Problem with shared paths

[DJoneK]

After the latest update, I can no longer have shared paths for artwork across different emulators. For example, I have 3 different PSX emulators set up, all using the same artwork. So their paths for videos, snaps, etc are all pointing at the same place. If I make a copy of the videos on 3 different folders, and point each to a separate folder, the videos work. Otherwise, they just won't show up.

I am not sure exactly when it broke, but I think it was on the most recent ones. I seem to recall them working just fine not too long ago.

Attached the gameex.ini just in case but don't think it's necessary.

GameEx.ini

[Tom Speirs]

Can you post the log please

[DJoneK]

Here is the log

EDIT: BTW, the videos show up on the IMAGE2 box when I hover over the emulator, on the emulator selection screen. Where they show up for just a few seconds randomly. They just aren't matching the actual games inside the emulator page. For some reason. I tried deleting all the cache files for said emulators, but it just rebuilt them and nothing changed.

The emus with the problem are EMU_49 through EMU_53

log.txt

[DJoneK]

After more testing, it's not a problem with shared paths, but some sort of cache problem. I just renamed the videos folder from "videos" to "videos1" and they showed up fine. I revert back to "videos", and they fail to load again. The same is happening accross all artwork for these PSX emulators. Does GameEx store any artwork matching cache data elsewhere other than "GameEx\Data"?

EDIT: What is interesting is that by renaming that "videos" to "videos1" on the 3 main PSX emulators, also fixed the other 2 PSX emulators which had the videos folder named as "videos (nonusa)" and "videos (translated)" respectively. Weird behavior. Almost as if those depend on the 3 main ones working.

EDIT2: I think I just found the REAL problem. Somehow it has to do with the parenthesis on artwork paths. Since I had "videos" for the main emulators, and "videos (nonusa)" and "videos (translated)", for some reason, they were conflicting with each other and none would show up. I just changed all paths and folders from using parenthesis to simply a dash like "videos-nonusa" and "videos-translated", and everything works as it should again. Would like to keep using the parenthesis though

[Draco1962]

Maybe Tom or Headkaze can correct me if I am wrong, but since there are some dependencies within GameEx in the use of MySQL (and possibly now to a lesser extent MS SQL Server) for the databases. That being said, just a quick search showed where people have reported using either of these DB apps when a directory name included parentheses. Since GameEx has to read the DB to determine the ROM name then match it to the snap/video, and if this is indeed the cause, GameEx will then try to find the next best match - similar file inside the directory without the () in the name.

I know enough to be dangerous and this is just a hunch. If I am correct, then this will be a limitation and not necessarily a bug and will require use of directory names without () in them.

[DJoneK]

I'm going to try and re-explain the whole setup situation, what worked and what not, so it can be understood easier... I'll just use the videos path as an example but the other artwork suffers the same problem. I currently have 5 PSX Emulator entries. 3 of them (I'll call these Main) share the same artwork paths, just different emulators. The other 2 have separate artwork paths, but have parenthesis in them.

X:\Path = N:\Emulators\Assets\Sony - Playstation

NOT WORKING: (Used to work ok until latest update from 13.05-6? to 13.08)

3 Main Emus video path: X:\Path\videos

Non-USA video path: X:\Path\videos (nonusa)

Translated video path: X:\Path\videos (translated)

WORKS: (2 instances that worked ok, one with parenthesis, and one without)

3 Main emus video path: X:\Path\videos1

Non-USA video path: X:\Path\videos (nonusa)

Translated video path: X:\Path\videos (translated)

3 Main emus video path: X:\Path\videos

Non-USA video path: X:\Path\videos-nonusa

Translated video path: X:\Path\videos-translated

So you can say it's probably the space between the parenthesis that causes the confusion on gameex. Weird how spaces don't affect the path though.

[Draco1962]

In the examples provided of what did not work you are using spaces, just as you are also using in the ones that did work if I am following you correctly (which I am not sure I am). Have you tried renaming them with no space between the name and the ( ?

[Tom Speirs]

Ill get this fixed shortly. Hang in there.

[Tom Speirs]

Sorry for the delay. This is fixed in 13.09. Now available.

[DJoneK]

Confirmed. Thanks a bunch.