115 replies to this topic

[Tempest]

Marquee Magician 2.0
 Marquee Magician v2.0.7z   604.25K   34 downloads

Videos of cabinets using Marquee Magician:



What's New?

1. Added a new set of commands to 'Nudge' windows. You can make a window larger, smaller, and move the image 1 pixel at a time to fine tune your layout.

2. Added the ability to edit an existing system so that you can make adjustments. If you edit a system, it can only be saved using the current template, and system names.

3. Marquee Magician will now change the resolution for you for emulators that won't run at your desktop resolution. Previously, Marquee Magician would display the images, then the emulator would start and change the resolution, which would move the images on the second monitor. This should fix that problem. Use {Ctrl-R} and enter the resolution for your emulator. All 4 values are required.

4. Once you copy an window, you can paste it multiple times without having to copy the original window again.

5. If you hover on an image, the path to the image is displayed in the upper left hand corner of the window. This is handy for windows with folders.

6. Added {Ctrl - Z} to undo. If you accidentally hit the wrong keys, Undo will put everything back the way it was.

7. Many improvments to enhance reliability.

8. Marquee Magician is now command line only. Usage: C:\Users\Matt\Desktop\Marquee Magician\Launch MM v2.0.exe "System" "[Rom]" where System is the name of your template, which can be found in the MM.ini file between []. EG. [Nintendo 64]

Example:
For Mame, Using 'Advanced Mame Settings (2) / Run on Launch' I have: "C:\My Marquee Magician\Launch MM.exe" "MAME Games" "[Rom]" and in the 'Run on Exit' I have: "C:\My Marquee Magician\Launch MM.exe" "GameEx"

I only have one parameter in the 'Run on exit' because I only display static images while in GameEx.
You can also use "C:\My Marquee Magician\Launch MM.exe" "Kill" to clear the screen, and not display additional images.

Marquee Magician will automatically close, and clear the screen upon exit of GameEx.

I have included my templates, MM.ini, and GameEx.ini for you to see how I set it up.

Just so nobody gets confused the setup program is now called 'Template Creator'


Marquee Magician 1.37 - Added support for HiToText.


Marquee Magician 1.35

Added ability to customize statistics window colors. If you are an existing user, you will not have to re-do your templates. Run the setup program, Use {Ctrl G} set your colors, click ok, and exit the setup program.

 Stats.jpg   16.22K   101 downloads




Marquee Magician 1.1

Added "Create Composite Images" option to the setup program.
Marquee Magician can now merge multiple images into one image. To do this, first set up a template, and assign it to an emulator. Use {Ctrl}{PrintScreen} to select the composite image option. You will be asked to select an emulator, the location of your roms folder, and a folder to put the new images into. It takes about 2 seconds per image on my laptop to create an image.
Hopefully, people with only one monitor will find this useful as a way to display more than 3 images in GameEx.
This image was created with Marquee Magician (the actual image quality is better, using the .png extension.)
 3stooges.jpg   582.44K   219 downloads


Marquee Magician 1.0

Marquee Magician is a program to display images on a secondary monitor.
An example of what Marquee Magician can do:
 tetris.JPG   559.24K   367 downloads

Top left: CPWizard showing controls for this game
Top middle: Cpanel image of this game (leaves no doubt as to the proper controls for the game)
Top right: CPWizard image of the Admin buttons to run the emulator
Bottom: Marquee for this Game

This is sweet! Anybody could walk up, and run the cabinet with the directions displayed on the monitor!

I probably should have shown Tempest in the Picture.

How to use Marquee Magician:

You will need to download IrfanView, and put a copy of i_view32.exe into the Marquee Magician Folder.
After Irfanview has been installed, run the Marquee Magician Setup 1.0.exe. (The setup program can be used on a system with only one monitor, however to be able to display the grahpics in GameEx, you will need two monitors.) You will see this Menu:

 Main_Menu.jpg   31.07K   214 downloads

This shows all of the commands that can be used. Also note that you can right-click to get a menu with the same options.

