AtomicFE support

[Havok]

While Youki is on vacation, I'll help out where I can with Atomic support...

[youki]

Thanks Havok! 

[daywane]

On the EE board some one is asking for funds to help on a trip to France.
stated he knows a bit of french....
I offerd $20.00 for himif he helps out on the french translations.
Hope other will help kick in and maybe we can kill 2 birds with one stone 
Pass the hat ?

[Havok]

I am going to start working on a completely new document for setting up Atomic - the one that comes with the install is way out of date. Keep your $20!

FYI - I translated the readme.txt document!

What documentation are you referring to that isn't translated?

[daywane]

( I do know you did the docs ) ( thanks)
Atomic Key manager is still in french
I am having problems finding all that is frech but if you start digging into Atomic and playing around with it , the menus are in french
I start atomic Key
I assume Quitter sana sauver means exit?
appuyer sur la touch qui correspond a: ( the A has a slash on top of it)
?

I could swear there was more but I guess thats all i can find now.

[Havok]

I assume Quitter sans sauver means exit?

Quit without saving

appuyer sur la touch qui correspond a: ( the A has a slash on top of it)
?
I could swear there was more but I guess thats all i can find now.

Press the key that corresponds to: (not a literal translation, but it flows the best for English)

The other button (besides Start) is: Save and Quit - Sauver et quitter.

I'll be including this in the completley new documentation that I am working on...

[daywane]

 
Thanks.... hope I did not sound like I was steping on you work.
I did not mean it to sound so.
I am just trying to help. 

[Havok]

No problem!

Just trying to save you $20 - you need it to upgrade your internet service. You're still on dialup, aren't you?

Ouch!

I just got Fiber Optic service - love it!!!

[MYX]

Hey Havok, I was about to go and post on the Arcade Fever site when I saw this. As you know I have been bainging my head against a wall trying to get Atomic FE to just work. It just never would do it's thing. I decided to start over. I re downloaded it and did a fresh install. I am not sure what happened the first time, but I am able to make it start now. Yay! So I threw in a few ROMs and they showed up. Yay! I am able to start the FE and then go into Arcades and select a game. This is where is all falls to pieces. Once MAME begins, I have absolutly no control what so ever. It is like MAME totally ignores the joystick. In AFE the joy controles up and down motion no problem so I know AFE sees the joystick.
I am using Joy2Key and have set up a Tab button, escape, pause (P) a 1 and a 2.  Obviously AFE sees the 1 & 2 because I can navigate inside AFE menus. Once MAME starts I hit the tab and have no reaction at all. Tab...nothing, esc...nothing. Joystick for ok...no go. So I am not sure where to go from here. I am using a GPWiz49 with 49 way joys.
I had to grab the keyboard and get out of there. Dunno what to do.

Your thoughts?

[gonzobrian]

Have you tried mame from a command prompt?  Does it see the joys then?

[headkaze]

Because I can navigate inside AFE menus. Once MAME starts I hit the tab and have no reaction at all. Tab...nothing, esc...nothing. Joystick for ok...no go. So I am not sure where to go from here. I am using a GPWiz49 with 49 way joys.
I had to grab the keyboard and get out of there. Dunno what to do.

Tab not working in Mame? Check out this thread

[Havok]

Good call - let us know if that doesn't work...

[daywane]

No problem!

Just trying to save you $20 - you need it to upgrade your internet service. You're still on dialup, aren't you?

Ouch!

I just got Fiber Optic service - love it!!!

stuck out here in the country... No other sevice available... 28k
Kills me... I put fiber optic around  Phoenix Az and Bull head city NV
( to all you people out there... you are welcome.)
Here in KY the stupid Goverment still put up Telephone poles 
even said it would take 20 years to put lines under ground.
Yes it would if one person did it with a shovel 

[MYX]

Have you tried mame from a command prompt?  Does it see the joys then?

I have always used MAME32. I am about an idiot when it comes to dos or the like. It does work from PowerMame32

[MYX]

Because I can navigate inside AFE menus. Once MAME starts I hit the tab and have no reaction at all. Tab...nothing, esc...nothing. Joystick for ok...no go. So I am not sure where to go from here. I am using a GPWiz49 with 49 way joys.
I had to grab the keyboard and get out of there. Dunno what to do.

Ok just read this. This is a brand spankin new version of MAME. I have not modified any of it. with the keyboard I did tab and it did go into the config.

