Hyperspin, finally done.

Steve X2 · 09-03-2011 5:23pm #1

Well at last, I finally finished setting up the software side of things for my yet to be built/bought arcade cab. I decided to use hyperspin after testing out all the different front ends over the years. It requires better hardware to run but is worth it I think.

I'm very fussy about things getting setup perfectly so it was a real pain to get all the emulators/games/preview vids/artwork and fancy effects running just as I wanted them to run.

I have over 60 systems running on it now with all the artwork and preview vids for all games on each system. It looks great but is a huge monster weighing in at just under 2TB in size, and as I put so much work into it I have it mirrored on another 2TB drive, just in case.

Has anyone else decided to use hyperspin or planning to use it as their front end of choice?

If anyone needs a hand or advice with anything let me know. I'm not an expert on it but have a fairly good knowledge of it and have had loads of little problems that I eventually resolved.

Anyway, let me know, the offer is there.

.

Myrddin · 09-03-2011 5:37pm

I have it running on my cab. Without a doubt the best frontend if you have the grunt to run it, & when combined with an emumovies account, it makes for a very, very cool frontend.

All the game themes & preview videos are an absolute must. Good choice though :cool: I also find it's very stable, I've never had a simgle issue or hiccup with it. Like youself, it can be trying & painstaking setting it all up, but the end result makes all the tears well worth it!

Steve X2 · 09-03-2011 5:48pm

EnterNow wrote: »

I have it running on my cab. Without a doubt the best frontend if you have the grunt to run it, & when combined with an emumovies account, it makes for a very, very cool frontend.

All the game themes & preview videos are an absolute must. Good choice though :cool: I also find it's very stable, I've never had a simgle issue or hiccup with it. Like youself, it can be trying & painstaking setting it all up, but the end result makes all the tears well worth it!

Yeah, emumovies is a must all right and money well spent. Plus they have a new version of hyperspin coming out soon I think with lots of nice new features.

Myrddin · 09-03-2011 5:49pm

Steve SI wrote: »

Yeah, emumovies is a must all right and money well spent. Plus they have a new version of hyperspin coming out soon I think with lots of nice new features.

Ooh really? There goes the summer!

Steve X2 · 09-03-2011 5:55pm

EnterNow wrote: »

Ooh really? There goes the summer!

Ha yeah, better vertical support(as in having it) is one of the new features that a lot of people seem happy about.

Optimus Prime · 09-03-2011 5:56pm

I might take a look at this as maximus arcade wont launch sunset riders for me still! Does it have the option to open other apps, eg a jukebox.

Myrddin · 09-03-2011 5:57pm

Steve SI wrote: »

Ha yeah, better vertical support(as in having it) is one of the new features that a lot of people seem happy about.

Support for vertical crt's? Cool...stuff like 19XX etc runs very well on the normal orientation too.

Steve X2 · 09-03-2011 6:01pm

keithgeo wrote: »

I might take a look at this as maximus arcade wont launch sunset riders for me still! Does it have the option to open other apps, eg a jukebox.

Sure, some people use it as a media front end so have it open vlc for movies etc.

Optimus Prime · 09-03-2011 6:04pm

I looked at it briefly before when i started out doing this, i might take another look at it. I dont like all the flashy skins and stuff i just want something simple though, thats why i passed on it the first time.

Steve X2 · 09-03-2011 6:04pm

keithgeo wrote: »

I might take a look at this as maximus arcade wont launch sunset riders for me still! Does it have the option to open other apps, eg a jukebox.

Also, I just tried sunset riders and it loads up fine.

Optimus Prime · 09-03-2011 6:06pm

yeh dont get me started on that, works fine from mame, just not from my frontend. the 2 player version.

Enternow: I tried what you said previously on the other thread, Couldnt find a file with the list like you mentioned for Max Arcade.

Myrddin · 09-03-2011 6:19pm

keithgeo wrote: »

yeh dont get me started on that, works fine from mame, just not from my frontend. the 2 player version.

