Attract Mode with RetroPie - Alternative to EmulationStation

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.

kingtink

I have retropie with ES and AM on it already compiled on my own but things didnt work out
I wana use floobs prebuilt image
so what steps do i need to do before i write this image onto my memcard?

kingtink

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-format-your-SD-card-back-to-the-original-si/

was thinking of using this to reformat it to be ready for floobs image.
is there an alternative?

spannernick1

@kingtink Yes thats what I use to format my SD Card,You need to repartition it cos it will only see the Boot partition,I use this to remove the partitions, MiniTool Partition Wizard Free,You will need Win32DiskImager to copy the image to your SD Card too.

Brigane

@Floob could you by any chance make a pastebin of how to setup Ports under Emulators. I've tried making it on my own, but I can't seem to make it work.
Thanks

kingtink

@spannernick1 thank you

new problem:
for mame i try to configure the input_exit_emulator_btn in retroarch.cfg located in mame-libretro
i save and attempt to press my button combo with hotkey but it doesn't work. other hotkey combos work like slow motion and to exit i need to hotkey + esc
looking at the config file after shows the input_exit_emulator_btn is changed to 0 instead of what I had saved. this change still doesnt work in mame. how do i configure a clean exit with keyboard?

spannernick1

@kingtink I change all my buttons in the config file so do it there and it will remember them.Don't do it in the RetroArch menu cos it will only remember them until you turn it off.I don't know why you are having a problem,Yes I see now yes its saving whatever is in the menu to retroarch.cfg but it would.See if you can set the key in the menu and save it. Of course you are not using a joystick or pad,keyboard only,silly me...;)I got confused,I don't use a keyboard cos mine is in a Mega CD case..;)Try editing the config for the menu.not the one in Mame.its here.. \RETROPIE\configs\all\retroarch.cfg thats where the keys are saved.

kingtink

@spannernick1

Are you saying to change the configuration file? That is what I'm doing.

Floob

@Brigane
Here is an example of the SNES one.
http://pastebin.com/GcrQGLcP

executable = Stays the same as long as you dont run AM under X
args = Stays the same except you change the system name, you can find a list of names in the es_systems.cfg file on the Pi
rompath = where that system roms are stored
romext = valid rom file extensions, can be found in the es_systems.cfg file
system = name of the system exactly as found in http://thegamesdb.net/platforms/

robertybob

@Floob Here's a definitive set of configs, not my own work.

https://mega.nz/#!UVtT0DaB!P2THpR-x3R7lPaqkLkhkCwPBeRQhzkdb9zhvQs7sQRI

spannernick1

I just wondered,can you run videos from a USB Stick cos they take a lot of space on the SD Card..? and Can you move the scraper folder to the USB stick too. Thats where my videos are and work fine.

Oh and if you can set AM up you can setup 3D Arcade they work the same way.I made Models and Arcades for 3D Arcade.(To make models and arcades you need to know how to use 3Ds Max)I get Deja Vu when i am using AM.Anyway enough rambling..;)

robertybob

@spannernick1 Yes you can run videos and load artwork from a usb. Just have to change a couple of configs in AM.

spannernick1

@robertybob Thanks,one more thing can you setup a button to do a shutdown,like hold select and start..??cos I have to go to the setup layout to shutdown ,where it say Press Tab to setup AM,Reboot and so on.

I would like be able to do that as well for a reboot too..?

spannernick1

Can someone tell me where the Cools layout is cos I can't find it in the layouts folder..? It must be there cos I am using it,is it named a different name or something..?

spannernick1

I am having a problem with a video its Corpse Killer for the Mega CD,downloaded it from You tube at 360p and the sound is out of sync about 3 or 4 seconds behind the video.,this is the only video thats doing it,I convert the video from a MP4 to WMV then it plays it ok,but I want it as a MP4 cos WMV is too big,its like WMV is 256 MB and MP4 is 42 MB..?

I was thinking of making the videos out of sync so they are in sync on the PI...:)

spannernick1

Figured it out, I used a video I downloaded from you tube that plays in sync and put it at the front of the video I want to convert but using as a 1 second frame then I just convert it the same as the first video in Corel VideoStudio X7 and it worked..:)

All sorted now..;)

NTSC non-drop frame (30 fps)
MPEG-4 Files
24 bits, 640 x 360, 30 fps
Frame-based
H.264 Baseline Profile Video: 374 Kbps
44100 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
MPEG AAC Audio: 96 Kbps

spannernick1

About video in AM,with this setting in Corel Video Studio X7 ...

NTSC non-drop frame (30 fps)
MPEG-4 Files
24 bits, 640 x 360, 30 fps
Frame-based
H.264 Baseline Profile Video: 374 Kbps
44100 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
MPEG AAC Audio: 96 Kbps

I am still getting audio out of sync with some of the videos(its like the video play first then the audio plays 3 to 5 sec behind the video),anyone know of anyway of stopping it doing it..?

Example: I recorded Cobra Command with these settings and its in sync,but when I recorded Double Switch with these settings its play out of sync,this is on a Raspberry PI 3 and the videos play ok on my PC..??

All I can think of whats happening is,its losing frames in the video as its playing and the audio is playing normally,then it get the out of sync with the audio.
It only does it with MP4 videos,it plays WMV videos fine,but WMV file size is to big and I can't use it,It take to much space on my SD card.I have a 32 GB SD card and about 22.8 GB is in use for the roms.

Any input would be great right now,its doing my head in..:)

kingtink

@spannernick1
have you tried it with a smaller video resolution?
my 640 videos dont play well half the time rpi3 but with 320 they will play