Bezel artwork feature?

[pragma]

Hello all,

I read a snippet on another site about how fantastic the bezel artwork feature is for some games with complicated gameplay. Apparently, people build transparent image files with either genuine bezel art or specially preparent game play instructions, and then MAME will display the game "within" this software-bezel.

Unfortunately, as great as this sounds, I can't find any information on this feature. Can anyone comment on it and even better point me in the right direction?

TYVM

Paul

[Howard_Casto]

go to the mame homepage and go to artwork

[Chris]

Wow... that is so blazingly obvious but I never thought of using the artwork system for instructions!

Doh!

--Chris

[pragma]

Chris,

Yeah, I totally agree with you on that one. The official MAME artwork is more about presenting the actual machine's artwork where it was present (like in Space Invaders). This is great and all, but it wasn't what I had in my mind's eye when I posted.

Most games in an arcade have labeled buttons and instructions somewhere on the cab (sometimes on the bezel, sometimes on the CP) and these really do facilitate having fun on your first few games.

I found this nice collection (not the same as the official MAME one?) here: http://www.mameman.it/immagini_extra/ and this collection that actually does appear to focus on game play instructions here: http://drkcpc.free.fr/DMB/index3.html.

Cheers
Paul

[Jakobud]

Too bad the bezel overlays reduce the size of the game screens so much

[pragma]

True, but with a key mapped to toggle it on and off, you can start every game with it on, and when you have the hang of it get rid of it. It would work fine for me... then again I have a 21"  mounted in my box so maybe I have an advantage over some out there?

Also, for horizontal games, I've got a lot of real-estate currently not in use at all. This could be put to great use with artwork instructions imho.

Paul

[jets]

True, but with a key mapped to toggle it on and off, you can start every game with it on, and when you have the hang of it get rid of it.

I haven't heard of this feature...whats the command for that?

This seems like a great idea. My 1st idea was to manually edit the History.dat file and add info about the controls like fatalities or combos. Then I could just pause and check the info and get back into the game. Of course the best part of this way is that you can add alot of info where as the space you have on a bezel is limited.

[Howard_Casto]

The artwork system really works best with a huge arcade monitors or tvs.  I have a 27 inch tv in my cab and as most arcade monitors were a mere 19 inches turning on the artwork bezels displays the game in actual scale with an actual scaled bezel.  It's very cool....