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New Arcade Database

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SirPoonga:

--- Quote from: mahuti on December 09, 2005, 11:44:08 am ---I don't understand how your front end would be able to automatically decide which button configuration suits a particular game.

By reading the .ini files created when I do this mapping within mame, and parsing the info from controls.dat a front end can display how the keys are mapped to my control panel, and what they are called in game.

--- End quote ---
You'd have to ask the user if they use ctrlr files or not.  I forgot which version, somewhere in the late .70s or early .80s, mame changes their ini files from binary to xml.  If the use uses the tab menu you can read the ini files then.  They actually aren't ini files, but they use to be called that.  The files in the /mame/cfgs/ folder... same format as the ctrlr files.

sysrpl:

--- Quote from: 1hookedspacecadet ---
Suggestion on the Arcade DB

Can you hook up an RSS feed that alerts when content updates are made (approved?)


--- End quote ---

For the website, we have the registered user's control panel on the TODO list. We plan on allowing registered users to customize their own rss feeds. What we are in most need of at this moment is a team member with good webpage layout skills.


--- Quote from: 1hookedspacecadet ---
How is the "Top Games" list generated?  By views?


--- End quote ---

As of right now games are being ranked by scored votes, then views. Votes and views are unique per ip address and/or registered account, so that for one ip address equals one view or vote.

After the list matures ranking scheme may be modifed, but the details of how and when it will be modified will not be published, to prevent people from attempting to abuse the rankings. For example, we may make it so there there need to be a mimimum number of votes to count, or we discard a perentage of the high votes and low then average the rest.


--- Quote from: mahuti ---
I must not understand what you are trying to accomplish with that functionality.


--- End quote ---

I probably misspoke earlier. I am looking at our source code now, and what we have is mappings like so:


--- Code: ---  uint UI_CANCEL = DIK_ESCAPE;
  uint UI_PAUSE = DIK_P;
  uint UI_FRAMERATE = DIK_F2;
  uint START1 = DIK_1;
  uint START2 = DIK_2;
  //...

--- End code ---

Which are variables mapped to direct input key codes.

When the front end starts up it replaces these values as read from our xml config file. These values are used within the front end to change selection, move to a new menu, add to favorites, start a game, exit the program ect.

Also, using direct input allows the front end to be controlled from alternate input devices like a usb gamepad, be it hacked or not.

When a game is launched we pass the current orientation to mame as command line switches:

mame.exe -resolution WxH [-flipy][-ror][-rol]

But we do not change the mame ini files when launched, so the front end doesn't care about any particular game's input settings.

SirPoonga:

--- Quote from: sysrpl on December 09, 2005, 01:34:59 pm ---mame.exe -resolution WxH [-flipy][-ror][-rol]

But we do not change the mame ini files when launched, so the front end doesn't care about any particular game's input settings.

--- End quote ---
So if someone made a vector.ini file with different options that the mame.ini file (something I do) with your frontend I lost the difference?

Also, why are you using -ror/-rol instead of -autoror/-autorol?

sysrpl:

--- Quote from: SirPoonga ---
So if someone made a vector.ini file with different options that the mame.ini file (something I do) with your frontend I lost the difference?


--- End quote ---

Mame reads mame.ini and later vector.ini. The settings in the later ini will override previous, but only when values are present, and I believe only for vector games. I don't see a problem.


--- Quote from: SirPoonga ---
Also, why are you using -ror/-rol instead of -autoror/-autorol?


--- End quote ---

Our front end can be rotated in 90 increments. When mame is launched, the front end passes the [-flipy][-ror][-rol] switches to get mame to match it's rotation.

Nipedley:
Hmm.. databases that go by rom name rather than machine name put me off them, for example there is no "Megatech" page just a bunch of useless megatech game's pages like Golden Axe etc..

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