AHK script help: Fix It Felix Jr (Arcade version) on a horizontal CRT monitor

[Wade007]

I need help creating and/or refining an AHK script to make the arcade version (leaked Disney early build) of Fix It Felix Jr. run on my 4:3 ratio horizontal CRT monitor that's in my arcade cabinet. 

I have the Arcade version of Fix It Felix Jr running just fine on my cabinet but the problem is that it was made for a vertically set 4:3 monitor with no command feature to force it to run horizontally at full screen like MAME does with vertical games. You can only view full screen in vertical mode (flip screen 90 degrees). It does however run in a Window at non-fullscreen if set to not rotate in the command line.

I'm hoping that a workaround can be created using Auto Hot Key.

Info on this leaked version and some of the troubles others have had with the rotation is found here:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?167169-Early-Version-of-Fix-It-Felix-Jr-Finally-Leaked
http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/showthread.php?24664-Fix-it-Felix-Jr-The-Game
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=271445

The only viable solution shown so far is a script created by "djvj" on the Hyperspin forum:
http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/showthread.php?24664-Fix-it-Felix-Jr-The-Game/page14

I'm not completely sure how his code works. Seems to require the use of another module called "PCLauncher". Anyone understand this? Could this be made to work with the Mala frontend? Can I incorporate "PCLauncher" into Mala somehow?

Below is his NON-working code (For me anyway. Won't launch game at all. Lots of AHK errors). Any ideas on how this can be tweaked to make Fix It Felix Jr run full screen in the middle of a horizontal monitor? 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

gamePath=C:\Arcade\PC Arcade Ports\Fix It Felix Jr\FixitFelixJr.exe ; the full path and exe of FixitFelixJr.exe
BezelPath=C:\Arcade\PC Arcade Ports\Fix It Felix Jr\bezel.png ; the full path and extension to bezel file
zoom=200 ; Frame Resolution-Only 33,50,100,200 are supported
YAdjust=0 ; adjusts vertically how far off center from the middle of the screen, 0=center; negative value moves up, positive value moves down
XAdjust=0 ; adjusts horizontally how far off center from the middle of the screen, 0=center, negative value moves to left, positive value moves to right
title=ahk_class FOCAL Test Shell
exitkey=Esc
ShowBezel=false
BackgroundColor=yellow   ; changes background color, see here for available ;colors:http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/Progress.htm#colors
;rotation=90   ;still need to rotate monitor, no point in having enabled


Hotkey, ~%exitkey%, Close
WinHide ahk_class Shell_TrayWnd
WinHide, ahk_class Button
SplitPath,gamePath,fileName,fileDir

Gui, GUI1: New, -Caption +ToolWindow +OwnDialogs
Gui, GUI1: Color, %BackgroundColor%
If ShowBezel = true
   Gui, GUI1: Add, Picture, W%A_ScreenWidth% H%A_ScreenHeight%, %BezelPath%
Gui, GUI1: Show, x0 y0 h%A_ScreenHeight% w%A_ScreenWidth%
 
; rotation := If (rotation=90 || rotation=180 || rotation=270) ? " -rotate=" . rotation . " fullscreen" : ""
zoom := If (zoom=33 || zoom=50 || zoom=100 || zoom=200) ? " -zoom=" . zoom : ""

Run, %fileName% %zoom% %rotation%, %fileDir%
WinWait, %title%
WinActivate, %title%
winHwnd:=WinActive(title)
WinSet,AlwaysOnTop, On, %title%
WinSet, Style, -0xC00000, %title% ; Remove border and titlebar
DllCall("SetMenu", uint, winHwnd, uint, 0) ; Remove the MenuBar
CenterWindow(title)
Process, WaitClose, %fileName%
ExitApp

3::c
4::c
LCtrl::x
LAlt::z
~Numpad8::Up
~Numpad2::Down
~Numpad4::Left
~Numpad6::Right


