how do I get/find video overlays for game like battlezone, starcastle

[Eric Hind]

Hi all - I've got Launchbox/Bigbox working pretty well. One thing  don't quite get is how to find/get overlays for the playfield like Boot Hill, Star Castle, Battlezone, etc.  I have installed packs that setup the  side panel artwork and those are awsome... but the overlays for the playfield, are they separate or inclluded in medi packs?

[HitmanHart]

Hi, Eric,

Not sure what you're using for the side art. For me, I just did it with Mame itself using PNG files and that led to an answer through experimentation that might help you.

I was working with Space Invaders but remember that the color of that game wasn't done in the pixels...they were all white pixels on a black background and the little bit of color was added by Atari just putting colored clear plastic of various colors over the playfield.  To get that effect, I added a transparency layer for each color over the playfield in the art's PNG file and it worked like a champ (I even made them a tiny bit uneven just to give it that manual "feel" for the fun of it).  So, you *should* be able to add what you want to the side art file in the playfield area and it should show up in the game area.

Again, that's what works for me - but your personal mileage may vary.

-HitmanHart