any front ends like this?

[ericball]

My planned project is a cocktail cab built around an old 20" TV with modular CPs on three sides for both horizontal & vertical games.  I'm using an old underpowered PC running Win98 (for sound) and either a back-level Optimame or DosMAME.

So, I need something that works well at 640x480 (preferably pictures versus text), game selection using joystick & buttons (via a keyboard hack) and isn't tightly tied to MAME (i.e. command line interface).

I've looked at the various front-ends and I haven't found the perfect one yet.  So I'm wondering if I should roll my own.

The idea I have is to create a purely graphical front-end customizable via text files around the folder/file metaphor.  Imagine this - fullscreen interface with big icons (160x160) which may be a folder or a game.  Folders can contain other folders or games.  A game may be in multiple folders.  Each game is basically a batch file.  The configuration file would just need entries for each game and folder with the path/filename of the icon and the path/filename of the batch file (game) or a list of games/folders.

[REBIRTH]

I can't say enough for Emulaxian  http://3darcade.mameworld.net.  To get the full effect of Emulaxian with their 3D first-person walkthrough arcade room you need a better pC thatn you have, but it also includes a "listbox" format which allows you to scroll through the games - each game you get to it also shows the associated cabinet and screenshot next to it so you can see the game too.  You just use your joystick to scroll through games, then to lauch a game just hit one of your buttons (defaults to your player 1 start button).  No commandline interface necessary, it does it all for you.

Even though my PC is beefy enough to use the 3D arcade, I normally just use the listbox.   Also, the front end can rotate itself - so it can appear in one direction for the games you will use while sitting at one side of the cocktail cab, and rotate 90 degrees for another side, etc...  And it also is made in a folder/subfolder type fashion as you describe.  I have 3 rotating control panels on my arcade, and a rotating monitor - so I actually have 6 "folders" of games for the different configurations my cabinet can have - like "control panel #1 - horizontal games", "control panel #1 - vertical games", etc...  A particular game can appear in more than one folder if you like.  Very easy to set up too (looks scary at first, with all the options, but read their tutorial and you'll be all set.