Xbox:Media X Menu (mXm)

From ConsoleMods Wiki
Revision as of 21:06, 1 March 2023 by Lulle (talk | contribs) (Created page with " Media X Menu is a menu system to launch applications from a DVD collection or from a hard drive. It is intended to be very configurable and allow new "styles" to be added in, both with simple visual changes (skins), or adding 3D effects to the presentation of the menu. Description of the developer Ben Jeremy: MXM is what I like to call a very “media savvy” application – it can make extensive use of videos for things like game previews and backgrounds, and also...")
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Media X Menu is a menu system to launch applications from a DVD collection or from a hard drive. It is intended to be very configurable and allow new "styles" to be added in, both with simple visual changes (skins), or adding 3D effects to the presentation of the menu.

Description of the developer Ben Jeremy: MXM is what I like to call a very “media savvy” application – it can make extensive use of videos for things like game previews and backgrounds, and also allows you the enjoyment of ambient soundtracks. MXM also features a screensaver, which prevents burn in while your Xbox patiently awaits your choice.

It was intended to supercede Complex Menu X, which has some bugs and is lacking many desired features that MXM now has.

MXM is not trying to be an all-in-one utility. Indeed, there are many things you don’t need in your application launcher, such as IRC. Why? Because typically, these are functions you pull up to specifically use, and in some cases, they are rarely used at all.

Media X Menu was programmed by BenJeremy in 2002/2003. Development stopped with version 0.9.6n After 20 years of silence, mXm is in active development again. Lord_FF dusted off the code and is adding urgently needed updates, features and fixes for modern demands, like support for large harddrives (with partitions>1TB) and newer XBOX revisions. This versions are named 0.9X, starting with 0.91.

The spirit of mXm: MXM is designed, first and foremost, as a great looking Games Launcher. It’s features are intended to reflect that. Since many users use MXM as their primary dashboard, new features will reflect that role.

Features

Overview

  • Powerful Skin Engine: Create simple skins in Evox-Style or go "full in" with videos everywhere!
  • Menu caching
  • Powerful scripting language: Actionscript
  • Screensaver
  • Supports BMP, PNG, TGA, JPG image formats as well as WMV video files!
  • Custom FTP-Server with extended command set
  • Newsfeeds
  • Rendergadgets like Matrix or Plasma-Effects
  • Zero-Conf: Some simple skins are integrated im mXm. mXm also creates default menus if no config file can be found.
  • Reuse of Artwork: mXm uses Images from XBMC4Gamers Artwork Installer and videos made for UnleashX. No renaming or copying of files is necessary!
  • IR remote and keyboard support.
  • Different operation modes: Dashboard Mode, Launcher Mode, DVD-R Mode, DVD-R Mode.
  • Music Manager
  • Screenshots

Video support

No other apps launcher supports the use of preview videos (and the most any dashboards give you is thumbnails, in some cases), let alone the ability to use video animations as part of the overall graphical ‘skin’ Ease of use MXM can be very easy or very complicated to use, depending on what it is you want to do. Flexibility always comes at a price. I will present the easiest ways to get things rolling with MXM for your dashboard and disc compilation needs.

Help Screens

It’s hard for people to remember what all the buttons on the gamepads do in particular games… so MXM supports user-defined help screens, that you can enable by placing them in the game directories. Additionally, you can launch from those screens.

Screen Saver

Far more interesting than the boring ‘dim the screen’ savers in ‘other’ dashboards, MXM supports a user-configurable, animated, screen saver. It’s defined as part of the skin, so customized savers will soon be appearing to match the themes users select for their systems. Passcode option assignable by the user No other dashboard supports this feature yet… you can create a passcode for any entry in MXM, preventing unauthorized access to a given application via the MXM menu system. Protect your children for ‘adult’ themed games or prevent stoned roommates from trashing your EEPROM with a utility; you control access! Infrared Remote and Keyboard support MXM supports a variety of input devices. Why? I don’t know… I guess I’m just crazy like that!

Music Support

MXM can support locally defined soundtracks (via skin definitions) as well as use the Xbox’s own ‘ripped’ user soundtracks. This support is for WMA format music files.

FTP Server

J.P.Patches has worked on a very nice custom FTP Server, which I’ve further modified to work with the various Xbox-specific PC FTP Clients such as XBRenamer and xISO xFER. It supports PASV mode and a growing list of SITE commands.

Information Overload

MXM is extensible with XML. What does this mean? It means you can add new entries and with new skins, take advantage of the information. For example, you might include Publisher and Release Date information for your entries, and display the information on screen when the game is highlighted.

Videos "everywhere"

WMV (Windows Media 7 or 8) files are the only format currently supported by MXM, but they are supported all over the place. Skin designers can loop or delay playback of video, control sound and suspend music. WMV files can be used in backgrounds as well as previews.

Plug and Play

mXm will work with only the single XBE provided. No external resources are needed to get you go going. Some simple skins are build in and basic menus -Apps, Games, Homebrew, Dashboards, Emulators, Misc- will be automatically generated for you. The configuration menu is available via the yellow "Y" Button.

Retrieved from "https://consolemods.org/wiki/index.php?title=Xbox:Media_X_Menu_(mXm)&oldid=23210"