FE automatic run and game load??

[Franco]

Are there any front ends out there that you can configure to run as soon as windows starts and then run a game as soon as the FE opens?

I ask because I am planning on hiding all of the windows boot screens and then hope to run a game straight off so that it apears that the cab is an actual arcade m/c if you get my drift.

Im using XP SP2 (and no front end at preset) if that helps

TIA

Franco

[youki]

You can do that with my front end.

AtomicFE

To run the front end directly when windows start. There 3 possiblities :

- put a shot cut in the Startup menu
- modify the "run" key of the registry
- modify the registry to use the front end as shell

To run a game directly, you can do that with a option of atomic.
Atomic has an option to run Random Game as screen saver for a given delay.
If you play with screensaver delay  , and delay of Game activity , Atomic will run a radom game as soon as you start your cabinet.

http://www.atomicfe.com

[screaming]

Other people have solved this problem using various frontends by making a batch file and putting it in your StartUp group (or adding the appropriate registry key as Youki said).

  The batch file would look something like this (you'd have to fix the paths for your setup though):

Code: [Select]

C:\mame\mame.exe puckman
C:\MAMEWAH\mamewah.exe

  When your system boots it will really just load MAME with a specific game, then when you exit the game it will go directly into MAMEWAH giving the effect that you're looking for.

-sab

[youki]

You 're right.  It is a easier solution and should work with almost all Front ends.

[Franco]

Ive got AtomicFE working well, quite a nice FE for a FE virgin like me!!

I could do with some help with sorting the batch file out to automatically start a game.

Im using mame32 at the mo, is this ok to use?

I want to run cadillacs and dinosaurs as soon as windows starts (rom name 'dino') and then exit to AtomicFE when I quit.

My mame exe is located E:\mame093b\mame32.exe

My rom folder is located E:\mame093b\roms

AtomicFE is located E:\Atomicfe\AtoMic.exe

I have found two StartUp files using search, I presume its one of these i need to use:-

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs

C:\Documents and Settings\Franco\Start Menu\Programs

Could someone possibly give me a step by step guide how to set this up using the information above?

Any help would be great, thanks!!

 

[Franco]

I could do with some help with sorting the batch file out to automatically start a game.

Im using mame32 at the mo, is this ok to use?

I want to run cadillacs and dinosaurs as soon as windows starts (rom name 'dino') and then exit to AtomicFE when I quit.

My mame exe is located E:\mame093b\mame32.exe

My rom folder is located E:\mame093b\roms

AtomicFE is located E:\Atomicfe\AtoMic.exe

I have found two StartUp files using search, I presume its one of these i need to use:-

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs

C:\Documents and Settings\Franco\Start Menu\Programs

Could someone possibly give me a step by step guide how to set this up using the information above?

Any help would be great, thanks!!

Can anyone help me or point me in the right direction?

I've tried searching but have had no results.

Thanks

[youki]

Hi,

So open your notepad and type :

cd \
e:
cd mame093b
mame32 dino  -skip_disclaimer -skip_gameinfo
cd \
cd Atomicfe
Atomic.exe

Save the file as  "StartupAtomic.bat"  (for instance).

And copy your  file in the :

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs   folder.

It should work.

But you shoudn't use Mame32 with a frontEnd, it is better to use the Windows Command line version of Mame.  (mame.exe)

You can find it on the www.mame.net , download page.

Hope it helps you.

[Franco]

Thanks youki, thats worked spot on! Ive got ditched mame32 for mame as suggested.

One question when using AtomicFE, the games are listed by there rom name and not the title, ie dino insted of Cadillacs and Dinosaurs. Is there anyway to display the titke instead of the rom name?

[youki]

Check in the MetaData folder.  check the File FullList.txt , if it is empty  , it is not good. (that cause you see rom name instead of game name).

I have a little bug in AtomicManager and sometimes it clears that file 

So, get again the FullList.txt file from the original distribution and copy it in the Metadata Folder.

or you can generate your own.

Open a command prompt (dos box) , go in your Mame directory and type :

mame -listfull > fulllist.txt

Then copy the fullList.txt in the Metadata folder of Atomic.


Be sure that in AtomicManager , the Metadata folder point to the metadata folder provided with Atomic.

It should solve your problem.