Attract Mode with RetroPie - Alternative to EmulationStation

Ekstreme

Just a heads up, the guy son the RetroPie Facebook page have been smashing out updated attract mode builds for a while now. I've asked them to post their progress here, but they aren't that interested. If you want to get them complete with all the artwork, it's not a bad place to go. Unfortunately I think they also distribute roms with the images.

suprjami

@Ekstreme said in Attract Mode with RetroPie - Alternative to EmulationStation:

Unfortunately I think they also distribute roms with the images.

Correct.

If they wish to contribute to the project legally, they're very welcome to do so and we'd appreciate the effort.

Otherwise we want nothing to do with them.

Ekstreme

All sentiments that I have expressed to them. I don't think they have any real interest outside their bubble which is a shame as they have done a lot of work with all the image gathering and configuration. Some of them look really great. I also refuse to download a 64gb+ image every time the developers create an update. It's just not right.

Floob

I dont have Facebook so cant check that out, but you could always list features that have been implemented and I can incorporate into this version that doesnt break copyright laws.
Hopefully the facebook group arent grabbing these images and just tweaking them.

Ekstreme

When I get some time I'll see what I can do. AFAIK they are just working on compiling all the images for the wheels, screenshots and backgrounds. Having not actually used attract mode I don't know more than that.

From what I've seen a lot of the images are custom made. Some are actually really cool

spannernick1

I have got all my emulators woking and some of the artwork using scraper but they're not all there,but for some reason can't get the videos to work for the Sega Mega CD,I have even added a video folder,but all its doing is showing the snaps..(To Floob sorry for thinking you made this,I thought you were Andrew..:) )I Would like to get some marquees for the PAL version of the Mega CD..if any one has them..?

Info
Has anyone used Emulaxian..? This Is Like a copy of it. Thank Emulaxian for the wheel,it was made in 2001,then Hyperspin copied it..;)

Brigane

This might be out of the question but I'm gonna ask you guys anyway.
Is it even possible to compile Attract Mode with a Raspberry Pi Zero?

Floob

@spannernick1 Can you post your AM emulator config for MegaCD on pastebin?

@Brigane Should be fine, I dont have one to try though.
https://github.com/mickelson/attract/wiki/Compiling-on-the-Raspberry-Pi-(Raspbian-Jessie)

Brigane

@Floob I tried compiling using Zerojay's RetroPie-Extra scripts, but I didn't work

Floob

@Brigane You could try it manually with the link above.

Brigane

@Floob Ok, so I managed to get it installed on my RPi Zero with the link above Three things seems to be missing though.

The menu where I can choose to go to RetroPie Setup, Kodi or Launch Emulationstation, Reboot and Shutdown is not there.
I can't choose Robospin-beta Layout
Emulationstation "Switch to Attract Mode" option is not present.

Floob

@Brigane Yep, thats all custom items that I added in.
You can copy them out from one of the images in the .attract\scripts folder
It should look like this:
https://ufile.io/85b7

Its assuming /opt/retropie/configs/all/autostart.sh already contains attract

You can download the layouts like robospin from the AM forums and install.

spannernick1

Yes it does work on a Raspberry PI 1 B,I compiled it and it worked but never set it up,cos I got a Raspberry PI 3 for it.I compiled it on RetroPie 4.2 for the RPi1.

I compiled it using the github website,the instructions are on there,I used the jessie one.

I got the videos working now on my RPI3 but some of them,the sound it out of sync with the video..??

I had to put the videos in the scraper folder under snap and name them the same as the rom.

A lot of the videos I got are from YouTube.The videos play fine in VLC Media Player.I even made one yesterday for Double Switch and it plays ok in VLC but audio out of sync in AM.

Brigane

@spannernick1 said in Attract Mode with RetroPie - Alternative to EmulationStation:

I got the videos working now on my RPI3 but some of them,the sound it out of sync with the video..??

You could try and change the videos to 240p if you haven't already. It might help playing the videos more smoothly. Even my RPi 2 can't handle 480p snap videos with AM.

robertybob

@Floob said in Attract Mode with RetroPie - Alternative to EmulationStation:

@spannernick1 Can you post your AM emulator config for MegaCD on pastebin?

@Floob

Is this the kinda thing you're after?

http://pastebin.com/zS2Mmrag

If so, could you include it with the next release of your image? :D

spannernick1

Yes I will post my config,here you go.. https://www.dropbox.com/s/80z57731sajjp6e/Sega Mega CD.cfg?dl=0

Sorry not doing it sooner,wow this is a replicer of 3D Arcade,it even uses the same way a romlist it done.wow just don't have 3D models..;) even uses cfg files for emulators..:D

Brings back memories..:)

Here is the romlist too.. https://www.dropbox.com/s/2pwznbbrlgr4opd/Sega Mega CD.txt?dl=0

Floob

@robertybob
Yes, that looks like its the right format. I'll try to add a few more in the next build. Although I think a lot of users are now looking at the existing configs and just tweaking to get new ones added, so it should be fairly easy to add new ones by copying old ones.

@spannernick1
Your AM config looks like it may have 2 spaces here (between seagcd and the romfile) segacd "[romfilename]" it only needs one.
Although that shouldnt cause an issue. Make sure your roms are called the same as the video snaps:
https://github.com/mickelson/attract/blob/v2.1.0/Readme.md

Get SD/SQ snaps - emumovies has them - it has just under 200 to access if you subscribe. It will have issues if its trying to play higher quality snaps.

Brigane

Im experiencing problems with the snap videos when using high quality AM themes. The videos doesn't play for longer that 2 seconds then the video stops. I'm afraid the Pi zero isn't capable of handling both video and high quality themes :(

spannernick1

I have started to make my own videos,cos I want the into of the Mega CD games,so some are like 10 mins long,nice to watch..;)

You can record them in MP4 or WMV,I had a problem with one of the videos playing out of sync so I recorded it as a WMV and now it works fine,if you download them from Youtube,download them at 360p no height cos the audio will be out of sync. I use Clip Converter to download the videos.I use Corel Videostudio X7 to make my videos.

spannernick1

@Brigane Try to lower video to see if it works,the videos might need to be lower in quality or lower resolution.