The Return of the (Dragon) King: Wip

[Howard_Casto]

All good things must come to an end.  Before I retire from the front-end business this old gal has two more releases yet to come.  Expect the old girl to get a freash new update around the end of November.  This upcoming vesion will add literally everything a 2d front end needs, putting dk, once again at the top of the heap (like it ever left for people who actually use it).  Also known focus and sound bugs will be fixed.  

Spread the word, and let the super hype begin!

Edit:  Wip Important info is now at the bottom of this thread.

[Howard_Casto]

Note:  If you have a feature request, now would be the time to post it.

[Minwah]

All good things must come to an end.  Before I retire from the front-end business this old gal has two more releases yet to come.

WTF?!  I'm sure you have enough on your plate but surely you're a bit young for retirement...

I hope you do one of your 'stories' for the next release - always entertaining  BTW you said two more releases...so what is the final one, bugfix??

[PacManFan]

Why are you retiring from the front end buisiness? Dragon Kind is still fairly young. As a developer, you should know that an application is never truly "finished"

-PMF

[Demon-Seed]

Why retire.. you were the original inovator of front ends.. keep it going!

[Magnet_Eye]

Personally, I appreciate all the side projects HC does...I don't use the dragon king since i could never get it to work right on my PC. I am a happy mamewah user.

I hope you keep on bringing us cool side projects, games and other stuff.

 

[Howard_Casto]

I appreciate the kind words.  

I do want to clarify things though before everyone freaks out.

I'm not quitting from the community completely, I'm just not making front ends anymore.  There are a lot of front ends out there now similar to the kind I envisioned back in the day when I started all of this mess.  None of them are exactly like dk, obviously, but there are at least 4 or 5 really good ones out there, so I know if I quit now people will still have something nice to use.  Also after this next release dk will be incredibly stable and very feature rich.  Actually I've ran out of ideas.  The next version of dk will offer pretty much any feature you can think of for a 2d fe.  Short of going full on 3d I don't see anything more to add.  

Also I mentioned two releases, but actually it may only be one.  The theoretical final release will add 3d model support to the fe.  Currently the models, which were sculpted to make good w3d models (for 3darcade) aren't converting correctly.   After this next release dk will go into premenant limbo pending some new open-source info on the w3d format expected to surface after macormedia's recent change in managment.  

Will I continue to do side projects?  Of course.  Still have a lot of things to work on, especially the very neglected johnny5 controls.dat viewer, which will become my new primary project.  I also have some rather unique things I'm working on which I won't disclose at this time.  

No more dk?  Essentially yes, but then again, no.  I'm sure once in a blue moon I'll do a bugfix release or a quick patch if the mame source changes.  I won't throw it away, it's just bottom priority and fairly complete at this point.  I hope I don't insult any programmers by this comparison, but future dk releases will be like releases of arcade os or gamelauncher..... seldom, adding little to no new features, and unnoticed by the community as a whole unless it's a release that effects mame usage.  

No more frontends ever?  I can't answer that.  I will say this, if I do another fe it'll be for windows longhorn.  Since we won't see it for a few years, which is ancient in internet time, many of you will leave the community before I get back into this full time, if I ever do.

Why am I quitting?  It's not what any of you think.  Honestly, I just don't find it as fun as I used to.  I used to be excited to see my original ideas come alive, but at this point any idea I come up with isn't all that impressive as there are so many creative fes out there now.  The reward just isn't worth the effort at this time, and unless that changes, what programs and projects I do will be farily light and "selfish" until I find something that I enjoy doing again.  Plus, in internet terms, I'm getting frikkin old.  I remember when I started this the (then dos) fe developers already in place we kinda old ans set in their ways.  I don't wanna get like that so it's time to quit.... hopefully I'll start up again someday.  

Sorry to blab on so long, this just saves me from responding to one on one questions about the decision later.  

Finishing up, I'm not going anywhere, I'll just be over in the corner watching if you need me.  

[Howard_Casto]

I'm going to do something I never do, post a public wip of dk's progress.  I will still keep new features a secret, but I wish to post known bugs and their status as I complete them.  The idea is if you've found a bug that isn't on this list, you'll know to report it.  

