Nice MAME2003 overlays repository

[UDb23]

@Graboid I'd suggest you create a new Fork so we make sure you have a your own updated "copy" of the overlay repository. Once done you can add folders and your overlay files.
Let's take the example of Space Invaders.
If you click on that folder it should look like this:

There is no command to create a new (sub) folder so you need to use the trick also @meleu suggested.
Click on "create new file" button; you get this:

In the "name your file..." box write "nameofnewsubfolder/test.txt".
As currently no optional overlay exists for Space Invaders, the new subfolder should be called "Option 1".
This will create test.txt AND the subfolder that contains it.
Now you can click on the subfolder to open it.
From there you simply use "upload new file" button to add files from your PC.
After upload you can delete the "dummy" test.txt file.
Please follow new naming convention; I will then update the info.txt file.

One you have uploaded all your files you can make a "pull" request and I can Merge it with the main repository.

[UDb23]

@meleu said in Nice MAME2003 overlays repository:

info.txt rules here.

info.txt creation completed for all overlays in the Repo.
Also added to console games (gba & atari2600).

Now it's your turn ;-)

[meleu]

@UDb23 I think I will only have a chance to really code something next week (from april-5 on). But I really wanna do it! ;-)

[UDb23]

@meleu whenever you can. No pressure ;-)

[meleu]

@UDb23 when you have time please take a look at the pending Pull Requests.

Cheers!

[UDb23]

@meleu said in Nice MAME2003 overlays repository:

look at the pending Pull Requests.

Done. Thanks for these updates.

[UDb23]

@UDb23 You are aware your script enhancements are dangerous ?
New ideas generate more ideas... and more potential work for you ;-)

As you're already installing the "scrape image", It would be so nice if the script would be able to install game info text too into gamelist.xml.
Where to find the mame official texts ? And how to manage these as they're "hidden" into history.dat file format ?
Maybe you've already noticed it but here's a CSV I generated that already fits these needs ;-)

Info.txt may include a line to "request" to :

• pull game text from this global file
  addgamedata = yes

and

• add personalized game description (instead of official mame or for local language)
  gamedescr = ".........."

[UDb23]

system = "arcade"
Just wondering ... should we than also use different folders on the Pi ?

Probably we need a /opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/overlays/console-bezels/ folder
in addition to /overlays/arcade-bezels/

That would mean changing the current console CFGs and your script to create the console folder and place the files according to actual system.

[meleu]

@UDb23 said in Nice MAME2003 overlays repository:

Probably we need a /opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/overlays/console-bezels/ folder
in addition to /overlays/arcade-bezels/

Actually since the config has a full path to the overlay config, it can be any valid folder. This path is not hardcoded in the script, the path is obtained from the input_overlay in the rom config.

To achieve what you're suggesting the current script doesn't need any change, just use the path you want in the input_overlay. If it points to an inexistent folder, the script creates it.

Summing up: choosing the proper folder to store overlays (configs and images) is a responsibility of the the rom config file's creator/maintainer.

[meleu]

@UDb23 said in Nice MAME2003 overlays repository:

Info.txt may include a line to "request" to :

• pull game text from this global file
  addgamedata = yes

and

• add personalized game description (instead of official mame or for local language)
  gamedescr = ".........."

Could you detail these suggestions/new features on your repo issue tracker? Create an issue named "script feature request" or something. ;-)

[GreenHawk84]

@Graboid these are perfect. Do they make them in 16:9 for 1080p screens?

[meleu]

@GreenHawk84
Take a look at the repo README. ;-)

[UDb23]

@meleu said in Nice MAME2003 overlays repository:

To achieve what you're suggesting the current script doesn't need any change, just use the path you want in the input_overlay. If it points to an inexistent folder, the script creates it.

fantastic !

[UDb23]

@meleu will do.
After finalizing "River City Ransom" ;-)

[UDb23]

@meleu said in Nice MAME2003 overlays repository:

Could you detail these suggestions/new features on your repo issue tracker?

Created new issue:
https://github.com/UDb23/rpie-ovl/issues/21

Please let me know if you need more detailed info.

[meleu]

@UDb23 detected some problems in some info.txt files from your repo while working on the new script. Take a look at the Pull Requests when you have time. ;-)

Cheers!

[UDb23]

@meleu Argh.. about 10% of info.txt files had errors.
That's what happens doing this stuff at night during the week ;-)
Thanks for detecting and fixing 'em.
Meanwhile I finished a small vb routine that generates the cfgs and info.txt automatically.

[UDb23]

@UDb23 Repo pull requests merged

[meleu]

Hey guys, I think I've made some progress in the new script. It's a beta version but I think some guys can start the tests and give feedback ( @UDb23 and @backstander , I'm looking at you :) ).

We don't need to publicize the script for now. I still need to trim some edges, but we can start the tests.

How to use the script

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/meleu/rpie-art
cd rpie-art
./rpie-art

The script repository has several info.txt files I created for tests. They are for launching images only. If you look into them you'll notice that the launching_image entry can be a http[s] URL (cool feature, huh?).

Feedback about the User Experience is very appreciated.

Current features:

• install overlays for arcade games.
• install generic overlays for any system
• install overlays for any game/system (not only the arcade ones) - note: I need to improve the ROM searching (look in gamelist.xml, etc).
• install generic launching images for any system
• install game specific launching image (any system)
• cool feature: the *_image entries in the info.txt file can be a URL (only http/https supported).

[UDb23]

@meleu Wow! Excellent work. Will do some testing asap.
Great idea the URL pull for images; creators should consider dedicated images to limit web access time.