Cabrio: New front end for cabinets

[cosam]

While thinking about my soon-to-be-built arcade cabinet, I started looking at front ends. As I couldn't find one that fitted my needs, I figured I'd roll my own. I wanted it to be completely graphical and have a simple interface that was easy to use with a joystick. Here's what it looks like just now (click for bigger images):

 

The top part is a simple menu from which you can select all games or filter based on genre or platform. More filters are easily added in code although I hope to make this configurable soon. After you've chosen a filter, the main part of the screen is used to display logos (or marquees, or other images, if you like) of the games which you can "flip" through in a groovy, animated kind of way, a bit like flipping through songs on an iPod. You can also specify a background image (e.g. a screen shot) for each game.

Just now it runs on Linux, as that's what I'll be running my cabinet on. It's written in straight C using OpenGL and SDL, so it shouldn't be hard to get it working on other *NIX systems or even Windows with a little work. If you want to try it out, the sources are here but be warned: it's still a bit rough around the edges! Feel free to ask any questions if you have trouble setting it up.

[Cakemeister]

Hello,

Please don't use fork() to launch your emulators. Use some kind of cross-platform thread library, such as Posix Threads.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POSIX_Threads

Also, what version of SDL are you using?

[gonzo90017]

Looks pretty cool.

[Space Fractal]

nice to see a Linux based frontend, there is not many of them.

[cosam]

Please don't use fork() to launch your emulators. Use some kind of cross-platform thread library, such as Posix Threads.

Yes, that's one of the rough edges I was on about...

Also, what version of SDL are you using?

Just what was installed on my Linux box at the time:
libsdl-gfx1.2-4 2.0.13-3
libsdl-image1.2 1.2.6-3
libsdl-mixer1.2 1.2.8-1ubuntu0.1
libsdl-net1.2 1.2.7-2
libsdl-sound1.2 1.0.1-12build2
libsdl-ttf2.0-0 2.0.9-1
libsdl1.2debian 1.2.13-1ubuntu1
libsdl1.2debian-alsa 1.2.13-1ubuntu1

[Cakemeister]

I got it partially working on Windows.

There's a segfault that needs fixing:

Code:

       if( emulator!=NULL ) {
int i;
struct config_param *prev_param = NULL;
const int num_params = 4;
const char *params[] = { "-nowindow", "-skip_gameinfo", "-switchres", "-joystick" };
            struct config_param *param;

emulator->id = 0;
strncpy( emulator->name, "mame", CONFIG_NAME_LENGTH );
strncpy( emulator->display_name, "MAME", CONFIG_NAME_LENGTH );
strncpy( emulator->executable, "mame", CONFIG_FILE_NAME_LENGTH );
strncpy( emulator->display_name, "MAME", CONFIG_NAME_LENGTH );
            emulator->params=NULL;
            emulator->next=NULL; // <------- Add this
for( i = num_params-1 ; i >= 0 ; i-- )
            {
                param = malloc( sizeof(struct config_emulator) );
                if( param!=NULL ) {
strncpy( param->name, params[i], CONFIG_PARAM_LENGTH );

Therer are a couple of other segfaults that happen when the game list is empty.

I'm not sure how to generate game lists.

[cosam]

Nice work getting it running on Windows already. I'm afraid at the moment there's no direct way of generating a game list, I've just been adding them manually (there's an example in the README). Definitely a feature I'd like to add soon, before I get sick of typing them all in by hand ;-)

And yes, I saw a segfault when the list was empty too; it's fixed but not in the snapshot I posted. Didn't catch the one you found in config.c, but that fix is in there now too - thanks.

[Cakemeister]

I think NOP will want to write something to generate the game list for you. See ROMLister.

I generated a preliminary game list with my Listgen utility, we'll see how it works. I'm a programmer, not a typist!

[cosam]

I think NOP will want to write something to generate the game list for you. See ROMLister.