Tab not working in Mame? Check out this thread

[gonzobrian]

So does your tab button work in notepad?  Also I do not know how the 49 way stick is controled but my guess is power mame had that feature built in.  If so the new version of mame32 would have no control for the 49 way stick built in. 

You should set up several number keys in joytokey and see if they show up in notepad when you hit the button.

[headkaze]

So does your tab button work in notepad?  Also I do not know how the 49 way stick is controled but my guess is power mame had that feature built in.  If so the new version of mame32 would have no control for the 49 way stick built in. 

You should set up several number keys in joytokey and see if they show up in notepad when you hit the button.

He just said it worked...

I did tab and it did go into the config.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Just trying AtomicFE for the first time and I'm having an extremely weird issue. (on my PC, without arcade controls)

My menu selecting bar stays at the top of the menu. The Up or Down arrow doesn't work to select games, but if I hit the right arrow
the selection bar jumps down about 5 games, then RUNS back up to the top of the menu. So I effectively can not select anything.

What's up with that?


mrC

[gonzobrian]

So does your tab button work in notepad?  Also I do not know how the 49 way stick is controled but my guess is power mame had that feature built in.  If so the new version of mame32 would have no control for the 49 way stick built in. 

You should set up several number keys in joytokey and see if they show up in notepad when you hit the button.

He just said it worked...

I did tab and it did go into the config.

True enough but what he said was "with the keyboard I did tab."  That does not show that the GPWiz49 that he is using has tab mapped correctly with joytokey. 

[MYX]

So does your tab button work in notepad?

Yes. Tab, Enter, 1 & 2 and P all show up.

Also I do not know how the 49 way stick is controled but my guess is power mame had that feature built in.  If so the new version of mame32 would have no control for the 49 way stick built in. 

Yes, powermame was set up for the GPWiz. But, If it shows up as a game pad, the buttons should at least register though right? When I hit tab on the keyboard (because the joy2key wouldn't do it) I tried to map some of the gpwiz buttons to some of the listed in the UI. Nothing would register. It was like I was not even connected.

[gonzobrian]

So does your tab button work in notepad?

Yes. Tab, Enter, 1 & 2 and P all show up.

Also I do not know how the 49 way stick is controled but my guess is power mame had that feature built in.  If so the new version of mame32 would have no control for the 49 way stick built in. 

Yes, powermame was set up for the GPWiz. But, If it shows up as a game pad, the buttons should at least register though right? When I hit tab on the keyboard (because the joy2key wouldn't do it) I tried to map some of the gpwiz buttons to some of the listed in the UI. Nothing would register. It was like I was not even connected.

OK just to be clear do any of the buttons you have mapped with joytokey show up in notepad when you press the buttons connected to the gpwiz49, not the keyboard?

[MYX]

Yes. This is correct. The joy2key does make these things appear in notepad..NOT the keyboard, but the keyboard works in notepad too.

Again, it works in AFE but when AFE launches MAME it does not.

[gonzobrian]

So if you launch MAME32 with out atomic, do the buttons work?  If no the problem is with MAME32.  If they do work them I'm stumped.

[MYX]

I have not tried with straight MAME32, I used PowerMAME32. Tomorrow I will download regular MAME32.

[Havok]

Just trying AtomicFE for the first time and I'm having an extremely weird issue. (on my PC, without arcade controls)

My menu selecting bar stays at the top of the menu. The Up or Down arrow doesn't work to select games, but if I hit the right arrow
the selection bar jumps down about 5 games, then RUNS back up to the top of the menu. So I effectively can not select anything.

What's up with that?


mrC

Sounds like a sticking key, or perhaps you have multiple keys mapped to the Up function. Try opening Notepad and typing some text, enter down a couple of lines and see if it goes back up. If it doesn't, then perhaps the mappings are wrong.

Run AtomicKeys.exe and press the key that you would like to map to the functions, and then try running Atomic. If the problem persists, try deleteing atomicfe.key and any .mem files in the Atomic folders.

[Havok]

Yes. This is correct. The joy2key does make these things appear in notepad..NOT the keyboard, but the keyboard works in notepad too.

Again, it works in AFE but when AFE launches MAME it does not.

Can you open the admin menu when in Mame (Tab) and then define the action? It may just need to be mapped...

[MYX]

Tried that. Had to hit "tab" (on the keyboard bacause the CP would not work) then once in the user interface, still no input from the CP. I am probably going to have to do something like this.
I am hoping not, as it means burning more brain cells than I have at the moment. I will have to wait until work lightens up first. 

when I am using PMAME32 and hit tab I go right in and am able to get anywhere I want to go no problem. Well the only problem is that it is MAME32 not the AFE. But, I will patiently wade through the muck to make this thing work.