Enternow: I tried what you said previously on the other thread, Couldnt find a file with the list like you mentioned for Max Arcade.

Bizarre that, especially as you specifically added the 2p version to a seperate genre (favourites). There has to be a config file or an xml file somwhere in the maximus installation directory where you can manually change what game loads...

Optimus Prime · 09-03-2011 6:25pm

ah sorry, xml file, yeh found that, no straight forward list though. went through it. multiple references to different games, it was all over the place though , like if you open a dll or exe file with notepad so i wasnt sure if that was the one you where talking about. squares and lines in between the names of the games. i changed some of the ssriders ones around after i backed up my other one but it didnt make a difference so i figured it wasnt the right file.

eg i changed ssriders(4player that works) to ssriderseeb or whatever the 2player is called, still didnt open.

Ill have a look at hyperspin again and see if that opens them. the thoughts of setting that up from scratch though..

Myrddin · 09-03-2011 6:30pm

keithgeo wrote: »

ah sorry, xml file, yeh found that, no straight forward list though. went through it. multiple references to different games, it was all over the place though , like if you open a dll or exe file with notepad so i wasnt sure if that was the one you where talking about. squares and lines in between the names of the games. i changed some of the ssriders ones around after i backed up my other one but it didnt make a difference so i figured it wasnt the right file.

eg i changed ssriders(4player that works) to ssriderseeb or whatever the 2player is called, still didnt open.

Ill have a look at hyperspin again and see if that opens them. the thoughts of setting that up from scratch though..

Download a freeware xml editor, should display it in legible form then.

Steve X2 · 09-03-2011 6:30pm

keithgeo wrote: »

ah sorry, xml file, yeh found that, no straight forward list though. went through it. multiple references to different games, it was all over the place though , like if you open a dll or exe file with notepad so i wasnt sure if that was the one you where talking about. squares and lines in between the names of the games. i changed some of the ssriders ones around after i backed up my other one but it didnt make a difference so i figured it wasnt the right file.

eg i changed ssriders(4player that works) to ssriderseeb or whatever the 2player is called, still didnt open.

Ill have a look at hyperspin again and see if that opens them. the thoughts of setting that up from scratch though..

Try open with notepad++ http://www.filehippo.com/download_notepad/

CiDeRmAn · 09-03-2011 9:28pm

I was considering using Hyperspin in my Ikea Cab but for two important facts...
1- Hyperspin lacked a vertical option, and that was the kind of cab I was going for.
2- Hyperspin is a total resource hog, and my crappy Dell C600 wouldn't even try to run it without chugging, even with everything off.
Now I'm sure it's a bright and spangly front end, but I'm quite happy with Mala and the more functional nature of it, plus I was up and running with it in a relatively short space of time.

If I do build another system, I will use a more up to date PC as the foundation and will be sure to use a front end that is more, well, fun like Hyperspin.

Steve X2 · 09-03-2011 9:47pm

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I was considering using Hyperspin in my Ikea Cab but for two important facts...
1- Hyperspin lacked a vertical option, and that was the kind of cab I was going for.
2- Hyperspin is a total resource hog, and my crappy Dell C600 wouldn't even try to run it without chugging, even with everything off.
Now I'm sure it's a bright and spangly front end, but I'm quite happy with Mala and the more functional nature of it, plus I was up and running with it in a relatively short space of time.

If I do build another system, I will use a more up to date PC as the foundation and will be sure to use a front end that is more, well, fun like Hyperspin.

Yeah, it really is a hog alright. I think you made the right choice with Mala for a lower end machine. I mean I setup hyperspin on my normal desktop which is a ultra small form pc with ok specs(3.16ghz core duo,8gb ram) and it ran ok but was still a little sluggish at times. The PC that I'm using for the cab is a lot higher spec so will be fine(especially as it will be running only the frontend and no extra windows stuff). I'm sure the purists will hate my setup but it's a samsung 27 inch LCD running at 1080p. I'm using filters in the emulators to create nice looking scanlines and I will probably use a widescreen in the cab as well that can be rotated so vertical games will look the part. I'm going to be running more than just MAME on this thing so the LCD fits with what I want for a display.

