Frontends

[tazfaedodge]

Starting to get ma finger out and build the new computer to run MAME etc.

Has anyone got any recommendations on a frontend that's easy to configure and will run fullscreen with a nice looking GUI.

Nick

The computer is a intel Core 2 1.8 I think 4GB ram windows 7.

 

[big10p]

Depends on a few things. Are you running this in a cab with a CRT? Do you want one with lots of bells and whistles (animations etc.)?

 

[tazfaedodge]

Sorry forgot that part.

Going back into my Naomi Cab, and yes would like as many as I can get.

I've joined another forum that lets you download upto 1gb a day (as a basic member) of artwork videos etc.

I did have Maximus Arcade, dodgy copy with keygen but can't find it and didn't really like the look of it.

Been looking at Hperspin but that looks like a right ball ache to setup.

Nick

 

[big10p]

Yeah, Hyperspin can be a pain, and is power hungry so I doubt your CPU is up to the task, TBH. I run MaLa in both my MAME cabs and am happy with it, despite it not having an update in years (there's still a support forum on BYOAC, though), and it has a few minor bugs. Good thing about MaLa is that everything is configured via a tabbed Windows GUI dialog, so no messing around editing .ini files.
big10p2016-10-06 20:27:12

 

[Shinydaz]

I've got maximus arcade on my pc in my Naomi cab, does everything I need it to and its pretty simple to configure.

 

[RygarR]

Hi Nick,

MALA is free, functional and relatively easy to use. There are some really nice layouts which allow for simple list based game selection that look good at arcade resolutions, as opposed to 1080p, or you can make your own. Another good alternative is Attractmode. It's not quite as flexible as MALA, but even simpler and easier to use.RygarR2016-10-07 00:20:52

 

[Flinnster]

I've been using 'AttractMode', as I just wanted something really simple and quick without getting too bogged down with user interface issues. My
custom one is a knock-off interface of a well known 645-in-1 jamma box -
made in about a week.

It has videos of each game playing, marquee art, flyer (behind the list) and the marquee area scrolls up to reveal game history information. AttractMode also has a reasonable screensaver automatically enabled, which plays game videos and displays screens of all the games on the list if no buttons are touched for a bit:

 

[ZedEx48K]

+1 for Mala

 

[tronads]

Im using Gameex on my Groovymame setup, not tinkered with it much....it did play video previews but I turned that off as I couldnt be bothered with them.... much happier now with still images.

 

[Hurray Banana]

Christ I still use MameWah with basic text lists

 

[Andypc]

+1 for Mamewah

 

[Hurray Banana]

+1 for Mamewah

Retro ftw

 

[chunksin]

Attract mode is dead easy to configure, you can use the Hyperspin wheel art images and have the game videos running full screen with cab, marquee and game name overlaid, pretty sure that was a built in theme, took about 5 mins to do.

 

[tazfaedodge]

Thanks for the replays.

I still have no clue what the hell I'm doing, but that's never really stopped me from doing things before.

I think I just want to have MAME on the cab and not to fanny about with having NES, SNES etc

I've been downloading the Snap videos for MAME (after joining the site from the people who make them).

All the files are marked for MAME version 0.166, but I have an older version of MAME. Will this matter or do I need to update it?

If so how do you update MAME?

Nick

 

[Flinnster]

Most front ends and mame just look in a folder and go off a filename, not a lot more.
So if rom names have changed, you can just rename the images/video files.

But I don't think you even need to bother getting that involved to be honest.

With attractmode you just tell it where your mame .exe lives, and where the roms are. You then instruct it to generate it's own ROM list from that folder information.

Once it's done that, you tell it to 'scrape artwork' - you can tell it which to scrape (from flyers, snapshot images + videos, marquees, cabinets to fan art). Then it goes off and does most of the work for you.

 

[minwah]

Christ I still use MameWah with basic text lists

Hah nice to know people still use it...

I use it too, but I'm biased as I wrote it!

 

[tazfaedodge]

Ok looking at using MAMEWah.

Was watching someones youtube vid about it but not too sure about some things.

Computer is going into my Naomi cab, using a Ipac2 to connect.

Do I still have to configure the MAME emulator? also Do I need to tell MAMEWah I'm using the Ipac?

Nick

 

[tazfaedodge]

Also forgot to ask what program to use to shell windows and boot it right into the FE?

I did have one but can't find where the hell I put it, also I've moved over to using windows 7 form XP.

 

[minwah]

Do I still have to configure the MAME emulator? also Do I need to tell MAMEWah I'm using the Ipac?

No, unless you are using non-standard key mappings. There is a file you can edit (/config/mamewah.cfg) to change the key mappings if you need to.

Also forgot to ask what program to use to shell windows and boot it right into the FE?

I'm not sure how to do that in Win7...you may need to do a registry edit (try Googling).

 

[tazfaedodge]

Trying to install MAMEWah and get a error message 'Required system files are not present - please download and install 'system.zip' from the MAMEWah downloads page'

I've gone there and downloaded it, when I run the setup file it says that the files it is trying to replace are newer than the files it is trying to install.

I've tried saying yes, it starts to run then says it can't find the file I point it to the file and it still wont read it/

I'm kinda stuck.

Running windows 7

Nick