So what would you guys like to see?

[Howard_Casto]

Well now that Lazarus is out and the bulk of the code is finished I actually have some time to breathe.  Thanks to a lot of help from users I've almost got 2.0 finished and it will remove a lot of bugs and make some improvments in the skins and add more filter options.  

After this release the project is pretty much self-maintaining.  With the new wrapper system there's not really much I need to do when a new emu is released.

With that being said, I was wondering if anyone had anything they would like to see added to Lazarus.  I've literally ran out of ideas.  For the record I can't add screen rotation before anyone asks.

So if you have any ideas please post them here.... I don't care how crazy,  I'll at least listen.  

[Carsten Carlos]

For the record I can't add screen rotation before anyone asks.

Guess then I don't need to test your frontend anymore (already downloaded it)
What a pity, I really liked the gothic-style default skin. Well, as I'm going with a rotable monitor I'll have to keep it with gamelauncher.

But very good design as I saw on the screenshots at your page, Howard!

[Lilwolf]

Porn skins!

Working with Virtual Girl!

And more porn!

[Howard_Casto]

Porn skins!

Working with Virtual Girl!

And more porn!

Hey you bring the porn, I'll supply the skinner.
 

[SirPoonga]

Well, Just suggestions.
I'm still comparing what yapfe can do that lazarus can't right now.  I'm not saying YapFE is better than Lazarus.  Each FE is the "perfect" FE to it's creator.  As I like your filtering lists.  I've contemplating on how to do a filter

First, can you use just a mouse for lazarus.  Not like it appears that if you move up the list moves.  No, I mean point and click.  Just thinking it would be cool to use the act labs gun to select games:)  You will see in yapfe screenshots up and down arrows, other clues that everything in yapfe (being flash) is a button.  The act labs gun should work with my FE.

Recently played games.  That would be a cool option.  Yapfe keeps track of the last 20 games played.  If a game is selected and it already is in the recent list it moves to the top.  So the most recently played is at the top of the list.

Search.  I know you said you'd be looking into it, but when you have a full set, search is invaluable.  Like you said, three letter search like a high scores, very much how I do it in yapfe.  That's be great and the single most important suggestion I have.

Favorite list.  Yeah, yoiu have that list helper, but AHHHHH, not user friendly:)  Again, comparison to my FE.  I can create a list on the fly.  

I'll explain how I do it just as a reference.
Yapfe right now works like this.   There is the pacman icon in the upper left,  that's the central point.  Then to the right is 4 "buttons" displays categories and user lists.
When pacman is highlighted if you push select and the next 4 categories show in the buttons.  Once you get to the end of the categories then you start displaying any user created lists.  To change and existin list you highlight it and push up, that puts yapfe into "edit" mode in which when you go through roms list if you push select you add or subract it from the list.  Doing it this way you can only add or subtract roms to a user list from the last category shown.  we haven;t figured out a good way to change categories with the navigation concept behind yapfe.  Anyway, that isn;t a big deal, usually what will happen is I or a friend will see a game and want to add it to a list.  Doing the above methos keeps that game on the screen.  To get out of edit mode you just go back up to the name of the list and push up again.  To start a new list there will always be a blank button available.  Goto it and push up to enter edit mode.  Being a new list you will be force to give it a name (limited by 10 characters, same method as the search for entering letters/numbers).

As you can see yapfe is geared for parties.  I just wanted it so when someone comes over they can start and manage their own list from within the FE.  And instruction card with the basic steps will be on my cabinet, giving my cabinet a more authenic feel:)  If we release the FE to the public (like I said before, unsupported, like partyon) I would probably have the IC available too.

[x-wing]

Favorite list.  Yeah, yoiu have that list helper, but AHHHHH, not user friendly:)  Again, comparison to my FE.  I can create a list on the fly.  

