mGalaxy_Runway - floating checkbox

[randypower]

Hi there. Over the past few days, I've updated my main MAME cabinet with the latest MAME and mGalaxy, and thought I'd pass along some thoughts and feedback. Overall, mGalaxy is working very well and I'm very pleased to be a two-time purchaser (first time was just some premium themes, now the full premium, full price to to support this effort).

In this message, I'm passing along a confusing checkbox that I gather is positioned there intentionally. But as a new (OK, returning from a couple of years ago) user, I found this confusing. In _Runway / DB Update tab, the gang of checkboxes at the top has Overview in particular that threw me off and I couldn't tell what it was for. At first glance, it appears to be a layout error, as it appears over the sample Overview text.  I've attached a sample screenshot in case it helps.

[jmd]

Randy,
With those checkboxes you choose which info/media you want to get on DB creation/update!
Checking the 'Overview' checkbox, for instance, would ensure that game overview is updated for each game on DB creation/update!

This checkbox system allows you to choose the type of database you want to build! Not everyone needs to get overview info and will only want to get the 'genre' and 'player' info for instance (with a lighter database at the end)!

This system will give all its power when you're using both internet DB servers!
If you create a database with a first server and see that many..let's say 'genre' info are missing, you simply run an update again, this time with the second server, un-checking everything but 'genre'...cause you don't want to update/replace what has been done until there..just update the 'genre' info!
The same for media ! One server may be very good for 'text' data..but poor on media files! In that case, select the first server, choose (check the box for) the -text- data you want to retrieve and update; then switch to the second server and this time un-check 'text' info checkboxes but check 'media' checkboxes to get bitmap files only!

[mgalaxy]

Hi there. Over the past few days, I've updated my main MAME cabinet with the latest MAME and mGalaxy, and thought I'd pass along some thoughts and feedback. Overall, mGalaxy is working very well and I'm very pleased to be a two-time purchaser (first time was just some premium themes, now the full premium, full price to to support this effort).

Hi Randy! Thanks for your continuous support...this is really appreciated!

In this message, I'm passing along a confusing checkbox that I gather is positioned there intentionally. But as a new (OK, returning from a couple of years ago) user, I found this confusing. In _Runway / DB Update tab, the gang of checkboxes at the top has Overview in particular that threw me off and I couldn't tell what it was for. At first glance, it appears to be a layout error, as it appears over the sample Overview text.  I've attached a sample screenshot in case it helps.

JMD has given you what I think is a clear and complete reply! (I just made a slight addition in his reply...in accordance with him!)
Does ii make sense to you now?...or still confusing? Would you like to see it presented/layed out in another way?

[randypower]

Hi Randy! Thanks for your continuous support...this is really appreciated!

You're welcome, but it certainly doesn't make up for the many hours you obviously have put into mGalaxy.

JMD has given you what I think is a clear and complete reply! (I just made a slight addition in his reply...in accordance with him!)
Does ii make sense to you now?...or still confusing?

Yes, thank you JMD! I had figured out maybe 80% of that, but the business of selecting different things to update the DB from a different server is helpful. I didn't know it would be a non-destructive update for the unselected items.

Would you like to see it presented/layed out in another way?

There are two things at play here:  1 - I didn't know what I was trying to accomplish on this panel, and 2 - the layout is visually unclear.

For problem 1, I wonder if you've considered a little more documentation? Maybe even a wiki that we could contribute to? There is some Getting Started info, but it's sparse. For example, I actually already had a lot of this media from the MAME EXTRAS package but I didn't know this was the same stuff. JMD's detail would be a perfect starter! And on this topic, some (wiki) documentation on the rather extensive themes would be useful -- like which themes are better suited to certain configurations like emulation systems and monitor sizes/resolutions.

For problem 2, some thoughts:

• There are 3 layers here: the background image, the icon/sample which is intended to act as a sample, and the checkbox on top of that. Eliminating the background image could help.
• Having consistent treatment for all the labels with checkboxes next to them would help. (some are white, some are light gray/purple. The top row has label followed by checkbox, the second row has label with image and the checkbox centered over the image, Overview is kinda the same, and the last row (Genre, Players, Release) is super easy to follow.)

I realize you have very limited space there!

Hope this helps