Running a game from a CD...

[momaw27]

Hello!

So I've got a bunch of PC Engine CD games on actual CD's (not in ISO/WAV format on my HD) that I'd like to be able to run from GameEx... is there a way to list all of my available games that I have on individual CD's and then have GameEx prompt me to insert the specific CD that corresponds with that game?

I'm sure this can be done somehow...

Thanks!

Beau

[Tom Speirs]

  momaw27 said:

Hello!

So I've got a bunch of PC Engine CD games on actual CD's (not in ISO/WAV format on my HD) that I'd like to be able to run from GameEx... is there a way to list all of my available games that I have on individual CD's and then have GameEx prompt me to insert the specific CD that corresponds with that game?

I'm sure this can be done somehow...

Thanks!

Beau

Here is basically how you would do it with GameEx's new CD and emulator group functionality.

Very top level, and not quick to do:

You would setup an emulator for each cd, you would need to create a map file for each emulator (CD) and use it. Set up the CD check to check for a unique file for each emulator. Then put all the emulators into an Emulator group.

[Nologic]

Well I'm not feeling all that excited about tackling a quicker way...shouldn't be much code but I'm still waking up.

You can use the following autoit code to grab the label and serial for a given disc.

$var1 = DriveGetSerial( "j:\" )
MsgBox(4096, "Serial Number: ", $var1)

$var2 = DriveGetLabel( "j:\" )
MsgBox(4096,"Volume Label: ",$var2)

Of course editing it to match your actual drive.

Really should only need the serial...ideally you could write a simple program that would check what the current serial of the disc in the drive then prompt you for a name...this could then write a simple ini file per disc that could be used by a loader to prompt you if serials don't match...and then when they do...fire up the Emu.

My thoughts tho

*Update*

Okay I've attached an executable and source code that will create your ini files as I suggested.

[momaw27]

Wow Nologic!

That is FANTASTIC!

Only problem is... I have made an ini file for each of my discs (excellent by the way!) but I'm not sure where to go from here...

I'm assuming I would set up a PCE CD emulator with the ROM Filter set as *.ini to show the available CD's waiting to be played... but from there, I'm at a loss...

Thanks for your help so far, I'm looking forward to your reply!

Beau

[Nologic]

Well the next step is probably largely dependent on which Emu you are using...I could write something basic...but you would have to have a little idea of coding & autoit...not much but I'm not always up for crash courses.

Any ways let me know what Emu and we'll go from there....tho don't be to slow to reply I'm suppose to be leaving town here shortly and will have not Net access.

[momaw27]

Nologic,

You're great!

I'm using Magic Engine.

Beau

[Nologic]

damn now that was a fast reply...okay...my next post should contain the loader required.

[momaw27]

Heh... I know... I just got back in from a LOOOOOONG meeting and just happened to see if you replied back!

Hilarious!

Hey, I see you're from Washington, I'm down in Redding, CA... we're pretty cold here after a pseudo spring, how 'bout you?

[Nologic]

Actually its been rather nice up here for a change...not the normal gray and rain.

When its nice in Seattle its extremely beautiful...but most the time its a depressing shit hole.

[Nologic]

Extract the attached file to the location where Magic Engine is installed

Copy "[Console] NEC TurboGrafx CD (MagicEngine).ini" from "*\Support\Import\" to "C:\Program Files\GameEx\CONFIG\EMULATORS\IMPORT-EXPORT\"

Copy all the "[Mapping Off] Exit *.ini" from "*\Support\Import\" to "C:\Program Files\GameEx\CONFIG\EMULATORS\"

Fire up "Advanced Configuration"

Press "Next Page" till you come to your TG16 CD listing then click that button

From the drop down menu for "Import Emulator:" select "[Console] NEC TurboGrafx CD (MagicEngine)"

Press the "Import" button

Press "OK" on the overwrite dialog box

Correct directory pathing if required

Press "Save"

Press "Exit"

Notes:

Rom pathing should be to where the *.ini's for the CD's are

This is expected to work...but not positive.

[momaw27]

Thank you, Nologic!

I really appreciate your work on this!

Beau

[Nologic]

Oh forgot to mention you'll probably need to edit the _settings.ini for the loader.

[momaw27]

Nologic,

Everything works great up to the part where I have to press RUN to start the game and then it stalls for a bit and then goes to the CD player screen...

Other than that, it checks for the correct CD, if it's not in the drive it will ask for it (which is great!) but then it hangs at the "Press RUN" screen...

Any thoughts?

Thank you! We're almost there!

Beau

[momaw27]

Nologic,

It's almost as if the program is not accessing the CD Drive... when I press RUN to start the game the CD is not accessed (the drive doesn't spin). If that helps you at all...

Thanks!

Beau

[Nologic]

I'll look into it tomorrow.

You do have the Emu set to by its self to access the correct drive correct?

Also you do have a system card image placed in the same folder as the emu executable...and its named correctly in the _settings.ini file?

If all thats good...then I'll have to burn a disc and try things out my self...we'll get it.

[momaw27]

Nologic!

That's it! I had MagicEngine's ini set to look in drive E: when it should have been looking in drive D:... you're great!

Thank you very much!

Now, would it be possible to do the same thing for my Sega CD games as well? I understand if you don't want to tackle the coding for another Emu... but I thought I'd ask...

In case you do feel the urge to help me out again, I use KEGA Fusion for all my Sega emulation needs

Thank you again for all your work and coding you have done!

Beau

[Nologic]

I could probably edit the current to work with Fusion...might as well get started making your ini's with the prior app.

It should only be editing one line & deleting another...so at some point it'll be posted here.

How ever you may want to look into part of Tom's suggestion where you mix two or more setups together...in your case TG16 Hucard & TG16 CD then just rename the grouping to Turbo Duo

[momaw27]

Thank you!

And yeah, that's a great idea about combining the emus together... (great feature Tom!)

Beau

[Nologic]

Well looks like I'll be adding a few lines...things aren't as clean cut as they where with the Magic Engine...Fusion has great CLI except when it comes to booting directly from the CD...which is probably the only lacking feature via CLI.

[momaw27]

That's strange because Fusion is such a GREAT emulator and has SO MANY features it's ridiculous... come on Steve Snake, get with the program... jump on the GameEX bandwagon... come play with us...

[Nologic]

Okay you know the drill.

You could combine Genesis & CD and rename the group Sega CDX or you could combine Genesis & 32X and create the group Sega Neptune

Hehe to bad Sega never created a Genesis + CD + 32X system.

[momaw27]

Alright!

GameEx can see my ini's and when I have the wrong disc it lets me know...

But when I go to load say, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, all I get is static (meaning KEGA is waiting for me to load something). And when I go to Boot CD from the menu MMPR loads right up.

Now I have learned from our previous outing to check and see if KEGA is defaulted to my drive, and it is .

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Beau

[Nologic]

Probably the sendkey code I'm using isn't working with fullscreen fusion...I'll browse through it some more.

Okay redownload the file...hehe I guess it would help if I sent CTRL+B and not ALT+B which is incorrect.

[momaw27]

Alright, downloaded the file again and installed over the existing files... but still no go... was I supposed to do something else too?

Beau

[Nologic]

hehe nope that should have done it....I'll take another look and see if I missed some thing else.

*Update*

redownload and try again...more cruder code...but ideally it'll work.

--Okay redid the code some more should be cleaner...for some odd reason AutoIt wasn't grabbing the class name for Fusion correctly.