If that's who I think it is, he's probably far too busy messing around with IDE controllers for ancient PCs ;-)

I'm thinking of adding some kind of basic, built-in setup utility. Not just for the game list, but I really need something for setting up the controls (some kind of "now press left", "now press right", etc. affair). Whatever I make it's going to be pretty simple, just enough to get you going. It would of course be cool if more advanced users could use the extra features of ROMLister.

[Cakemeister]

Okay, I wrote a list generator. The FE works pretty well. The scrolling is smooth and framerates are good. You can use marquee images or else get the wheel images from Hyperspin and use those.

Your code is very clean and easy to read.  It was very easy to port to Windows.

A couple of suggestions:

1) Move the game list out of the main configuration file. If you want a single game list, add a "<gamelist>gamelist.txt</gamelist>" entry after the emulators, or maybe have a per-emulator game list tag within the emulator tag.

2) Don't have an application header file have the same name as a library header file. (SDL.h) Yes, the compiler should resolve it correctly, but some compilers don't.

3) I had some problems with the empty config file generation, and with the data directory. If you want to make the application more portable, you might look at those.

4) SDL is quirky when it comes to the main() function. To get it to run on Windows, I changed your main() to main_app(). Then I added a separate main() function in a different source file that does not include <SDL.h>, that calls the main_app().

[youki]

Is it possible to see a video of that FE?  It looks very interresting.

I don't have time to try it.

[cosam]

Many thanks for the comments and suggestions, and of course your effort to get this going on Windows.

I'm still trying to figure out how I'd like the configuration to work. Originally I was thinking that each game would have a "platform" tag, as would the emulators. When firing up, it'd look for the emulator for the particular platform and run it. Your suggestion of doing it essentially the other way around also has it's merits - I'll think it over.

I figured the file handling stuff would be problematic when it came to porting. I was planning to lump it all together in one file to make things easier, eventually - I wasn't expecting anyone to dive straight into a Windows port ;-)

As you've probably noticed, images with transparency are pretty effective. The Hyperspin wheel images are indeed ideal. I also traced a bunch of logos into SVG images and exported them as PNGs. I'll see about making them available, probably via the Arcade Art site, but it doesn't seem to be working right now.

[cosam]

Is it possible to see a video of that FE?  It looks very interresting.

I've been looking into making a video. I wanted to record what was on my screen, but haven't found a good Linux program for that just yet. If need be, I'll clear up the desk and just shoot one "live" off the monitor later this week.

[Ummon]

Some groovy, and perhaps eventually necessary, features to consider:

- making game lists from the MAME32/UI folders ini

- screen saver options (if there aren't already)

- U360 support

- start and exit app options (I don't use this, but I think a lot of people do)

[cosam]

I've added some stuff this evening to handle custom controls, so you can use pretty much anything SDL can catch events from. That means the keyboard, joysticks (analogue and digital), mice and trackballs are all fair game. You can set a key/button/whatever to exit the app. The only thing is that there's not yet an easy way to figure out what you need to put in the config file for anything but keyboard controls. That should be fixed soon when I get the setup utility working. I also fixed a bunch of segfaults which crop up when you have an empty game list, although I guess a message along the lines of "no games found" would be more friendly.

Instead of popping out snapshots of every little change, I've check the whole lot into my Subversion repository: http://sources.cosam.org/svn/cabrio/

[ryantheleach]

No, if I were you I'd keep your platform idea, that way it gives the flexibility of being able to pick an emulator if there is more then one for that platform!

[cosam]

I've made a short demo video of this front end in action - not the best quality, but you get the idea. As well as flipping one game at a time, the video shows skipping to games beginning with the next/previous letter. The FE was being controlled using a wireless joypad, so that's all working now too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i39cfCRBz3o

[IG-88]

So where do we download this puppy at?

[cosam]

So where do we download this puppy at?

Your best bet at the moment is to pull ito out of Subversion at the URL above. I've uploaded a new snapshot of the sources here too.

I'm afraid there are no binary/executable releases available yet (unless you happen to be running on an AMD64 Linux box). I'm sure this will change when things settle down - it's still very much in development right now.

[IG-88]

Thats cool, I can wait. Just looks sweet and had a new cab I wanted to try it in.  

