[RESOLVED] Integrated MAME or MAME as emulator

[jonathancarty]

Hi,

I stupidly added a RESOLVED to my last thread title before I was fully sorted so sorry for starting a new thread,

I think I have MAME set up as an emulator on GameEx but I want to use the integrated MAME function.

During the Setup Wizard I downloaded MAME from the dowload emulators page and left the advance MAME setup option at defaults. What is confusing me is the Emulator Selection page of the Setup Wizard, I think this is where I'm going wrong. If I don't put MAME in the table on the left for selected Emulators then MAME doesn't appear anywhere in GameEx. If I do put it in the table the MAME games then appear under the Emulated Games section of GameEx and I have the same problem as described in this thread. Have I missed something in the setup to make sure I'm using the integrated MAME?

All help very gratefully received!

Thanks

Jon

GameEx.ini

[nullPointer]

MAME should appear as an entry on the GameEx start page and not under a start menu. In fact it should appear as the first menu selection on the start page. You are absolutely correct in thinking that the MAME entry that appears under Emulated Games will appear when you configure MAME as a 'standalone' emulator. This is not the 'integrated' version of MAME. Check out your start page again to see whether there's an entry for MAME. I don't see anything within your setting to indicate that it's been disabled.

[tthurman]

Ah sorry about that, I thought you were good, and closed that one up!

FWIW, I'd recommend get the latest release from Mamedev, I seem to recall the download emulators feature pulled down an older release, but I could very easily be wrong.

Regardless, just make sure your getting a recent release.

I used directory C;\emulators\mame

as shown in the wizard, just make sure to update the paths. For instance the mame path shows C;\GameEx, which obviously doesn't jive with the above.

Start here

Then here

Under "Mame Settings", you'll see "Advance MAME Settings", configure those to your liking, this is where you filter your games, point to your artwork and snaps (if you have these items), as well as set paths to your dat's and ini's.

I recommend you set Verify ROMS to "No". There are other tweaks in the filtering, so if you find yourself missing a bunch of titles, do a quick search for "not showing all mame games", or similar to find numerous threads on tweaking in the GameEx filter.

When you finish this area and move on, do not confuse the AdvanceMAME section with the above.

If you got MAME in the Setup Emulators? section, remove it.

It's showing in your ini

emu_1_enabled=True

emu_1_system=Arcade

emu_1_category=Arcade

emu_1_emulator=MAME

emu_1_version=0.145

I just browsed your .ini, and you got the config thing going on just fine, I believe the above is what's causing you problems, you've got it setup integrated, and as an emulator.

Keep us posted!

Good luck

[jonathancarty]

Thanks for the replies.

MAME is definitely not appearing in the GameEx start menu - I wonder if I have the same problem going on as here but I can't find a solution.

tthurman, I *think* I've done everything you suggested but still no joy. I'm sure I'm doing something basic wrong.....

GameEx.ini

[tthurman]

If you don't have it first like this, what is?

Run GameEx, and exit, then post your log please.

[nullPointer]

NoMAMEOnStartPage=True

This value has changed since in between posting your settings. I'm not sure it explains what was happening before, but it would definitely seem to explain why you're not seeing a MAME menu entry now ... or at least not in the default position.

Go into the Setup Wizard and on the MAME Settings screen change the Menu Under Games setting to False. We can change it back if necessary, but first I think we just need to get back to some sort of base line.

If that doesn't work, please do as tthurman suggested and post up that log.

[jonathancarty]

Thanks for the replies, appreciate it.

Currently at work and will post when I get home

[jonathancarty]

Still no joy,

here's the log file, there is an entry saying "MAME; Disabled" which even to my basic understanding might be a problem.....

log.txt

[tthurman]

Yeah, this is what I was getting at in your other thread. There's nothing wrong with staying put on releases, until you have a problem.

I seem to recall your romset was 0.145 (could be wrong, I read a lot of these), which means this version of GameEx predates your set even, which is also old.

At this point I can only suggest you update.

[jonathancarty]

I may have sorted it.

I noticed on the log that the MAME path was supposed to be: C:\Emulators\Mame32

When I check on C drive it was actually C:\Emulators\MAME

I've corrected that and now MAME is the top line on the first screen when I start GameEx. I go into MAME, select All MAME Games and I get a complete list of MAME games rather than what I have loaded on the system

I'm still a bit confused as the Roms for MAME are stored in C:\Roms\Mame\Roms

Should I be putting them in C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms ?

Jon

[DazzleHP]

I've corrected that and now MAME is the top line on the first screen when I start GameEx. I go into MAME, select All MAME Games and I get a complete list of MAME games rather than what I have loaded on the system

I'm still a bit confused as the Roms for MAME are stored in C:\Roms\Mame\Roms

Should I be putting them in C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms ?

You can have your roms literally anywhere (even all optional files such as snaps, manuals etc) as long as you tell GameEx where they are. Just as you realised GameEx was looking in the wrong place for your MAME.exe, you will need to change the ROM Path in GameEx, to tell it where your roms are stored.

Using your example above, load the Setup Wizard> Custom> MAME Settings. Find ROM Path and enter:

C:\Roms\Mame\Roms

Boot GameEx, go to MAME, scroll to bottom, hit Update List.

