Basic FME Information

Definitions

1) ROM - In our case the ROM is the data that has been extracted from the real Fruit Machine . These are used by the EMULATOR.

2) LAYOUT - These are the things the folks here make using the EMULATOR to give a visual appearance to the ROM. For example a nice coloured, lamped flyer which when ran in the EMULATOR with the correct ROM gives us a game to play. LAYOUTS can come in various guises...
A ROM and a LAYOUT are two totally different things!!!

a) The CLASSIC - this is the basic, some say hardest version to make. They have no fancy gfx and are usually a visual representation of the machine.

The DX - These layouts have the actual artwork that is associated with the real game. Sometimes in the forms of flyers, glass scans or 'Walts' which are sometimes referred to as 'redraws.'

c) The PDX - These creations are sort of half CLASSIC and half DX. Most aren't too 'hot' to be honest.

3) EMULATOR - these are the coded bits of software that allow us to run LAYOUTS and ROMS. In some cases the EMULATOR is even used to MAKE the LAYOUT but cannot make a ROM.

We have had EMULATORS called MFME, JPeMu, BFeMu, AGEMame and recently FMEF.

So now you all know the difference between an EMULATOR, a ROM and a LAYOUT please stop getting the buggers mixed up!!!! If you are going to beg for something at least have the decency to know what the hell you are asking for.

Basics...

Well you download the EMULATOR and save it to your HDD. When you open the EMULATOR you point it to the machine you want to play. This machine will have the LAYOUT files and the ROM files together in a nice folder on your HDD. You will need knowledge of unzipping files to get them there in the first place. (How the chuff half of you managed to actually manage to get a computer to connect to the Internet is beyond me...)

So to play 'Red Hot Roll DX'* first you will need the correct EMULATOR and the 'Red Hot Roll
DX' LAYOUT along with the 'Red Hot Roll' ROMS.
Unzip the roms and layout and place together in a folder. Once the emulator is running point it to your 'Red Hot Roll' folder and select the 'Red Hot Roll DX.gam' file. The machine will then run and you can play happy for a few mins before you get board and return here asking for DOND.

You can't see all the layout can you? If you notice some layouts are named (all mine are hehe) with a number in the title representing the resolution of the LAYOUT. If it is a classic it more than likely will be a 800 and fit 99% screens. If it is 1024 most should be okay as well. Bugger me though once you start getting 1280 or 1600 then some folks might have trouble seeing all of the LAYOUT. Help is at hand you can do a few things to stop you screaming like a shot pig on the forums about it.

1) If the LAYOUT works in MFME v3 or BFeMu hath no fear as these EMULATORS are scrollable. Yeah just drag the EMULATOR to the size you require... thank fuck for that eh.

2) You could check to see if the LAYOUT comes in any other sizes. Searching is very handy for this and most layouts have a CLASSIC which will be good enough for all!

3) You could actually DO something positive and make and release the LAYOUT you require yourself. Also if you are going to release a layout a nice picture of the layout is handy to post in your 'Release Thread.'

Oh and for Pete's sake BEFORE you ask for a LAYOUT can you find it within yourself to check the handy link in my sig. It has a list of all the current available LAYOUTS.

* - might not be available, check the t*atting list first!!!