Ok, I'm back, need a few pointers

[hansolo77]

If you remember my other thread, I'm back from from disasters 1 and 2. I'm looking for a few good pointers, tips, suggestions to get me started.

So, I've started my ROM downloading. A long, slow, painful process that even now has taken me about 2 weeks to get only about half what I had before. Basically what I've done is create a text file with a listing of every console, pc, and handheld ever made, and included the year it was released. The way I had my GameEx setup before, I had each emulator listed with it's release year first, so it sorta categorized them in order from oldest to newest. As of right now, in my ROM downloading, I'm up to "1990 Amstrad GX4000". This includes about 25 or so older systems as well.

While downloading these ROMS, I'm trying to stay true to the "No-Intro" version, as I recall they were the best to use. I remember using GoodSets before, but there was a lot of CRAP in them, which is why No-Intro was better in my case. Some of them have to be TOSEC though since there's no better set available. That being said, a lot of my "extras" like screenshots and box art are in either Good or No-Intro format. So question #1 is;

1) Has anybody come up with a way to rename artwork extras and ROMs so they all match? And a way to match with GameEx's built in databases (you're still using those right?)

Also, just started today, I've begun my ROM downloads of MAME. MAME has come a long way I believe from when I last used it. I went to the mamedev website and downloaded the 64-bit Windows version (since I'm using Windows 7 64-bit). Just for giggles to make sure it would WORK, I ran the executable. It loaded up the main game play area, but had a big red bar on it that no roms were found. DUH. Question #2;

2) Has MAME lost it's built in front end for configuring things like paths, and setting up the controller?

I haven't as of yet started to get any emulators for my ROMS, since ROM downloading is taking all the time and bandwith. Just to pick out my favorite console, (it was the only one I had till I was old enough to buy my own) Sega Genesis had a while ago many different emulators to choose from. From MESS, to Kega, to Gens, etc. So Question #3;

3) What are the best emulators to use?

I'm very excited about the new features GameEx has to offer. To rekindle my intrest, I watched all the YouTube videos posted on the GameEx homepage. A lot of the videos were just old things I already knew about, but some of them were really cool. Like a new start page with Weather? A spinning 3D arcade cabinet preview? Cool! Last question;

4) Which is the best theme to use these new features, or are they not yet released?

Thanks a lot for your guy's help. Hope to hear from ya soon!

[Draco1962]

1. Skinny Match by Tempest is probably one of the easiest to use for matching your images to your ROMS.

2. Setting up the paths is under the Options>Directories when using MAMEUI(32or 64).

3. Best emulators to use? That's a loaded question. I would probably advise getting all you need for one system at a time and then search the forums and/or see what the consensus is for that system.

4. Enter the Dragon is one of my faves with all features enabled (of course it is mine.. lol). You may also want to check out my logo packs as well. (Shameless plug mode: OFF)

[Adultery]

Ok Han, one thing at a time.

1) GameEx's database system has changed a lot. It will now show ROM names by the DB, not the file name. Most artwork will show fine using the 'best match' scenario, so you should be just fine there. If not there are a couple options: Tempest has a renamer tool that works well (I think it's called SkinnyMatch). If you're an EmuMovies member, there's a new tool that allows you to not only download all the artwork, but it also renames it all to match your file names. It's well worth the subscription to EmuMovies if you can afford it.

2) The MAME front-end you're thinking of is MAME32, although even of you configure the paths you'll still have to redo them within GameEx, so I wouldn't bother with that straight away. What most of us are doing now is using Headkaze's MAME Compiler 64 to compile our own MAME builds. The benefit to doing it this way is it removes the nag screens MAME usually displays and adds Hi-Score support which allows GameEx to display your scores on the game select screen.

3) This is a tough question to answer. We all have different opinions on this, so maybe ask on a per-emu basis.

4) Agree with Drac, all his themes are great. My fave is Space Invaders ATM. I won't plug my own BlueBox Mod theme either, cuz that's not how I roll. Except when drinking Heiney-kens!

Hope that helps a little!

Edited August 2, 2011 by Draco1962
Ninja Drive-by... heh

[Adultery]

D'oh! *LOL*

[hansolo77]

Thanks guys. I'll take a look at SkinnyMatch. I forgot all about MAME compiler! I remember when HK wrote that! He was the man back in the day; did a lot of VP stuff too.

Where can I find the new themes? I only see the odd assortment that was always around via the homepage...

[Draco1962]

There's about 67 themes on the themes link.. where are you looking?

[hansolo77]

HERE: http://www.gameex.com/Download.aspx under the link "Themes-Databases.7z - 23MB - Download".. also visable in the GameEx setup...

But ARGH!!! I hate compiling my own MAME! HK's compiler is helpful, but not. So, I downloaded the SOURCE from mamedev (currently 143). Then I downloaded the update diffs (u1, u2). I then went and got the 143u2 version of the hi diff. Then I went and downloaded the MameUI source for 143u2. Extracted all the diffs to /patches, extracted the MAME source to /source/mameUI143u2, copied the "winui" folder to /source/mameUI143u2/src/osd, copied the file "winui.mak" (instructions on HK's site say it's mameui.mak but that file doesn't exist) to /source/mameUI143u2. Whenever I try to apply the 1st diff patch, it says:

Applying Diff Patch...

Error Applying Patch.

PatchDiff(): The system cannot find the file specified

Need a little help!!!

