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FFE Beta 1 (by Mamu)
#318230 - 12/05/13 11:06 AM
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A new frontend in flash (!) for mame & clone is available:
So this is a EmuFrance exclusive, the very first beta of MAMu_’s FFE, his Flash MAME Frontend… It works with MAME (any MAME) and so far, only the PC version is released, a mac version will follow. Please be cool, it’s the very 1st beta, and it is far from beeing finished.. Anyway…
FFE is entirely keyboard controlled, but before launching it, you have to manually edit the config.ini and replace each line starting with « set » with your own values, where is mame, folders, options, etc… When that is done, just launch « Setup.bat » which can be quite long to operate, this will create each standalone batch file for each MAME reference, and will also extract the XML output from MAME, analyse it, modify it and mainly optimize it in order to be loaded faster in FFE…
You can copy all your snaps into the snap directory, uncompressed.
Here are the keys to operate FFE:
Up, down, left, right to navigate in the list, in order to go to next or previous page, the cursor must be on the very 1st or last entry on the page.
W will launch the selected game.
Space will change the navigation speed: game per game, page per page, or 5 pages per 5 pages (slow, fast, ultra)
You can sort the list by descriptions, or by zipnames (other options will follow), in order to do such, just type « S »
There is also a « Debug mode » which consist in a window (movable & shrinkable with the mouse) listing all the various variables for the selected game, just press « D » to show/hide this window.
You can laso display which game number is selected, and on which page you are by pressing « N ».
Last, if one of your snap is not displaid correctly in FFE, check if your snap has the correct size which is stipulated in the vwidth and vheight values in the debug window (« D »).
Enjoy, and once again, please be kind, this is only the very 1st beta of it…
http://www.emu-france.com/news/27639-mame-support-files-ffe-beta-1/
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Sorry for my poor english^^
エツ
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Re: FFE Beta 1 (by Mamu)
[Re: xibic]
#318232 - 12/05/13 02:28 PM
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Wanted to wait a little before posting it here, but thanks xibic...
Far from beeing finished, but I think it should work and be functional 
This is a very 1st beta, be kind ^^
Lots of things and options will be added, or changed...
ie: I'd like FFE to be able to change and save MAME options inside the UI, and not outside as it is actually the case, but not sure this can be done, at least with Flash which can't write to the disk (security reasons, which is a security user side anyway ^^) but this can be surely done if i look a little closer to Adobe AIR export way...
So if you want to beta test it... You're welcome
Edited by MAMu_ (12/05/13 02:29 PM)
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Re: FFE Beta 1 (by Mamu)
[Re: MAMu_]
#318290 - 12/06/13 05:24 PM
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I was looking for a frontend like this, but let the days flying, because i want to see a non-beta release.
Thank you.
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Re: FFE Beta 1 (by Mamu)
[Re: xibic]
#318328 - 12/07/13 02:40 PM
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Interface is nice but I can only go to the next screen from lower right corner?
Setup right now is terrible but since it's beta I assume it will be changed in later versions.
I hope in the future can be used in cab env. just like mamewah and it won't repeat mistakes from mGalaxy.
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Re: FFE Beta 1 (by Mamu)
[Re: haynor666]
#318339 - 12/07/13 06:39 PM
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"Interface is nice but I can only go to the next screen from lower right corner?"
Thank you for the nice interface
Yes, that is how I decided to design the navigation, next page from lower right corner, previous page from 1st entry... I had to decide if, when on last entry of a line, should FFE go to next page, or to next line... next line seemed to me better, in order to navigate game/game... you can still switch to fast mode or ultra fast mode using the space key, then from 1st or last entry, you will navigate page/page or 5pages/5pages... (see EDIT)
I will add mouse navigation later, perhaps for beta 2... then you will have a next or previous page button on left and right side of the pages, and mouse over a game will select it...
"Setup right now is terrible but since it's beta I assume it will be changed in later versions."
Well it's terrible, yes (i suppose you mean bad ^^, terrible in French can be used to say something is really nice :P, ie I loved kick ass 2, it's a terrible movie), but setup.bat is the heart of FFE, extracting, analysing, and optimizing the xml output from MAME in order to create txt files that can be read from Flash... Flash is able to read xml files, but reading mame output xml file (more than 150Mo) is too long when starting FFE, that's why i optimize it in a more easily readable txt file from Flash... This (analyse, optimize) can't be done inside Flash (in fact it could be done but each time you start FFE ! too long) as Flash can't save the result to your PC, Flash projectors can't write to your hard drive, security reasons...
Unfortunately, no, Setup won't change and will always be external to FFE (you have to run it only once when a new MAME is out, so that's not that terrible), except if I understand how to use Adobe AIR to export my project...
