File Organization Discussion

[shaunopp]

Since the new version of GameEx came out I was considering reorganizing my ROM's, Snaps etc. to match the GameEx default. Besides being easier to setup in GameEx (ie. not having to change the paths) is their any rhyme, reason or logic behind the way they are organized? Any other compelling reasons to change them or leave them.

[Brian Hoffman]

Its really just for your sanity...

I have mine setup

c:\Emulators

---SNES (Folder)

Snaps (Subfolder)

BOX (Subfolder)

Instrcutions (Subfolder)

ROMS (Subfolder)

Emulator (Subfolder)

[bkenobi]

Like Brian said, do it however it makes sense to you. I've done it like Brian, but thought it was a bit hard to find certain things and to maintain snaps. I changed from that over to my current experiment:

C:\Emu\

-> Roms

-----> SNES

-----> GBA

-----> Genesis

-----> ...

-> Manuals

-----> SNES

-----> GBA

-----> Genesis

-----> ...

-> Intro Movies

-----> SNES

-----> GBA

-----> Genesis

-----> ...

-> ...

Everything MAME goes in the C:\Emu\MAME dir. Also, anything else I've set up and is related to Emulation is currently in that directory jugging everything up

[headkaze]

This is how I have mine

[Drive]:\Emulators\[EmuName]

[Drive]:\Roms\[systemName]

[Drive]:\Artwork\[systemName]\AviSnaps

[Drive]:\Artwork\[systemName]\BoxArt

[Drive]:\Artwork\[systemName]\CartridgeArt

[Drive]:\Artwork\[systemName]\Snaps

[Drive]:\Artwork\[systemName]\TitleSnap

[mightypeniz]

[Drive]:\Games\Emulation\[Genre][systemName]\Roms

[Drive]:\Games\Emulation\[Genre][systemName]\Snaps

[Drive]:\Games\Emulation\[Genre][systemName]\Cartridges

[Drive]:\Games\Emulation\[Genre][systemName]\Titles

(etc). Based on a batchfile [insert-author's-name-here-probably-NoLogic-but-I-can't-be-sure] posted here a while back, which created the folder hierarchy.

[Nologic]

Well I've setup my paths a few different ways over the year...and switching can be painful.

The main reason the pathing is setup the way it is...is simply because I was using a number of emulators, which used the same assets.

Not to mention I have a lot of stuff setup right now...so to keep things organized and under control this seemed like a decent method.

There really is no ideal way to have these setup other than what works best for you.

mightypeniz -

Batch script would likely be someone else but I did have an AutoIt script & INI file that would do it...at one point...think it got trashed tho

[shaunopp]

Thanks for all the feedback. At the end of the day I think I'm just going to leave as-is until I find a convincing reason to move it all around.

A little off topic but speaking of paths... with the new (and maybe old) GameEx installer, the EMU downloader will only download Gens and the only Gens config file is for Gens+. Easy fix but could be frustrating for a newbie. I stumbled upon it while setting up.

[Nologic]

Well I'm redoing the downloads...and the profile configs...profiles will be made more simplistic far as pathing...downloads will be made more complex.

I'm looking at packaging over 70 emu's for use with the installer\setup wizard.

[Brian Hoffman]

Well I'm redoing the downloads...and the profile configs...profiles will be made more simplistic far as pathing...downloads will be made more complex.

I'm looking at packaging over 70 emu's for use with the installer\setup wizard.

Very Impressive!

[Tempest]

Well I'm redoing the downloads...and the profile configs...profiles will be made more simplistic far as pathing...downloads will be made more complex.

I'm looking at packaging over 70 emu's for use with the installer\setup wizard.

Nologic,

I'm getting seriously bored. I'm pretty sure that you've fiqured out that I'm not equiped for technical projects, but if there is anything I can do to help.....

[Nologic]

Heh your really wanting that free "Piss in my coffee" coupon I take it.

I'll see if I can put something together so you can pitch in.

[headkaze]

Well I'm redoing the downloads...and the profile configs...profiles will be made more simplistic far as pathing...downloads will be made more complex.

I'm looking at packaging over 70 emu's for use with the installer\setup wizard.

Sounds good I'm happy as long as there is a standard across the board. So if the defaults are changed in the Setup Wizard as well then I think it's a good idea to to reoganize the folder structure especially since there are a tonne more emu's supported by your configs.

One thing I think I should add to the Setup Wizard is a button to "Create default folder structure". What that could do is allow you to set a default root path (Eg. D:\Emulators) then the Setup Wizard goes through every emu config and creates the default folders for them. It could also then change the default paths inside the configs based on root path and artwork folders. That would take alot of the pain out of it; since then you can create the default structure then copy the old emu's over (or download the new archives) and then just overwrite the old configs with Nologic's new ones.

You'd be suprised how few emu's I have installed. I just haven't had time to set them up and I'm looking forward to going through and adding some more.

On that note I think we should delete all the old configs also. Like I said I'm happy to change things so it's more organised as long as there isn't a mix of the old structure in there.

[Nologic]

Test file

Well you can see what I'm up to with the link above...tho I'm certainly up for suggestions for how to go about things in a better way.

Base idea is that GX would extract to a default folder like C:\Emulation\ and the archive would put a lot of folder structure in place...anything not used...the end user can delete...which is far easier than creating new directories for what they do have.