Some tips for the MAME software lists

[kicker75]

I have downloaded the software list torrent a few days ago, and I've been wondering how I would use those roms.

As GameEx does not support it natively, I have found a usable workaround for the time being.

I'm using the .map files I generated with the python script, along with this dos command:

for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %I in (vectrex.map) do ren %I "%J.zip"

​So what I do is make a copy of the .map file in question to a copy of the target rom directory in the software list romset.

For example, for the gce vectrex, I would copy and paste the vectrex directory, creating vectrex - Copy directory. I copy the vectrex.map file to this directory (making sure not to move it), then you need to edit it, otherwise, the filename might contain characters not suitable for rename.

So far, here is the search and replace that I do:

":" -> " -"

"~" -> "-"

""" -> "" (If you dont understand this one, I replace the " character with nothing...)

"³​" -> " 3" (Aliens³ to Aliens 3)

"é" -> "e"

So, after these five search and replace, I save the file, and run the above command.

​And I end up with a directory of roms that are almost no-intro. The names in the hash files are similar to no-intro format, just a bit more descriptive. For example, in the Gameboy cartridge, you have a sgb tag to know which support super game boy.

​At first, I was matching them to no-intro dats with clrmamepro, and quite a few systems matched almost 100%... and some to various extent. The coleco romset in the software list shares about 10-15 cartridges with the no-intro romset... so most have been redumped since. So by using the dos command, I end up with roms that matches with the emumovies tools, and I can get the artwork for them.

You can test the command first by replace ren by echo... this will echo out both variables (the short name and long name) of each entry in the file.

Hope it helps someone.

PS: Since they are in a format close to no-intro, you can easily rename them to no-intro with a rom renaming tool... don't use clrmame pro, as it won't be able to match all roms since its checksum based. I use hyperspin rom manager...

mame168_hash_gameex_maps.rar

[kicker75]

Hmmm, I sort of screwed up. It turns out all the roms that didn't matched to no-intro, was indeed redumped.. but they are now in a format preventing me from using them outside of mame, and they won't work (at least, I haven't figured out how to) when renamed and using the -cart option.

So yeah, I have overwritten pretty much all my console roms...

However, as I really like these softlists, I haven't given up yet.

I have made myself a nice little batch file here:

if exist "Title\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Title\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Snap\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Snap\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Overlay\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Overlay\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Disc\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Disc\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "CD\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "CD\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "CartTop\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "CartTop\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Cart_3D\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Cart_3D\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Cart\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Cart\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "BoxBack\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "BoxBack\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Box_Spine\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Box_Spine\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Box_Full\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Box_Full\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Box_3D\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Box_3D\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Box\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Box\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Banner\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Banner\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Background\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Background\%%J.jpg" "%%I.jpg"if exist "Advert\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Advert\%%J.png" "%%I.png"if exist "Map\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Map\%%J.pdf" "%%I.pdf"if exist "Manual\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Manual\%%J.pdf" "%%I.pdf"if exist "Music\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Music\%%J.mp3" "%%I.mp3"if exist "Video_MP4_HI_QUAL\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Video_MP4_HI_QUAL\%%J.mp4" "%%I.mp4"if exist "Video_Advert_MP4\" for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=|" %%I in (%1.map) do ren "Video_Advert_MP4\%%J.mp4" "%%I.mp4

So after I have downloaded the artwork for the renamed roms (and fix the few that didn't got picked up by emumovies, renaming them according to the map file), I run this batch file, and it will check what directory is present and rename the artwork, mp3, pdf, mp4 there is, back to the mame name. All at once.

So far, I have done nes, atari 7800 and coleco.

This brings another question. I have noticed that some titles even get matched to the database. However... the majority don't match, and the few I've noticed, seems to be (PAL) titles. The 7800 have lots of (PAL) and (NTSC) double cartridges for almost every games, and I wanna build the artwork for all roms (at least from what I find on emumovies) in the mame set.

I've opened up the db3 file and looked inside, and all these nointro, tosec fields, dont have pal or NTSC, usa, europe, etc... it's only the bare title. How come for example, Meltdown (PAL) is matched in the list, and gives me the genre, description etc, and Meltdown (NTSC) isn't matched and showing no genre etc?

My initial idea was to try to fix the database, and duplicate the needed entries, however, I can't figure out what to do with it.