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[vo243]

BenJeremy, can you look over this config?  I'm trying to make a DVD-R and it hangs on boot, just as the Xbox logo fades and the MXM logo comes in:

<Config>
<Main>
<DiscTitle>DVD Install</DiscTitle>
<DiscSubtitle>Custom Collection</DiscSubtitle>
<Theme>1</Theme>
<TitleDelay>20</TitleDelay>
<SaverDelay>30</SaverDelay>
<MXMPath>D:\</MXMPath>
<LoadSkin>DefaultSkin</LoadSkin>
</Main>
<AllowAutoConfig>No</AllowAutoConfig>
<Item_1>
<Title>SSX Tricky</Title>
<Description>EA</Description>
<Media>ssxtricky.jpg</Media>
<Dir>ssxtricky</Dir>
</Item_1>
<Item_2>
<Title>Ty the Tasmanian Tiger</Title>
<Description>EA</Description>
<Media>ty.jpg</Media>
<Dir>ty</Dir>
</Item_2>
<Music>
<UseMusic>on</UseMusic>
<Directory>MUSIC</Directory>
<Global>off</Global>
<Random>off</Random>
</Music>
</Config>

I put the graphics (640X480 jpgs) in the root of the DVD (since it's just two of them).  Some of the entires I know are unnecessary, but I'm learnin'.  My Music folder has 1 song (being lazy here, trying to develop a spot of a template, y'know?).  I'm a little confused about the <Global> directive, I set it to off.

Critique away, I'm sure it's something utterly stupid!

do I need both the default.xbe and the mxm.xbe in the root, or is just the default enough?

[BenJeremy]

Move the

<AllowAutoConfig>No</AllowAutoConfig>

item into the <Main></Main> node of the xml file. That could be what's hanging it.

The XML config files are much like INI files, except you have the "primary" node, <Config></Config> surrounding "section" nodes like <Main></Main> (as in: [Main]) which contain key/value sets like <Theme>1</Theme> (as in: Theme=1)

Can you try it with a DVD-RW or on the hard drive? Even if the games are not present, when using the Item_XX entries, it should still give you a menu.

...and no, you don't need the MXM.xbe file on the DVD-R; just the default.xbe (it's just in there for convenience)

[vo243]

I put in on the hard drive, on drive E (had space there for testing), and adjusted it.  It now hangs (black screen, nothing goes).  I'm using 0.9d, BTW.  Pardon my stupidity of not including the AllowAutoConfig in the wrong section--I know HTML and a fair amount about XML, so my brain was giving into the Guiness I've been consuming....

here's the config:

<Config>
<Main>
<DiscTitle>CD Trial</DiscTitle>
<DiscSubtitle>Custom Collection</DiscSubtitle>
<Theme>1</Theme>
<TitleDelay>20</TitleDelay>
<SaverDelay>30</SaverDelay>
<MXMPath>E:\test</MXMPath>
<LoadSkin>DefaultSkin</LoadSkin>
<AllowAutoConfig>No</AllowAutoConfig>
</Main>
<Item_1>
<Title>SSX Tricky</Title>
<Description>EA</Description>
<Media>ssxtricky.jpg</Media>
<Dir>ssxtricky</Dir>
</Item_1>
<Item_2>
<Title>Ty the Tasmanian Tiger</Title>
<Description>EA</Description>
<Media>ty.jpg</Media>
<Dir>ty</Dir>
</Item_2>
<Music>
<UseMusic>on</UseMusic>
<Directory>MUSIC</Directory>
<Global>off</Global>
<Random>off</Random>
</Music>
</Config>

Drive layout is like this:

e:/test/
----------default.xbe
----------MXM.xml
----------ssxtricky.jpg
----------ty.jpg
----------/DefaultSkin
----------/Media
----------/MUSIC
----------/ssxtricky
----------/ty

Ideas?

[BenJeremy]

Loaded up just fine here.

Of course, the only other thing I could think of might be your image files.

Try temporarily removing them (Since the xml works without those files on my system)

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (headstrong @ Dec 13 2002, 02:03 AM)

Well I have tried everything, All I get is the MXM logo comes up and fades into a blue background, then changes colors. but no menu items, copied to HD and get same thing, no itmes on the screen.

                                    Well, the fade to blue indicates that it's not finding the DefaultSkin.

What are the contents of you DefaultSkin subdirectory?

[vo243]

QUOTE (BenJeremy @ Dec 13 2002, 03:54 AM)

Loaded up just fine here. Of course, the only other thing I could think of might be your image files. Try temporarily removing them (Since the xml works without those files on my system)

                                    Hmm...I'm befuddled. The image files were not present (the two directories, ty and ssxtricky, are empty).

BTW, the games do start fine via boXplorer on the first DVD-R I made, so I know the images are good.

thanks!

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (headstrong @ Dec 13 2002, 08:43 AM)

yes that's what it was, the defaultskin folder was missing the "n" for some reason.. anyways, I now have the menu but when I select the game it does not load. It's doing the same thing the menuX was doing have two game in the list, one just goes to the please wait screen and sitts there the other loads a short intro then goes back to the evox dashboard these 2 games are the games I could not get to load using menux, bu if I copy them to the HD the load fine.. you think it has to do anything with the defaul.xbe of each game not being in the root like they are in an individual DVD?

