Build and refine
Create new layouts or import an existing .lay file, then adjust screens, bezels, artwork, labels, colours, placement, and layer order in one workspace.
Desktop Edition
Build arcade overlays with precision.
The Windows Desktop Edition brings the complete Layout Builder workflow into one focused app. Import existing
.lay files, refine artwork and score elements, load Score Scanner data sources, preview the result,
and export a display-ready layout.
The older Online Builder is still available at the bottom of this page. For the latest tools and features, choose the Windows Desktop Edition.
Windows desktop workflow
Display 1 + Display 2 score tools
Score Scanner data sources
Import, refine, preview, export
Why use the Desktop Edition?
It includes the online builder workflow and adds the desktop features needed for larger projects: Display 1 score support, Score Scanner database files, imported profile data, and a dedicated Windows workspace.
Desktop Edition features
The complete Layout Builder workflow for Windows
Score Scanner integration
Load the database and profile files produced by Score Scanner, including hi-score, P1, P2, timer, trigger, and always-on elements.
Display 1 and Display 2
Use score elements on either display, including active-player visibility and turn-flag workflows that are not available in the simpler online builder.
Overview
One builder for manual layouts, imported layouts, and overlay export
Build
Create standard MAME layouts with bezel, marquee, backdrop, side art, control panel, instruction-card, and gameplay-screen sections, then place and size them directly against the live monitor boundary preview.
Import
Load an existing .lay file, keep its geometry locked, rebuild imported bezel layers as editable cards,
reattach missing artwork refs, and update the same output without manually rewriting the XML.
Export
Generate current MAME .lay output, RetroArch .cfg output, merged preview images,
and editable output text from the same active editor state, so what you inspect is tied closely to what you download.
Core modes
Choose the workflow that matches the cabinet or frontend job
Manual build
Standard layouts and manual section control
Start from scratch, enable only the sections you need, jump between them from the quick menu, and fine-tune size, order, placement, and viewport fit inside the live builder.
H2H Cocktail
Dual playfield layouts
Use the dedicated H2H Cocktail mode when a cabinet needs two gameplay areas in one layout, with its own game-screen section, shared bezel support, and combined fullscreen checking.
Import
Rebuild existing .lay files
Import a working layout, leave it in locked mode, and rebuild imported elements as live editor controls, including extra bezel layers and supported standard-layout image refs.
Second screen
Gameplay on one display, artwork on another
Set Display 1 and Display 2 separately, inspect them one at a time or in Full view, and export split MAME views for
\\.\DISPLAY1 and \\.\DISPLAY2, including imported Hi Score layouts with optional turn-flag active-player art.
RetroArch
Overlay and touch-control output
Build merged overlays with layer opacity, scale, rotation, shader options, advanced touch presets,
and optional touchscreen zones, then export the matching .cfg plus the composed PNG.
Reflective bezels
Live game-screen reflections, shaped by your artwork
Reflection exactly where it belongs
Enable a live reflection of the game screen behind the bezel, then use transparent areas in your bezel artwork as a mask. This lets reflections show through selected details such as glass, water, polished stone, or a small feature in the artwork—rather than only along straight screen edges.
- Adjust reflection strength directly in the live preview.
- Use PNG transparency to reveal only the parts of the reflection you want.
- Keep the reflective effect lightweight without relying on a heavy shader chain.
- Export the finished MAME
.laywith the reflection and mask order already set.
Screens
The current builder interface and main workflows
Current standard-mode layout view
The current standard builder keeps Layout Mode, Display Settings, the quick-select section menu, live preview tags, lock state, upload/import actions, and preview status chips visible at the same time.
Output and export targets
The output area supports fullscreen preview checks, direct XML viewing, copy-to-clipboard, and download. It stays directly below the live Preview and uses the full width automatically when the settings panel is shorter.
H2H Cocktail layout workflow
H2H Cocktail mode gives the builder a dedicated dual-screen workflow, including Game Screens in the quick menu, H2H-specific status chips, and a combined preview for twin gameplay windows inside one cabinet layout.
Imported bezel layers rebuilt as cards
Imported standard layouts can rebuild the main bezel and extra bezel layers into live cards, so you can target the same imported artwork layers instead of stacking duplicate replacements on top.
