LCD instruction card help. Opinions needed. (SOLVED)

[Ginsu Victim]

I'm in the process of MAMEing a cabinet for a friend of mine and one part of the project is giving me problems.

The cabinet is a Global VR Golf and there is a lighted instruction card between the speakers, as seen here:



We've removed the card and now have an opening that is 10" x 5". In it's place, my friend has mounted a 15" LCD monitor (12" x 9").



What I need to figure out is how to restrict the screen size from 12x9 to 10x5 (obviously not the same screen ratio). That or I need a program that will display an image and remember the window position. I will use CPwizard to create the instruction images, then resize them, and hopefully get them to display in the same position every time. I need to find a program that will launch the image file from a command line. My searches haven't gone well. Even if I have to display the image full screen on the secondary display, that's fine, because I can add borders to all the images to fill in the hidden areas if needed.

But I'm not sure the best way to go overall. I want the button layout to load the moment a game is started and stay loaded the whole time.

Anyone have some ideas on what to do here? Thanks.

[TOK]

Can't you make the hole bigger?

[Travisimo]

I think Ginsu and I would like to keep it as much as original as possible in this area of the cabinet.

[Ginsu Victim]

Can't you make the hole bigger?

That would also require making the hole in the metal plate bigger, and like Travis said, we're trying to keep this as close to original as possible. (CP aside, which is just the original with a new layout)

[headkaze]

CPWizard does support displaying to a secondary monitor, the problem is it currently has no way to stay displayed while playing the game. I really want to implement this feature in the next version but I am currently writing a game with a friend in my spare time. It doesn't leave me much time to look at CPWizard at the moment but I can assure you it will be in the next version of CPWizard some time in the near future.

That being said there are two programs that can already do this that spring to mind. These should support the files generated by CPWizard to display on your second monitor.

Marquee Magician
Script to Display Graphics on a Secondary Monitor
Mame Hooker

[Ginsu Victim]

I've talked to you in the past about CPwizard on a secondary display, but this one is tricky because of the screen position and sizing issue. I'll have a look at those programs and see if they help me any.

Thanks.

[Ginsu Victim]

Figured it out!

What I did was extended the display to the second monitor, moved Irfanview to it, resized it to display at 10" x 5", made sure it remembered the size and position, then told it to fit images to window. I can just have Mamewah load the images into Irfanview when starting each Rom set.

Now I just gotta setup CPwizard and make the bezel images....

[ccarlesco]

I have two of these cabinets in my garage - Really nice versatile design and perfect for a marquee screen.  The perfect monitor is available at: http://www.mimomonitors.com/products/mimo-710

This monitor fits almost perfectly into the 10x5 hole (9x4) - 800x480 res is great for wide screen marquees and it will work with any PC regardless of the video card it receives the signal from the usb port.

[Ginsu Victim]

I'll have to mention that to the owner. Thanks.

[Ginsu Victim]

Figured out the answer to my question last night and got it working. I'll be posting instructions and pics (as soon as I have them) later.

Here's the CP I did for this cab. I messed up a little bit, which is obvious, but I'm happy with the playability.