spycat

My vote's in. Now at 13.21%

Try these packs. They are customised for 16:9, but could be reworked for 16:10 if needed. When installed, 3 new settings are added to the Video Options menu. http://ouyaforum.com/showthread.php?9558-MAME4droid-DIY-artwork

And see here too. http://arcadeartwork.org/index.php?/category/17

Just an update on Mess bios files. With the integration of Mess into Mame, the Mess bios files are now included in the full Mame romset. So if you have the latest full Mame romset, then you will also have all the latest Mess bios files. On the other hand, if you just have a collection of Mame games individually sourced, then you will need to manually source any Mess bios files you need. Mess bios packs exist, but they are usually for old Mess builds and will predate the Mess integration. Most of a pack's bios files may be still valid, but some may be outdated. Look for an up to date source of Mame individual romsets and browse for the Mess bios files you want.

Hi fromlostdays. The Mame ini file does not have or need a setting specifically for Mess bios files. The rompath setting is used for all. So when I use a rompath setting of roms;roms\mess\scv;roms\mess\supracan Mame-Mess will pick up my scv.zip bios in roms\mess\scv This is just how I am doing it as I probably will never use more than a few Mess systems, and only then as a last resort. If you plan on using Mess in a big way and want all the systems, then using my approach would result in an unwieldy rompath and best avoided. Instead if you need to have lots or all of the Mess bios files, you would be better off keeping them together in one location. By the way I think there are about 1800 of them. As far as I know to do it this way some conditions apply. The Mess bios files must all go in the Mame roms folder and nowhere else. Each bios must be zipped. They must be named the same as their system shortnames. As regards being zipped and correctly named, they should automatically come like that from whereever. And then your games can go whereever you would like I believe. It's all down to what you need and prefer.

I really didn't know where to post this so I came here. Lately I've noticed a new file in my AppData, Local, Temp folder. Protect830ad659.dll With LaunchBox open, this file can't be deleted. Closing LaunchBox allows me to delete the file either manually or using CCleaner. Starting LaunchBox adds the file again. Nothing else on my PC causes this dll to install. Just wondering if it is part of LaunchBox and what it does.

Mess is integrated into Mame since version 0.162. I'm a newcomer to Mess and just feeling my way about. I'm using Mame 0.171 and so far only added 2 Mess systems, because I couldn't find an emulator for one and the other didn't have game saving in it's emulator. How you add your Mess stuff isn't too important as long as Mame is aware of where things are. The Mame Configuration Settings (ini) file, Core Search Path Options, rompath needs to be edited to know about any new paths. When I decided to add Mess stuff I made a new folder inside the Mame roms folder and called it mess as I wanted to keep Mame and Mess stuff separate. In this mess folder I made subfolders for each system I wanted to add. These subfolders match the system shortnames. For the Funtech Super A'Can system I made a subfolder called supracan. For my Epoch Super Cassette Vision games I added a folder named scv. Most systems need a Mess bios file unique to each system, but not all systems need a bios file. Super Cassette Vision games need a bios file while Super A'Can games do not. The bios is named after the system's shortname. So the Super Cassette Vision bios is named scv.zip and it goes into the scv folder along with my SCV games. Once all done in Mame, setting things up in LaunchBox is straightforward. Say you decide to add a new LaunchBox Platform for say Super A'Can games to run with the Mess side of Mame. Open your Mame Edit Emulator window and add the associated platform with it's own parameters. Usually you'll use 2 parameters, the system shortname followed by the media type. For the Super A'Can the parameters are supracan -cart And then add your games pointing LaunchBox to the game zips. Mess doesn't seem to be too fussy and it will accept the game zip in the full or shortname (Mame style) version. It will also accept the unzipped game. I use the Mame style, renaming where I need to. I agree with Brad and Derek on Mess. Most systems can be handled very well using either RetroArch or standalone emulators. If neither of these options can help you with a system, then by all means see if Mess will do it. Bear in mind that while the Mess systems list is large, not all work and some work without full support.

Just goes to show that underneath that Our Way Not Your's facade, Old Man Google is human.

Hi Jason. I'm testing PS1 games (ePSXe emulator) just using the 7Z format at the moment, and using the new beta 2. Testing a 7Z copy of Tombraider (mdf, mds format). After the 1st launch the temp folder is left empty. The 2nd launch works fine and after exit the mds file is gone but the mdf is left in the temp folder. This doesn't seem to matter as 3rd and later launches all work ok once the mds file is being removed on game exit. Testing a 7Z copy of Tombraider (bin, cue format ripped from my original CD). After the 1st launch the temp folder is left empty. The 2nd and later launches all work fine and after exit the temp folder is left empty. Testing a 7Z copy of Alien Resurrection (bin, cue format). After the 1st launch the bin and cue files remain in the temp folder. This prevents further launching. Now if the temp folder is manually cleared then the game can be launched again. Also if, after each launch and game exit you just delete the cue from the temp folder and leave the bin, then you can launch again. So it looks like the non delete of a cue, mds etc type file may be preventing new launches. Testing a 7Z copy of Metal Gear Solid (bin, cue format). This is a 2 disc game with 2 bins and 2 cues. After the 1st launch the temp folder is left empty. The 2nd and later launches all work fine and after exit the temp folder is left empty. On the subject of games with 2 or more discs, the accepted way of launching the other discs seems to be via Additional Apps. I don't know how this can be done for a compressed game. Launch times are more or less unchanged from beta 1. God only knows what the launch times for compressed PS2 games might be! So at the moment it seems that some games work fine on relaunching while others don't due to stuff left in the temp folder. Might it be better for LaunchBox to delete rather than try to clear the temp folder on game exit?

