Build a MAME Cabinet in 24 Hours

Computer System and Setup Information

The PC runs Windows 98. It has been configured to boot directly into AdvanceMENU. To do this you need to edit the C:\Windows\System.ini file as follows:

[boot]
shell=c:\mame\advmenu.exe

The system is powered on with the PC soft-power button (extended to one of the front controls), and similarly powered off with another click of this button. Clicking this when in Windows begins a shutdown operation which ensures the machine is always safely shut down.

The AdvanceMENU configuration file was edited to disable the sounds played when moving and starting/stopping the application, and also to allow the one-player start button to launch the games (the '1' key).

You can see the advmenu.rc file below:

color help black white
color help_tag lightred white
color submenu_bar lightred white
color submenu_item black white
color submenu_item_select lightgreen white
color menu_item black white
color menu_hidden gray white
color menu_tag fa0000 white
color menu_item_select black lightgreen
color menu_hidden_select gray lightgreen
color menu_tag_select lightgreen lightgreen
color bar black white
color bar_tag lightgreen white
color bar_hidden gray white
color grid lightgreen white
color backdrop black gray
color icon white white
color cursor gray white
config save_at_exit
device_color_bgr15 yes
device_color_bgr16 yes
device_color_bgr24 yes
device_color_bgr32 yes
device_color_bgr8 yes
device_color_palette8 yes
device_color_yuy2 yes
device_joystick none
device_keyboard auto
device_mouse none
device_sdl_samples 2048
device_sound auto
device_svgawin_divideclock no
device_svgawin_stub fullscreen
device_video auto
device_video_doublescan yes
device_video_fastchange no
device_video_interlace yes
device_video_output fullscreen
device_video_singlescan yes
emulator "mame" mame "mame.exe" ""
event_alpha yes
event_assign up up
event_assign down down
event_assign left left
event_assign right right
event_assign enter 1 or enter
event_assign shutdown lcontrol esc
event_assign esc esc
event_assign space space
event_assign mode tab
event_assign home home
event_assign end end
event_assign pgup pgup
event_assign pgdn pgdn
event_assign help f1
event_assign group f2
event_assign type f3
event_assign exclude f4
event_assign sort f5
event_assign setgroup f9
event_assign settype f10
event_assign runclone f12
event_assign del del
event_assign ins insert
event_assign command f8
event_assign menu backquote or backslash
event_assign emulator f6
event_assign snapshot period_pad
event_assign rotate 0_pad
event_assign lock scrlock
event_exit_press 1
event_mode fast
event_repeat 500 50
group "Very Good"
group "Good"
group "Bad"
group "<undefined>"
icon_space 43
idle_screensaver 60 10
idle_screensaver_preview snap
idle_start 0 0
lock no
loop no
menu_base 0
menu_rel 0
merge differential
misc_quiet yes
mode list
mode_skip
mouse_delta 100
preview snap
preview_default none
preview_default_cabinet none
preview_default_flyer none
preview_default_icon none
preview_default_marquee none
preview_default_snap none
preview_default_title none
preview_expand 1.15
run_msg "Run game"
run_preview snap
sort parent
sound_background_begin none
sound_background_end none
sound_background_loop none
sound_background_loop_dir "mp3"
sound_background_start none
sound_background_stop none
sound_buffer 0.1
sound_foreground_begin none
sound_foreground_end none
sound_foreground_key none
sound_foreground_start none
sound_foreground_stop none
sound_latency 0.1
sound_samplerate 44100
sound_volume 0
type "Computer"
type "Console"
type "Application"
type "Arcade"
type "Shot 'em Up"
type "Bet 'em Up"
type "Fight"
type "Gun"
type "Puzzle"
type "RPG"
type "Sport"
type "Breakout"
type "Filler"
type "Racing"
type "Flipper"
type "<undefined>"
video_brightness 1
video_font none
video_gamma 1
video_orientation
video_restore yes
video_size 1024
emulator_include "mame"
group_include "<undefined>"
group_include "Bad"
group_include "Good"
group_include "Very Good"
type_include "<undefined>"
type_include "Application"
type_include "Arcade"
type_include "Bet 'em Up"
type_include "Breakout"
type_include "Computer"
type_include "Console"
type_include "Fight"
type_include "Filler"
type_include "Flipper"
type_include "Gun"
type_include "Puzzle"
type_include "RPG"
type_include "Racing"
type_include "Shot 'em Up"
type_include "Sport"
emulator_attrib "mame" missing include
emulator_attrib "mame" clone exclude
emulator_attrib "mame" bad include
emulator_attrib "mame" vector include
emulator_attrib "mame" vertical include
emulator_attrib "mame" neogeo include
emulator_attrib "mame" deco include
emulator_attrib "mame" playchoice include

The emulator runs the Pentium Pro optimised command line version of MAME, with the following configuration settings from mame.ini.

### MAME.ini ###

### Frontend Related ###
clones 1

### Windows path and directory options ###
rompath roms
samplepath samples
# inipath <NULL> (not set)
cfg_directory cfg
nvram_directory nvram
memcard_directory memcard
input_directory inp
hiscore_directory hi
state_directory sta
artwork_directory artwork
snapshot_directory snap
diff_directory diff
ctrlr_directory ctrlr
cheat_file cheat.dat
history_file history.dat
mameinfo_file mameinfo.dat

### Windows video options ###
autoframeskip 1
frameskip 0
waitvsync 1
triplebuffer 1
window 0
ddraw 1
hwstretch 1
resolution auto
refresh 1
scanlines 0
switchres 1
switchbpp 1
maximize 1
keepaspect 1
matchrefresh 1
syncrefresh 1
throttle 1
full_screen_brightness 0.000000
frames_to_run 0
effect none
screen_aspect 4:3
sleep 0
rdtsc 0

### Input device options ###
mouse 0
joystick 0
lightgun 0
steadykey 0
keyboard_leds 1
a2d_deadzone 0.300000
# ctrlr <NULL> (not set)

### Mame CORE video options ###
norotate 0
ror 0
rol 0
flipx 0
flipy 0
debug_resolution auto
gamma 1.000000
brightness 1.000000
pause_brightness 0.650000

### Mame CORE vector game options ###
antialias 1
translucency 1
beam 1.000000
flicker 0.000000
intensity 1.500000

### Mame CORE sound options ###
samplerate 48000
samples 1
resamplefilter 1
sound 1
volume 0

### Mame CORE misc options ###
artwork 1
use_backdrops 1
use_overlays 1
use_bezels 1
artwork_crop 1
artwork_resolution 1
cheat 1
debug 0
# playback <NULL> (not set)
# record <NULL> (not set)
log 0
oslog 0
skip_disclaimer 1
skip_gameinfo 1

### Configuration options ###
readconfig 1
verbose 0

Hardware specifications of the PC system itself can be found on the 'Shopping List' page. It seems to run virtually all but the most modern games (those which require HDD images) at full-speed.

This page has been visited since 6 November 2002
Page last updated