CenterWindow(class) {
   Global YAdjust
   Global XAdjust
   WinGetPos, appX, appY, appWidth, appHeight, %class%
   appXPos := ( A_ScreenWidth / 2 ) - ( appWidth / 2 )
   appYPos := ( A_ScreenHeight / 2 ) - ( appHeight / 2 )
   WinMove, %class%,, % (appXPos+XAdjust), % (appYPos+YAdjust), appWidthNew, appHeightNew
}

Close:
   WinClose, ahk_class FOCAL Test Shell
   WinShow, ahk_class Shell_TrayWnd
   WinShow, ahk_class Button
Return

_____________________________________________________________________________________________


My currently WORKING AHK script that I use with Mala to launch the game is below. Very simple. It works perfectly with the game going full screen but only if rotated 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. The command line function -fullscreen will not engage if I code -rotate=0, -rotate=Normal or -rotate=360. It only goes fullscreen and takes off the Windows border and titlebar when the game window is rotated 90°. Again If I type in -rotate=0, the game runs vertically on my horizontal monitor as desired but it runs inside a Windows frame and is not full sized. I can see the Mala background on all 4 sides of the game window. Does that make sense? I want it to act like a vertical MAME game running fullscreen on a horizontal monitor.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

#NoEnv  ; Recommended for performance and compatibility with future AutoHotkey releases.
SendMode Input  ; Recommended for new scripts due to its superior speed and reliability.
#SingleInstance force

SetWorkingDir, C:\Arcade\PC Arcade Ports\
Run, C:\Arcade\PC Arcade Ports\Fix It Felix Jr\FixitFelixJr.exe -rotate=90 -fullscreen

3::c
4::c
LCtrl::x
LAlt::z
~Numpad8::Up
~Numpad2::Down
~Numpad4::Left
~Numpad6::Right

~2 & ~4::
Process, Close, FixitFelixJr.exe
ExitAPP
return

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Any AHK experts out there that can give me few pointers?

Thanks in advance.

[nitz]

It does however run in a Window at non-fullscreen if set to not rotate in the command line.

Have a look at this:

http://www.autohotkey.com/board/topic/26627-poor-mans-fullscreen/

This will give you a sort of pseudo fullscreen by making everything on the screen except the contents of the window black. It's actually quite effective.

[Wade007]

Interesting. Thanks Nitz. I'll give it a go and report back.

[EDIT AFTER TESTING...]
OK, I'm stupid. Tried to merge the two AHK scripts (my launch and key switch script and the Poor Man's Fullscreen) with no success.
Game launches fine with my selected keystroke remaps and all but it doesn't go "fullscreen" or blacken out the rest of the Windows background.
I don't know how to make the two work together. Are there variables I need to fill in on the Poor Man's Fullscreen script? Is this script suppose to make the ENTIRE monitor black except where the game is playing (hope so)?

How do I merge the following working launch script here:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

SetWorkingDir, C:\Arcade\PC Arcade Ports\
Run, C:\Arcade\PC Arcade Ports\Fix It Felix Jr\FixitFelixJr.exe -rotate=90 -fullscreen

3::c ; X-Arcade keystroke remap to enter coin credit "c"
4::c ; X-Arcade keystroke remap to enter coin credit "c"
LCtrl::x ; X-Arcade keystroke remap Left Control to "x" for fix action
LAlt::z ; X-Arcade keystroke remap Left Control to "z" for jump action
~Numpad8::Up
~Numpad2::Down
~Numpad4::Left
~Numpad6::Right

~2 & ~4::
Process, Close, FixitFelixJr.exe
ExitAPP
return


-------------------------------------------------------------------------

...with the following Poor Man's Fullscreen script here?:


-------------------------------------------------------------------------

#SingleInstance force
#NoEnv
CoordMode, mouse, screen

SCREEN_X = %A_ScreenWidth%
SCREEN_Y = %A_ScreenHeight%
if 0 = 4
{
   TOP = %1%
   BOT = %2%
   LEFT = %3%
   RIGHT = %4%
}
else
{
   TOP = 40
   BOT = 17
   LEFT= 17
   RIGHT = 15
}