[Ummon]

Looks pretty nifty. That background reminds me of The Jetsons from the 60s. Not against it, though I would probly change it. I don't know as I'd keep the 'function' sounds, either, but I think they're about the most 'innocuous' of all I've heard on FEs.

[cosam]

That background reminds me of The Jetsons from the 60s. Not against it, though I would probly change it. I don't know as I'd keep the 'function' sounds, either, but I think they're about the most 'innocuous' of all I've heard on FEs.

Yeah, that will all be configurable eventually. Right now, everything is loaded from regular files (PNG, JPG, WAV) which are easily replaced until I get the options added to the config file.

I've put together a simple web site at http://www.cabrio-fe.org/ with downloads, screenshots and some basic documentation.

[Ummon]

Nice. You're very expeditious.

[youki]

Very Nice! I love the style!    

Thanks for the video!

[Lilwolf]

so, have you tried to compile with cygwin?  I would love to see this on the PC.

I love all the animated FE';s these days.  I wrote one years ago, but the graphics wheren't behind it... and it was written in java (that some didn't like)... and the biggest problem...  The opengl wrapper I was using sucked on ATI video cards (which I have in my cabinet) but worked GREAT on nvidia cards (my development system).  Guess how far I went before testing it on my arcade machine, and how pissed I was ...

But I love the style.  And are you taking suggestions?

I could see a button press or something to switch from marquee / wheel to screenshots.  Even if its just for the current game.  Now that there are wheel graphics for ever game in mame, I can see people with items on the list that they don't actually know... from the wheel graphics.


Good luck

[cosam]

so, have you tried to compile with cygwin?  I would love to see this on the PC.

I hope to be able to integrate Cakemeister's changes into the main source tree, so we should have a Windows build before too long.

But I love the style.  And are you taking suggestions?

I could see a button press or something to switch from marquee / wheel to screenshots.  Even if its just for the current game.  Now that there are wheel graphics for ever game in mame, I can see people with items on the list that they don't actually know... from the wheel graphics.

It would be nice to integrate screenshots some how. At the moment you can set a background for each game, which could just as well be a screenshot. I am however currently fleshing out the configuration options with stuff to allow you to define what the interface looks like, right down to the position of individual game "tiles" in which the logos are displayed. I could easily add an extra option to determine if/where a screenshot should be shown and under what conditions (e.g. button press, after a fixed delay, etc.). That should be pretty easy to implement - the trick is getting the arrows and button icons to show up in the right place. I also want to support screen rotation, so with all that taken into account, it starts getting more complicated ;-)

[cosam]

Just to bring those interested up to speed: I've uploaded a new version here.

This version supports screen rotation, which will be dynamic as soon as I get it worked into the interface. It also does horizontal/vertical flipping, in case you happen to have a mirror between you and your monitor. There are also extra options to configure the background image, rotation (and speed) and transparency.

The big change, however, is more flexible filtering based on categories. You simply specify a category for a game, and it's automatically available as a filter. For example, you can specify a "Genre" category, and a menu button will appear allowing you to filter on all unique genres entered for all games. Adding other categories (manufacturer, control types, orientation, your own rating system or whatever else you can think of) is just a matter of adding a couple of lines to the configuration under the appropriate games.

The site has been updated to reflect these changes, and now includes much better documentation on the configuration options.

[abispac]

Nice looking FE, similar to the ultracade rotating weel, since its open source, maybe it can be compiled to run in its own OS no windows or full linux necesarie, i wich i new how to do that.... good luck with your project 

[cosam]

As of a few minutes ago, version 0.5.0 is available. For the Windows guys, there's a rough Win32 build up there too, including (hopefully) all the DLLs required to run. Be aware that it isn't as robust as it should be. I've tested this on a couple of machines and got it working, but it may trip up if it comes across anything "unexpected" in the configuration. One extra tip: you may need to use quotes around paths with spaces in them. There are also some graphics issues that need fixing, and sound may not work for you - although given the current compliment of noises, you may be thankful for that ;-) Please do let me know how you get along.

