AGEMAME HQ

For those who want it.

The sample layout is available at AWP Simulator Layouts. Also, patches to 0.108u1 are available.

Here’s the whatsnew:

0.36
Included all updates from 0.107 to 0.108.
AWPVideo now works correctly again - the program itself no longer distinguishes between a game with a DX layout
and a game without one - there is now a default layout built into AGEMAME for each AWP game.

As before, Dr. Who has been set up as an example of the format. I have received reports from a preview release that suggest
that the VFD may not be sufficiently clear as currently drawn, due to limitations of the method I am currently using.
(Currently, the scaling operation is not drawing all the lines correctly).

I mentioned yesterday how the system works by setting up a base image, and overlaying the lamps onto it, but didn’t mention the VFD code (which has now changed, to be a little better resolution, but still not as high res as Aaron’s shiny new LED primitives, which I may be tempted to steal for MPU4, but not Scorpion, as it’s LEDs are really lamps).

The way it works currently is to draw the either an ‘on’ segment or an ‘off’ segment, depending on the status of the segment according to the controller. This is then scaled by the layout to give the display.

Problem is, not every display controller is identical, and they all see the actual display differently, in terms of how their output pins match the fluorescent elements. As part of phase 2 I intend to finally correct this problem for MPU4 games (the only reason they seemed to be fine in the first place is because of the similarity between the Bellfruit and OKI character sets, they’re actually meant to be different in quite significant ways at detail), while possibly using the idea of the primitives to make VFDs act less like individual screens, and more like the current treatment of LEDs.

PS. The AWPVideo system is still being fixed up for non-artwork use, so the patches to u4 will take a little while longer (the MAME code’s fine, but mine is currently assigning screens to blank spaces seemingly arbitrarily, which is a big problem).

As you may be aware, the new MAME artwork system operates using XML, and allows the driver to create multiple display ’screens’ that can be positioned on multiple monitors.

The new AWP vid system is going to take full advantage of this sytem - indeed, a small part of the MAME artwork engine was specifically designed to make all this work.

In the near future, there’ll be something to show for all this effort,having spent the last couple of days working on optimisations for the code, I can tell you that it may be a little slow at first, but should get better with later revisions.

Basically, the layout file will contain a number of configuration parameters, and visual elements (PNG filenames).

Depending on the parameters, AGEMAME will automatically adjust the screen size to the right ratio, draw the reels lamps and displays with the correct locations and colours (for the VFD, you can specify precise RGB values, and they’ll work).

The file format should be fairly simple to follow, while also providingn enough capacity for future improvements like fading lights, belt reels and even so-called ‘hybrid’ machines, which use reels and conventional video monitors.

I intend to start phasing in some of the changes in 107u4 (the default setting for the AWP games will be to use a special ‘non-artwork’ version of the system), with stage 1 of a totally redesigned VFD drawing core*, as well as the addition of fading lights by default to the lamp matrix.

* Subject to MAMEDev approval of submitted code.

Well, ui_draw_text is fixed, I haven’t reenabled it everywhere, though, because on my PC it’s not showing at all now! Answers on a postcard, but preferably a PM.

FInally got that built and uploaded too - 0.107u2 patches are also up

I’ve just put up the source and binary, as well as the patch to 0.107u1 - so we’re back up to date.
Click Here for the new details.

(AGEMAME 32 is currently being built and tested, and will be ready soon)

Owing to a little inconvenience known as the ‘Manchester Airport Baggage Retrieval System’, my return journey went a bit pear-shaped, as it’s a bit difficult to fly the width of Europe without a plane…

Anyway, I used the time to sketch out a few plans to extend the AGEMAME AWP system to all of the AWP drivers, not just Scorpion 2 - hopefully at some point during the MAME 0.107 cycle, I’ll get time to finish the sample layout, so anyone interested can learn how to add their own games.

I haven’t even looked at the 0.107 patches yet, but I’ll probably base 0.35 on the base MAME release, for sake of completeness.