[Havok]

Yeah, looks like you will have to call a batch file to setup the joysticks. On the plus side, Youki is considering putting in native support for the 49 ways. We'll have to ask nicely, and perhaps see if we can get a pool going to get some hardware sent his way so he can integrate with Atomic...

[MYX]

Was reading the 49 way thing this morning. and found this...

FRONT END REQUIREMENTS - Basically, any frontend that supports batch files instead of .exe files, or supports launching an application and sending the romname to the application.prior to launching MAME can use this method.  If your frontend does not support this, you will have a very difficult time getting this to work.  Also, it is better if your frontend supports gamepad control.  EmuLoader does not support this, but if you have a desktop controller, you can use your mouse/keyboard to select games and then have the software change GPWiz49 mode settings for you.  You can also use support programs to make the GPWiz49 behave like a keyboard encoder and then use it with these frontends.

How does this relate to AFE? I have not gone deep enough into AFE to know if you can launch batch files. But I would have to think it would.

[MYX]

Yeah, looks like you will have to call a batch file to setup the joysticks. On the plus side, Youki is considering putting in native support for the 49 ways. We'll have to ask nicely, and perhaps see if we can get a pool going to get some hardware sent his way so he can integrate with Atomic...

That would be Suhweeeeeeeet! I will throw in some $$.  Is it Oct. 6 yet?!? Should check to see if Randy might be in for helping.

[Havok]

Was reading the 49 way thing this morning. and found this...

FRONT END REQUIREMENTS - Basically, any frontend that supports batch files instead of .exe files, or supports launching an application and sending the romname to the application.prior to launching MAME can use this method.  If your frontend does not support this, you will have a very difficult time getting this to work.  Also, it is better if your frontend supports gamepad control.  EmuLoader does not support this, but if you have a desktop controller, you can use your mouse/keyboard to select games and then have the software change GPWiz49 mode settings for you.  You can also use support programs to make the GPWiz49 behave like a keyboard encoder and then use it with these frontends.

How does this relate to AFE? I have not gone deep enough into AFE to know if you can launch batch files. But I would have to think it would.

You can specify a command line for a specific ROM in AtomicManager - in version .18, it is located under the Advanced tab, and then under the Exception tab.

In version .17 and below, it is located just under the Advanced tab.

[MYX]

So you would have to set this up for each ROM individually?

Please call Youki...Vacations over man! get to work. 

[Havok]

Yes, looks like it. Most likely there is a ini file in PowerMame that does the same thing, except automatically. You would have to call the Gpwiz49.exe and specify the mode for that game. I would think it would be fairly easy for Youki to add support for that.

I can take a look at the PowerMame files - I don't see them on Unappliedbraincells.com - is there another place to download?

[youki]

Hi,

I'm back from vacation.  I quickly read the thread (i have tons of thing to read after 15 days without email and web).

FRONT END REQUIREMENTS - Basically, any frontend that supports batch files instead of .exe files, or supports launching an application and sending the romname to the application.prior to launching MAME can use this method.

Atomic 0.17 supports Batch files so it should work.  I don't have the hardware your are spealing about , but , i think you could do a bat  named for instance "RunGame.bat" like :

GPWIZ49.exe %1
Mame.exe %1

and make point the "default emulator" field in atomicmanager to RunGame.bat instead of Mame.exe.

But anyway wait Atomic 0.18 (will be release this week)  , there is a special configuration tab to run external application with parameter (like rom)  before running the emulator. So it will be a nicer way to use the thing.

[headkaze]

wb youki good to have you back on the boards

[Havok]

Finally got some time to look at how Powermame does the GPWiz config, and it's something that shouldn't be too hard for Youki to add, (if he wants to), but not just a quick fix. The problem is that if you switch games from one setting to a different one, there isn't an easy way to update the GPWiz.

If I understand it correctly, Powermame internally sets what type of controls each game has (at least 800 of them anyway - the rest use the default setting) and when it runs a game, it queries what type of control it is. Based on which one it is, it then sets the mode before starting the game.

The problem with firing off an executable before the game with Atomic is that you are stuck in that mode. The only way around this I can see with Atomic the way it is is to manually set each game by specifying a unique command for each rom.

I suppose you could add support for a couple and do the old notepad find and replace method, but there doesn't appear to be an easy way to add this.

It's all up to Youki!