GameEX refuses to use MAME resolution settings

[LucasBarton]

Hi all, back again looking for help. Ok, so for the longest time when I played Rad Mobile, Outrunners, and other System32 games on my arcade monitor these games would not fill the screen. Now I figured out how to get them to fill the screen by changing the resolution settings in MAME32 and they look great now. However, when I try to play them through GameEX it keeps trying to use the old setting. I've gone back to MAME32 to make sure they saved and they did. If I play the games outside of GameEX they look fine but once I try to play them in GameEX it's back to the shrunk screen size. I've looked for some config file to delete but can't find anything. I've updated the list, everything I can think of. Keep in mind I'm using an older version of GameEX. Any ideas? Thanks

[nullPointer]

What does your MAME command look like in GameEx (or ideally perhaps you wouldn’t mind posting your GameEx config)?

[LucasBarton]

Not sure exactly which you need so here are 2 different config files in the GameEX folder. Thanks

GameEx.ini

gameex.default.ini

[nullPointer]

That’s perfect, thanks for posting the additional info. I’m kinda shooting from the hip here as Mame32 is of course older, and I haven’t even used MameUI for quite a while. Given that, these two settings may provide some leads

# Command Line options for when launching MAME.

# Tip if running on Media Center and on a widescreen TV,

# set '-resolution widthXheight' to your preffered widescreen resolution.

# It's also a good idea to set '-effect sharp' especially if

# using ArcadeVGA

MameOptions=-triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -skip_gameinfo

# Turn ArcadeMode on even if displaying at a suitable resolution

ArcadeMode=True

I’m unfamiliar with the ArcadeMode setting (not sure if this exists in current versions of GameEx?), but it sounds like it might mess with or override the resolution settings. Maybe try running with ArcadeMode set to false? If that doesn’t work you could also try manually specifying the resolution as part of the MameOptions (as described in the preceding comment). Naturally in these situations it’s a good idea to back up your GameEx.ini before you start making experimental changes.

[fRequEnCy]

It's because mame32 and GameEx are using different settings. If you look at your mame.ini file or similiar it will show that you have it set to switch. Best solution would be to use those settings in command-line as well or use a mame.ini file in your default mame directory. I remember mame32 creating it's own but don't remember where since don't use it anymore. If you want real-time support, can always meet me in the chat room and we can get it sorted.

[LucasBarton]

I got it to work. Well, actually it just started working for no reason whatsoever. Didn't change anything in GameEX, the MAME.ini, or anything. That's computers for you. Thanks for the help.

[AlphaUMi]

I got it to work. Well, actually it just started working for no reason whatsoever. Didn't change anything in GameEX, the MAME.ini, or anything. That's computers for you. Thanks for the help.

The reason (the cause) must be there.

[fRequEnCy]

Glad it got sorted out even if it was on it's own.

[LucasBarton]

Well, kinda sorted out. Those few games are working good now but I just edited the .ini files for a few vertical games to fit better on my monitor and once again, they look great in MAME32 but GameEX will not recognize the changes. It's weird. Every other emulator, GameEx just starts them up and whatever settings you have within the emulator is how it comes out. Not in this case though. Why the hell is GameEx overridding my MAME32 settings? I've looked high and low throughout the GameEx folder for some kind of config file that has saved previous MAME settings and can't find anything at all. Changing ArcadeMode didn't do anything, just mess with the font size within GameEx. I opened GameEx and MAME32 up at the same time, ran Donkey Kong Jr. on each one and it works fine in MAME32 and not in GameEx. Where the hell is this file in GameEx that has saved old settings? It's a pain in the ass to go through a whole list of vertical games on MAME32 to fix the settings only to have GameEx not recognize them.

[Draco1962]

IF the issue is not resolved, then I think we need to edit the Title (which I have already done by the time anyone reads this) and bring it up as a possible bug.

[fRequEnCy]

I still say that it's using a different config cuz using MAME32. So when calling from command-line, that switch is not being made. I have troubleshooted something like this before which is why I suggest this. But I can't just guess, I need details. PM me when you get a chance LucasBarton and we'll try to troubleshoot in real-time.

