Multiple MAME rompaths?

[RIP-Felix]

I have two separate mame folders to utilize 0.147 and 0.143. In the mame settings I used the rompath to the one in 0.147. However this only displays the roms that work with that version of mame (because I only put the roms that work for that version in their respective folders). Only after I test a game and find which version it works best in do I put it in the one of the folders.

Because of this I have been using the emulator entries for the separate versions of mame, however that means that I have to forgo the information gameex automatically finds, such as game descriptions, controls, similar games, ratings, etc. This is useful information I would like to take advantage of.

Is there any way to have separate entries for mame to run more than one version of mame and merge them into one list like is possible using the emulator entries? Or is this mame settings thing really only meant for a complete rom set?

[Adultery]

Right now what you're asking is not possible using the GameEx setup itself, sorry.

You can use one universal setting and map a different emulator on a per game basis using Tempest's (MAME Mapping Magician I think it's called) utility that comes with GameEx though.

[RIP-Felix]

Thanks, that's a really good idea.

[Gildahl]

This can be done with a compiled ahk script. I call mine mame_launcher.ahk which compiles to mame_launcher.exe. This file should be placed in the MAME folder of whatever you consider your base version (mine is 145). In the GameEx wizard, you then specify this executable as the mame executable. Whenever a game is launched, the compiled script parses the command line and overrides it to launch the game in whatever version of mame you want. It doesn't even have to be mame (the example script below includes how to launch Star Wars Trilogy in Supermodel instead of MAME). The script can also be used to modify the command line on a game-by-game basis. An example of this is also included (Paperboy and Eyes). If the game has no special handling, it just launches the game in the base version of MAME.

Here is the script.

;Game specific command line handling for MAME games in GameEx.;;Example GameEx Command Line for launching MAME;-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------;mame.exe galaxian -rompath D:\Emulators\MAME\roms -nowindow -joy -skip_gameinfo -autosave;-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------;;Note: this script relies on the rompath always being the third parameter;Note: THIS SCRIPT MUST BE COMPILED AS AN EXE AND PLACED IN BASE MAME FOLDER;;;Instructions;------------;Base MAME folder is D:\Emulators\MAME (currently version 145).;Place other mame versions in their own folders (ex. D:\Emulators\MAME146).  The roms for that;version should be placed in a roms folder off that directory (ex. D:\Emulators\MAME146\roms).;------------GAME = %1%AUTOSAVE := true;-----------------------------------------------------;Handle Supermodel games launched from the MAME list.;-----------------------------------------------------if GAME in swtrilgy{    SMPATH := "D:\Emulators\Supermodel"   SetWorkingDir %SMPATH%   CMDLINE = swtrilgy.zip -res=1600,1200 -fullscreen   RunWait %SMPATH%\Supermodel.exe %CMDLINE%   Exit};-------------------------------------;Handle games for other mame versions;-------------------------------------if GAME in centiped,gauntdl,gauntleg,robotron   MAMEPATH := "D:\Emulators\MAME146"else if GAME in asteroid,ripoff,starwars,starfire,simpbowl   MAMEPATH := "D:\Emulators\MAME149";----------------------------;Launch in base mame version;----------------------------else   MAMEPATH := "D:\Emulators\MAME"ROMPATH = %MAMEPATH%\roms;--------------------------------------------------------------------;Add games here that are not compatible with save state (-autosave);--------------------------------------------------------------------if GAME in paperboy,eyes   AUTOSAVE := false;--------------------------------;Build the revised command line;--------------------------------Loop, %0%{   param := %A_Index%   if param = %3%      CMDLINE = %CMDLINE% %ROMPATH%   else   if !(param = "-autosave" and AUTOSAVE = false)      CMDLINE = %CMDLINE% %param% }SetWorkingDir %MAMEPATH%RunWait %MAMEPATH%\mame.exe %CMDLINE%

[Tempest]

That feature is already available in GameEX, and can be accomplished using the Mame Emu Maps utility as Adultery stated above.

[Tempest]

Right now what you're asking is not possible using the GameEx setup itself, sorry.

You can use one universal setting and map a different emulator on a per game basis using Tempest's (MAME Mapping Magician I think it's called) utility that comes with GameEx though.

It WAS called Mame Mapping Magician, but it looks like Tom renamed it to Map emu Maps.

[Adultery]

Well what the funk, bootsy! Lol!

If I ever got into that kind of detail, it's the way I would go. Easy to use and intuitive.

[RIP-Felix]

Interesting, but maybe I'm going about this from the wrong approach. I was happy using the emulator groups before, I just like the extra info you get from the dedicated MAME (eg, controls, info, ratings, etc). I see under the advanced emulator settings there is a controls paths and an info path. So I guess the question is where does GameEX put these when it updates the MAME list? I should be able to just copy the path into the field...Actually I just realized that is for artwork. Is there any way to display the controls info GameEX provides automatically in the emulated MAME setup I'm using?

[Adultery]

The way GameEx processes mame is completely different from the way out processes emulators. The closest you'll get is having static snaps of control panels named the same as the rom or using Headkaze's CP wizard, assuming we're on the same track.