How to update your MAME ROMset to a newer version with CLRmamepro

[DOS76]

As an alternative to using CMP I really would suggest TorrentCheck

http://wiki.pleasuredome.org.uk/index.php/TorrentCheck

I run this every month with the same boxes in the image except I also do delete wrong size files (it doesn't actually delete anything moves it to backup folder) then I simply download the new version of the MAME torrent to the same folder my ROMs are in. It checks the torrent finds all the data that is already present and then downloads the rest then I run TorrentCheck again when its over and verify that everything is present and correct. As a caveat though because I'm also doing this for CHD Software Lists and Software Lists CHDs I have a little different work flow for those. If you don't update anything except the arcade ROMs you don't have to continue reading from this point. If you do CHDs this is my work flow for them. Due to the nature of CHD updates it usually only a few files so I download them to a path like Updates\CHD and when I start the torrent I only download the missing and wrong size files not the rest of the torrent if you use QBittorrent to download its important not to down load it to your existing folder because it will move the files you don't want to download into a unwanted folder which is not what you want to happen. After the download is finished I copy the files into my CHD folder. For SWL and SWL CHDs my workflow is similar to the CHDs except instead of going through all the files in the torrent and only downloading the files I need I get the whole system folder for any systems that come up in the check document due to how long it would take to do it the other way but the rest of the process is the same using Updates\SWL and Updates\SWLCHDs. I find this to be much more simple than CMP and just want to offer it as an alternative to the other method.

[DOS76]

MAME some time ago incorporated MESS into it merging the projects the Software List and Software List CHDs are for those console systems where the SWL covers cart tape and flpppy based games ie NES, C64 the SWL CHD's are disc based systems ie Playstation, Sega CD.

[Johnseye]

I'm looking to update my mame roms from .207 to .218.  I have no problem downloading the full sets and I'd prefer to not download each incremental set from .208 through .218.  Going through the update process 10 times sounds like a pita.  Can I just copy everything (roms, chd, software list, etc) from the full .218 download to my mame folder or will that cause issues?

[CriticalCid]

You wouldn’t need to do the process 10 times, just add all update packs as Add-Paths and you’re good.

As for your question: Yes, you could just copy everything to your MAME folder assuming your old and new set were built with the same merge mode (for example, when both sets are split sets). The cleanest way would be to delete your old sets first but if you just copy the new set over it and replace all old files you shouldn’t get any problems either way. In case the merge modes of your sets differ or if you’re not sure what kind of sets you have I would always delete your old stuff first, just to be safe.

[DOS76]

MAME is pretty dead simple to use basically download and unpack emulator. Download ROMs. Move ROMs to MAME Roms folder. Double click .exe. Viola you are playing MAME with no issues, Now while its that simple to setup it is extremely nuanced and requires all different types of knowledge levels depending on how far you want to go with it. As to the software list thing basically there were a bunch of guys working on those consoles and computer to get them to work in MESS so by merging the projects the guys that were just working on arcade stuff for MAME were still working on that stuff so it not distracting from the MAME side of things there are just new people contributing their code towards the console side of thing. I personally like that the project has been merged and I only have to download one program instead of two. I use MAME for Atari 5200, Colecovision Matell Intelivision and Neo Geo CD in my set up. So having it all be able to run through the same program is a plus to me but you can still do that without SWL games from the MAME set through LB. It Just requires a few different checkboxes to work properly.

https://docs.mamedev.org/

Really can't recommend that enough as a learning tool if you are interested in learning how the program works.

 

[blackboxingcat]

Hi guys.

New to launch box bought life time membership.

I downloaded mame .220 roms.They work as I have a raspberrypi. But as u all know when u download they are a mess eg doubles, revisions non working etc. 65gb cant find chds.

I have a membership with emumovies too.

My question is does launchbox merge duplicates etc for mame roms like it does for other platforms? or do I have to use clmpro before importing folder?

cheers

 

[neil9000]

18 minutes ago, blackboxingcat said:

My question is does launchbox merge duplicates etc for mame roms like it does for other platforms?

Yes, use the fullset importer and all clones/revisions will be combined, and it only imports working games with the default settings.

[blackboxingcat]

Thanks for the fast reply neil9000.

That is awesome.so It basically does what clmpro does.

Sorry should have asked in original question.It will download all the art work etc vids too?

cheers

[neil9000]

Just now, blackboxingcat said:

Thanks for the fast reply neil9000.

That is awesome.so It basically does what clmpro does.

Sorry should have asked in original question.It will download all the art work etc vids too?

cheers

It will download image media, videos will require a premium emumovies subscription, Launchbox doesnt host any gameplay video snaps.

