[RESOLVED] PCSX2 direct from original PS2 disks

[Orlin]

Hi there.

Is there away to setup the PCSX2 in GameEX to load the games direct from original PS2 dvd when inserted into the DVD drive?

I have around 50 PS2 original games and i would love it so people can select the emulator in GameEX then just insert the disk and let it all load up.

I just can not figure out how to do it or even if it can be done. So i thought i would ask on here

[nullPointer]

If you've already configured PCSX2 to run from your DVD-ROM drive (I'm away from my gaming rig, so I can't remember ATM whether this is dependent on the command line or an emulator setting), this should be fairly easy to configure in GameEx. On the Advanced Emulator Setup screen, set the Check for CD/DVD field to Yes. I should note that I've never used this feature, so naturally your mileage may vary.

Check for CD/DVD

Check for a file on a device, and prompt to insert cd/dvd if not found. This allows retail games with cd protection to work with GameEx. Registered version feature.

Now setting up your game list in GameEx will be a bit different, and how you do it will depend on your personal preference. I'm shooting from the hip, but my guess is that you'd probably want to do one of the following:

• Create a single empty .bat file which can be applied to all PS2 games. (Maybe call it something along the lines of "Load PS2 Disc" or something)
  

• Create an empty batch file for each PS2 disc you'd like to load. This would of course depend on the user to actually insert the disc for the game they select, but that would get you a list of each PS2 game disc into GameEx.
  

It's an idea at any rate. Let us know how you get along with this.

[fRequEnCy]

Also a map file would work for the listing since that's how GameEx caches it's list anyways.

[nullPointer]

Also a map file would work for the listing since that's how GameEx caches it's list anyways.

That's actually a much better idea for this purpose. I hate having to resort to dummy files. Nice call fReq!

[Orlin]

Thanks guys, i manage to get it working but a little different that i would have liked BUT it still gets to job done .

I manage to get it working by putting in the dvd in first and then select the name that i setup via a map file and then it all loads up spot on.

i would have like to have done it the other way, select: Play from dvd (that the name i put in a map file) and then insert the dvd, but i am not too fussed now.

Thanks for all your help

[nullPointer]

i would have like to have done it the other way, select: Play from dvd (that the name i put in a map file) and then insert the dvd, but i am not too fussed now.

Hmm ... I was also hoping that it would work this way. Perhaps we can still tweak it to work in this way. Just out of curiosity, what currently happens if you attempt to follow these steps? Also, what does your map file contain?

[Orlin]

Well, when i had Check for CD/DVD field to Yes, it would not do anything. it did ask for the CD/DVD but when i put it in, it was still asking and did not detect the CD/DVD

I think this was down to the CD File to Check line, i was not sure what i needed to put in there, i did try and a put E:\ (thats my DVD drive letter) but it still did not work.

My map file just has: Play From DvD Drive|Play From DvD Drive

again i am not sure if that is right, it looks to work thought as its listing it and when i select it, it does start the emulator and as long as i have my disc in first, it will play.

[nullPointer]

As I mentioned, I have yet to try out this functionality, but I still feel like we can get it to work. I have an idea, but it may require some wrangling to get it dialed in. If the app wants to check for a specific file on a disc before loading the emulator how about we play along? I see this playing out in one of two ways.

• A single map file entry (i.e. the current map file containing a single ‘Play From DvD Drive’ entry). In order to pull this off there would need to be a file that is common to all PS2 discs. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is such a file, but it would require some investigation. That would be the file to enter for the CD File to Check. Presumably once GameEx verifies the presence of that file for any given game it will allow the boot process to continue. In this case your map file would look something like this:
  commonfile.exe|Play From DvD Drive|
  

• A map file entry for each game you intend to play from disc. In this scenario you would need to find a file on the game disc unique to the game being played (I don’t think that this would be terribly difficult, but might take some time depending on the number of games you wish to play from disc). In this case the entry for CD File to Check would be [ROMFILE]. The slick part about that (or frustrating depending on your point of view), is that it would enforce that the selected game was in fact the game disc inserted into the drive. In this case your map file would look something like this:
  gow.exe|God Of War|
  mgs2.exe|Metal Gear Solid II
  

I’ll start having a look at some of this when I get home tonight, although it may not be until later in the evening that I have a chance to really dig in.

[nullPointer]

Just based on a quick cursory inspection of my own games it appears that every PS2 game has a file called SYSTEM.CNF at the root of the disc. I think you could probably specify this file as the CD File to check using option one described above. I'll have a bit more time to mess with this later this evening, but I'm guessing this should enable the system to prompt for a disc when this file is not found (i.e. when no disc has been inserted).