Just tested another PS1 game. This is in mdf, mds format (607 MB). Testing the 7Z format (351 MB). Game launches ok with a startup time of approx 1 minute. On exit the temp folder is cleared Second run fails with the now empty temp folder still present. Deleting the temp folder itself allows the game to be run again. Testing the Windows created Zip format (408 MB). Same result as above, but with a startup time of approx 35 seconds I don't know why LaunchBox removes the mdf and mds files, but won't do it for a bin, cue format. Out of curiosity, when running these compressed games, does LaunchBox know to use the cue and not the bin?

I took the PS1 game Alien Ressurection (ePSXe emulator) as my test game. This is in bin, cue format (370 MB). Using 7Zip I made two zipped copies in 7Z (165 MB) and Zip ( 192 MB) formats. I also used the Windows Send To option to create a Zip (193 MB) format. Testing the 7Z format. Game launches ok with a startup time of approx 28 seconds. Second run fails due to the temp folder not being cleared on game exit. Deleting the temp folder allows the game to be run again. Testing the Zip format made with 7Zip. Failed. Testing the Windows created Zip format. Game launches ok with a startup time of approx 10 seconds. Second run fails due to the temp folder not being cleared on game exit. Deleting the temp folder allows the game to be run again. Using the old method of launching from the CUE is instant.

Hi Derek. There's a new tickbox in the Edit Emulator, Emulator Details window. It's default is blank, so you need to enable it on an emulator basis. Mind you I haven't tested it myself yet.

Wow! You guys are in Mame's Premier Division. I've got a handpicked collection of just over 100 games. My Mame roms folder is 1.8 GB, 390 MB of which is down to three CHDs. I don't bother with clones as a rule apart from the one that allows me to play Alligator Hunt.

For the Intellivision you can also try out the Nostalgia emulator. http://www.intellivision.us/intvgames/nostalgia/nostalgia.php For Apple II see here https://github.com/AppleWin/AppleWin/releases/ As regards MESS, I'm inclined to agree with Derek. MESS is a mess, but it's an organised mess which will work if you stick with it. I use MESS as a last resort. Currently I use it for two platforms because I can't find a standalone emulator for one, and the other lacks game saving which MESS supports.

There seems to be no standalone emulator for it. I haven't checked RetroArch as I haven't got around to trying that out yet. MESS emulates it with no bios needed. Parameters supracan -cart

This isn't working properly either. When you right-click to download images the Banner (jpg) downloads ok, but the pngs all download in a reduced size. And the attachments still throw up the 500 Server error. Enough of this, I'm away to play a game.

OK so here goes the full hog.

Hi Derek. Yes I've noticed it too. I get a 500 Server error. I'm also getting this error if I try to open very recent attachments by other posters, but older attachments open ok.

For anyone emulating the Funtech Super A'Can, here are some platform images for use in BigBox. Banner 600x513 jpg Clear Logo 900x300 png A choice of Device 1920x1200 png (16:10 ratio) and 1920x1080 png (16:9 ratio).

Hi GatoSoft. Sorry if I misunderstood you. Yes I see that LaunchBox uses the tallest box aspect ratio to work out a common vertical spacing for all rows. And this applies across all platforms. So one platform using just one tower box means that other platforms using all landscape style boxes are forced to use the same spacing. I had the same problem with my imported box covers having different aspects; some tall, others wide and the rest sort of squarish. I ended up manually sourcing my box fronts so that they all have a common tower style 5:7 ratio. I started with The Cover Project and then went elsewhere for anything they didn't have. This was ok for me with a tiny collection of about 470 games across 15 platforms. For big game collections this solution takes far too much time and effort. Also, it's not a solution if you prefer your N64 boxes and maybe others in landscape style. Hopefully a solution might be put in place soon.

Hi GatoSoft. I don't think LaunchBox has this as an auto- adjust feature. You can reduce row gap manually though. See Tools, Options, Spacing.

Yes it is. Many thanks Brad.

After logging in I get an error message when I try any of the tabs Profile, Options and so on. This message is for the Profile tab. Profile form could not be found: [Account Settings] You might try the forum - toolbox - housekeeping admin form and reset the profile tabs and menus and see if that helps. Where is this form?

If you use the keyboard instead of a controller to move about in BigBox you can do the same from a Platform's Games List without opening the game's menu. P to run the game. F to toggle the box cover front/back view. I to view the images. See Keyboard Mapping for full info.

These old advertisements are worth preserving if only for their artistic content. When it came to things like cars, wireless, television etc they invariably showed well heeled folk enjoying the benefits. Game advertisements suggested an experience a PS4 developer would kill for. The funniest by far were those showing a woman using the product with the unspoken message that this is so simple even the wife can use it. Try selling that today. However, the bottom line has not changed - buy our product and your life will change for the better. Yeah right, unless your product happens to be a winning lottery ticket.