[blackboxingcat]

hi guys.

I have mame rom set .220 37,500 supposed games and I don't have the chds.

My question is when I moved the files over into my launchbox library I ended up with 2700 or so games. Mind you big box is friggin awesome with emumovies stuff.

I left everything on default.Does anyone know if this sounds about right?

If im in the wrong forum let me know please and ill look around again.

[neil9000]

2 hours ago, blackboxingcat said:

hi guys.

I have mame rom set .220 37,500 supposed games and I don't have the chds.

My question is when I moved the files over into my launchbox library I ended up with 2700 or so games. Mind you big box is friggin awesome with emumovies stuff.

I left everything on default.Does anyone know if this sounds about right?

If im in the wrong forum let me know please and ill look around again.

Thats about right. you dont have 37,500 games, you have 37,500 files, big difference. Launchbox with the default fullset importer options only imports working games.

[DOS76]

I seed back just what I download I don't adjust it to seed back the entire torrent.

[DOS76]

I download it to another folder then copy the results to my CHD folder but only because QBittorrent is funky if you try to download partial torrents it will move all your good files to an unwanted folder and to make matters worse it will append the file extension too. So that is no bueno.

[nearvanaman]

On 3/11/2020 at 10:25 PM, DOS76 said:

As an alternative to using CMP I really would suggest TorrentCheck

http://wiki.pleasuredome.org.uk/index.php/TorrentCheck

I run this every month with the same boxes in the image except I also do delete wrong size files (it doesn't actually delete anything moves it to backup folder) then I simply download the new version of the MAME torrent to the same folder my ROMs are in. It checks the torrent finds all the data that is already present and then downloads the rest then I run TorrentCheck again when its over and verify that everything is present and correct. As a caveat though because I'm also doing this for CHD Software Lists and Software Lists CHDs I have a little different work flow for those. If you don't update anything except the arcade ROMs you don't have to continue reading from this point.

I've been using TorrentCheck for a while and it sounds like I do a different process than you do. I compare (in this example) .221 torrent to my previous version (.220 folder). TorrentCheck tells me that there are about 150 new files, 150 files with a new size and 9 files not needed. So I go to my .220 folder, move out the 9 files to a backup folder and then manually select (from the Torrent content) each of the files that are either new or different from the .221 torrent. So I should be downloading 300 files from the new torrent.

But qBitTorrent downloads about 1700 files and, I read, that it's because of the nature of torrents rather than settings that I've chosen. Anyway you would still hope that I could then just dump the 1700 files on top of my .220 but this does not work because not all of these 1700 files are downloaded in their entirety.

So anyway, have I got this totally wrong? For me it's better than downloading 120GB every month but the time to complete this manual process feels like it's more time consuming than it needs to be. Note - this is just for ROMs. 

Cheers. 

[nearvanaman]

2 minutes ago, Pixelpiper said:

Don't do what you're doing now. Instead do what DOS76 outlined and you won't have the issues you've described.

Ok, cheers. I've just gone through the 221 tedium so i'll go full DOS76 next month ?

[neil9000]

Just now, nearvanaman said:

Ok, cheers. I've just gone through the 221 tedium so i'll go full DOS76 next month ?

lol, a full @DOS76 sounds really disgusting and something i want no part or knowledge of.  

[gh0stp1rate]

Great tutorial. Got a question though and hopefully someone can clarify exactly, what an update pack is and or where to get them from? Unless CLRmamepro automatically downloads them depending on the version of the mame .EXE that you're currently working with then please forget my question.

[neil9000]

1 minute ago, gh0stp1rate said:

Great tutorial. Got a question though and hopefully someone can clarify exactly, what an update pack is and or where to get them from? Unless CLRmamepro automatically downloads them depending on the version of the mame .EXE that you're currently working with then please forget my question.

An update pack contains all the changed files and names for that particular version of MAME, it is used to update the previous romset to the new one. CLRmamepro does not download these packs, you will need to source them yourself, usually from the same place you got your romset from.

[gh0stp1rate]

1 minute ago, neil9000 said:

An update pack contains all the changed files and names for that particular version of MAME, it is used to update the previous romset to the new one. CLRmamepro does not download these packs, you will need to source them yourself, usually from the same place you got your romset from.

Okay, gotcha! And thanks for the quick reply! :)

[neil9000]

Just now, gh0stp1rate said:

Okay, gotcha! And thanks for the quick reply!

No probs, it's also worth noting that the files in a update pack will not work by themselves, it only contains new or altered files. This is why CLRmamepro is needed, it takes these files and adds them to the correct games while removing old or now unneeded files as well as often renaming some files or zips. By themselves the update packs are pretty much useless.