[mGUI2] mGBA interface (Wii version), .sav files, bios and languajes

[SieKensou]

Interface: I tested the new 0.6.0 yesterday and it's great too see the new improvements. I'm using the Wii port version. Will be possible in the future to have a better interface? It would be great to have a good menu to select options and see the roms with a screenshot. Maybe something like the FCE Ultra GX (Nes Emulator):

.sav files: Apart of that, I noticed all the games (GB, GBC and GBA) automatically creates a .sav file (even if the game doesn't have a save feature). Why? That only should happen in games that saves automatically. Other "issue" with that is that when I'm going to select a rom, I can see the .sav files, the emulator should only show the good rom extensions (.gb, .gbc, .gba, .zip...), but not the .sav files (sometimes the rom name is too big and I don't know wich one is the rom and wich one is the .sav). Another solution would be to have a "saves" folder with the .sav there, separate from the roms

BIOS files: I always like to boot the games with the bios of the system. It works great with the Game Boy Advance, but when I run Game Boy or Game Boy Color games the BIOS doesn't run. I would like to know if you could add the option to set the Game Boy BIOS and the Game Color BIOS too when loading games of that systems, that would be really great.

Languajes: I read that the new version (0.6.0) includes new translations like Spanish.... That works on the Wii version? How can I use the Spanish language?

Thanks! Support for this great emulator!

[endrift]

• [ ] Interface: A revamp of the interface is scheduled for 0.7.0
• [x] Save files: ROM scanning/library feature is scheduled for 0.7.0
• [x] BIOS files: Probably also scheduled for 0.7.0
• [ ] Languages: Only for the Qt port. mGUI does not support i18n yet. Scheduled for 1.0.0

[SieKensou]

Thanks for the reply. Can't wait for that 0.7.0 version :)

[redmagejoe]

It would be really nice to get a decent Wii UI for this. I love the timing and accuracy of emulation, but I'm such a stickler for ease of use and presentation, I actually cannot bring myself to switch from VBAGX to mGBA because of the UI alone. I know, I'm only making myself suffer, but really having a UI similar to VBAGX (which is itself identical to the image of FCEU GX posted above), would be all it would take for me to jump aboard the mGBA train 100%.

[Maesejesus]

Would the UI affect the performance given the limitations? Because if it does, I'd rather stay with the basic thing we have now.

A pretty UI is worthless if it comes at cost of functionality, specially if you're only going to see the interface for a few seconds when choosing a game and then just play, which is the point of an emulator. Besides, it would need also consideration on how it's done because one of the advantages of the Wii is doing 240p besides 480p, and lots of people use it. Designing something for both video modes can be tricky, and deciding on only designing for one and having to constantly change betwen 240p and 480p like some of the GX/RX emulators do is bothersome too.

It's a headache...

[redmagejoe]

I was not even aware that 240p was an option in the GX emulators. That said, presentation goes hand in hand with usability, like adjusting settings or making use of features such as snapshots, save states, and SRAM loading. It's not simply for the sake of seeing the menu while choosing a game (though that in and of itself is useful since you can see screenshots to display a game still to give an idea what a game is; if you have 100s of games, you won't always necessarily recall what is what by name alone), but also opening the menu during gameplay to make use of other aforementioned features.

I agree that form should not come at the cost of function, however, and if a UI could be implemented without impacting function then I wouldn't ask such a feature to be pushed. In the interim, I'll keep an eye on the project and continue using VBAGX.

[endrift]

I'm going to use this as the master bug for mGUI2, which is the revamp mentioned above. It's, well, rather delayed at the moment, but I've started on some of the skeleton work needed.

[Maesejesus]

Do not worry, Endrift, you already have enough workload developing mGBA for a variety of systems and having them performing great.

There's no hurry.