Genre and descriptions in main menu

[ninja2bceen]

Since I had lucky with getting help about the random intro video, I figured I'd press my luck once more with a new thread. This time the goal is to look at the main menu xml and display the system description (like the games can do) in the bottom left corner. I'm looking for something like

Nintendo, 1985

nintendo entertainment system

The other goal here is to create genres for the system main menu. I'd like genres like console, handheld, arcade, other, and all (to display what would be the standard main menu wheel now). I have the main menu xml with descriptions, year, manufacture added already. I have created the genres as well but genres nor the descriptions worked the same way as if u were to create then in the other wheels. I did some research and found this attachment but I couldn't get it to work. You all are much smarter with all this and u all can probably get it to work, there isn't much documentation but if you figure it out or if you know how to get all this done another way, please post!

When I get the attachment... Things to note before u try it out! Back up your main menu database folder now

+You need to modify the "gamechanger.ini" in the utilities folder so it matches your hyperspin mapping

+You need to back up your main menu xml because when you run the gamechanger.exe it dumps the current main menu you have and is suppose to allow for the genre bit. U will have an all xml that has your current main menu wheel.

+read the readme txt file for instructions. I'll post my xmls that I created based on its instructions

+in the png in the main folder, u will find a screenshot of hyperhq, I think we have to create a new wheel but this is when I started to fail and get frustrated :-) looking for ur alls tech skills

+my attempts ran into "cannot open mainmenuchangergamechanger.xml"

I'm not sure who made this but I'll add the application I was trying to use tonight. Looking fwd to your help!

attachment https://www.dropbox.com/s/u6gvc82l5nzzoil/MainMenuChanger.zip?dl=0

[ghutch92]

Sorry, I'm pretty sure you can not do the bottom left corner description text or genres on the main menu. Seeing how there is absolutely no documentation on how to do all of this, I think it is safe to say you probably can't do it.

You can change the main menu xml, which is what I think you are talking about when you mentioned the attachment.

[ninja2bceen]

ghutch and others, please give the attachment a look. There is an exe. The read me that came with the download gives you an overview of what its trying to do and then the png file in the utilty folder shows the hq settings. Running the exe essentially guts the xml file that is named main menu so back up your current main menu xml as that exe essentially tries to trick into the genres for the system as the main menu. I can't get it to fully work though. If you do get it to work, can you post the steps.

Best of luck to you all, this is the closest solution that I could find in hacking this issue we are all trying to solve!

[ghutch92]

yeah it's just changing the main menu xml. There are two ways to make it refresh.

1.) enter and exit a system

2.) restart hyperspin. -the program in attachment restarts hyperspin

[ninja2bceen]

So what's the real benefit of this exe? If it changes the main menu, couldn't it change them to the genres I had in one of the folders?

Are their any creative ways to get system genres? For the system description as described above a creative way in getting that done is adding art to the system intro theme per system

Whatcha think? Forget about system genres?

[paulmichel21]

very good idea.....

[ghutch92]

Here is how that program works.

Add a new menu item to your main menu. In other words add a new system. Let's call this new menu item "Genres"

So in your main menu you have a system called "Genres"

You choose this system and it takes you to the games wheel for the "Genres" system

There you will see a list of alternate main menu xml names to pick from.

Let's give the alternate main menu xmls some names. "All","Arcade","Computers","Consoles","HandHelds", and "Other"

You choose an alternate main mainmenu xml and this program will restart hyperspin with the alternate main menu xml loaded.

Although behind the scenes, it is a tad bit more complicated than what happens above, but above is what the user will see.

edit: I personally don't like that it restarts hyperspin. Like I said I'm pretty sure exiting a system will refresh the main menu listing, I need to test it again but if exiting the system menu refreshes the main menu, it would be far better for the program to auto-exit the false-genre menu rather than restarting hyperspin.

[ninja2bceen]

K keep us posted. Sounds like not a whole lot added benefit really.

I guess if it doesn't work then we all agree its impossible to have system genres like any normal wheel has?

[ghutch92]

I guess if it doesn't work then we all agree its impossible to have system genres like any normal wheel has?

It is impossible to have system genres like the normal wheels have. This would require the hyperspin author to change the code.

I'm not gonna set this program up because I won't ever use it. So if anyone else wants to write any easy to understand guide on using it feel free.