Ideas on how to show image with control layouts on a per system basis

[lmsilva]

Hello all,

It is my understanding that the latest versions of Hyperspin allow you to add control layouts to each system, that can be displayed while you are playing.

Unfortunately, I'm using an old Hyperspin version and have already put wayyyy too much time into it, so upgrading is not an option.

So all I want to ask is this:

- can someone explain to me how we're displaying those control layouts in game?

I should be able to change my HyperLaunch.ahk to capture a certain key configuration and do whatever needs to be done but I'm not sure how to do it...

Some thoughts I've had so far involve:

- changing the background image and, when a key combination is pressed, we hide the emulator window and show the background image

- launching a graphical application to open a custom layout image and give it focus

How are we doing it with the latest Hyperspin / Hyperlaunch version?

Does the latest hyperspin version ship with an application I could call from my hyperlaunch script?

Thanks in advance,

Luis

[ghutch92]

The only thing close to this is hyperpause which is included with rocketlauncher, but this would requires you to "upgrade." HyperMarquee can display your control images on a secondary screen without you needing to upgrade, but can not display images on the primary screen.

Basically what I'm saying is no.

[rfancella]

You could use bezels with the controls on them or IC's.

Thanks,

Ron

[lmsilva]

That's for systems that do not occupy the full screen, right?

I could put a bezel around the emulator screen with more information I guess, but that takes too much real estate. What are IC's exactly?

[lmsilva]

The only thing close to this is hyperpause which is included with rocketlauncher, but this would requires you to "upgrade." HyperMarquee can display your control images on a secondary screen without you needing to upgrade, but can not display images on the primary screen.

Basically what I'm saying is no.

Thanks for sharing that, I did not know that Rocketlaunch!

Well, after looking at the autohotkey documentation to see if it allowed me to easily display an image, I found this:

http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/Progress.htm

It seems pretty straightforward to show an image so I'm fairly convinced I can change my hyperlaunch.ahk script to display a controller image when a certain key is pressed )

[rfancella]

Thanks for sharing that, I did not know that Rocketlaunch!

Well, after looking at the autohotkey documentation to see if it allowed me to easily display an image, I found this:

http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/Progress.htm

It seems pretty straightforward to show an image so I'm fairly convinced I can change my hyperlaunch.ahk script to display a controller image when a certain key is pressed )

That is already built in. They are IC's (Instruction Cards). They cam be per system and/or game. You hit a key and they pop up over the emu. Hit the key again and they go away.

Thanks,

Ron

[ghutch92]

That is already built in. They are IC's (Instruction Cards). They cam be per system and/or game. You hit a key and they pop up over the emu. Hit the key again and they go away.

Thanks,

Ron

He has already stated that he didn't want to update hyperlaunch in the original post.

[lmsilva]

Ok, I did some tests and I'm *pretty sure* I can get this to work (in case anyone cares) )

The idea will be to place all controller instruction cards in a "controller_layouts" folder, having one card per system named "%system%.png" and then, inside the hyperlaunch.ahk, for each system, do something like this:

imageOn = a & b

imageOff = b & c

Hotkey, %imageOn%, splashImageOn

Hotkey, %imageOff%, splashImageOff

return

splashImageOn:

SplashImage, e:\Hyperspin\controller_layouts\%systemName%.png

return

splashImageOff:

SplashImage, Off

return

A potential improvement with be to use a control variable (e.g. splashImageActive = false), and check that variable's value every time the same Hotkey combination is pressed, updating the value from false to true (and vice-versa), every time the splash image is toggled on or off.

Let me know if anyone cares about this and I'll share my final script once I finish it later today ).

[SubZero]

If you use Hyperlaunch 2.25. you can do this at the start of every game and then hit a key to let the it fade out to the game. i have this setup this way. place images in the Gamestart folder

[lmsilva]

If you use Hyperlaunch 2.25. you can do this at the start of every game and then hit a key to let the it fade out to the game. i have this setup this way. place images in the Gamestart folder

Unfortunately I don't want to update (it took me about 3+ months to setup EVERYTHING, and I simply do not have the time to do it) (

Can you share a sample layout from your system so I can see how they look? Do they already have the keys hardcoded in the image, or does Hyperlaunch set them in there with text?

If the images are "clean" (no text), would you mind sharing yours with me?

Thank you,

Luis

[marxkemp]

INSTRUCTION CARD:

[SubZero]

Unfortunately I don't want to update (it took me about 3+ months to setup EVERYTHING, and I simply do not have the time to do it) (

Can you share a sample layout from your system so I can see how they look? Do they already have the keys hardcoded in the image, or does Hyperlaunch set them in there with text?

If the images are "clean" (no text), would you mind sharing yours with me?

Thank you,

Luis

its the old hyperlaunch.....not HL 3 i am not using that.

it's just an .PNG you have to make for yourself. give it the rom name and place it in the Gamestart folder.

[SubZero]

INSTRUCTION CARD:

Doe je dat met HL 3 of 2.25?

[ghutch92]

The only time the splash image code will work is if the emulator is in windowed mode and not true full screen. If you want to display over a full screen game, you should look into something like directdraw overlays.

[marxkemp]

Its RL, SubZ, i just reposted it to give an argument to upgrade

[SubZero]

Ahhhhhhhh, i won't upgrade ....was just curious

[marxkemp]

Doen!

[SubZero]

Nee, reden voor.....

[marxkemp]

Now im curious.

[potts43]

I have used the fade to use extra layer 1-console and also create a default image for hyperpause and also create an instruction card for that system so you can press a key and have it show on screen whilst playing the game. That way 'a picture' of the controller is always available and you can do this per game of you want

[lmsilva]

The only time the splash image code will work is if the emulator is in windowed mode and not true full screen. If you want to display over a full screen game, you should look into something like directdraw overlays.

Bingo...I just bumped into that :oP

I managed to still display the image with this script:

WinGet, WinHND, ID, A ; Get Handle of current fullscreen app

Gui,Vol:+0x40000000 -0x80000000 +Owner%WinHND% ; Make fullscreen app own our gui

The problem is that, after doing this, I cannot get control back.

I think the solution is to remove the app's control over the GUI and then turn off the SplashImage, but I just can't figure out how to do it.

I end up with the image on top of everything and, if I kill the emulator, the whole screen turns black and hyperspin seems to be running on the background (or something like that)...

Any ideas on how to do it?