Optimus Prime · 09-03-2011 10:01pm

ah here i think ill stick with max arcade haha, im running a highspec pc myself but it doesnt have 8gig of ram in it and if yours was sluggish then my 4gigs will crawl! Im really starting to regret building this thing to be honest, if i was doing it again id just buy a proper arcade cab. I can see myself getting one in the next 6months anyways.

Myrddin · 10-03-2011 8:14am

keithgeo wrote: »

ah here i think ill stick with max arcade haha, im running a highspec pc myself but it doesnt have 8gig of ram in it and if yours was sluggish then my 4gigs will crawl! Im really starting to regret building this thing to be honest, if i was doing it again id just buy a proper arcade cab. I can see myself getting one in the next 6months anyways.

I've a core2duo running @ 2.6ghz & 4GB ram in the cab...runs sweet as a pie, no slowdown whatsoever.

Optimus Prime · 10-03-2011 10:09am

Mines a Core2Duo too.. mind change again haha, maybe i WILL give it a look...

Myrddin · 10-03-2011 10:26am

keithgeo wrote: »

Mines a Core2Duo too.. mind change again haha, maybe i WILL give it a look...

Do, it's well worth it. It's not as process intensive as it's made out to be. It is a hog, but anything with reasonable specs will run it fine.

Optimus Prime · 10-03-2011 10:58am

Ill check it out again at the weekend, the problem with setting these things up is you sit down for half an hour and five hours later your still at it!

Myrddin · 10-03-2011 11:27am

keithgeo wrote: »

Ill check it out again at the weekend, the problem with setting these things up is you sit down for half an hour and five hours later your still at it!

Tell me about it, I started my mame cab...and finished it in a different year

Steve X2 · 10-03-2011 11:33am

keithgeo wrote: »

Ill check it out again at the weekend, the problem with setting these things up is you sit down for half an hour and five hours later your still at it!

I know that feeling. I think I spent a month on and off creating and cleaning up artwork for it alone before I even started on the frontend.

Optimus Prime · 10-03-2011 12:01pm

EnterNow wrote: »

Tell me about it, I started my mame cab...and finished it in a different year

I started this in October and im still going!

Myrddin · 10-03-2011 12:03pm

keithgeo wrote: »

I started this in October and im still going!

6 months? Pah, you've only just begun!

Optimus Prime · 10-03-2011 12:11pm

I keep saying ill be done by next month.. but that never seems to work out!

CiDeRmAn · 10-03-2011 12:32pm

What a bunch of slackers, mine took a week or so!
But then, I was a lazy git and took the lowest impact pathway to Mame madness!

Myrddin · 10-03-2011 1:19pm

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

What a bunch of slackers, mine took a week or so!
But then, I was a lazy git and took the lowest impact pathway to Mame madness!

Yeah a week in the comfort of your living room. Try set up a pc to output 15Khz in your house on your plasma (which it won't, but you need to do it anyway)...then transplant the whole pc out, fit it into a cab & hope it works.

In typical fashion, I picked up a cheap 15" pc crt AFTER I had the cab done :rolleyes:

It's a different world when you move away from lcd's/pc screens.

Myrddin · 10-03-2011 4:55pm

Keith, your more than welcome to have a gander at hyperspin running on my cab, with the game themes & preview videos etc.

Optimus Prime · 10-03-2011 6:21pm

Cheers, that would be cool , see what the proper end product is supposed to look like! Sure ill take a look when im getting those gamegears, niceone.

sham69 · 11-03-2011 3:40pm

yeah was going to try hyperspin myself about 3 years ago.
You think you guys are bad, I am running a pentium 3 with 512 ram.
It runs most things to be honest.
I am running maximus as it was just so easy to set up all the emu's I wanted.