While you are in the MAME Settings screen, examine it a bit - you'll see that you can change the paths for everything to suit your system, you don't need to put things in the default locations for it to work - those default paths are there to simplify things, mainly to help out newcomers, but it isn't absolute

Of course if you want to, by all means move your files to the default locations, but you still need to make sure the paths are correct in MAME Settings (i assume you've changed them from default).

[jonathancarty]

Thanks,

I've moved my MAME roms to C:\Emulators\Mame32\Roms start GameEx and update list

When I go into All Mame Games I'm still getting a huge list of games I don't have and when I select from that list a game that I do have it doesn't load

I've attached the config and log after trying to load 1943

GameEx.ini

log.txt

[DazzleHP]

Load the Setup Wizard> Custom> MAME Settings. (scroll down) Change:

Only Existing Roms=True

Boot GameEx and Update List again

[jonathancarty]

Thanks so much, now have a list of 15 games in ALL MAME GAMES but missing a few (Galaga, Galaxian, Marble Madness for example).

I've updated the list, looked again at the setup wizard but can't see an obvious solution.

Sorry

[DazzleHP]

Could you give me a an approximate amount of roms you have? It will help in determining what might be happening. Thanks!

[jonathancarty]

I've only got 25 Roms in the folder but only showing 15 in GameEx.

If it helps the missing Roms are, Galaga, Galaxian, 1943, Bombjack, Choplifter, Donkey Kong, Eagle, Ghosts n Goblins, Marble Madness and Space Invader

Cheers

[DazzleHP]

In that case, seeing as your romset is so small, i would suggest adding them to the excluded list. You can find it as always in Setup Wizard> Custom> MAME Settings.

Find "Don't Filter these ROMS". You will likely see something like: pacman;splatter

Add your roms to this list (using ; to separate each rom) and they will appear. For example, using your missing roms:

pacman;splatter;1943;galaga;bombjack;

Etc. If you add roms to the Exlcuded List, or Don't Filter These Roms list they will show

There is another way, which i don't recommend often, in fact this would be the first time, but seeing as your collection is so small it might be beneficial to you - turn the filter off completely.

Again you do this in the same place as always, scroll down and find:

Use Game Filter:

Change to No

Boot GameEx and Update List.

I only recommend this to you because of your small, specialized rom list. Normally i wouldn't advise this.

To anyone reading this post, the advice to turn off the filter was a one off, and advice specifically made to OP. Typically you shouldn't do this! Don't follow this advice unless you have been told to by staff.

[nullPointer]

Try doing these things sequentially:

• Go to the Touchscreen / Tablet Settings screen and set Enable to False (unless there is some compelling reason that you need this).
• Go into GameEx and rebuild your MAME List

Do you have your missing games? If not do this next.

• Go to the MAME Settings screen and remove Japan to from your Game Filter setting (for some reason I want to say that most/all the games you listed had a single 'world' release which is likely tied to Japan).
• Go into GameEx and rebuild your MAME List

Edit:

Or you can do as Dazzle suggests, which may in fact be the more direct route to take

[jonathancarty]

DazzleHP and nullPointer

Thanks for the advice. Turning off the Game Filter did the trick.

Out of interest, what is the danger in doing this. I only expect to add individual roms as I get them, should that be OK?

[nullPointer]

The only danger is insofar as overload for folks with full sets of ROMs. The amount of games that fall under one or more of these descriptors is fairly sizable:

GameFilter=Japan;Korea;Asia;Hispanic;Bootleg;French;German;Hack;Prototype;Hardware;Spanish;(Easy;(harder

And especially when you consider that Hardware games are not playable at all and the same applies to several prototypes, hacks, and bootlegs, it all starts adding up pretty quickly. So for people dealing with full ROM sets it's better to leave at least some sort of nominal filtering in place.

[DazzleHP]

As nullPointer said, the filter preserves everyones sanity as MAME can get wildly out of control! It's enabled by default to make things much easier for both the user, and us too MAME is crazy and we'd like to calm it as much as we can, so to help you guys as quick as possible

Of course it's up to you guys to help us help you, and if you want you could ignore us if you want... but i like to think that coz we help you, you like to help us

To answer your question - the filters will eliminate many problems right from the start, so if we know you have them enabled, we can troubleshoot much further ahead.

Also, most people will be using what we call a "full romset", in other words a collection of roms with over 28,000 entries! In comparison to your set that seems insane don't it?? Truth is though, most MAME users have to face this, and our filters drastically reduce these numbers to a point that we can confidently give sound support, knowing what the filters are doing

That's why i was anxious to advise you turn them off - something i've not done before

[jonathancarty]

Thanks,

Totally understand the issues. For now I'll just add ROMS as I get them (or as the kids ask for them!) and go from there.

All seems to be working beautifully now, Thanks for all your help.

Jon

[DazzleHP]

Glad you are getting somewhere,

Just remember that each time you add a new rom, you will need to Update List

[tthurman]

Wow that's completely awesome, and all the while here I am throwing in the towel!

That path thing is so easy to fix, but sometimes so hard to communicate the importance of triple checking them when encountering problems. If you read many of these threads you soon realize that the vast majority of people couldn't fathom having a problem with a simple path. I applaud you for digging in and finding it!

You certainly got an added bonus of having Dazzle and nullPointer help in polishing everything up, two individuals I've certainly learned volumes from.

25 Roms, now that's a select list if I ever saw one

WTG dude

[jonathancarty]

Thanks again,

I'm sure the ROM list will grow steadily

Jon