[APP] CPWizard v2.35

[Visitor Q]

HK was just suggesting that you keep the files that both programs use in a single location so that when they need updating you only have to do it once. You can certainly keep one copy of these files for each application that uses them, it just means you will have to remember each location when you do an update. I personally keep all dat type files in one location (C:\Emu\MAME\DATS). When I update MAME, I update all of the files in that directory that I can (some don't get updated that often since their authors don't...controls.dat for instance). There's no "right" or "wrong" way to do it.

That is what I want to do but how do I tell Game Ex to look to that dir?

[bkenobi]

I don't remember exactly where the settings are. You can go to either the advanced configuration app or the setup wizard and look in the different MAME setting menus. You should be able to find it there, but if not then you can always go to "C:\Program Files\CONFIG\GameEx.ini" and search for "catver.ini". As I recall, all of the files are in the same area of the GameEx.ini file, so you should be able to manually edit the paths there. Just be careful when messing inside the ini file cause there's obviously no error check if you F it up. I recommend making a backup of the file prior to modifying it unless you are confident in your capabilities.

[Visitor Q]

I don't remember exactly where the settings are. You can go to either the advanced configuration app or the setup wizard and look in the different MAME setting menus. You should be able to find it there, but if not then you can always go to "C:\Program Files\CONFIG\GameEx.ini" and search for "catver.ini". As I recall, all of the files are in the same area of the GameEx.ini file, so you should be able to manually edit the paths there. Just be careful when messing inside the ini file cause there's obviously no error check if you F it up. I recommend making a backup of the file prior to modifying it unless you are confident in your capabilities.

Ok... I see the info. in the Game Ex ini but it is no where to be set in the wizard.

Example...

# Location of Catver.ini (www.catver.com & www.mameworld.com/catlist)

# Which provides game category information for your MAME games

CatverLocation=\DATA\catver.ini

Seems like it would be easier to edit this stuff in Game Ex rather than CPWizard.

[bkenobi]

There is somewhere to edit it in the Advanced Configuration tool, I just don't remember what menu it's under. I don't think it's available in the Setup Wizard. You can edit it manually in the GameEx.ini as you found. I was just saying if you can't find it, you can do it there. BUT, I know it's in the setup somewhere as I've done it there before. Whatever works for you though.

[Visitor Q]

There is somewhere to edit it in the Advanced Configuration tool, I just don't remember what menu it's under. I don't think it's available in the Setup Wizard. You can edit it manually in the GameEx.ini as you found. I was just saying if you can't find it, you can do it there. BUT, I know it's in the setup somewhere as I've done it there before. Whatever works for you though.

I found it, it's in the setup menu within Game Ex.

Thanks.

[Visitor Q]

What is the difference between control.ini and control.xml? I noticed that control.ini is in the Game Ex data dir I have and not in the CPWizard dir. With the control.xml I notice the complete opposite.

[bkenobi]

It's the same data but in a different format. The data used to be provided in a .ini format, but in recent years there has been a push to use xml style files for whatever reason.

[Visitor Q]

It's the same data but in a different format. The data used to be provided in a .ini format, but in recent years there has been a push to use xml style files for whatever reason.

So the XML file would be the newer out of the two then from what you are saying.

Can I tell Game Ex to use the XML file even though it says to select the control.ini?

[bkenobi]

Not necessarily. The project homepage provides both formats for the current release. Actually, now that I think about it, there must have been a .dat format in the first place. That means that the xml format is at least the 3rd format that they have released. They do not support the .dat format anymore though.

Check out the controls.dat homepage.

[Visitor Q]

Not necessarily. The project homepage provides both formats for the current release. Actually, now that I think about it, there must have been a .dat format in the first place. That means that the xml format is at least the 3rd format that they have released. They do not support the .dat format anymore though.

Check out the controls.dat homepage.

Ok... I see both version there so I should be in good shape.

Guess this is one I will just have to download both versions since Game Ex uses one and CPWiz uses the other.

[Tempest]

I'm sorry, I probably should just check myself, but exactly how big are these files?

[Visitor Q]

Are you asking me?

[bkenobi]

Controls.dat files are small since they are just text files. Extracted they are ~500kb.

[Tempest]

TigerDirect is selling 500GB drives for $70.

500,000,000,000 Bytes / 500,000 Bytes = 1,000,000

So you could store 1 million copies of controls.dat for $70

7000 pennies / 1,000,000, = .007 pennies per copy or 142 copies for a penny!

I can't help it... I like math!

[bkenobi]

That means that because Tom and HK don't use the same format, it's going to cost us on the order of $0.007 extra! BASTIDS!!!

[Tempest]

That means that because Tom and HK don't use the same format, it's going to cost us on the order of $0.007 extra! BASTIDS!!!

That was .007 pennies... $0.00007 (dollars)

[bkenobi]

What, so that's supposed to make it better?!

[headkaze]

Controls.dat is not updated that regularly but SirPoonga made a post the other day on BYOAC stating he might be working on it again some time in the near future.

I use Controls.xml because I like the format better. I actually have written code to parse the old ini format as well, but I probably wont be adding support for it in CPWizard.

[Visitor Q]

Still have a problem with this I would say about half the time, I pause the game and the CP wizard interface never comes up on screen. I just more or less get a freeze of what is on the screen at the time I pause the game and then I have to use crtl alt delete to shutdown parts of CP Wizard.

As you can see from the attached file, Mame is not even running anymore.

Don't mind the .def files, I was working on Mugen. =]

[Brian Hoffman]

Still have a problem with this I would say about half the time, I pause the game and the CP wizard interface never comes up on screen. I just more or less get a freeze of what is on the screen at the time I pause the game and then I have to use crtl alt delete to shutdown parts of CP Wizard.

As you can see from the attached file, Mame is not even running anymore.

Don't mind the .def files, I was working on Mugen. =]

Is mame.exe running under process?

[headkaze]

Also do you have switchres set in Mame? If so you may need to change the "Display Change Delay" in Edit->Options->Display to something higher.

Also next time it doesn't show can you get CPWizard.log and post it here. Turning on verbose logging in options gives more info that can help as well.

[Visitor Q]

Also do you have switchres set in Mame? If so you may need to change the "Display Change Delay" in Edit->Options->Display to something higher.

Also next time it doesn't show can you get CPWizard.log and post it here. Turning on verbose logging in options gives more info that can help as well.

Verbose was turned on but when I loaded CP to check, there went the log file. Whoops!

I changed Delay from 2000 to 3000, see if that helps.

I don't think Mame was still running under processes but I will test all this out tonight when I get home from work and report back.

Thanks (so far) Guys. I really like this program and want to get it to work correctly.

[Palmore]

TigerDirect is selling 500GB drives for $70.

500,000,000,000 Bytes / 500,000 Bytes = 1,000,000

So you could store 1 million copies of controls.dat for $70

7000 pennies / 1,000,000, = .007 pennies per copy or 142 copies for a penny!

I can't help it... I like math!

Actually....

Wouldn't the math be....

500x1024x1024x1024 Bytes, = 536 870 912 000 Bytes.

as 1024Bytes = 1KiloByte, 1024KiloBytes = 1MegaByte and of course 1024MegaBytes = 1 GigaByte

=)

Lets not forget the over head of NTFS on an XP box is about 8MB of partitioned space.. And when you formatted your drives, how did you break down the cluster sizes? And keep in mind too, you want to leave atleast was it 15% free space for drive and file system performance? lol

[Stub]

Is it just me or is anyone else's CPWiz eating up 3.5gig of ram in just a couple days?

And yes im using the latest version.

[Visitor Q]

What do you mean by a couple of days?