with games in it, too! 

So the cream would be for movies to run =in= MaLa alongside 'MAME games'.  Ideally, without 'switching EMUs' manually, but letting MaLa figure out which EMU to use based on the content type (or by manually configuring it beforehand).

Am I missing some fundamental easy setting to make this possible?