Explanation : for user side security reasons, a flash projector can't launch external files "with variables", and it can only launch files from the Fscommand directory, this is a Flash limitation. This to avoid a bad person to launch in exemple "format c: /y", "del files", or create a virus in Flash.
That's why i had to create each batch files externally from setup.bat with the parameters included in it before launching it from FFE.... Another security for the user is that you can check what I launch from the fscommand and analyse easily that I won't fuck your PC 
AIR programm created in Flash can launch external files with variables, and can even save files to your pc (a flash projector can't, so so far, i won't be able to create a screen to change options from FFE as these options can't be saved in a txt file on your hard drive...)
If you want to change only MAME options, edit the config.ini options line and run the "Change batch files.bat", it won't analyse again the XML part and will only recreate all the per games batch files, which is still faster.
"I hope in the future can be used in cab env. just like mamewah and it won't repeat mistakes from mGalaxy."
FFE is designed to be mame cab driven, but I don't have a Xarcade, nor a functional hotrod (mine is old PS2 hotrod, not usb), so the keys i have choosed to use so far perhaps are not the good ones...
I use direction keys (should be ok with a mame cab), W to launch (should be ok too), space, D and S (perhaps not suited for arcade cab inputs)... As I want to design it keyboard driven and usable in a mame cab, that's why in my opinion the setup beeing external is not really a problem, as you're not going to setup your cab each time you start it, just once, and when a new mame is out...
If you prefer to use other keys to navigate, I'd really like to know which ones... I won't be able to detect joysticks inputs, Flash can't do this but I'll check later if someone succeeded to detect these, so far i don't know how to, and from what I read, that's not possible...
What are in your opinion the mGalaxy mistakes...? I will try to avoid doing the same...
Anyway that is a very 1st beta, beta 2 is already on its way (no more infinite navigation on undefined games when at end of the list, more mouse control, and ability to choose your snap directory)
Thanks for testing it and for your report
EDIT: I will change the navigation in fast and ultra fast mode: page/page will be from any line if you are on 1st entry or last entry of the line, it won't go to next line, but this only in fast & ultra navigation mode
Edited by MAMu_ (12/07/13 06:47 PM)
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| CiroConsentino |
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Frontend freak!
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Reged: 09/21/03
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Posts: 6211
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Loc: Alien from Terra Prime... and Brazil
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Send PM
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Re: FFE Beta 1 (by Mamu)
[Re: MAMu_]
#318342 - 12/07/13 08:18 PM
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It's good start, MAMu_.
You should have seen Emu Loader's very first beta. It was a horrid piece of software. I was still learning to program in Delphi language.
Developing a software is nowhere near easy and you'll probably go thru many builds, optimizing and adapting the application as you develop.
>> reading mame output xml file (more than 150Mo) is too long when starting FFE, that's why
>> i optimize it in a more easily readable txt file from Flash
That's exactly the reason why EL creates a games list out of MAME's -listxml output. The file is way too big and it takes too long to read all the data from it.
If it was just to parse the game title, game name, clone of and driver status, EL could read the listxml file directly.
Parsing the ROMs list for each game is what takes time...
Keep up the good work, buddy
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Ciro Alfredo Consentino
home: http://emuloader.mameworld.info
e-mail: [email protected]
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Re: FFE Beta 1 (by Mamu)
[Re: CiroConsentino]
#318344 - 12/07/13 09:30 PM
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"Parsing the ROMs list for each game is what takes time..."
I don't extract the roms data, too long and unnneeded in FFE... I didn't want FFE to be a rom management programm, don't even know if i can call it a "front end"... it's more a user interface just to launch games in a nice way....
What i extract for each games can be read in the debug window, mainly name and shortname, manufacturer, driver, clone of, width and height of the driver, emulation status, and what type of game (raster, vector, fruits or mech)
And that's it..
Thanks for your interest, in no way i want to be something as complete as Emuloader, even if i will surely copy the way we choose in EL with the icons i did for you the way you choose how to sort the list between parents, clones, working/not working, vector/raster, etc...
BTW, if setup is that long to create the files, it's because ALL files are already extracted for next betas (check the fscommand/datas dir), all lists are already there, even if actually beta 1 only uses 2 of them (raster + vector, only working and no clones, sorted by description or zipname)
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| CiroConsentino |
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Frontend freak!
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Reged: 09/21/03
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Posts: 6211
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Loc: Alien from Terra Prime... and Brazil
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Send PM
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Re: FFE Beta 1 (by Mamu)
[Re: MAMu_]
#318348 - 12/08/13 12:22 AM
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EL is not a ROM manager either. I just coded a very simple audit feature so I can update my ROMs inside EL, but mostly to eliminate merged sets, which I hate.
I find current ROM managers too difficult to use.
>> ...don't even know if i can call it a "front end"
frontend = user interface (according to Wikipedia)
Don't be afraid to use EL features as a base for your frontend... even make them better in FFE. EL is free and open source.
regards.