Bug #1, Dk loses foucs (keys don't respond) when a list specific skin changes and a game is launched.  
FIXED

Bug #2,  Dk sometimes loses focus for no apparent reason when returning from a game.
FIXED

Bug #2, Fonts don't always scale properly, depeing upon the font and the skin version.
FIXED

Bug #3, Dk won't scale below 640x480 properly.
FIXED

Bug #4, Dk sometimes "loses" the soundfx for a list selection.
FIXED

Bug #5, Various minor bugs regarding the scrolling background element.  
PENDING

Bug #6, Vaious minor bugs regarding the dual display info screen.  
N/A  (This feature willl most likely be removed and my stand alone "dualie" app will eventually replace it)

Bug #7, Various minor bugs about resetting the skin.
FIXED

Bug #8, Incompatablity with some older cards (ati rage).
PENDING (been working on it, may actually be possible to fix)

Bug #9 My Internal Build ONLY  Sometimes you can now see the skin "building" itself due to code changed to fix the focus bugs.
PENDING

Any more (except video card issues and error messages caused by improprer settings) need to be reported asap.

thanks  

[Spaced Invader]

Howard,

I for one am glad you've reached a point in development of DK that you feel comfortable moving on to something else. For all practical purposes DK is finished and like my old pappy always said, "If it ain't broke, code something else"...well it was something like that. DK is great but its development takes a lot of your time. I'll be glad to see you focus that time on some of your "side" projects. Anyone who's been around here for a while knows you have tons of great ideas and having more time to focus on some of those will be great for all of us. I'm especially intrigued by your "dualie" app.

Anyway, congratulations...calling a piece of software complete is a major accomplishment. And Dragon King is a fine and very complete program.

[Shieldwolf]

But.. you...<tear>...no ... I think I may cry.
Well I love DK and I look forward to is Final incarnation.


As for  wishlists.

1.An easy to use or better yet an auto wrapper for other emulators. Something that would set them up for. (Here is where I get the wrath of the dragon).

2.Multiple backgrounds and mp3 play list or use of different mp3 for each emu.

Other than those two things. I have always loved DK.

[Howard_Casto]

1. Doesn't have anything to do with dk.  As I've said... side projects will still be worked on.  

2.  Dk already has different skins for each list, each of which can have their own background music, so that is taken care of.  If you mean within the same list, while I could add that, in my tests it made the screen disorienting when scrolling down a long list at rapid speeds.  

[Howard_Casto]

Bug #10  Sometimes the invisible cursor shows through at lower bitdepths.  
PENDING FIXED

Icon experts and developers please contact me if you have any clue how to fix this.  Dk changes it's form's cursor to a custom "null.ico" which is nothing more than a solid field of transparent color. This is the safest way to remove a cursor in windows.  (Or at least win98, xp takes care of it)  If you have any idea why the cursor would appear to invert the area of screen it covers at low bit depths please contact me asap.  

[papaschtroumpf]

Glag to hear Johnny5 is going to get more attention.
It is one of those "cool" projects that hasn't matures as fast as I would have hoped as an "end user"
Keep up the good work!

[MisterB]

I'm a recent convert to DK from MameWah, and there are a couple of features I'd like to see added:

1) A popup screen that lists all the various paths by caption name, allowing for quick selection of a path.  I have about 20 different paths set up, and navigating among them in a linear fashion via next/previous is slow, especially when different paths have different skins that need to be loaded.

2) An emulator-level configuration option for running something from the command line before launching the emulator, and after the emulator exits, before control is returned to DK.  This would be a more general approach to implementing things like MW's IPAC programming support, or in my case, a custom console controller selector.

[Howard_Casto]

1.) Something similar is in the works

2.) sounds like a job for a wrapper to me, putting that in would junk up the code too much imho.  

[Howard_Casto]

Not exactly wip related, but something I thought some of you might be interested.  

I recently heard from a user that got dk to work on a p.o.s. integrated graphics card made by intel.  It's the chip normally used in dell computers as well as several oem models.  This card doesn't have hardware acceleration, nor dedicated memory.  

What this tells me is that cards that have issues with dk aren't fully direct-x compliant as memory size and acceleration seem to be non-issues.  

Of course, it only worked in software processing mode.  

So long story short, if you were wanting to try dk but didn't have a good enough card, you may wish to try it anyway.  While it might be a little sluggish, depending upon your system, it could work and with a simplier skin it could work just fine on low-end systems.  

[Howard_Casto]

Update:

Per request, Dk now has a "Main Menu" list that is accessible via a hotkey.  It's not a simple "pop up list" rather a full-featured, fully skinnable, gamelist like any other gamelist in dk.  This removes the "ugliness" factor that kept me from adding it in the past.  Thank )p( for finally talking me into doing it.  

[GGKoul]

Having never used DK as my FE.  As I've recently moved from Mame32 to MameWah.  Just wondering if someone can list 2 or 3 of the keys differences between MameWah and DK?

Howard, keep up the good work and I can't wait to see what else you come up with.

[)p(]

Update:

Per request, Dk now has a "Main Menu" list that is accessible via a hotkey.  It's not a simple "pop up list" rather a full-featured, fully skinnable, gamelist like any other gamelist in dk.  This removes the "ugliness" factor that kept me from adding it in the past.  Thank )p( for finally talking me into doing it.  

