HOWTO: Simple MAME support

[SuicideDog]

Just wanted to share what I did to get my MAME working via GB-PVR.

First off my Rig.

P4 1.6
Nvidia Geforce 2 PRO (S-video out)
XP Pro SP2
Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2
512 MB Memory

GB-PVR 98.13

Downloaded MAME32FX from: http://mame32fx.altervista.org/download.htm

Extract the contents of the zip to c:\mame32 (or anyplace but make sure you specify the location properlly later in "Arguments")

Create a shortcut to mame32FXpp.exe in the same directory. This will insure that mame32 will start in the correct directory and not where your GB-PVR is installed (needed for mame ini, configs, roms)

In GB-PVR config --> plugins --> Custom Task -> Add

Button Name: Arcade
Executable: C:\windows\system32\rundll32.exe
Arguments: url.dll,FileProtocolHandler C:\mame32\mame32FXpp.exe.lnk
Description: Mame Arcade Games
(I don't have the Hide GBPVR button checked)

NOTE: In order for the Arcade task to show in the plugin list you must exit config and reopen it after you save the task.

NOTICE: I USE THE RUNDLL32.EXE TO EXECUTE THE SHORTCUT WE MADE EARILIER. Doing it this way executes the shortcut then returns to GBPVR (it doesn't wait for MAME to close). I haven't had a problem with doing it this way. The only other way I got it to work was using explorer.exe to call a bat file that cd'd in the correct directory then ran mame but it had an ugly dos box in the background. I might write a little vbs script to do this in the future but this way work fine.

Recommended MAME settings:

Allow joystick game selection
Map a button to "close game" under "Other controls".

In the logitech software create a profile for mame32FXpp and map a button to ALT-F4 (mine is Right analog joystick button press AKA button 12).

So I can use the remote to start it, and then joystick to navigate and exit MAME. I will prolly do the same for other emu's soon.

P.S. you can create a sub menu and dump all your emu's under it.

Once again this is simple MAME support. There are a couple of plugins that show promise but it looks like my programs is no longer supported and doesn't work with 98.13 GameX doesn't fully support mame yet.

Stephen

[SFX Group]

Hi

I like the looks of this BUT i dont get whats happening?????

Are you saying MAME runs INSIDE GBPVR?

Will this work on MVP units? (aka MAME on MVP?)

[SuicideDog]

This doesn't run inside of mame (although that would be cool). I'm not sure how MVP works but if it simply redirects the video to the remote player then it should.

I know cards like the PVR-350 won't work with MAME at all, but that is becuase of a limitation of the card. I can look into how the MVP works and let you know. I was interested in getting one of these so maybe it would work. I don't know how you would use a joystick or anything.

What I posted was a simple way to get Mame working with out installing any add'l plugins. It's not intergrated into GB-PVR. GB-PVR just calls an external program. I will mention that mame32fx does have the ability to display on different monitors.

I wrote this cuz there was not clear way on how to get mame working with GB-PVR 98.+

Stephen

[wtg]

I like your RunDLL technique of avoiding the ugly dos box. It's already got me thinking of a few other things I might launch from the Custom Task panel.

However, this won't allow access to MAME on the MVP. The MVP doesn't simply capture the PC's screen.

[SuicideDog]

After I posted I looked in what the MVP is. It's very cool but it will never be able to use external programs on it. It simply wasn't designed to do anything like that.

I would like it if sub added one more line in the gb-pvr config. It would be great to specify a start-in directory so I don't have to do this work-around. Although I can still see myself using the shortcut options for things where I need to set other settings like checking the box to make it run maximized and stuff.

I will eventually just create a vbs script that I can pass arguments to. But only if I need it. Like a I said this is quick and dirty and doesn't require any additional software. It should also work for just about any program that you have a shortcut for.

Stephen