Can I ask does the dual core setup with 4gb's run tekken etc.
Cheers.

3 years or so on and I am still making changes to my cab, it will never be the way I want it but I think thats the fun.
I play it every day...

Optimus Prime · 14-03-2011 10:39pm

Is there anyway to download all the game themes in one go, as opposed to downloading them one at a time off the hyperspin site?

Steve X2 · 14-03-2011 10:50pm

keithgeo wrote: »

Is there anyway to download all the game themes in one go, as opposed to downloading them one at a time off the hyperspin site?

Register with them for ftp access. Then you can download away.

Edit:
And then register with emumovies ftp for the preview vids.

Optimus Prime · 14-03-2011 11:10pm

Cheers! Probably gonna cost me is it?

Steve X2 · 14-03-2011 11:24pm

keithgeo wrote: »

Cheers! Probably gonna cost me is it?

Yeah, think i paid about 20 dollars each for access. Could you not just grab someones hyperspin setup from here and work off that. I mean if you drop a 2TB hard drive in to me and give me a couple days with it I'll gladly dump my setup on it for you. Share the wealth etc. The offer is there anyway.

I have a 100mb broadband line so I just downloaded the highest quality artwork and preview vids I could get so it looks about as good as it can until I stick it in a cab(whenever that is).

Optimus Prime · 14-03-2011 11:37pm

Cheers for the offer, i only have a 1tb drive here and the drive i have in the thing is only 300mb or something i think so i doubt i could fit all the stuff you have on there. I might pick up another drive, if i do i will definitaly take you up on that offer. thanks!

Steve X2 · 14-03-2011 11:48pm

keithgeo wrote: »

Cheers for the offer, i only have a 1tb drive here and the drive i have in the thing is only 300mb or something i think so i doubt i could fit all the stuff you have on there. I might pick up another drive, if i do i will definitaly take you up on that offer. thanks!

No prob, i think the actual media is only about 100gb. And then when you include the games/emulators and other bits it comes to 1.7TB.

Optimus Prime · 14-03-2011 11:54pm

I recently deleted all the emulators and games other than mame off mine, figured whats the point, i have all the consoles anyways and they are not the same when emulated. so im only really looking at arcade games for mine.

Optimus Prime · 24-03-2011 4:04pm

Does anyone have the artwork themes for this? I know how to get them but dont have 25quid to waste on it at the minute! and dont fancy downloading each one individualy.

Steve X2 · 24-03-2011 5:57pm

keithgeo wrote: »

Does anyone have the artwork themes for this? I know how to get them but dont have 25quid to waste on it at the minute! and dont fancy downloading each one individualy.

Pretty sure I have everything for it. Is it just MAME artwork your looking for or all systems?
The MAME artwork themes including preview vids is about 19GB, without the preview vids its 1.4GB.

I can hook you up with a login to one of my FTP servers if you want to grab them that way. I have a few people on it so the fastest connection I could give you is 3MB/s. But you can grab as much as you like from there.

Optimus Prime · 24-03-2011 6:05pm

That would be great if you could do that! cheers!

Its only really mame im in interested in for now. thanks a million.

Steve X2 · 24-03-2011 6:53pm

keithgeo wrote: »

That would be great if you could do that! cheers!

Its only really mame im in interested in for now. thanks a million.

Sent you a PM with the details.

Optimus Prime · 24-03-2011 6:54pm

Thanks! I owe you big time. :pac:

Optimus Prime · 25-03-2011 8:24am

as ive said on here somewhere before, some games dont launch for me from max arcade but do from mame itself.

well as it turns out they dont want to work from hyperspin either, the same games, its weird. so looks like i have a dodgey set of roms or something. also Steve not all those themes seem to work for me, some just have the default arcade image? am i right in assuming if it has the logo on the wheel it should have a theme?, so im guessing thats because the romset i have isnt named the same as the theme files or something? best bet get a new romset?