The setup program is used to create a pattern of images (Templates) that will be used in GameEx. Here are the steps that might be used to create a template:

 Image1.jpg   45.79K   109 downloads

I have opened two windows using {Ctrl} O. The one underneath is a single (static) image, the one on top is a folder of images to be displayed based on the rom name. When using a folder of images, you will be asked to select a backup image in case an image matching the rom name can not be found.

 Image2.jpg   63.76K   66 downloads

{Ctrl} {Up} is used to equally space any images touching the top of the screen. In this case, I have two images so I get two images of equal width. If I had three images at the top, I would get three images of equal width, and so on. {Ctrl}{Down}, {Ctrl}{Left}, and {Ctrl}{Right} will perform the same function on their respective edges of the screen.

 Image3.jpg   64.42K   45 downloads

I used {Ctrl}{Left} to make the image on the left full height, since there is only one image touching the left side of the screen. I could have just manually resized the image as well. This might be a good time to note, that if you try to drag an image off of the screen, it will snap back onto the screen. This is handy to get an image to touch the edge of the screen, just drag it off, and it will snap back to the edge.

 Image4.jpg   67.98K   36 downloads

Here, I have resized the folder window, and dragged it to the upper right corner. Then I used {Ctrl} O again to open a new window. This time I chose to open a statistics (stats) window, and I manually dragged the stats window to the top, and against the picture on the left. While using the setup program, the stats window doesn't do much, but when in GameEx, it will show real time information about your system. The stats window will be opened the minimum size that it needs to be, to display the items that you have chosen. You can make it bigger if you need to fill space, but if you try to make it smaller, it will be re-sized to it's minimum size. I should also mention that Irfanview has a minimum size as well, and will be re-sized to the minimum if you try to make it too small.

 Image5.jpg   72.62K   50 downloads

To get it to look like this, I clicked on the folder window, and used {Ctrl} C to copy the folder window size, then I clicked on the stats window, and used {Ctrl} V to paste the size to the stats window. Then I copied the folder window again {Ctrl} C, and then clicked on the stats window, and used {Ctrl} W to fill the space in between the two windows, by making them equal in width. {Ctrl} H does the same thing only it makes the Height equal.

 Image6.jpg   89.74K   59 downloads

All I did here was to open another window, and re-sized it manually to fill the remaining screen area.

 Image7.jpg   7.66K   57 downloads

Next, use {Ctrl} S to save the Template. In our case we want to assign the template to an emulator as well.

 Image8.jpg   12.76K   45 downloads

If you have any existing templates, you can choose to overwrite an existing one, or type in a new name.

 Image9.jpg   8.99K   42 downloads

All emulators that you have enabled in GameEx will be listed. Click on an emulator, and then "OK". After the template is saved, you can {Ctrl} Q (Quit), create a new template from scratch, using the methods outlined above, or {Ctrl} L to load an existing template. If you like the layout of a template, you can re-use it for multiple emulators, you just have to choose new images for each emulator.

This software is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 license
http://creativecommo...nses/by-nc/3.0/

[fRequEnCy]

Great job Tempest! You have been contributing some great tools to the community. Keep scripting!

[DamageCase]

Good on ya Tempest

Now if only you could get something like this a lot cheaper:
LCD Panel

Would be just about perfect ratio for marquees and an easy mount onto a cab

[Tempest]

You can get a 22" widescreen monitor for $170
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...p;Sku=A179-2240

I realize that in these times, it is not (nor should it be) at the top of anyones list to buy one though. I am fortunate in that they have a rewards program at the lumber yard. For every $1 I spent, I got a point. I got my WII, and the monitor from there. A few years ago, my lumber bill was $50,000 per month. Last month it was $200 . I still have enough points to get a washer and dryer! LOL

[Mayhem]

You know i wold love a Small LCD version e.g a matrix display version showing the game your playing. Im still wondering waether to add a 7" LCD to my c-macc's 2 or a Matrix version ... with the program i could bet a 7" and have it display the marque instead .... hmmm you have added another + to the 7" i think

[Tempest]

A fullsize monitor in the marquee looks better that you might think. I got the idea from this thread:
http://www.gameex.info/forums/index.php?sh...c=5174&st=0

Make sure and follow the links...