Here's the link: http://www.cabrio-fe.org/download/

This release includes a few extra configuration options, some of which as as yet undocumented. Still no built-in game list generation I'm afraid, but I've been in touch with NOP and there are plans to add the format to ROMLister soon! In the mean time, check this page for details.

[cosam]

Nice looking FE, similar to the ultracade rotating weel, since its open source, maybe it can be compiled to run in its own OS no windows or full linux necesarie, i wich i new how to do that.... good luck with your project 

Thanks! I hope to get started on the skinning/theming stuff soon, so there'll be plenty of flexibility to get it looking just how you want it to.

I don't know about running with no OS at all, but you could get by with a pretty minimal Linux distribution. In theory you shouldn't even need to run X-Windows, although I've not tried it on a raw frame buffer as yet.

[headkaze]

Nice to see something unique coming out in the world of front-ends. Nice and simple interface. The only thing missing really is support for avi snaps. Any plans on implementing video support?

[cosam]

The only thing missing really is support for avi snaps. Any plans on implementing video support?

I've been looking into that and it certainly appears possible. Not sure how to do sound yet - in the worst case the audio can be extracted and played separately. I was planning on adding music anyway as SDL_mixer makes this ridiculously easy ;-)

[Ummon]

This is really coming along in a short period of time. Once you get to a certain point, if hasn't been already, this'll have to be added to the wiki. I'm actually a little surprised that people aren't all over this, as there hasn't really been this kind of (at least seemingly to me) 'grass roots' development, of days gone by, in a while.

[Cakemeister]

You can use libffmpeg for the movies. It will show .avi, .mpg, and .flv. Syncing the audio and video can be a hassle, but there are tutorials out there on how to do it.

[cosam]

Once you get to a certain point, if hasn't been already, this'll have to be added to the wiki. I'm actually a little surprised that people aren't all over this, as there hasn't really been this kind of (at least seemingly to me) 'grass roots' development, of days gone by, in a while.

Oh, it's been on the wiki for a while now, although I did need to update the page to bring it in line with the latest developments. Judging by the number of downloads there is probably more interest in the project than first meets the eye. It's still very early days yet though, and it still needs a lot of polishing to make it easier to set up. Anyway, even if no-one else wants it, at least I'll have my ideal FE for my own cab ;-)

You can use libffmpeg for the movies. It will show .avi, .mpg, and .flv. Syncing the audio and video can be a hassle, but there are tutorials out there on how to do it.

Thanks for the tip. I was looking at some code which uses libaviplay, but this seems more flexible.

[cosam]

Here's a quick teaser of the "skin" I'm playing with right now. I say "skin" as some parts are still hard-coded, but a lot of stuff is already configurable. Eventually everything you see, where is is, which way around and how big will all be up to the user.

Screen shots are in there - you'll just have to imagine they're videos for now ;-) Altered Beast has no screen shot configured, so you get the TV noise effect. I'll get a video of the thing in action put together soon, so you can see the new animation effects.

[IG-88]

I know you probably dont know yet but do you have an idea on the hardware specs needed to run it?

[cosam]

I know you probably dont know yet but do you have an idea on the hardware specs needed to run it?

I can't give you any exact figures, but it should run reasonably well on modest hardware. The CPU load is lower than I expected and there's not an awful lot of polygons on screen at any one time. What it does use a lot of right now is memory, especially if you have a large game list, as the logo images are loaded at start-up. I'll make that dynamic soon, maybe with a configurable "preload" option so you can trade memory in for speed if you have it. All the major stuff gets freed when a game is launched anyway, so it shouldn't muscle in on the emulator's resources too much.

There are a few parameters you can play with if the hardware can't keep up. Screen resolution, frame rate and image (texture) sizes can all be tweaked and there's a graphics quality setting which can make things easier on your video card if need be.

[cosam]

Here's the new video as promised. I captured this straight off my screen using gtk-recordMyDesktop, so it's much better quality than the first attempt.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-jxYg5pK3k