I'll explain how I do it just as a reference.
Yapfe right now works like this.   There is the pacman icon in the upper left,  that's the central point.  Then to the right is 4 "buttons" displays categories and user lists.
When pacman is highlighted if you push select and the next 4 categories show in the buttons.  Once you get to the end of the categories then you start displaying any user created lists.  To change and existin list you highlight it and push up, that puts yapfe into "edit" mode in which when you go through roms list if you push select you add or subract it from the list.  Doing it this way you can only add or subtract roms to a user list from the last category shown.  we haven;t figured out a good way to change categories with the navigation concept behind yapfe.  Anyway, that isn;t a big deal, usually what will happen is I or a friend will see a game and want to add it to a list.  Doing the above methos keeps that game on the screen.  To get out of edit mode you just go back up to the name of the list and push up again.  To start a new list there will always be a blank button available.  Goto it and push up to enter edit mode.  Being a new list you will be force to give it a name (limited by 10 characters, same method as the search for entering letters/numbers).

Well, I guess you can't get much more user friendly than that.

Do you think yapfe will have any other neat little shortcuts?  

[x-wing]

Just in case it wasn't obvious, the above was seriously tongue-in-cheek.  I couldn't program my way out of a paper bag, so the things you guys do just seem amazing.  Can't wait to see yapfe.

[SirPoonga]

Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but ypafe may not come out for sometime.  It's being made for just for my cabinet.  My cabinet is themed, like Roswell 88201 (http://www.arcadecontrols.com/arcade_roswell.html and http://www.arcadecontrols.com/images/Roswell_Frontend.jpg).

We may let it go out to the public.  If we do don't expect an easy setup:)  As it will not be supported.  We would release it for fun.  If you run win98 you'd need to get the latest Jet drivers from m$ so you can use the access2000 db.

[Howard_Casto]

(I wanted to put a quote from sp's post up here but yabb said my message was too long.  I guess I talk too much. )
 
Ok for public reference I'll go over these down the line.  Those are some great ideas btw.  

Lazarus already has full mouse support in a pont-and-click style.... you have to activate the buttons, though in the skin your making.  However It will never be fully act-labs comp simply because I don't like buttons and i use a left-click, right-click, double-click mwethod to navigate. I want my fe to remind you (however loosely)  of an arcade selection screen within a video game.  Arcade games don't have buttons, but windows apps do, so i try to stay away from them.

I've actually been contemplating on a recently played games list.  It would be easy enough to code, but I can't figure out where to put the darn thing.  As it's a special list I would like to keep it seperate from the rest.  

As you said I like the search idea and that will be added very soon.  As for the favorites list.  The list helper isn't really designed to make favorites, it's more for generating dat files for emus that lack dats, and adding pc games to a list.  This isn't well documented yet so I can understand the confusion.  Favorites lists are actually very easy to make.  You make a path entry in your dirs.ini and Then make the follwing search entry......  2=Pacman;2=Galaga;2=Street Fighter 2  
or whatever your preference until you've filled a list.  When you add a single game at a time it ignores the clones flag too, so you could say add all the mk parents and then add 2=Ultimate Mortal Kombat to add umk3 which is technically a clone but still has enough options to be a full fledged version.  

As for creating lists on the fly...  I can understand how some people would like that, but personally I don't.  I take a lot of time getting my lists just the way I want them and I don't wnat my goober friends coming in and screwing it up.  As a matter of fact I go to great lengths to do the opposite, that is make sure the major things can't be changed at run time.   The only thing that can be changed is the appearance, which is easy to set back afterwards.  

In another approach, what I've been thinking of doing is adding a recall button like on your tv's remote.  press the button and you zoom back to the last game played.  Press it again and you go back to your original position on the list.  

I like your idea of moving through categories though... I have a ocx that turns a label into a scrolling marquee.  What I could do is add a this with all of the list names and have to were if you click on a  caption it jumps to that particular list.  Again I hate buttons... I'm just trying to figure out a way i could do it without using them.  This would obviously be a mouse element though and wouldn't be included in my default skin.  

[)p(]

I like your idea of moving through categories though... I have a ocx that turns a label into a scrolling marquee.  What I could do is add a this with all of the list names and have to were if you click on a  caption it jumps to that particular list.  Again I hate buttons... I'm just trying to figure out a way i could do it without using them.  This would obviously be a mouse element though and wouldn't be included in my default skin.  

You could do that like I do as a variant on the highscore entry search...instead 3 letters horizontally you have the filters listed when you move the joystick and moving the joystick up and down scrolls through the options for that filter, for example the categories...works really well in my opinion...