Steve X2 · 25-03-2011 11:25am

keithgeo wrote: »

as ive said on here somewhere before, some games dont launch for me from max arcade but do from mame itself.

well as it turns out they dont want to work from hyperspin either, the same games, its weird. so looks like i have a dodgey set of roms or something. also Steve not all those themes seem to work for me, some just have the default arcade image? am i right in assuming if it has the logo on the wheel it should have a theme?, so im guessing thats because the romset i have isnt named the same as the theme files or something? best bet get a new romset?

Well not every MAME rom has a custom theme as far as i know(about 1000 of the most popular do). Some will just have the default arcade theme with some random theme effects. All games should have a custom wheel and a preview vid though.

Just wondering how you created or where you got the database for MAME? I've stuck the one I use on the ftp server now if you want to grab that(only a few kb in size). You will need to use MAME 0.137 with a valid 0.137 romset for the all games to work. I've yet to come across one that wont load on my setup, including one game you were having a problem with that you mentioned on another thread(can't remember which game).

The database files go in something like "C:\Hyperspin\Databases\MAME" depending on where you have it setup.

I basically have 2 versions of MAME, this version 0.137 for hyperspin as I know if works 100 percent and has good game compatibility and also the latest version of MAME with an updated romset to use outside of hyperspin.

Which romset do you have at the moment?

Steve X2 · 25-03-2011 11:53am

You can also set hyperspin to hide games that do not have a theme or wheel if you want to keep it nice and slick looking.

It's fairly easy to create a basic theme and even easier to make a wheel if a game you love doesn't have one. I think it's only MAME that does not have all the games themed up as the default list of games in mame changes so regularly. All supported consoles and handhelds have full themes as the game lists do not change.

.

Optimus Prime · 25-03-2011 12:01pm

Cool, I think i need to just put some time into it and sort out exactly what i have. I think my rom set is .139 or something and that may be why there are issues. At the minute im all over the place to be honest i need to start fresh because i have dropped numerous files in different places i have no idea what im at right now.

I think i need to use your 137 as a base and go from there.

The reason i think some of the themes are not working for me is because Im assuming if a game has a fancy logo on the wheel for its name it has a theme associated with it?

Some of the games with fancy logos on my one dont load up the theme. Am i making an incorrect assumption that just because on the wheel the game has the fancy logo that is has a theme that should be working?

Thanks again!

Steve X2 · 25-03-2011 12:16pm

keithgeo wrote: »

Cool, I think i need to just put some time into it and sort out exactly what i have. I think my rom set is .139 or something and that may be why there are issues. At the minute im all over the place to be honest i need to start fresh because i have dropped numerous files in different places i have no idea what im at right now.

I think i need to use your 137 as a base and go from there.

The reason i think some of the themes are not working for me is because Im assuming if a game has a fancy logo on the wheel for its name it has a theme associated with it?

Some of the games with fancy logos on my one dont load up the theme. Am i making an incorrect assumption that just because on the wheel the game has the fancy logo that is has a theme that should be working?

Thanks again!

The wheels are separate from the themes so you can have a nice wheel and still have no theme. Do you get at least a default theme coming up for all games. Something like this but with some animations and flash:

If not then just check the themes folder and you should have a sub folder called default with some pics in it and a xml file.

.

Optimus Prime · 25-03-2011 12:20pm

Hey i actually cant see that image in work its blocked by the proxy, but what i get is an image of an arcade cab, blue, with something like "retro games" or something on it and i think the video will play on the screen.

Steve X2 · 25-03-2011 12:32pm

keithgeo wrote: »

Hey i actually cant see that image in work its blocked by the proxy, but what i get is an image of an arcade cab, blue, with something like "retro games" or something on it and i think the video will play on the screen.

Yeah, it sounds like you have the default theme working anyway.

Hyperspin, finally done.

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