AGEMAME HQ

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.