About This File
This script was born to resolve this issues:
- you want to save disk space
- you are a rom/iso collector that uses dat file to check your collection with rom manager tool. Actually you cannot find any DAT that support CHD files, so to save disk space you are forced to compress all your isos or cue/bin images in .zip or .7z format
- you want to play with compressed iso, bin/cue games without extract files
- you don't want specify cd image extension in command line, but only zip file extension. This script automatically will search for chd, iso, cue, bin (in this order) contained in compressed file.
This script can use one of the following tools to mount compressed cd image files:
- WinArchiver => recommended tool with the best performance. It supports .zip, .7z and rar format. It is a commercial software with a trial period.
- Prismo File Mount => good tool, totally free, it supports only .zip files. Bad performance with large compressed file, so I don't recommended it for PS2, PS3, PS4 and Wii emulation
- Daemon Tools => really bad performance, it is free with lite version. It supports only .zip files.
Futhermore the script supports these emulators:
1) Retroarch with all cores
Command line structure:
ZipMountAndRun nameOfCoreOfRetroarchWithoutExtension zipfileWithExtension
Real example for Dreamcast emulation:
ZipMountAndRun flycast_libretro "4 Wheel Thunder (Europe) (En,Fr).zip"
2) PCSX2 in standalone mode
Command line structure:
ZipMountAndRun pcsx2 zipfileWithExtension
Real example for PS2 emulation:
ZipMountAndRun pcsx2 "Ace Combat - Squadron Leader (Europe, Australia) (En,Fr,De,Es,It).zip"
3) Dolphin in standalone mode
Command line structure:
ZipMountAndRun dolphin zipfileWithExtension
Real example for Gamecube emulation:
ZipMountAndRun dolphin "Casper - Spirit Dimensions (Europe) (En,Fr,De,Es,It).zip"
4) Mednafen in standalone mode
Command line structure:
ZipMountAndRun mednafen zipfileWithExtension
Real example for Saturn emulation:
ZipMountAndRun mednafen "2Tax Gold (Japan).zip"
How install the tool for mounting
- Search setup on google
- Download and install the tool
- Create a virtual drive and remember the letter that you should set in my script
How to install my script in Launchbox
1) Copy the downloaded file in Launchbox Emulators folder assuring that my script was saved inside own folder:
LaunchBox root folder -> Emulators -> ZipMountAndRun -> ZipMountAndRun.cmd
See the image below
2) Set variables in my script for setting the tool for mounting files and its directory and the directories of emulators.
Please open my script with a text editor and fill " Variables to set" section
Variable name => Descrition
mountTool => define the tool used for mounting. Value accepted are winarchiver, pfm, daemon
daemonPath => path of Daemon Tools Lite, if you install it in default folder it is not necessary to change it
winarchiverPath => path of WinArchiver, if you install it in default folder it is not necessary to change it
letterForMounting => it is the letter used from virtual drive. This letter must be equals to virtual drive letter that you have created in previous phase.
retroArchPath => retroarch path. if your retroarch folder is called "RetroArch" in your Emulators folder don't change the setting.
pcsx2Path => PCSX2 path. if you have saved the PCSX2 emulator in RetroArch system folder then don't change the setting. If you have PCSX2 installed in the folder
LaunchBox root\Emulators\PCSX2 then you can change this variable to "..\PCSX2" (without quotes)
dolphinPath => path for dolphin standalone emulator. if your dolphing folder is called "Dolphin" in your Emulators folder don't change the setting.
mednafenPath => path for Mednafen standalone emulator. if your Mednafen folder is called "Mednafen" in your Emulators folder don't change the setting.
All the paths that you can set can be absolute or relative. By default the paths of emulators in my script use relative paths.
3) Add ZipMountAndRun like emulators in Launchbox
Click on Tools -> Manage -> Emulators
Click Add button
Insert "ZipMountAndRun" in emulator name textfield
Select ZipMountAndRun in Emulators\ZipMountAndRun folder
Copy other settings in image below
4) Edit linked platform for ZipMountAndRun emulator
Click on Tools -> Manage -> Emulators
Select ZipMountAndRun and click on Edit button
Select linked platform on the left bar
Fill rows like image below including your preferred platforms
I hope you can apprecciate my sharing and enjoy your games!!
Edited by Anthes
fix on title