XLobby & Mame Arcade Machine

[Vintage1945]

Hello all...first I would like to say kickass frontend you guys got here!

I'll try to keep my first post as short as possible . I have been searching for over a year now for a frontend for my home built arcade machine. Of course its taken this long because it has been collecting dust and because I have some special needs. The main focus of this thing is an all-in-one entertainment center for my garage (which i have since moved to apt =/)

In order of importance --
Emu Systems: Mame32 / NES / SNES / N64
Multimedia: MP3 / Xvid / DVD / IFO / TV
Control: ATI Remote / Arcade controls / SNES controllers / Trackball / Keyboard

As you may gather I have a need for a highly customizable solution. I about crapped my pant when I saw the skin that included the EMU games screens . Anywho....I am hoping to customize XLobby to work as my windows shell and the ATI remote as my main source of control. The format is super sweet and its a great little project since you have do alot of configuring to make everything work together. I built this machine last yr when I broke my leg, and I have another brokin leg, so it's about that time to finish this guy up (im a dirt bike rider .

Any suggestions or ideas welcome! I will be sifting through all the content of this and other sites in the next few days and attempting to set this up.

Can we upload pic? I dont have them hosted right now, and would like to show the machine I built

Take care

[Vintage1945]

one more thing...in the screenshots of the nes and n64 etc screens there were shots of the games in there. Any ideas on where/how to get these? I am google'n atm.

Thx!

[jowaldo]

one more thing...in the screenshots of the nes and n64 etc screens there were shots of the games in there. Any ideas on where/how to get these? I am google'n atm.

Thx!

If you are talking about the screenshots in colbys skin, he made the screenshots himself.

I finally added a games/emu section to my skin, but I haven't done anything with screenshots, I don't have the patience to do all of them.

Getting coverart is enough work

[Vintage1945]

thx for the info, I might have to bribe him for those! I am going to try to find some script to take screens for these emus, but prolly have to do it manually.

[dgemily]

Hy Vintage1945,
We (the French team) are working on an emulator application. Right now we are building some big roms databases with a lot of information ( covers or screenshots, producer, year, genre, url to tips and soluces, description …) with the maximum of roms. Our application should scan your roms repertories and then recover the covers and build xlobby databases for every platform you have and with only the items corresponding to your roms.
These databases should be ready to use in xlobby.
In the first time, we are building databases for: Sega Genesis, Master System, NES, SNES, N64, GBA and Zinc. (we are using some tools to do it faster)
For Mame, we have already an application to do that automatically; look at Rom_To_Xml there : http://www.xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=13598#13598

This application (Rom_To_Xml) should be updated soon to add more covers and revised the structure of the xml databases building by it.

Anyway, I think is better if you can wait for our application, it will simplify the work….

Later,

dge

[Vintage1945]

wow, very nice!! I will be looking forward to that!

Quick question for someone who has setup a nes emu or snes emu in xlobby in the colby skin. I don't know the paramater to pass an emu to go to full screen automatically, and load the selected rom. Then there's the part of mapping a key stroke (or some other option) to send an exit command so you never actually see the emulator, and it appears seemless.

thanks for the help

ps: maybe i should be running dos versions of these emus???

[dgemily]

Quick question for someone who has setup a nes emu or snes emu in xlobby in the colby skin

It’s not me, but take a look to these posts : http://www.xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=13316#13316 and http://www.xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=12491#12491
You can download the eventsgroups to execute some emulators via xlobby.

in fact we use commands lines to launch games via xlobby.

Later

[Colby]

vintage, the hardest part of complete integration is finding the appropriate emulator. Most of the emulators can start full screen so you never see the program. As far as screenshots, most of them can be taken easily in the game too. (thats the best part, playing the game just to get a fun screen capture) Coverart is the hardest to find. My skin in particular doesnt even use box art, it uses labels so its even harder. I havent worked on my games for quite a few months. There may be a better way than I know.

[Vintage1945]

thx for the replies. This morning I got nes and ZSNES working almost perfectly. Cool thing about ZSNES is it allows you to map a key to exit the program, instead of using windows atl+f4.

I have been working on the snaps, and I can finally see this coming together!

More n00b questions to come thought I'm sure

[gamejester]

Your cabinet is looking good.
I too was going to build one of these boxes, just not got round to it, I have the bits (arcade sticks, trackball, etc...) and collected all the games and emulators.......it is on my to do list.
I can probable help people out with coverart, I have a complete MAME set, including cabinets, screenshots, history, etc.... everything MAME32 reports on.

I too broke my leg recently, and that is how I got into Xlobby, lots of free time now I cannot KiteSurf. I am interested how you got back out Motorcrossing again so soon, have you got metal work? I have an IM nail in my tib fib and have been told I cannot kitesurf until it is removed in 18 months! not happy.

[dgemily]

Your cabinet is looking good.
I can probable help people out with coverart, I have a complete MAME set, including cabinets, screenshots, history, etc.... everything MAME32 reports on.

Did you try Rom_to_xml ? is doing it automaticly.... looak at here http://www.xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=12491#12491
I wil try to update the tool soon (screenshots and xml structure)
Later,

[Vintage1945]

Your cabinet is looking good.
I too was going to build one of these boxes, just not got round to it, I have the bits (arcade sticks, trackball, etc...) and collected all the games and emulators.......it is on my to do list.
I can probable help people out with coverart, I have a complete MAME set, including cabinets, screenshots, history, etc.... everything MAME32 reports on.

I too broke my leg recently, and that is how I got into Xlobby, lots of free time now I cannot KiteSurf. I am interested how you got back out Motorcrossing again so soon, have you got metal work? I have an IM nail in my tib fib and have been told I cannot kitesurf until it is removed in 18 months! not happy.

Doh! Hope it doesnt take you that long! I am actually still out and on crutches atm. I have the rod in the big bone, and it seems to be doing ok after 4 weeks. I wont be riding again for at least 2 more weeks. I might not have the option of getting mine out since my bone is kinda meesed up, but we shall see.

Thanks for the MAME offer, but I think I have all of those. I downloaded 565 nes pics manually off of funcoland.com today if anyone wants them (8mgs) let me know.

I posted in another forum asking for SNES and N64 pics, if I dont get a hit, I wil be doing the same manual crap. I will check out the rom to xml and see what thats all about.

You should build your machine while your out, like i did . It's pretty easy if you have a power saw and a power screw driver. I had no plans, just a basic idea and eyed it out, not professional, but pretty nice for the cost.

I am actually going to be setting up xlobby for that box as well as a seperate HTPC, which is going to be nice. Once again excellent program!!!!