[Adultery]

For the first, there's a section on the homepage specifically for themes now. Those themes are defaults for first time installs. I think it's under the Download pull-down on top of the page.

For the 2nd, I can't help with that right now because I'm at work. If you can hang in there I'll help you tomorrow (unless someone wants to take this one).

[hansolo77]

Heh, I'm off tomorrow; gonna have plenty of time to fool around with this.

[Adultery]

Cool! I'll set it up tomorrow and meet you in chat.

[hansolo77]

Heh yeah sounds fun, if i can find chat! HEHE so many new things!

[hansolo77]

I figured it out.... I was trying to do all the compiling on a different drive OTHER THAN C:\.... All the compiling tools and what not were installed in C:\MinGW.., so the program didn't know I had a different path. I just moved my source and patches folders over and it seems to be working good now.

[Adultery]

Excellent!

[Draco1962]

Yeah, those are the default themes, but the user submitted themes are on one of the side links (and the link I posted). Looks like you are well on your way!

[hansolo77]

Will HK's MAME compiler also compile MESS? It would be nice if I could get a compile that disables the nag screen...

[Adultery]

Unfortunately it does not.

[hansolo77]

Man what a pain figuring out how to configure these emulators! I got Stella to work flawlessly with Atari 2600. MAME is a breeze now too. Trying to setup MESS. I'm just trying to get the Channel F to work. I got all the "bios" roms in the mess/roms folder. I can launch the Channel F console from messui, but I can't get it to find the games... Does MESS require games to be unzipped?

[Adultery]

It shouldn't...

I'll say though as long as your command lines are correct you shouldn't need to set these paths up in MESS first. GameEx will handle the unzipping for emulators that don't use this feature.

[hansolo77]

I dunno what I did, but it works now... I read on the MESS website that it doesn't require unzipping. Unzipping is only necessary if there are multiple roms in a single zip, cause MESS can't understand that.

What I did discover, though, through using the debug option in GameEx, and a little cut paste, is that GameEx was setup to use mess.exe, and I have mess64.exe and messui64.exe. That might cause some problem. Also, there's a builtin command line flag on GameEx that uses -noneui or something like that, which the latest version of MESS no longer uses. Nice to know. Back to setting up more stuff!

[Adultery]

You sure it doesn't use that switch? Is there a "Windows" style menu at the top of the game screen when you run it without that switch?

[mesk]

@ Hansolo77

When I compile MAME,I simplify things by writing a batch file.first off I make 2 folders 1 is mamesrc,the other is mingw.the mame source,mame diff files,and no-nag diff all go in mamesrc.obviously the compiling tools go in mingw,32bit or 64bit depending on your machine.now the batch file

    
set path=E:\mingw\mingw64-w64\bin

patch -p0 -E < 0143u1.diff

patch -p0 -E < 0143u2.diff

patch -p0 -E < hi_143u2.diff

make ALL

then drop batch file in mamesrc,double click and away you go! depending on your machine it takes anywhere from 20 minutes to 1.5hrs,then you will have a shiny new MAME.exe and all the tools in the mamesrc folder

BTW,this is my batch file,so you would change E: to whatever drive you have those folders on

hope this helps you out!

[hansolo77]

You sure it doesn't use that switch? Is there a "Windows" style menu at the top of the game screen when you run it without that switch?

It said it was an unrecognized switch or something. I'm using 143u2. Maybe an older version needed that? There is no window or task bar on the screen when it's running. All my MESS consoles are getting setup pretty nicely, and they all work without that switch.

OK, so I got a no-intro complete set of Vectrex. It has roms, boxes, screenshots, and artwork. I can get it all to work, but I can't remember how to setup the artwork/overlays to work inside of MESS. Do I need to move them all to the MESS folder structure, or is there a way to configure MESS to find them elsewhere?

Goin to bed.

[Adultery]

To be honest, ParaJVE works better for Vectrex than MESS. The overlays are a pain and MESS doesn't run all the games or as well.

If you're using MESS for 5200 and Intellivision, you may want to look at Kat5200 and Bliss instead. Kat is the best emulator for 5200 ROMs IMHO, and Bliss runs far more games as well as emulating the GROM.BIN (voice files).

If you want my advice that is.

You're probably right about MESS, I don't update it much since they don't update any emulators I use it for that often.

[hansolo77]

I never heard of ParaJVE and Kat5200. I'll check those out. As for Bliss; I tried using it, but it doesn't like the roms for some reason. I can't figure out how to set it up. When I have GameEx launch a rom, the screen is just black.

[EDIT]

ParaJVE looks awesome, and I didn't have to setup anything. How can I make it work in GameEx?

[fRequEnCy]

I never heard of ParaJVE and Kat5200. I'll check those out. As for Bliss; I tried using it, but it doesn't like the roms for some reason. I can't figure out how to set it up. When I have GameEx launch a rom, the screen is just black.

[EDIT]

ParaJVE looks awesome, and I didn't have to setup anything. How can I make it work in GameEx?

We'll have to do some testing on bliss. Not sure the problem you are having. Please post issues in the general forums.

To make ParaJVE work in GameEx, a map file can be used for the naming. Click on my signature and look for the ParaJVE map file in my map file section. Also required is an Advanced Config to watch the javaw.exe Process so GameEx won't steal focus. Also in my post is the command-line for this emulator to work in GameEx. Please make any adjustments needed for your system.