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Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: relay01 on February 18, 2013, 11:30:58 pm

Title: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: relay01 on February 18, 2013, 11:30:58 pm
I was hoping some folks on here could help me assure a project I'm working on seems to follow the terms of the MAME license. 

I want to bundle MAME with my freeware emulation environment. So far, so good, right?

Because my application requires direct input be enabled, I use a custom build of MAME that enables it.  While I'm at it, maybe enable hi-scores.  As long as I post/distribute my modified source, I'm good right?

Here's the part that get's less clear.  I'd like to remove some of the nag screens. More specifically the "Type OK or wiggle Joystick" one.

The Derivitave Works Policy on mamedev states:
Do not remove the startup screen that contains information about why certain non-working games don't work. This only serves to generate a bunch of useless email traffic to the developers asking why the games don't work.

So as long as I leave the rominfo start screen, I'm in the clear?  I ask because I've read in other places that none of the nag screens can be removed. 
Title: Re: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: BadMouth on February 19, 2013, 09:15:01 am
Instead of asking a bunch of end users to weigh in, contact MAMEDev and ask them directly.
http://mamedev.org/contact.html (http://mamedev.org/contact.html)
Title: Re: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: relay01 on February 19, 2013, 02:28:19 pm
I did just that.

Though in the mean time, I'll go on good faith and leave all nag screens in.  I will however have to figure out how to modify the "OK" text to suit my environment.

I asked here in hopes that someone would point me to someone else who is doing it.  And whether they know it as a supported code modification.
Title: Re: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: tris_d on February 19, 2013, 04:21:41 pm
Because my application requires direct input be enabled, I use a custom build of MAME that enables it.  While I'm at it, maybe enable hi-scores.  As long as I post/distribute my modified source, I'm good right?

What is it you call "direct input"? What does input in your application has anything to do with MAME input?
Title: Re: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: BadMouth on February 19, 2013, 04:55:29 pm
Because my application requires direct input be enabled, I use a custom build of MAME that enables it.  While I'm at it, maybe enable hi-scores.  As long as I post/distribute my modified source, I'm good right?

What is it you call "direct input"? What does input in your application has anything to do with MAME input?

MAME uses raw input, so things like xpadder and autohotkey don't work because those virtual key presses only exist in the windows environment.
Enabling direct input in mame enables it to detect fake key presses.  Fake joystick(gamepad) input works just fine without altering MAME btw.
Title: Re: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: relay01 on February 19, 2013, 07:05:10 pm
Quote
Fake joystick(gamepad) input works just fine without altering MAME btw.
This is news to me... Did I miss a setting or something in mame.ini?
Title: Re: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: BadMouth on February 19, 2013, 07:26:24 pm
Quote
Fake joystick(gamepad) input works just fine without altering MAME btw.
This is news to me... Did I miss a setting or something in mame.ini?

Probably not.  Just enable joystick input.
Title: Re: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: Howard_Casto on February 19, 2013, 07:38:33 pm
It's always worked, gamepads only have two polling methods, directinput and the old windows joystick api (which is horribly outdated and nobody uses)  so you can send joystick signals to any game/emulator that supports the joystick. 

The only thing is our options have always been limited.  PPJOY was pretty much it and it hasn't played nice since xp sp2.  Headkaze's vjoy program is much easier to work with as the drivers are signed. 
Title: Re: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: relay01 on February 19, 2013, 07:39:14 pm
Ah...
You see I can't do that.  I need MAME to only recognize keyboard input for my gamepad translator.  The gamepad translator allows any gamepad to be mapped pretty much the same way regardless of the order the operating system recognizes it.  Ultimately, gamepad maps to keyboard, keyboard maps to emulators. 
Title: Re: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: tris_d on February 20, 2013, 05:14:07 am
MAME uses raw input, so things like xpadder and autohotkey don't work because those virtual key presses only exist in the windows environment.
Enabling direct input in mame enables it to detect fake key presses.  Fake joystick(gamepad) input works just fine without altering MAME btw.

Why do you think he wants to fake key presses? Why would anyone want to do that with MAME?
Title: Re: MAME License Interpretation
Post by: tris_d on February 20, 2013, 05:21:44 am
Ah...
You see I can't do that.  I need MAME to only recognize keyboard input for my gamepad translator.  The gamepad translator allows any gamepad to be mapped pretty much the same way regardless of the order the operating system recognizes it.  Ultimately, gamepad maps to keyboard, keyboard maps to emulators.

What is your application for? What "translator" is that, what kind of signal goes in, what signal comes out? What ports/connectors it has?