Recently someone post a cab in the cabinets thread that had a fullsize marquee that the whole monitor would fit in. It looked better than I thought it would, and if I get a chance to do another one, I'd probably do it that way. It would be better for pinball backglass images...

[Mayhem]

Yeh ive read the threads they are good must admit.

[Tempest]

I updated my first post to show an example of what Marquee Magician can do. If you have two monitors, and you're not using Marquee Magician, then UR Berzerk Errr... crazy!

[chriss]

tempest, what kind of dell monitor are you showing in your example? this is a pretty cool idea having a lcd display for the marquee and other images!

[Tempest]

Chris - I'm not at home, so I can't check the model number. It is a 22" widescreen, If you look at the resolution of the Marquee, Cabinet, etc. images in Mame, they are pretty low... Get the cheapest monitor you can find. I think they go for around $180 now.

[Mayhem]

Im uploading a Vid wich you can view. I managing though some macros ive made to get other things to work but there is still alot of work to do. Working with vistas 64 is just a complete nightmare but at least if it works in this it will work in MS OS 7 ...

here you go....

[kingb33]

UPDATE:
This thing is awesome Tempest........great work. It's so easy too use too once you know what to do. If more people had dual monitors i think lots of people would be using this.
i can seem to load and save templates now too....

[Tempest]

kingb33, on Apr 20 2009, 06:09 AM, said:

UPDATE:
This thing is awesome Tempest........great work. It's so easy too use too once you know what to do. If more people had dual monitors i think lots of people would be using this.

Thanks, I posted on the forums once that The Marquee Magician Setup program was my best application, but as you said, nobody is using it.

I also intend to improve the interaction of Marquee Magician, and GameEx, but also as I mentioned before, I am mired down in Cfg Magician (But I think I'm getting close)

Quote

i can seem to load and save templates now too....

As to why you can't save your Templates, I didn't download your latest RAR file, but previously you mentioned that you had saved a template named Mame, but in your templates folder, you only have one template named "Template". I assume that you are clicking on that template, and replacing it over, and over. You need to type a new name in at the bottom. If you have loaded a template file to edit, it will show the name of the template that you are editing at the top of the window, otherwise, it says Template, and if you just say ok without typing in a name, it will save to whatever name is at the top of the window.

The Statistics window is pretty cool, huh?

[kingb33]

Yes the statistics window is actually really cool! You know it's really odd that no one is using this...i see it especially handy for VP8 in particular with the handling of backglasses. Maybe most people just don't have dual monitors. Me personally could not live w/ just one anymore. This app you built is like a total must have for me.

***UPDATED: the only thing that may cause some people problems is if you point to a folder of images and the images vary in size dimension and the infranview window you created DOESN'T fit whatever the largest size image is in that folder the InfranView window freaks out and acts really funny.

***Also there is a bug that i found. I'll post it later w/ a screenshot.

[Tempest]

Hmmm, I'm not sure what's going on there, I just opened a 3888x3456 .psd image in an irfanview window that was 495x366, and it looks fine... Maybe you need to download the plugin package from the Irfanview site? I really can't say, just that I don't have a problem.

If you check in your templates folder, in the iview_32.ini files, you should have:
[Viewing]
FitWindowOption=2
UseResample=1

I checked the one you uploaded, and it looks fine.

Let me know if any of this information helps.

[kingb33]

Tempest, on Apr 20 2009, 01:44 PM, said:

Hmmm, I'm not sure what's going on there, I just opened a 3888x3456 .psd image in an irfanview window that was 495x366, and it looks fine... Maybe you need to download the plugin package from the Irfanview site? I really can't say, just that I don't have a problem.

If you check in your templates folder, in the iview_32.ini files, you should have:
[Viewing]
FitWindowOption=3
UseResample=1

I checked the one you uploaded, and it looks fine.

Let me know if any of this information helps.

Ok Tempest, this bug i found happens a lot. Maybe 35% of the time? But it's VERY random too.

Let me explain: (**fyi i'm using the latest version of InfranView)

1) I have MM (Marquee Magician) setup to launch a single infranview window for a mame marquee on my 2nd monitor. And that's it. The infranview window is 1650 x 490

2) My GameEx is setup w/ CPWizard. When I launch a MAME game CPWizard will show the CPanel on the 2nd monitor for that game for a few seconds like regular. Then after the CPanel goes away the screen refocuses/refreshes and will then will show the MM InfranView window with the marquee for that game.

