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Diffstat (limited to 'docs/source/usingmame')
-rw-r--r-- | docs/source/usingmame/defaultkeys.rst | 9 | ||||
-rw-r--r-- | docs/source/usingmame/frontends.rst | 53 | ||||
-rw-r--r-- | docs/source/usingmame/index.rst | 22 | ||||
-rw-r--r-- | docs/source/usingmame/ui.rst | 137 |
4 files changed, 193 insertions, 28 deletions
diff --git a/docs/source/usingmame/defaultkeys.rst b/docs/source/usingmame/defaultkeys.rst index 2992e31cb41..19e52c87dbd 100644 --- a/docs/source/usingmame/defaultkeys.rst +++ b/docs/source/usingmame/defaultkeys.rst @@ -59,10 +59,11 @@ and saving/loading save states. Change current UI option setting when an arrow is present on it. **Right Arrow** Change current UI option setting when an arrow is present on it. -**Home** - Highlight first UI menu option. -**End** - Select last UI menu option. +**Home**/**End** + Highlight first or last UI menu option. +**[** **]** + Move to previous or next group in UI menus that support it (e.g. move to the + inputs for the previous or next device in the Input (this Machine) menu). **Enter**/**Joystick 1 Button 1** Select currently highlighted UI menu option. **Space** diff --git a/docs/source/usingmame/frontends.rst b/docs/source/usingmame/frontends.rst index 88ef7052a65..24ddf05ad75 100644 --- a/docs/source/usingmame/frontends.rst +++ b/docs/source/usingmame/frontends.rst @@ -1,20 +1,45 @@ .. _frontends: -Frontends -========= +Front-ends +========== -There are a number of third party tools for MAME to make system and software selection simpler. These tools are called "Frontends", and there are far too many to list conclusively here. Some are free, some are commercial-- caveat emptor. Some older frontends predate the merging of MAME and MESS and do not support the additional console, handheld, etc functionality that MAME inherited from MESS. +A number of third party tools for MAME to make system and software selection +simpler are available. These tools are called “front-ends”, and there are far +too many to list exhaustively here. Some are free, some are commercial – +caveat emptor. Some older front-ends predate the merging of MAME and MESS and +do not support the additional console, hand-held, and computer functionality +inherited from MESS. -This following list is not an endorsement of any of these frontends by the MAME team, but simply showing a number of commonly used free frontends as a good starting point to begin from. +This following list is not an endorsement of any of these front-ends by the MAME +team. It simply shows a number of commonly used free front-ends to provide a +starting point. -| QMC2 (multiple platforms) -| Download: http://qmc2.batcom-it.net/ -| -| IV/Play (Microsoft Windows) -| Download: http://www.mameui.info/ -| -| EmuLoader (Microsoft Windows) -| Download: http://emuloader.mameworld.info/ -| +`QMC2 <http://qmc2.batcom-it.net/>`__ (multiple platforms) + Provides a graphical interface for configuring many of MAME’s settings and + features. Also includes ROM management and media auditing features. + Written in C++ using the Qt toolkit, the + `source code is on SourceForge <https://sourceforge.net/projects/qmc2/>`__. +`Negatron <http://negatron.net/>`__ (multiple platforms) + Negatron emphasises features for configuring emulated computers and + consoles. Written in Java, the + `source code is on GitHub <https://github.com/xinyingho/Negatron>`__. +`BletchMAME <https://www.bletchmame.org/>`__ (multiple platforms) + BletchMAME takes advantage of MAME’s Lua scripting interface to integrate + tightly and effectively replace MAME’s internal user interface. It has + many useful features for home computer emulation. Written in C++, the + `source code is on GitHub <https://github.com/npwoods/bletchmame>`__. +`IV/Play <http://www.mameui.info/>`__ (Microsoft Windows) + A simple Windows program for launching systems in MAME. Written in C#, the + `souce code is on GitHub <https://github.com/Mataniko/IV-Play>`__. +`EmuLoader <http://emuloader.mameworld.info/>`__ (Microsoft Windows) + EmuLoader provides a Windows interface for launching systems in multiple + emulators, including MAME, Supermodel and DEMUL. Written in Delphi Pascal, + the source code is available + `on the download page <https://emuloader.mameworld.info/downloads.htm>`__. +`Retrofire <https://e2j.net/downloads/>`__ (Japanese, Microsoft Windows) + Provides a Japanese-language graphical interface for launching systems or + software in MAME. -The MAME team will not provide support for issues with frontends. For support, we suggest contacting the frontend author or trying any of the popular MAME-friendly forums on the internet. +The MAME team will not provide support for issues with front-ends. For support, +we suggest contacting the front-end author or asking on one of the popular +MAME-friendly forums on the Internet. diff --git a/docs/source/usingmame/index.rst b/docs/source/usingmame/index.rst index 7e85a5bd871..e1a2ae8f5b1 100644 --- a/docs/source/usingmame/index.rst +++ b/docs/source/usingmame/index.rst @@ -1,16 +1,18 @@ Basic MAME Usage and Configuration ---------------------------------- -This section describes general usage information about MAME. It is intended to cover aspects of using and configuring MAME that are common across all operating systems. For additional OS-specific options, please see the separate documentation for your platform of choice. +This section describes general usage information about MAME. It is intended to +cover aspects of using and configuring MAME that are common across all operating +systems. For additional OS-specific options, please see the separate +documentation for your platform of choice. .. toctree:: - :titlesonly: - - usingmame - defaultkeys - mamemenus - frontends - aboutromsets - commonissues - + :titlesonly: + usingmame + ui + defaultkeys + mamemenus + frontends + aboutromsets + commonissues diff --git a/docs/source/usingmame/ui.rst b/docs/source/usingmame/ui.rst new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..38b0e5bc7cc --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/source/usingmame/ui.rst @@ -0,0 +1,137 @@ +.. _ui: + +MAME’s User Interface +===================== + +.. contents:: :local: + + +.. _ui-intro: + +Introduction +------------ + +MAME provides a simple user interface for selecting a system and software to +run and changing settings while running an emulated system. MAME’s user +interface is designed to be usable with a keyboard, game controller, or pointing +device, but will require a keyboard for initial configuration. + +The default settings for the most important controls to know when running an +emulated system, and the settings they correspond to in case you want to change +them, are as follows: + +Scroll Lock, or Forward Delete on macOS (UI Toggle) + For emulated systems with keyboard inputs, enable or disable UI controls. + (MAME starts with UI controls disabled for systems with keyboard inputs + unless the :ref:`ui_active option <mame-commandline-uiactive>` is on.) +Tab (Config Menu) + Show or hide the menu during emulation. +Escape (UI Cancel) + Return to the system selection menu, or exit if MAME was started with a + system specified (from the command line or using an + :ref:`external front-end <frontends>`). + + +.. _ui-menus: + +Navigating menus +---------------- + +By default, MAME menus can be navigated using the keyboard cursor keys. All +the UI controls can be changed by going to the **General Inputs** menu and then +selecting **User Interface**. The default keyboard controls on a US ANSI QWERTY +layout keyboard, and the settings they correspond to, are as follows: + +Up Arrow (UI Up) + Highlight the previous menu item, or the last item if the first item is + highlighted. +Down Arrow (UI Down) + Highlight the next menu item, or the first item if the last item is + highlighted. +Left Arrow (UI Left) + For menu items that are adjustable settings, reduce the value or select the + previous setting (these menu items show left- and right-facing triangles + beside the value). +Right Arrow (UI Left) + For menu items that are adjustable settings, increase the value or select + the next setting (these menu items show left- and right-facing triangles + beside the value). +Return/Enter keypad Enter (UI Select) + Select the highlighted menu item. +Forward Delete, or Fn+Delete on some compact keyboards (UI Clear) + Clear setting or reset to default value. +Escape (UI Cancel) + Close the menu, returning to the previous menu, or returning to the + emulated machine for the main menu (there’s usually an item at the bottom + of the menu for the same purpose). +Home (UI Home) + Highlight the first menu item and scroll to the top of the menu. +End (UI End) + Highlight the last menu item and scroll to the bottom of the menu. +Page Up (UI Page Up) + Scroll the menu up by one screen. +Page Down (UI Page Down) + Scroll the menu down by one screen. +[ (UI Previous Group) + Move to the previous group of items (not used by all menus). +] (UI Next Group) + Move to the next group of items (not used by all menus). + + +.. _ui-menus-gamectrl: + +Using a game controller +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +MAME supports navigating menus with a game controller or joystick, but only the +most important UI controls have joystick assignments by default: + +* Move the first joystick up or down in the Y axis to highlight the previous or + next menu item. +* Move the first joystick left or right in the X axis to adjust settings. +* Press the first button on the first joystick to select the highlighted menu + item. + +If you want to be able to use MAME with a game controller without needing a +keyboard, you’ll need to assign joystick buttons (or combinations of buttons) to +these controls as well: + +* **Config Menu** to show or dismiss the menu during emulation +* **UI Cancel** to close menus, return to the system selection menu, or exit + MAME +* **UI Clear** isn’t essential for basic emulation, but it’s used to clear or + reset some settings to defaults +* **UI Home**, **UI End**, **UI Page Up**, **UI Page Down**, **UI Previous + Group** and **UI Next Group** are not essential, but make navigating some + menus easier + +If you’re not using an external front-end to launch systems in MAME, you should +assign joystick buttons (or combinations of buttons) to these controls to make +full use of the system and software selection menus: + +* **UI Focus Next**/**UI Focus Previous** to navigate between panes +* **UI Add Remove favorite**, **UI Export List** and **UI Audit Media** if you + want access to these features without using a keyboard or pointing device + + +.. _ui-menus-mouse: + +Using a mouse or trackball +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +MAME supports navigating menus using a mouse or trackball that works as a system +pointing device: + +* Click menu items to highlight them. +* Double-click menu items to select them. +* Click the left- or right-pointing triangle to adjust settings. +* For menus with too many items to fit on the screen, click the upward- or + downward-pointing triangle at the top or bottom to scroll up or down by one + screen at a time. +* Use vertical scrolling gestures to scroll menus or text boxes with too many + items or lines to fit on the screen. +* Click toolbar items to select them, or hover over them to see a description. + +If you have enough additional mouse buttons, you may want to assign button +combinations to the **Config Menu**, **Pause** and/or **UI Cancel** inputs to +make it possible to use MAME without a keyboard. |