Peter

[SirPoonga]

Arcade games don't have buttons, but windows apps do, so i try to stay away from them.

As exactly what I want yapfee to look like.  You misunderstood button.  Everything is a button in the term flash uses as a button, you can click on it.  Doen't have to look like a button, may not have borders, may even be just text.  Anyway, have to make it look NOT like an OS.

As for creating lists on the fly...  I can understand how some people would like that, but personally I don't.  I take a lot of time getting my lists just the way I want them and I don't wnat my goober friends coming in and screwing it up.  As a matter of fact I go to great lengths to do the opposite, that is make sure the major things can't be changed at run time.   The only thing that can be changed is the appearance, which is easy to set back afterwards.  

Hence there are lists you can edit and can't edit:)  I said why I want dynamic lists.  I want friends to create their own lists, so they can find the games they want and not screw up my lists.
The category lists in my FE cannot be changed.  But the favorites lists can.  The whole pupose of them is if I or a friend sees a game while scrolling through the list they can "bookmark" it in their own list.  Actually, calling them bookmarks would be better than calling them favorites the way I handle it.
A coupe of my friends love that idea nad have been testing the beta vcersions of my FE.  They think it is a great addition.


I like the category idea.

[Howard_Casto]

No I understood what you meant by the buttons.  I mean I don't want anything clickable that even remotely resembles something you should be able to click on.    You see real arcade games don't use a mouse, and thus I don't want Lazarus to LOOK like you can use a mouse.  It will support the mouse but in a transparent way.  If I made buttons that didn't look at all like buttons no one would be able to find them anyway.  

I understand the thing about the lists too.  The biggest complaint I got from the old rd was that the lists were hard-coded.  People didn't want special lists.  And I'll be honest now that i've swtiched to the filter system I like it a whole lot more. To make one fixed list even if it's just one, would be a step back. I might figure out soem way for people swtich between thier favorite games quickly but I don't really want to make a full fledged list as the game is already in a list somewhere.  

[SirPoonga]

I might figure out soem way for people swtich between thier favorite games quickly but I don't really want to make a full fledged list as the game is already in a list somewhere.  

well, maybe it could be an addition as a Virtual Directory.
What if someone could make a list, preferably with some tool that lists games and you can add to that list, and it is saves as a text file.
The definition would look something like

[path]
logo=
caption=Kevin's Classics
useclones=0
searchstrings:8=c:\mame\lazarus\user\kevins.txt
[/path]

So, it'd work with your filtering system.  

This would be VERY useful to even just do that.  I have a piece of paper in front of me with the names of some roms that I have run across but know I'd never remember the names.  That way the FE could keep track of them and I wouldn't have to remember what list it was in.

[Howard_Casto]

I could make a utilty like that but it seems a little silly.

How much simplier can you get than 1=bomberman or 0=mk2?

I mean yeah a list would be nice but where would you get the list from?  The only good way would be to read the masterlist.  But if your making a favorites list then you already know what yoru looking for (I hope at least).  Isn't it a lot simplier to type in the name of the game rather than scrolling through a list of thousands of games finding what you want?

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, as a matter of fact I like it, but it's something that I personally would never use, so I doubt I would ever go to the trouble of doing it.  

[SirPoonga]

Yeah, it is a text file, couldn't you just type the name of the rom in a text file too....
Trying to point out the obvious there.

But yeah, the 0= and 1= would do the same thing.

You are right, in order to make it useful you need a way from the FE to add it directly to the list.  Then a file like that would be useful.  That would just save steps.  And I know how lazy you can be  One would just have to add the rom to the list, not press the info button, write the romname down, quit lazarus, open notepad and the dirs.ini.  Add the rom to a vir dir.  Hehe.

[jaquer]

Here's something I would love to see:

It would be very nice to be able to set a playlist for background music while you are picking games. I have collected a good number of arcade-inspired remixes and I have them playing while I pick a game with GLaunch.

That would make this program even sweeter than what it is now. Oh, and a little speed would be nice too. Right now I have to tell people to wait a little after they have exited a game before the FE takes over again. (The zinc and U64emus are particularly slow to close).

Thanks Howard.

