Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Front End Support => MaLa Frontend => Topic started by: mike boss on December 28, 2010, 11:24:59 pm

Title: MALA configuarion/exit issue
Post by: mike boss on December 28, 2010, 11:24:59 pm
I can't seem to find the info I was looking for so I thought I would post the question.
When loading a game in MALA (hitting 1 on the keyboard) a windows exe screen (I have no idea the true name) pops up.
Am I able to disable this ? Making it appear no computer is getting used ?

After that screen pops up I get the screen that asks me to enter "OK" or move joystick left/right.
Am I able to disable this ?

Lastly when playing games (Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr, Donkey Kong 3 for example) I display the marquee art.
Am I able to disable that ?

Any help would be very very appreciated.

Thank you
Title: Re: MALA display/configuration issue
Post by: loadman on December 29, 2010, 03:09:24 am
I can't seem to find the info I was looking for so I thought I would post the question.
When loading a game in MALA (hitting 1 on the keyboard) a windows exe screen (I have no idea the true name) pops up.
Am I able to disable this ? Making it appear no computer is getting used ?

Hi,

Only the first question is a MaLa one, the others are Mame questions. I am sure you can do that depending on what version of mame you have. Better ask that in the software section.

Anyway to answer you first question you can indeed hide the Dos/CommandLine window.

Have a look at the 'Dos Window State' options on the options-Mame config-Basics tab.
Title: Re: MALA display/configuration issue
Post by: mike boss on December 29, 2010, 09:25:07 am
Thank you.
Foe wgat its worth I\m using v124 of MAME.
Perhaps someone can tell me, do I have to edit an INI file ? (as this is the command line version of MAME)
Title: Re: MALA display/configuration issue
Post by: Vigo on December 29, 2010, 12:51:23 pm
for the marquee issue, I think you can just hit tab while running MAME, and there should be an option to disable marquees. If that doesn't work, you could probably just move your marquee images to a out of the MAME directory.

as far as the OK nag screen, I don't think you can just disable that completely, I think you need an alternate version of MAME or you need to recompile MAME to completely remove it. Search for Headkaze's MAME compiler on the forum for more info on it.
Title: Re: MALA display/configuration issue
Post by: mike boss on December 29, 2010, 08:32:41 pm
Thanks for the info.
I tried hitting "tab" while in play. It allowed me to change the settings for Donkey Kong 3 (what I was playing at the time).
However the settings did not register with all games.
So I will try to find out some additional info as I'd like to have the PC working flawless prior to installing it.

EDIT - I know reading online there is an option in MAME to "skip game info." However not using a command line version of MAME I am unsure how to make these changes.
I dont want to have to go into each game and change the orientation.
Title: Re: MALA configuarion/exit issue
Post by: mike boss on December 30, 2010, 04:19:49 pm
Thanks to the steer from loadman I was able to disable the loading notification when a game was selected.
I also went into the mame INI file to disable "game info."
I'm still trying to find out if I can disable (skip) the legality note. (Not sure what you would call it)

Anyway as I progress with getting this PC ready for installation I have another issue.
I'm using an encoder I got from China in my cabinet.
I've wired three extra buttons to the cabinet, ENTER, ESCAPE, and CREDIT.
The cabinet is a DK JR, so the control panel only has 1+2 player start and jump.
1P start obviously starts the game, and escape will dump me out. Had I got with MAME the ENTER would have been required to select the game.
My issue is this, in testing I select the game with no issue, I exit by pressing ESCAPE. When it dumps me out to my layout I have to click my mouse in order to select an other game. Am I doing something wrong ? The mouse will not be available when all is installed. I need to be able to dump out (ESCAPE) and select another title.

Thanks
Title: Re: MALA configuarion/exit issue
Post by: loadman on December 30, 2010, 06:24:43 pm
Sounds like some other program is stealing Windows focus from MaLa on your system.

You now have the 'not fun' task of working out what program it is.  :(

Title: Re: MALA configuarion/exit issue
Post by: mike boss on December 30, 2010, 07:04:02 pm
Ah man.......
There should be nothing else running. This PC was purchased for the sole purpose of MaLa + MAME.
I'm not very PC savvy, would you suggest running the MSCONFIG to see what else is running ?
Title: Re: MALA configuarion/exit issue
Post by: mike boss on December 30, 2010, 07:09:04 pm
Stoopit question, but should I be using anything else to exit a game other than "ESCAPE?"
Title: Re: MALA configuarion/exit issue
Post by: loadman on December 30, 2010, 07:11:14 pm
Stoopit question, but should I be using anything else to exit a game other than "ESCAPE?"

Not really a MaLa question as it depends on teh EMU.   I use Escape  ;D
Title: Re: MALA configuarion/exit issue
Post by: loadman on December 30, 2010, 07:15:52 pm
Ah man.......
There should be nothing else running. This PC was purchased for the sole purpose of MaLa + MAME.
I'm not very PC savvy, would you suggest running the MSCONFIG to see what else is running ?

Ah man.......
There should be nothing else running. This PC was purchased for the sole purpose of MaLa + MAME.
I'm not very PC savvy, would you suggest running the MSCONFIG to see what else is running ?

I't never happened to me, so I can't help really.

But others have reported it happening here in the forum with varying solutions.

There is also a plugin you can use to work out what is steeling focus

You could start here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=76882.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=76882.0)
Title: Re: MALA configuarion/exit issue
Post by: mike boss on December 31, 2010, 12:13:34 pm
I used the plug-in, it seems to have done the trick!
Thanks again