GGKoul: main differences between dk and mamewah

1. it uses directx as its graphics engine. which makes it possible to do all kinds of fancy graphics tricks including transparencies, layering and animations. which enables it to make some geat looking skins.
2. it uses one big masterlist from which all other lists are derived usinf filters
3. it has dragons in it  


peter

[lucindrea]

Having never used DK as my FE.  As I've recently moved from Mame32 to MameWah.  Just wondering if someone can list 2 or 3 of the keys differences between MameWah and DK?

Howard, keep up the good work and I can't wait to see what else you come up with.

the number 1 reasion i went with DK is it's looks , every other FE i have seen all looked the same , a scrolable list of game names ... but their are other reasions , DK was made with both Visual Pinball and Daphne in mind n( well by the time i saw it , both were in )  , both are in my cab so having a FE that could handle both of those , mame , and just about anything else i could make a wrapper work with ( Howard has done wonders with some of the wrappers ) was a big concern for me

also because DK , Johnny5 and the wrapers are all by the same guy , they will all like eachother .. so ( in theory ) you shouldnt end up with a great FE that has everything you like , but crashes your system when j5 is launched , etc ..
i dont know about the other FE's , but just the fact that i have my full NIN "closer to god" as 1 mp3 in the background adds that little touch that give my cab that custom edge

oh , and it has a cool dragon  

[GGKoul]

Update:

Per request, Dk now has a "Main Menu" list that is accessible via a hotkey.  It's not a simple "pop up list" rather a full-featured, fully skinnable, gamelist like any other gamelist in dk.  This removes the "ugliness" factor that kept me from adding it in the past.  Thank )p( for finally talking me into doing it.  

GGKoul: main differences between dk and mamewah

1. it uses directx as its graphics engine. which makes it possible to do all kinds of fancy graphics tricks including transparencies, layering and animations. which enables it to make some geat looking skins.
2. it uses one big masterlist from which all other lists are derived usinf filters
3. it has dragons in it  


peter

Thanks for the prompt responses.


Just 2 more questions

- Is there a site that has these a bunch of DK skins for download?  

- How easy is DK to configure?  As Mame32 is quite easy and MameWAH took some time, but with all the tutorials out there, it was easy.

[lucindrea]

- How easy is DK to configure?  As Mame32 is quite easy and MameWAH took some time, but with all the tutorials out there, it was easy.

1. install dk to a dir
2. open frontend.ini and change any settings you want or need
3. open dir.ini and put the paths to the mame roms ,  etc..
4. run listmaker to create a master list for your ver of mame
5. run dk and have it scan for roms.

thats about it ... adding other emulators is just a matter of getting a dat ( or creating one with the datmaker ) , creating an entry in the dir.ini , creating a cfg file ( basicly a file that says "c:\game\game.exe -romname" ) and refreshing the list.


 i would suggest looking at the docs on the site ,  even sorting by type of game is fairly easy.

(edited because my spelling sucks )

[Howard_Casto]

Thanks for the prompt responses.


Just 2 more questions

- Is there a site that has these a bunch of DK skins for download?  

- How easy is DK to configure?  As Mame32 is quite easy and MameWAH took some time, but with all the tutorials out there, it was easy.

Dk skins are almost exclusively made by me and are on the site.  They aren't hard to make by any means, but for some reason no one really wants to share.    This is probably my fault as I don't work on the skinner as much as I should and I don't document skin changes.  You won't see a vast amount of skins like mamewah, but you also won't see a vast amount of skins that all either look fugly or like every other skin out there (unfotunately, like mamewah has curently).  

I'm a little biased... but In my opinion it's probably the easiest to configure given it's vast amount of features.  You'll get walked through the initial mame setup and after that, adding other emulators is as simple as  using the mame setup as a guide and changing the appropriate variables for other emulators.  What you'll notice about it over the others is instead of a lengthy config file for each emulator, you have two universal files which are a tad lengthy, but hold most of the global settings.  Individual emulator config files are seperate and quite tiny (like 5, obvious settings).  This makes setting up a new emulator as quick and painless as possible.  

[GGKoul]

Thanks Howard, I'll give DK a try over the weekend.

[lucindrea]

their is 1 thing i  would like to see

i have a rather large mp3 as my background/attraction sound ( it's a cd rip acctully ) .. when i play a game , the mp3 restarts from the begining , it would be nice if it paused when a game was launched then restarted agin .. that , or a list of mp3's and it moves down the list to the next one after each game , cycling back to the begining when it's done ( or random selection )

from a programing point of view , the cycling is probly eaiser to do  

[Howard_Casto]

It does a random song upon each game launch.... doesn't work if you only use one mp3 though.  

[lucindrea]

ah didnt know that ... guess i'll need to make several files .. but do they need to be named anything? or just be in the theme dir?


EDIT:

ok , just spent some time reading the docs .. ( yes i spent alot of time in the docs and thought i read them all but .. )

"If one song isn