[Howard_Casto]

Here's something I would love to see:

It would be very nice to be able to set a playlist for background music while you are picking games. I have collected a good number of arcade-inspired remixes and I have them playing while I pick a game with GLaunch.

That would make this program even sweeter than what it is now. Oh, and a little speed would be nice too. Right now I have to tell people to wait a little after they have exited a game before the FE takes over again. (The zinc and U64emus are particularly slow to close).

Thanks Howard.

I've been playing with the idea a little, but I haven't gotten it to work reliably without slowing the fe down.  It will be added if I ever find a good way to do it.  

As for the exiting, I'm not quite sure what you mean.   The emus exit instantly and lazarus immediately takes focus once the emu has been properly closed.  I do code it to where you have to hold down the exit button for a sec though, just to confirm you need to exit.   (It can't have any lag because of the way I coded it.)  The wait your referring to is the time it takes the emu you closed to exit itself.  It would take just as long if you weren't using the fe.  The two emus you mentioned have to restore the screen resolution when they exit and that's the cause of your lag im guessing.  They restore the res even if it's the current desktop resolution.

(I just checked, they are indeed both slow to close, but i tried exiting both with and without the fe and it took exactly the same amount of time.  Remember for u64 you have to close the game, wait for it to close and then close the u64 interface.)


Oh and Sp.... if you code a utility i would try to integrate it... the same goes for that auto list configuration tool you said you were working on.   I'll even host it for you if you want.  

[jaquer]

Mmmm... that might be it. I might not be keeping the button held down long enough.

As far as exiting the game and pressing esc again to close the interface (for U64), I worte a tiny AutoIt script that launches the game automatically and closes the window as soon as you exit the game. I will send it your way so you can take a look at it.

Since you're online so late, I will take this chance to ask about the skinner app. Is there a reason why when I open a skin the background is actually off from what you see when you launch the front end? I don't know if that makes sense, I can send you a screen capture of what I mean, but basically the boxes don't show up  where you place them when you create the skin.

Thank again.

[Howard_Casto]

Thanks, but no thanks, I've already tried auto-it.  My wrapper elimintate the need for it, but of course your welcome to use it if you like it better.  

I think I know what you mean about the skins but send me a picture of both the skinner with the skin loaded and a screenshot of lazarus.  Better yet, if you have webspace post them and embed them in your next post.  

Im pretty sure if you have alignment probs then your running 98.  I'll explain why after I get the pics.  

[jaquer]

That would have been a good idea, right?

Here's what I mean:

Skinner app


Runing FE


And yes, the same happens with the original Lazarus skin:





Oh, I've tried resizing the image to 1024*768 to no avail. Right now it's 800*600 (the desktop size I run on my arcade). And I'm running WinXP Pro.

edit: I resized the images to 50% their original space to save some bandwidth.

[Howard_Casto]

Ok it looks like your using some kind of screen managment software.  The reason I can tell is because the aspect ratio of the skinner is slightly off.  Laz automatically fixes the aspect and aligns everything properly, the skinner, however does not.  it's only designed to run with itself at a fixed 640*480 pop-up window.  It almost looks like your screen is rotated.    Make sure you don't have any screen managment software enabled when you skin.  Possible culprits include the god awful geforce screen software, and very rarely powerstrip and scitech display doctor.  If that's not it let me know and we'll try to figure it out.  

I can tell you one thing though.  I coded the project in Xp.   Also to my knowledge this problem is exclusive to you, so I'm guessing it has something to do with your particular hardware or software setup.  Don't worry, if it's fixable I'll fix it.  

[jaquer]

Nope. None in the list. As far as video goes, there's no such program on neither my desktop or my arcade. Both run XP, same MOBO, same everything. The only difference between the two is the video card, one is an ATI Radeon 7200 (desktop), and the other an 8000 (?). Sorry, but I forgot the model. Anyway, the point is that if it's related to video then it must be one of the ATI drivers because the arcade box has zero programs on it except mame, the U64s, daphne and zinc. I will toy with the ATI display settings and let you know if I find anything.

So, nobody else who has used the skinner has reported this problem? Wow, this one will be interesting to track down.

BTW, do you want me to start a new topic, since this seems to be moving OT now?