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Ciro Alfredo Consentino
home: http://emuloader.mameworld.info
e-mail: [email protected]
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Re: FFE Beta 1 (by Mamu)
[Re: MAMu_]
#318376 - 12/08/13 12:42 PM
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Yeah, word horrible or bad would be better
Is there any option to resize snap previews ? Currently it's a little to small.
I don't mind if configuration tool will be standalone program, after all it's not used too much but in cab env. is better to run frontend and do config with it like like mamewah. For a long time I had only TV, PC, arcade stick and that's it but after some time I gave up and bought wireless mouse and keyboard. So if the frontend will required mouse and keyboard that's fine for me.
First configuration might even be long process but I would like to add option for custom rom list just like in mamewah where frontend add only those games that are found on disk. Right now FFU shows all games even those I don't like and generates almost 29000 bat files.
Is there any option to create or better import from mameui or IV-Play favorites?
BTW. I like manufacturers logos, I hope you will add more
Edited by haynor (12/08/13 12:51 PM)
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Re: FFE Beta 1 (by Mamu)
[Re: haynor666]
#318379 - 12/08/13 02:05 PM
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>Is there any option to resize snap previews ? Currently it's a little to small.
No, this would be too hard to do such per game, that's why i'm planning to create later some special snaps for each games, better centered and zoomed as it should...
You can still modify your snap file using an editor program to apply a zoom in these (but don't modify snap size or FFE won't display it correctly... select what you want (square), copy it over actual snap, stretch it to be full height snap and move it to complete left of the snap, should be ok... yes that will be long, but guess what, this si what i plann to do later and release sort of MAMu_ icons FFE edition for each games...)
>I don't mind if configuration tool will be standalone program, after all it's not used too much but in cab env. is better to run frontend and do config with it like like mamewah.
I'll see how to use Flex later... It has way more options than Flash projectors... joystick inputs, real full screen with no menu or right click, possibility to write to disk for options, etc... But this will come only when FFE will get out of its currently beta stage... As I'm better in Actionscript (AS2/AS3) and actually exporting with Flex gives me a few errors I don't wanna loose time checking at it...
>For a long time I had only TV, PC, arcade stick and that's it but after some time I gave up and bought wireless mouse and keyboard. So if the frontend will required mouse and keyboard that's fine for me.
Mouse support, navigation and selection will come later, joystick inputs if i succeed with Flex.
>First configuration might even be long process but I would like to add option for custom rom list just like in mamewah where frontend add only those games that are found on disk.
This will be done... list roms file you have in a txt file > extract values from XML according to what was found, then modify output as it is currently done for Flash.. but setup.bat will be longer again...
But this can be done actually if you are patient : add a pause in setup.bat after the 4 lines at start where you can read :
... > 0variables.txt
... > 1variables.txt
... > 2variables.txt
... > 3variables.txt
pause
(edit: the pause can be later in setup.bat, dunno exactly when, have no time to check, but later after some optimisations, perhaps just before the awk -num process... as this you will have less lines to remove, just check the two files copied at the end, this is these 2 files you'll have to modify before the num process...)
now run setup, when setup is paused, edit the 0 1 2 3 variables files at FFE root, and remove all lines corresponding to the games you don't want to see (i know this can be long, but you can create your own batch in order to do so)
Then unpause setup.bat
Setup will continue its process, optimizing, numbering, sorting...
When done, all games you have removed should be gone from FFE.
All the batch will still be created before that process, but that's not important as long as you can't launch the unneeded ones from FFE as the games list won't show what you have removed.
>Is there any option to create or better import from mameui or IV-Play favorites?
No but if you want to create a batch that would do this after the pause you added (previous answer), that can compare favorites file from mameui or 4play and my 0,1,2,3variables.txt, you're welcome...
I mean, how FFE works and its setup is not that hard to understand if you know cmd lines, awk and sed...
PS: I didn't know how to use awk and sed before starting to code FFE, so if i did not beeing a coder, i think that anybody can...
>BTW. I like manufacturers logos, I hope you will add more
Of course All logos except perhaps one or 2 that actually are in FFE were redone and vectorized by me... this is the funny and graphical part of developping FFE
More logos will be added...
And generic icons will be added too (if you don't want to use snap and leave snap dir empty, FFE will display a M from MAME for rasters (except for some exceptions, ie neogeo, CPS1, CPS2, etc..) , M with green edges for vector, a cherry for fruits games and a pinball ball for mechs)
Again, don't forget that it is only a beta 1... not even a real 1st release.. but to have a real 1st release, i needed some beta testers to see if everything was correct and that it was a good start... So thank you all for testing it
Edited by MAMu_ (12/10/13 03:15 AM)
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