BUT about 35% of the time when it's "refocusing/refreshing the screen" it will do either one of these 2 things in the 2 screen shots i've attached for you below: I'll either get a file header error or that file window will pop up of whatever that window is pointing to. And it's really random which one i will get. I can launch 10 games successfully with MM and no problems at all. Then all of a sudden I will get this bug randomly. And it's not a particular game. I can use MM fine with a particular game 5 times then maybe on the 6th try get this bug.

I know it's not a conflict with CPWizard because even when i disable CPWizard it still has this problem. Also, once this problem happens it keeps doing it for every single game afterwards and i have to relaunch GameEx to make it go away.

It's kinda driving me nuts lol because I really want this to work flawlessly. Any ideas?

**Also on a side note...is there a way to create a MM window and have it display a list of the high scores for that game? If they are enabled for that game? That would be too cool....

Thanks

Attached Files

•  MM_errors_and_configs.rar   114.13K   4 downloads

[Tempest]

Look at the pics you sent me.
In this one, Irfanview is trying to open a file...
 sample_error_2.jpg   136.84K   35 downloads

In this one, it says it can't find the file:
 sample_error.jpg   57.68K   23 downloads

If you look at the file menu in Irfanview, "O" is the shortcut for open. Something is sending the key "O", and IrfanView is taking that as a command to open a file (As it should). The most likely culprit is that GameEx is sending "OK"{ENTER} in order to bypass the disclaimers/warnings.

Under Advanced Mame Settings, set Bypass Disclaimers/Warnings to "No", and compile your own version of Mame using Headkaze's Mame Compiler to skip the disclaimers.

[kingb33]

Tempest, on Apr 21 2009, 02:04 AM, said:

Look at the pics you sent me.
In this one, Irfanview is trying to open a file...
sample_error_2.jpg

In this one, it says it can't find the file:
sample_error.jpg

If you look at the file menu in Irfanview, "O" is the shortcut for open. Something is sending the key "O", and IrfanView is taking that as a command to open a file (As it should). The most likely culprit is that GameEx is sending "OK"{ENTER} in order to bypass the disclaimers/warnings.

Under Advanced Mame Settings, set Bypass Disclaimers/Warnings to "No", and compile your own version of Mame using Headkaze's Mame Compiler to skip the disclaimers.

Tempest, yep that did the trick. It works perfectly now (knock on wood) **Would be really cool if you could create a window that showed the high scores!

Thanks for your help

[Tempest]

New Release: Added "Create Composite Images" option to the setup program.

Marquee Magician can now merge multiple images into one image. To do this, first set up a template, and assign it to an emulator. Use {Ctrl}{PrintScreen} to select the composite image option. You will be asked to select an emulator, the location of your roms folder, and a folder to put the new images into. Marquee Magician will create a new composite image for each rom automatically. It takes about 2 seconds per image on my laptop to create an image.

Hopefully, people with only one monitor will find this useful as a way to display more than 3 images in GameEx.
This image was created with Marquee Magician (the actual image quality is better, using the .png extension.)

 3stooges.jpg   582.44K   39 downloads

 3stooges.7z   1.06MB   3 downloads

Updated the download in first post.

[kingb33]

Tempest, on Jun 1 2009, 10:05 AM, said:

New Release: Added "Create Composite Images" option to the setup program.

Marquee Magician can now merge multiple images into one image. To do this, first set up a template, and assign it to an emulator. Use {Ctrl}{PrintScreen} to select the composite image option. You will be asked to select an emulator, the location of your roms folder, and a folder to put the new images into. Marquee Magician will create a new composite image for each rom automatically. It takes about 2 seconds per image on my laptop to create an image.

Hopefully, people with only one monitor will find this useful as a way to display more than 3 images in GameEx.
This image was created with Marquee Magician (the actual image quality is better, using the .png extension.)

3stooges.jpg

3stooges.7z

Updated the download in first post.

hah! thats awesome Tempest thanks!