Version 1.0
4 december 1998

© 1998 Bole-Feysot Eric - All rights reserved.

This software is freeware and selling it is not allowed.

This program comes with no warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. In no event will I be liable for any damages resulting from the proper or improper use of this software.
YOU USE THIS PROGRAM AT YOUR OWN RISK.

If you find any mistakes, you don't understand something or something is missing in this document, feel free to mail me.
This is a compleat release, so you don't need any other software except the emulator and roms.
I remind you that you are not allowed to distribute roms with emulators.

Table of content
What's new?
What is WinFronT ?
Installation
How to use it?
Snapshots
Neorage
m72
Links

 

What's new?
Version 1.0 (xx xx 1998) - First release
What is WinFronT ?
WinFronT is a front end for some of the best emulators. It gives you easy access to more than 160 arcade games from 1980 to 1998. The core of WinFront is a game database featuring full game name, manufacturer, date and type of game.

Note that emulators are programs which try to emulate hardware arcade machine. None of the supported emulators are finish and some features and some games may not work. Look in emulators documentations for more informations.

WinFronT features:

M72 (IREM) Emulator support
Neorage (Neo.Geo) Emulator support
Two roms paths per emulator
Two snapshots path per emulator
Additional parameters
Dual snapshot preview
CDROM full installation
Multiple neogeo bios support

 

Installation
Standart Hard Drive Installation

Install zipped roms and unzipped snapshots on directories. WinFronT only support zipped roms.

Unzip WinFronT in a directory.
Launch WinFronT and open options dialog.

Alternate Path : It is only used in case of CDROM installation.
Emulators: Check emulators you want to use.
Univbe: Check univbe if you want WinFronT to automatically launch univbe before the game. You have to tell WinFronT where your univbe software is installed. You can specify options if you like.

Emulators configuration:
The same configuration is applied for all games (for one emulator)!

MainPath : This is the path where you unzipped the emulator.
Roms : Select one or two paths where stand zipped roms.
Snapshots  Select one or two paths for unzipped snapshots.

Then, set your configuration for the emulator (see emulator documentation for informations on these settings)
Additionnal parameters allows you to use extra options (if any).

CDROM Installation:

La procédure suivante pernet de définir les paramètres par défaut de Winfront. Vous pourrez toujours modifier ces paramètres par la suite.

WinFronT can be run directly from a CDROM. That mean: insert your CDROM, and run winfront. No installation is required. Here is how to setup WinFronT to use it this way:
Copy zipped roms, unzipped emulators and unzipped snapshots on directories on CDROM. Install WinFronT on your hard drive and launch it. Open options dialog and set the options. Since WinFronT won't be able to write on CD, AltPath will be the working directory. It must be on your HD. If you want to use your CDROM on any PC, use relatives paths(ex: \m72\roms instead of d:\m72\roms).

You must now save your configuration in a registery file. Note these settings are default settings. You can change them as you like after you burn your CD.

To save a registry file, you have to open regedit :(
- Open regedit and go into HKEY_CURRENT_USER/software/winfront
- Save key in the file winfront.reg

Copy this file with WinFronT on the CD
Now, when you use WinFronT on a new PC, just double click this file to prepare settings.

How to use it?
The main window holds the game listview. You can enable emulators in the options dialog to see games. Choose filter in menu (all games, available, missing) A green flag shows available games
The status bar shows the number of games actually displayed in the list, the installation type (CD/HD) and the name the roms must have.

Press RETURN, double click, or select RUN in menu to play a game.

Snapshots
Winfront can display two different snapshots of games (usually one for the title screen and the other for in-game screen).
You can choose to hide or to show snapshot in the contextual menu(right mouse button). If no picture is found, default WinFronT picture is used.

Setup:

Each emulator use his own settings.
Choose directories in options dialog. Winfront can handle bmp, gif, jpg et pcx format.
The snaphsot name should be:
Title snapshots : <rom name_1>.bmp/gif/jpg/pcx
In game snapshot : <rom name_2>.bmp/gif/jpg/pcx

Making Snapshots :

Snapshots are not provided! But most emulatores have a built-in screen capture utility.

m72 :  press 'S' during play.
Neorage: press 'F8' during play

WinFronT can automatically handle the snapshot renaming process and move them in the correct path directory. So, you can immediately show them in WinFronT when you quit emulator.
These rules applied:
Only the last snapshot is used
Snapshot is saved in bmp format
If PicPath1 and PicPath2 are writeprotected, snapshots is not processed.
The snpshot type (title or in game) depends of the snapshot type displayed in WinFronT.

 

Neorage
You can use mame roms with WinFronT form neorage games.
Updated database is available on the WinFronT home page.

Winfront can use multiple neogeo bios. Choose the bios directory in the options dialog (unzipped).

Every neorage options are supported.

 

M72
Following options are supported:

Vsync
Sampling rate
Pentium pro/II optimized routines
Frame skip
Joystick
Vertical display
Resolution
Quick fire button
Scanlines

If you want to use others settings, use the additional parameters.

 

Links:

WinFronT is available first on the home page:

WinFronT home pagehttp://www.bigfoot.com/~ebolefeysot

News about WinFronT are available on the following sites:
Emuspain
PC Arcade
EmuXpress
Emulation 32x
The little world of emulation
zophar's domain
...

If your not listed, mail me.

Enjoy..