Stay tuned.

[fRequEnCy]

This is what that setting is looking for:

File to check on CD. If not found GameEx will prompt to insert. Registered version feature.

[nullPointer]

OK, I've got this working in such a way that GameEx will prompt for a PS2 disc to be loaded if one is not present in the DVD drive. I've enclosed my working emulator config with in the spoiler tag.

[Emulator]

StartPageLogo=Sony Playstation 2

StartPageName=[Console] Sony Playstation 2 (PCSX2)

TitleText=Sony Playstation

Info=Sony Playstation 2 Emulator

Website=http://pcsx2.net/

RequiredFiles=scph10000.bin or scph39001.bin

DownloadUrl=http://www.gamesdbase.com/setupwizard/emulators/download/pcsx2.7z

Rating=7.9

Version=0.9.8r4600

Emulator=PCSX2

Category=Console

System=Sony Playstation 2

Enabled=True

Command=pcsx2-r5350.exe

RomFilter=

Database=[Console] Sony PlayStation 2

ConfigFile=[Mapping Off] Exit (Process Close)

MapFile=C:\Users\Aaron\Desktop\PCSX2_from_Disc.map

RomPath=E:\Emulation\Roms\Sony_Playstation_2[RE]

SnapPath=

TitlePath=

BoxPath=

CartPath=

ManualPath=

ControlPanelPath=

WorkingPath=E:\Emulation\Emulators\PCSX2 1.0.0

MapKeys=True

WaitBeforeKeys=

SendKeys=

ReplaceDash=False

ReplaceUnder=True

Capitals=False

RemoveBrackets=True

ShowDesktop=True

Debug=False

AlsoLaunch=

LaunchBefore=

LaunchAfter=

ExcludedFiles=

CustomBackground=

PlayMusic=False

DontShowInfo=

PlaySelectionMusic=False

SelectionMusicFolder=

PCGame=False

GamesIn7Zips=False

PlayInScreenSaver=False

ShowMostPlayed=True

RandomMostPlayed=True

CDCheck=True

CDCheckFile=D:\SYSTEM.CNF

VideoSnapPath=

MusicPath=

TVAdPath=

CustomArtName1=

CustomArtPath1=

imagenotfound=E:\Emulation\Assets\no_img.png

InstructionsPath=

MergeSets=False

HelpText=Please select a PS2 game to insert into the DVD drive

UseDbName=False

A few notes on these settings

• Check for CD/DVD: Yes
  
• CD File to Check: D:\SYSTEM.CNF (where D:\ is my DVD drive)
  
• Help Text: Interestingly enough I wasn't getting the actual DVD prompt to appear until I entered help text. It may have been a glitch with my system, but it's something to be aware of. All the same I felt that the help text would make things a bit more clear to the user any way.
  
• Map File: You can probably use the same map file you were using before. I've included the map file I used in the following spoiler tag.
  
• Play in Screen Saver: Be sure you're not playing this in the screensaver
  
• Merge Sets: No
  

SYSTEM.CNF|Play From DVD Drive

• Specifying the SYSTEM.CNF file in this map file is completely superfluous, since you're not actually using that file to launch the emulator. All the same, you've got a record of the pertinent file name should you ever forget.
  

Hopefully this should help to put you on the right track. Good luck Orlin!

[Orlin]

Thanks m8, it is now working.

i had a quick go last night and when i checked the CDs i also found that every disk has the SYSTEM.CNF file, but i still could not get it working.

All this was down to the Help Text, as soon as i read you last post i found the only step i missed out as the Help Text and once i entered help text it all worked

Once again, thank you for all your help

[nullPointer]

Glad to hear you got everything working to your satisfaction Orlin! I believe the necessity of Help Text may be a bug in this case. I'll elevate that issue to Tom's attention to see if he has additional input.

Off topic: One of my children has suddenly become extremely enamoured with the picture of Sonic in your signature. Looks like it's time to introduce her to the wonders of Sonic the Hedgehog!

[Orlin]

Yeah, as you say thought it does help a lot, special with new people that wanna play my arcade as it will tell them to stick it in .

LOL. You can not beat a bit of sonic , i got most of the new ones on steam, i just not had the chance to sit down and have a good bash on them yet.

Edited September 30, 2012 by nullPointer
This thread is now closed. If the problem re-occurs, please start a new thread.