Gui, Color, Black
Gui +LastFound +AlwaysOnTop +ToolWindow -Caption
WinSet, Region, % "0-0 " . SCREEN_X . "-0 " . SCREEN_X . "-" . SCREEN_Y . " 0-" . SCREEN_Y . " 0-0 " . LEFT . "-" . TOP . " " . SCREEN_X-RIGHT . "-" . TOP . " " . SCREEN_X-RIGHT . "-" . SCREEN_Y-BOT . " " . LEFT . "-" . SCREEN_Y-BOT . " " . LEFT . "-" . TOP
Gui, show,  % "W" . SCREEN_X . " H" . SCREEN_Y . " X0 Y0"
OnMessage(0x200, "WM_MOUSEMOVE")
Return

WM_MOUSEMOVE()
{
   global SCREEN_X, SCREEN_Y, TOP, BOT, LEFT, RIGHT

   GetKeyState, CtrlDwn, Ctrl
   if CtrlDwn = D
      ExitApp
   Gui, hide
   Loop
   {
      MouseGetPos, X, Y
      if (X>LEFT && X<SCREEN_X-RIGHT && Y>TOP && Y<SCREEN_Y-BOT)
         break
      Sleep, 1000
   }
   Gui, show, NA
       return
}


-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can you help me understand how to use this new script (nitz?). I'm still a novice with AHK. Sorry....

[Wade007]

I've had no luck trying to get this Poor Man's Fullscreen script to work. No sure how/where to launch the program with selected keystroke remaps. Any pointers?

[Howard_Casto]

I hate to phrase it this way, but you probably aren't getting help because a lot of people don't have this particular game.  Disney pulled it almost immediately after it was posted. 

[nitz]

Is this script suppose to make the ENTIRE monitor black except where the game is playing (hope so)?

Yes, that's what it does.

It's been a long time since I've played with Poorman's Fullscreen, but I believe it just works by having the script running - whatever the active window is will be made (pseudo) fullscreen.

So I would try just firing up the script, then firing up Fix it Felix Jr and see what happens. If that's the effect you want, you should be able to just have your working script launch Poorman's Fullscreen the same way you have it launch the game.

[Wade007]

OK, I got the Poor Man's Fullscreen to work by launching it separately.

It kind of works. Black bars appear around the desktop area encroaching on the open window. I seem to be able to affect the depth of the top and bottom black areas but not the sides. Plus, my game window doesn't launch perfectly in the horizontal middle. I assumed that this script would key onto the open game window and build a black background from it's Window border outward. Mmmmm, not sure if this is the best solution after all or if I just need to tweak the scripting code some more....

Any more thoughts?

[BadMouth]

If you can get the screen to rotate by pressing CTRL ALT direction and can size the game appropriately, you might be able to borrow from these scripts:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,106477.msg1128194.html#msg1128194

Full disclosure - the blacking out of the frame doesn't work every time on my XP setup, but I'm sure it could be corrected with some tweaking, either by adding sleep time or adding sleep commands.

[Wade007]

Thanks for the suggestion BadMouth.

CTRL ALT + Arrow (Left) doesn't work on my system, but I spent half the night setting up a separate Display with Nvidia's nview. A 800x600 black background running at 90 degrees counterclockwise.

It kind of worked but I have some bugs to work out...like how to keep the hotkeys active each time I boot up and how to remove the title and border on the game...

[nitz]

like how to keep the hotkeys active each time I boot up

Put a shortcut to the script in your startup folder.

remove the title and border on the game...

I think you should be able to adjust Poorman's Fullscreen to just cover them up, but you could also try this script:

Code: [Select]

F1::
WinSet, Style, -0xC00000, A
return

Pressing F1 while this script is running will remove the title bar of the active window and I think the border as well.

Integrating this into the existing script is left as an exercise for the reader.

[Wade007]

Thanks Nitz for the nudge ahead. I'll keep tweaking and playing around with this. I can smell the final solution...