[LucasBarton]

I still say that it's using a different config cuz using MAME32. So when calling from command-line, that switch is not being made. I have troubleshooted something like this before which is why I suggest this. But I can't just guess, I need details. PM me when you get a chance LucasBarton and we'll try to troubleshoot in real-time.

What config are you talking about? One located in the MAME32 folder or in the GameEx folder? I've looked in all the config files I can find and don't see anything. If I go into the MAME32 .ini file all the settings are correct. If I go into the individual .ini files everything looks correct. I can't find any MAME config files or settings located in the GameEx folder that could be edited to fix the problem.

[fRequEnCy]

What config are you talking about? One located in the MAME32 folder or in the GameEx folder? I've looked in all the config files I can find and don't see anything. If I go into the MAME32 .ini file all the settings are correct. If I go into the individual .ini files everything looks correct. I can't find any MAME config files or settings located in the GameEx folder that could be edited to fix the problem.

Do you have a mame.ini file in the mame directory?

[LucasBarton]

Do you have a mame.ini file in the mame directory?

No, there isn't one. There is a MAME32.ini in the ini folder which has all the video options and they are correct. I copied and pasted it outside into the MAME32 folder and it didn't change anything.

[fRequEnCy]

No, there isn't one. There is a MAME32.ini in the ini folder which has all the video options and they are correct. I copied and pasted it outside into the MAME32 folder and it didn't change anything.

That is the one that is created by the GUI. So using those settings from command-line (e.g. GameEx) won't be called. Copy that file main MAME directory and rename it mame.ini and give it a test. If not then we'll troubleshoot from there.

[LucasBarton]

here are the ini files

Mame.ini

MAME32ui.ini

[LucasBarton]

Ok, apparently the problem is the .ini files I created with the ArcadeVGAres tool. Playing games using those .ini files through the MAME32 GUI alone they all worked perfect but playing them through GameEx it would not recognize those .ini files for who knows what reason. So, I deleted all the .ini files from the MAME32 ini folder, which reverts all games back to default settings. GameEx then runs all MAME games correctly using the default settings like it should. BUT, without those custom ini files, If I go to the default settings of each game through the MAME32 GUI, you cannot use a custom resolution. It only says AUTO. However, if you use the ArcadeVGAres tool to make .ini files for your games and put them in the .ini folder, then you can select from a long list of different resolutions through the MAME32 GUI. It's odd as hell. So, if I don't use the custom .ini files I get smooth framerate but the top and bottom of the screen cut off because I can't use the correct resolution. If I use the custom .ini then the screen is the right size but it's choppy as hell. It makes no sense at all. I gone through the .ini file and all the options are what they should be.

Think of it this way: The MAME32 .ini folder is empty. I select to play Donkey Kong from the MAME GUI. Donkey Kong starts up, it plays smoothly but the top is cut off. I then end the game and close MAME32. I play it through GameEx and it plays fine other than the top being cut off. I close GameEx. I put the Donkey Kong .ini file with the correct resolution into the .ini folder, start the MAME32 GUI up and select to play Donkey Kong. It plays perfect, screen size and all just like I want it. I close the MAME32 GUI and start GameEx and select Donkey Kong. Now the screen is the correct size but the game plays choppy as hell. I've gone through the .ini before hand to make sure that DirectDraw is turned on, triple buffering, v-sync, and all other options that would slow it down are turned off and it doesn't help. What could GameEx possible be seeing in the .ini file that MAME32 alone isn't? That's what is driving me nuts.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[u-man]

your command-line is wrong i think:

you have now: -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -skip_gameinfo

try it only with this in gameex setupwizard: -skip_gameinfo -readconfig

in your Mame32 folder, there must be a ini-folder. there you will find the mame.ini file. open it with text-editor and check the very first following lines:

#

# CORE CONFIGURATION OPTIONS

#

readconfig 1

writeconfig 0

make sure that you have a 1 in readconfig, if not change it and save the .ini-file.

this way gameex will read the configuration of your MAME32, instead of using commands within gameex. as you said everything looks fine under MAME32, there should be absolutely no difference in gameex now.

here we go

[LucasBarton]