Secondary display Hi Score layouts with turn-flag art
Imported score layouts can now expose a dedicated Hi Score block together with turn-flag driven P1 and P2 active-player images, so a score companion display can react visually while each player is active.
Choose elements from the profile database
The built-in Score Scanner profile database lets you select ready-made score, live-field, trigger, player-flag, and always-on elements for the game you are working on. Add the matching items directly to the layout instead of rebuilding each scanner element by hand.
RetroArch advanced touch controls
RetroArch mode now includes advanced touch controls with presets, draggable control zones, add/remove tools, and overlay-friendly previews for Android or custom touch-based frontends.
Current feature set
What the showcase now highlights
Standard workflow and live preview
- The builder starts with Layout Mode, Display Settings, and a quick-select section list that keeps the main workflow visible.
- Standard mode shows both the gameplay screen area and the outer monitor boundary clearly in the preview.
- Preview chips give instant context for resolution, orientation, mode, enabled sections, and current view bounds.
- Manual layout work is still centered around loading bezel art first, then aligning the gameplay viewport from that frame.
Imported layouts and bezel rebuilding
- Imported main bezels and extra bezel layers can now come back as editable live cards in the bezel section.
- That makes it easier to reattach missing art, replace imported layers, and keep the same original structure.
- Imported refs can stay as placeholders until the user uploads the real image files they want to use.
- Lock mode still protects imported geometry until the user deliberately unlocks it for measurement changes.
Turn flag and active-player image workflow
- Import a Score Scanner Hi Score
.laythat includes the turn-flag elements. - Add one or more P1 or P2 active-player image elements, then position each one directly in the preview.
- Choose Static image for a single PNG, or Animated frames for a numbered folder sequence such as
anim-seq/anim-seq1.png. - Playback mode can loop continuously or play once when the player becomes active.
Output editing and export flow
- The output panel is now a first-class workflow area rather than just a download box.
- Full Demo and Full Preview help inspect the real fitted result before export.
- Edit output lets a user adjust exported text and then push those changes back into the live preview state.
- MAME, RetroArch, preview image, clipboard, and download actions stay grouped together in one export area.
Secondary display and Hi Score tools
- Secondary Display separates gameplay and artwork across physical monitors while still showing the joined cabinet view.
- Imported score-only layouts can expose a Hi Score block with grouped scale, position, order, and digit-style controls.
- Score Scanner turn-flag imports can now add separate P1 and P2 active-player images that react only while the matching player is active.
- Those active-player images can be static or animated, with folder, frame-count, playback-mode, speed, and frame-delay controls.
- The preview area can also surface extra helper notes such as MAME.INI requirements, animation guidance, and Hi Score export setup.
H2H Cocktail focus
- H2H Cocktail now deserves its own showcase space because it is no longer just a variation of Standard mode.
- The quick menu includes a Game Screens tool specific to this layout type.
- Display settings and preview chips make it easier to confirm the two-screen arrangement at a glance.
- This mode is useful for mirrored or opposing-player cabinet layouts that need separate playfields inside one export.
RetroArch touch-control focus
- RetroArch mode can stay centered on overlay building while still showing gameplay fit and touch targets in one preview.
- Preset buttons speed up common arcade control patterns such as 2-button, 4-button, 6-button, and D-pad layouts.
- The selected touch zone can be dragged visually instead of relying only on raw coordinate entry.
- This makes the builder useful for both cabinet overlays and touch-first handheld or Android layouts.
Recommended use
- Use manual mode when you are designing a layout from scratch.
- Use import mode when you already have a
.layand want to rebuild it, inspect it, update its output, or attach missing artwork files. - Use Secondary Display when gameplay and artwork live on different physical monitors or when you are building score-only companion displays.
- Use RetroArch mode when you need a merged overlay plus touch-ready control mapping.
- Keep the exported
.layin the same MAME artwork folder as the PNG files it references.
Desktop Edition
Build with the complete Windows tool
The Desktop Edition is the recommended Layout Builder for advanced projects. It includes the online workflow and adds Display 1 score support, Score Scanner data sources, and a dedicated Windows workspace.
Older online version
Looking for the Online Builder?
The earlier browser-based version is still available. For the latest features, Score Scanner integration and Display 1 and Display 2 score tools, we recommend the Windows Desktop Edition.