[Wade007]

  [NEARLY SOLVED]

OK, I'm working a new solution all together. I think it's better than the Poor Man's Fullscreen (Sorry BadMouth...)

I downloaded a somewhat new script from the Hyperspin forum (link in my initial post) along with a compiled version of the same. The compiled (.exe) works perfectly!!! Game runs in the center of my horizontal monitor. No Windows title/border and a bezel to boot. Awesome!!

So...next I thought all I had to do was edit the AHK file provided as a base for changes to add my own keystroke remaps, recompile and I'd be golden. No so. When I run the newly created executable I get the following error statement:


__________________________________________________
Error: Parameter #1 invalid The current thread will exit

Specifically: GUI1: New

Line #
-----> 013: Gui, GUI1: New, -Caption +ToolWindow +OwnDialogs
__________________________________________________



I changed NOTHING except the keystroke remaps and I got that over and over again. Just for fun I reverted to the original file and compiled that one with NO CHANGES at all. Same error.

So...the compiled .exe file as downloaded works fine, but I can't make any changes to source AHK file without getting errors after running the compiled version of the same.

What am I doing wrong here? I know I'm very close but I just can't figure it out. Any pointers??

Below is the script of the "unaltered" AHK file, which I assume is the same as the provided EXE file (which WORKS)!!



__________________________________________________

size=100 ; Frame Resolution-Only 33,50,100,200 are supported
YAdjust=56 ; adjusts where to place game window from top of screen, negative moves up, positive moves down
XAdjust=35  ; adjusts where to place game window from left side of screen, 0=allthe way to the left
title=ahk_class FOCAL Test Shell
exitkey=Esc
ShowBezel=true

;-------------------------
Hotkey, ~%exitkey%, Close
WinHide ahk_class Shell_TrayWnd
WinHide, ahk_class Button
Gui, GUI1: New, -Caption +ToolWindow +OwnDialogs
Gui, GUI1: Color, Black
Gui, GUI1: Show, x0 y0 h%A_ScreenHeight% w%A_ScreenWidth%

IfInString, ShowBezel, true
   {
   Gui, Add, Picture, W%A_ScreenWidth% H%A_ScreenHeight%, %a_scriptdir%\bezel.png
   ;WinSet,AlwaysOnTop, On, fix it felix jr.exe
   Gui Show, x0 y0 h%A_ScreenHeight% w%A_ScreenWidth%
   WinSet, Style, -0xC00000, fix it felix jr.exe ; Remove border and titlebar
    }
   
Run, FixitFelixJr.exe
WinWait, %title%
WinActivate, %title%
WinMenuSelectItem, %title%,,Zoom,100`%
WinMenuSelectItem, %title%,,Zoom,%size%`%
winHwnd:=WinActive(title)
WinSet,AlwaysOnTop, On, %title%
WinSet, Style, -0xC00000, %title% ; Remove border and titlebar
DllCall("SetMenu", uint, winHwnd, uint, 0) ; Remove the MenuBar
MaximizeWindow(title)

;-----Control Remaps-----
~3::c ;Insert Coin
;~?::1 ;Start Player 1
;~?::2 ;Start Player 2
;?::{Left} ;Move Left
;?::{Right} ;Move Right
;?::{Up} ;Jump Up a Level
;?::{Down} ;Jump Down a Level
;?::x ;Fix-It
;?::{LButton} ;Jump
;?::{Shift} ;Fix-It
;?::{F5} ;save
;?::{F6} ;FrameSkip
;?::{F7} ;ScreenShot
;?::{scrlk} ;lock mouse crosshairs to center of screen
;------------------------

