easy way to setup mame?

[crabbymike]

I am new at this mame stuff and I decided to do a pc to jamma cabinet. I have a j-pac board wired up to my new controls and once I get my monitor issues resolved,I need to make sure I have all the right programs installed. My question is if there is a site or link to a (morons) guide to pc mame. I have been playing mame32 on my computer but once I get it on my cabinet then I was wondering what programs to have installed...in what order/folder so I can turn on the computer and it boots up to (what I think) is the frontend? I just want to get the basics going first,then I will research later so just the easiest way would help. All the stuff that I seem to find just doesn't have any good explanations (in normal language). I just don't understand inf files etc.
Thanx for any help!

[youki]

Hi,

If you want setup your cab very quickly , you could Try AtomicFE and his plug'n play modules.

What you need :

-A PC under windows , with correct video drivers installed.
-go to : http://www.Atomicfe.Com   and go to the download page.
-Download AtomicFE 0.16  , run the install program  and don't touch configuration.  (You can run Atomic.exe to check if it runs).
- The go to the "Plug'n play' page on the web site, and Download  Youki_arcade module or Angelcry_Arcade module (but NOT the arcade+  , this one is a little more complex in a first time)
- Install it.

then just copy your roms in the roms folder of the module.  And copy Snap shot (if you have) in the snap folders of the module.

Juste run Atomic.Exe ,  you should be able to run your games. 

Default key for basic usage :

PLAYER1_START :  Enter in a menu or run a game
PLAYER2_START :  Go back in a menu
PLAYER1_START+PLAYER2_START : exit the FE  (and if setting up  Shutdown the PC)


Then , you can customize your cab as you want.

If you want Directly boot on ATomic , the fastest and easy way to do that, is to put a ShortCut to Atomic.exe in the Startup folder of windows.

If you want the PC Shutdown when exit the FE , if you are using PnP Module , run Pnpmanager.Exe and check "Shutdown PC when exits" .

If you don't use PnP Module , to the same thing with ATomicManager.exe .

Using that way, you should be able to have a first set up machine in 5 minutes.

Hope it helps.

[loadman]

Welcome crabbymike

I recommend having a good read here......

http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Main_Page

And if you get stuck 'search' the posts in this forum, if that proves fruitless start a new post with your query

Good Luck and have fun