Thanks for your suggestion. It fixed part of the problem but not all of it. The choppiness was coming from the triple buffering in the commandline. Removing that in GameEx fixed the choppiness but it still will not keep the resolution settings from MAME32. I added the -readconfig in the GameEx commandline and it didn't work. There is no CORE CONFIGURATION OPTIONS line in my MAME32.ini file in the .ini folder. I posted my Mame32.ini file a few posts up. However, I did go ahead and add it in but it made no difference. The problem only seems to be with games I'm using custom resolutions, vertical games and Sega System 32 games, the latter which I now have working. Everything else works great. Here are two different Galaga .ini files I've used. When the game starts up in GameEx, it uses Direct3D, the switch resolution option becomes unchecked, and the resolution is messed. Keep in mind it works fine outside of GameEx. Perhaps you can find an issue with them:

galaga.ini

galagaaa.ini

[u-man]

it seems that you use a outdated MAME32. i think you need to download a new one here: http://www.mameui.info/

i attached my mame.ini (it is from MAME UI 0.146), just for you, so you can see the differences. MAME32 is now MAME UI as stated on the homepage.

you also need to understand the command-line, as it has the highest priority, no matter what is written in the mame.ini file. command-line goes first, so if you enable triple buffering via command-line, then MAME will use triple buffering, even if your mame.ini says not to use it, hence choppy gameplay.

as you are using an old MAME32, the -readconfig command is not supported (thats what i guess).

the following is from the helpguide from MAME UI (MAME32):

Configuration options

---------------------

-[no]readconfig

Enables or disables the reading of the config files. When enabled

(which is the default), MAME reads the following config files in order:

- mame.ini

- <mymame>.ini (i.e. if MAME was renamed mame060.exe, MAME

parses mame060.ini here)

- debug.ini (if the debugger is enabled)

- vector.ini (for vector games only)

- <driver>.ini (based on the source filename of the driver)

- <parent>.ini (for clones only, may be called recursively)

- <gamename>.ini

The settings in the later ini's override those in the earlier ini's.

So, for example, if you wanted to disable overlay effects in the

vector games, you can create a vector.ini with the "effect none" line

in it, and it will override whatever effect value you have in your

mame.ini. The default is ON (-readconfig).

with that being said, it is clearly that the parameter -readconfig should work in that manner, how you would like to see it on your screen. so in the command-line from gameex, i would not use the triple buffering command for example, as you dont use it according to your mame.ini. as i said before, command-line commands have the highest priority. you said in MAME32 everything is fine, so you will only need the -readconfig command. so if you have some special settings for some games, they will work with that command too, as the game.ini is the last in the order of tasks being done by -readconfig (see above help). therefore it MUST work.

i suggest to get a new fresh version of MAME32 (MAME UI), which support the -readconfig command.

be aware that IF your current MAME32 is really old, that it can happen, that some roms maybe dont work anymore at all with a new MAME32. as the MAME-developer team changed some contents of roms over the time. then you would need to get new roms too.

hope this was clear enough

[LucasBarton]

I can't update to a newer version of Mame32 because I don't have access to the newer sets of roms. Like you said, later versions of Mame have updated roms which would break a lot of games for me. Here's the weird thing. After deleting all the .ini files in the ini folder, I went and played a few games like Strider and noticed some screen tearing. So, I went into the Mame32 default game options, checked off wait for vsync, played the game in both Mame32 and through GameEx and the screen tearing was gone. Also, putting the Rad Mobile and Outrunners .ini files back into the ini folder, GameEx recognizes both of those .ini folders and plays fine with the custom resolutions I want with those games. So, if GameEx will recognize the changes I made with Outrunners and Rad Mobile, as well as me checking the vsync option for Strider, why the heck does it ignore the .ini settings for the vertical games? It makes absolutely zero sense. None. Zip.

[LucasBarton]

Well guys, it appears that I've solved the puzzle. I was going through the ArcadeVGA settings in the GameEx configuration and noticed that it was trying to stretch games to various resolutions during certain situations so I decided to just turn them all off and everything seems to be working great now. Donkey Kong, Galaga, Gaplus, etc. all look great and run smoothly. Thanks for helping me out, even if I stumbled onto the solution myself. I guess I've been using GameEx for around 5 years now and I've received a ton of help on this board. Thanks again!

[fRequEnCy]

Glad you got it sorted! Sorry we didn't come up with a solution sooner.