I've made a disk with Chase, and that worked fine. That they load from the HD seems to indicate that they are complete. If you are getting something to load, I'd have to wonder about the media.


Could you set MXM on the hard drive and try and launch those games from that?

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (vo243 @ Dec 13 2002, 09:26 AM)

QUOTE (BenJeremy @ Dec 13 2002, 03:54 AM) Loaded up just fine here. Of course, the only other thing I could think of might be your image files. Try temporarily removing them (Since the xml works without those files on my system) Hmm...I'm befuddled. The image files were not present (the two directories, ty and ssxtricky, are empty). BTW, the games do start fine via boXplorer on the first DVD-R I made, so I know the images are good. thanks!

                                    Are you saying it worked 'dry' on your HD as well, or it hung there as well?
I assume it's hanging on startup? Do you get the logo and sky?

[headstrong]

QUOTE (BenJeremy @ Dec 13 2002, 06:36 PM)

QUOTE (headstrong @ Dec 13 2002, 08:43 AM) yes that's what it was, the defaultskin folder was missing the "n" for some reason.. anyways, I now have the menu but when I select the game it does not load. It's doing the same thing the menuX was doing have two game in the list, one just goes to the please wait screen and sitts there the other loads a short intro then goes back to the evox dashboard these 2 games are the games I could not get to load using menux, bu if I copy them to the HD the load fine.. you think it has to do anything with the defaul.xbe of each game not being in the root like they are in an individual DVD? I've made a disk with Chase, and that worked fine. That they load from the HD seems to indicate that they are complete. If you are getting something to load, I'd have to wonder about the media. Could you set MXM on the hard drive and try and launch those games from that?

I put MXM on the harddrive and it loads the games ok. So i guess it is the Media...

What kind of  DVD-R , DVD-RW do you use?

what's strange is, if I burn each game individually on a DVD-R they load fine... go figure!

[BenJeremy]

I did find some things that would lead to several small graphical glitches, but nothing that should cause random lockups.

I have a batch of TDK DVD-R "fakes" that a friend gave me.... I think 1 out of 10 burned 100% correct. The rest had random issues.

Princo DVD-Rs have worked well, but I have some earlier ones (silvertops) that were a mixed bag.

As for DVD-RW, well, I've had VERY mixed results with my Pioneer 104 burner, and those are mostly burner issues.

[PLUTO 3.14]

Well I still have not use the Media X Menu on my Pionner 104 yet... But will make some game compulations soon......

For my backups I've been using Princo DVD-RW's from YesBuy.Net for 4 months with 100% results....  NO problems... (Except for bad ISO extractions... But since their DVD-RW's I have not problems reburning them...)

Specially great since they cost under $ 0.90 pet DVD-RW....  Just make sure u order Princos and not the cheaper No Brands(Bad for XBox)...

Well I am about to test out the Media X Menu this week...  

Whish there was a tutorial but it doesn't look to dificult...

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (PLUTO 3.14 @ Dec 16 2002, 09:22 AM)

Well I still have not use the Media X Menu on my Pionner 104 yet... But will make some game compulations soon...... For my backups I've been using Princo DVD-RW's from YesBuy.Net for 4 months with 100% results....  NO problems... (Except for bad ISO extractions... But since their DVD-RW's I have not problems reburning them...) Specially great since they cost under $ 0.90 pet DVD-RW....  Just make sure u order Princos and not the cheaper No Brands(Bad for XBox)... Well I am about to test out the Media X Menu this week...   Whish there was a tutorial but it doesn't look to dificult...

                                    My DVD-RWs came from YesBuy.net and rima.com, and some won't even burn properly so the burner itsefl can read them.

I'm thinking it might be the burner, though. Kind of late to do much about it though.... I had to hardware hack it to downgrade the firmware

So I guess I'll just have to wait until I get a next generation burner.

[PLUTO 3.14]

Hey BenJeremy mine all are whitetops so that might be the difference...  Have u used any Princo's with whitetops..  

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (PLUTO 3.14 @ Dec 16 2002, 04:28 PM)

Hey BenJeremy mine all are whitetops so that might be the difference...  Have u used any Princo's with whitetops..

                                    Yeah... my later DVD-Rs were all whitetops. The DVD-RWs early on were whitetop, then followed by some with silkscreened 'Princo' labelling.... those seemed to be worse.

The latest Princo DVD-Rs work great.

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (headstrong @ Dec 17 2002, 12:12 AM)

Hey BenJeremy Thanks for all your help, FYI I ordered some new DVD-R's and hopefully I will be able to succesfuly burn an MXM menu with games.. I created a quick user friendly app to create the main MXM.xml file, I am willing to share it, but I figured MXM is your baby and you should see if this will do more harm than good for other users, unfortunently I did it in VB so it has alot of bagae, but if it becomes useful I cna make it into a real app :-) let me know if your intereset, it's very basic enough for what I need it to do but it's good for new users. C-ya

                                    That's cool... I had started something similar here, but all help is welcome (one reason this project is open source).

Make sure you get the latest release, 0.9e. It's a bit more 'polished'

Maybe I'll have time to work on mine this week, but as I said, any 3rd party apps are very welcome. I'm sure many will be thankful, and I'd like to see what ideas you came up with for this type of app.