Process, WaitClose, FixitFelixJr.exe
MaximizeWindow(class) {
 Global YAdjust
 Global XAdjust
 WinGetPos, appX, appY, appWidth, appHeight, %class%
 widthMaxPercenty := ( A_ScreenWidth / appWidth )
 heightMaxPercenty := ( A_ScreenHeight / appHeight )
 If  ( widthMaxPercenty < heightMaxPercenty )
  percentToEnlarge := widthMaxPercenty
 Else
  percentToEnlarge := heightMaxPercenty
 appWidthNew := appWidth * percentToEnlarge
 appHeightNew := appHeight * percentToEnlarge
 Transform, appX, Round, %appX%
 Transform, appY, Round, %appY%
 Transform, appWidthNew, Round, %appWidthNew%, 2
 Transform, appHeightNew, Round, %appHeightNew%, 2
 appXPos := ( A_ScreenWidth / 2 ) - ( appWidthNew / 2 )
 appYPos := ( A_ScreenHeight / 2 ) - ( appHeightNew / 2 )
 WinMove, %class%,, % (appXPos+XAdjust), % (appYPos+YAdjust), appWidthNew, appHeightNew
}
Close:
 WinClose, ahk_class FOCAL Test Shell
 WinShow, ahk_class Shell_TrayWnd
 WinShow, ahk_class Button
 ExitApp
Return

__________________________________________________
 

[nitz]

Try removing the word New from that line. It's not valid.

[Wade007]

Thanks nitz.

Turns out the reason I keep getting the error is because this script was written for an updated/newer fork version of AHK called "AutoHotkey_L"

If I were to upgrade to AutoHotkey_L, then the error will go away because it will compile L specific commands, like the "GUI New" one.

More info about AutoHotkey_L here:
http://l.autohotkey.net/
http://www.autohotkey.com/board/topic/59200-why-use-autohotkey-l-ask-questions-here/

Has anyone used this AutoHotkey_L? Now I'm worried that if I replace my AHK basic that I might mess up all the other basic AHK scripts i'm using on my arcade cabinet.

If I install it, can I uninstall and go back to AHK basic if I want?

[BadMouth]

If the compiled .exe works for as long as you don't mess with it, why not just make a script that remaps your controls and launches that .exe?

[Wade007]

Yeah. You're right. Had the same thought during my lunch break today. I'll give that a go tonight. Thanks.

[Wade007]

Yeah. You're right. Had the same thought during my lunch break today. I'll give that a go tonight. Thanks.

SOLVED!!! 

As suggested by BadMouth, I simply created an AHK file with my keystroke remaps and close processes for both the Fix It Felix Jr wrapper executable file and for FixItFelixJr.exe. I then launched that AHK file via Mala. Worked great!! Game plays perfectly, centered on my horizontal monitor, no evidence of Windows, and even has a bezel.  Shuts down with my selected key combo (2+4) and sends me back to Mala. Awesome!!

My final launcher AHK script looked something like this:
_________________________________

SetWorkingDir, C:\Arcade\PC Arcade Ports\
Run, C:\Arcade\PC Arcade Ports\Fix It Felix Jr\FixitFelixJr_wrapper.exe ; wrapper takes care of all Windows positioning, etc and then launches the actual game. I renamed the downloaded file "brand_new.exe" to "FixitFelixJr_wrapper.exe"

3::c ; X-Arcade keystroke remap to enter coin credit "c"
4::c ; X-Arcade keystroke remap to enter coin credit "c"
LCtrl::x ; X-Arcade keystroke remap Left Control to "x" for fix action
LAlt::z ; X-Arcade keystroke remap Left Control to "z" for jump action
~Numpad8::Up ; Joystick remap for X-Arcade 1st player
~Numpad2::Down
~Numpad4::Left
~Numpad6::Right

~2 & ~4::
Process, Close, FixitFelixJr_wrapper.exe ; This shuts down the wrapper program I downloaded.
Process, Close, FixitFelixJr.exe ; This shuts down the game since the wrapper's close-game functions are bypassed
ExitAPP ; Exits Auto Hot Key program and returns user to frontend.
return

_________________________________

For those interested in this same set up that I have, the wrapper/bezel setup can be downloaded here:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/lg..._jr_mobile.zip

Have fun!!!