Quick Setup Guide for Basic Features
------------------------------------

   This small tutorial will help those who want to get the frontend up and running without a fuss...
Only the minimal required steps for a quick start are covered here.


Installing
----------

01. Uncompress frontend's package anywhere you want ("Program Files" and "Users" folders are NOT recommended!)

02. Copy extra files: catver.ini or catver_full.ini, nplayers.ini, languages.ini to "[frontend]\ini_files\" folder (optional)

03. Copy category_home.ini to "[frontend]\ini_files\" folder for proper MAME non-arcade machines filtering (optional, MAME 0.162 or newer required)

04. Copy docs files: mameinfo.dat, messinfo.dat, history.dat, story.dat (MAMEscore v2), marp.dat to MAME's main folder (optional)

05. Run "EmuLoader.exe" to start the frontend
    After the initialization screen, the emulators setup screen will open

06. Select the system you want to setup

07. Select an emulator file (.exe; .bat; .cmd)
    "version info" will be filled automatically, except for batch files. You can edit emulator file and version info manually
    (click "Update System" button if changing emulator file manually!)

08. If you need to configure emulator's default options, click "Default Settings" button (optional)

09. Repeat steps #6 to #8 for the other systems

10. Finally, click on "OK" button

11. Select what scan mode you want to use so games can be validated (Emu Loader audit system)
    WARNING: do not use "Quick Scan" mode because it's bugged and it will be far longer than "Full Scan" (no ETA on fixing it!)

12. Optionally, you can select what type of MAME sets will be scanned in 'Scan MAME Sets' (MAME 0.162 or newer required)

13. If you want to create MAME software list games, enable 'Create Software List Games' checkbox (optional)
    You can enable/disable software list by clicking in the 'custom' blue text; disabled software lists will not be created
    or added to the games list

14. If you want MAME/HBMAME device sets with no ROMs listed in your games list, enable 'Device Sets With No ROMs' checkbox (optional)

    EL will start to create the games list for all available systems, one by one, including software list games
    This procedure should not take too long, except for MAME, you don't need to do anything... just wait until
    it finishes

15. After all games databases are created, the games list will load and the main screen appears

16. Available games have colored icons. Missing games have gray icons. Games with missing ROMs/CHDs have a red color text and gray icons

17. Why are you still reading this ? Start playing!!! ^-^



Changing Image Categories and Layouts Settings
----------------------------------------------

   This section tells you how to set snapshots folders for all your systems (folders for all image categories, not just game snapshots),
   their visibility and background color.

    Note: if the emulator already have a game snapshot setting, EL will load this setting automatically (MAME, HBMAME).

01. Go to main menu "Images", "Category / Layout Settings" (or images popup menu). A new screen will open
    Note: if you are in "Classic" view mode, the categories panel will be shown. If you are in
    "Layouts" view mode, the layouts panel will be shown

02. To setup categories, click on "Categories" button at the bottom bar (if panel not visible already)

03. Select a system and then a category

04. Choose a folder for the selected category (emulator relative paths are supported)

05. Change category visibility and background color as needed (optional)

06. Repeat the process for other systems (steps #3 thru #5)

07. To setup layouts, click on "Layouts" button at the bottom bar

08. Select the layout you want to modify

09. Change layout visibility as needed

10. If you want to use different categories for the selected layout, click on each category icon and
    choose the one you want (see the layout image sample next to the categories bars for more details)

11. For layouts with multiple panels, you can hide the 2nd and/or the 3rd panel

12. Repeat the process for other layouts (steps #8 thru #11)

13. Close the screen when you're done


NOTES:
  -> You can use zipped images. Check "el-readme.txt" for their filenames ("Features" section)

  -> Do not use the same image category on multiple panels for the same layout or the frontend will crash

  -> Game ROMs for MAME software list games must be placed in sub-folders using same name as xml filenames from "mamedir\hash\" folder
     Do not select these sub-folders in MAME ROMs paths (mame.ini)

  -> Snapshots files for MAME software list games must be placed in sub-folders using same name as xml filenames from "mamedir\hash\" folder
     
     eg.: snap\msx1_cart\goonies.png
          -> softlist game "The Goonies" ("msx1_cart.xml": MSX1 Cartridges)

          snap\goonies.png
          -> arcade "Vs. The Goonies"

  -> To select what MAME machine you want to run a software list game with, use "Machine to Run Game" option in games popup menu (mouse right-click)
     Software list games are non-arcade games (console/computer). MAME v0.162 or newer is required



How to view MAMu_ Icons
-----------------------

   Can't find out how to display MAMu_ icons into the games list ? Follow the steps below.

01. Click on main tool bar button "MAMu_ Icons" and select "Select Folder". The preferences screen will open
    ... or open the preferences screen in the main menu and go to "Games List" page

02. Click on "Select" button. Only a single folder can be selected and it will be used for all systems

03. After selecting folder, click on MAMu_ Icons tool bar buttons again (main screen)

04. There are other settings to customize how icons are loaded, use them as you like

05. Select "Enable MAMu_ Icons" to enable or disable this feature (or use "Ctrl+M" hotkey)

NOTES:
  -> You can have multiple size icons on each gamename.ico file (48x48, 32x32, 24x24, 16x16)
     ... color depth from 256 colors to XP icons (RGB+alpha channel)

  -> On standard/grouped view modes with extra large icons (48x48), and tiles view mode, if a 48x48 icon is not
     found in the .ico file, the 32x32 icon will be used (no stretch)

  -> Zipped icons can also be used. Make sure to name it "icons.zip"

  -> Relative paths are supported; the path is relative to the frontend



-- Master Control: "End of line." (quote from "TRON") --
