avalanche4000 Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 Hi guys. I'm using MAME (using Mame2014 core specifically) in Retroarch. Now I've been able to run Mame Roms in Retroarch fine. I've got Launchbox set up and running Snes, Genisis, PSX perfectly via Retroarch. However I've tried to bring some Mame roms over into Launchbox and I just can't get it working at all... When I click on a game to start it, the Retroarch appears in my task bar for a second, then disappears and nothing loads up. Anyone have any idea what could be wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Well first, use the "mame_libretro.dll" instead, the 2014 core uses a very outdated version of MAME. If you have a 174 pack you should be using mame_libretro as that is now 174. Past that, did you use the Arcade importer for LaunchBox? It's a special importer for games that will give you the proper files to launch for the games based on your preferences. Past that, if you didn't download a mame split pack, I would greatly suggest you do so as it includes all the files you need to run MAME. Generally when RetroArch does that, it's usually a bad file or missing BIOS. MAME Needs BIOS (included in a split pack), and they need to reside with the rest of your roms and not the system folder like BIOS for other systems. If you have more questions please ask! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Make sure the Extract ROM archive before running checkbox isn't checked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 I keep forgetting about that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avalanche4000 Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 DOS76 said Make sure the Extract ROM archive before running checkbox isn't checked. Cheers dude. I went and checked and actually had this ticked. I turned it off and I've actually got a couple of roms to work now. What did that option do? As you can tell I'm a bit new to all this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 MAME files are required to be in an archive (7Z, zip rar) and that checkbox unpacks the archives and makes them into a format that is unplayable by any derivative of the MAME emulator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avalanche4000 Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 SentaiBrad said Well first, use the "mame_libretro.dll" instead, the 2014 core uses a very outdated version of MAME. If you have a 174 pack you should be using mame_libretro as that is now 174. Past that, did you use the Arcade importer for LaunchBox? It's a special importer for games that will give you the proper files to launch for the games based on your preferences. Past that, if you didn't download a mame split pack, I would greatly suggest you do so as it includes all the files you need to run MAME. Generally when RetroArch does that, it's usually a bad file or missing BIOS. MAME Needs BIOS (included in a split pack), and they need to reside with the rest of your roms and not the system folder like BIOS for other systems. If you have more questions please ask! Cheers for all that info Brad. I'm new to mame emulation. The reason I was using MAME2014 is cause someone told me that the current version of mame had display issues and that I should avoid it... But I had all the Roms in the current 174. So I ran a bunch of Roms through Rom Vault with a older DAT file and converted them and mucked around with that. However it was a lot of messing around plus Mame2014 had issues with my controller. Anyway, I deleted it, installed the current MAME core, set it up in Launcbox and even got a couple of Roms working. Past that, if you didn't download a mame split pack, I'm pretty sure it was a split pack. It was a bunch (as in thousands) of separate zip files and I'm pretty sure I did notice bios files. Will the Split pack include all the bios files I need? Also with the bios files, do I install them along with the rom files via the Launchbox importer? or do I have to do it a separate way? Also will the bios files show up in the library after import and make it look messy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 There is a checkbox to exclude the BIOS files which I believe is checked by default but don't hold me to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avalanche4000 Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 SentaiBrad said Arcade importer for LaunchBox? No, what's the arcade importer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 You don't need to do anything special with the BIOS Files, and the MESS BIOS are even in there too if you decide to deal with MESS for the systems that only MESS can emulate. Both MAME, MESS and several other dozen consoles have tutorials that I made on our YouTube channel if you need some extra help. In terms of MAME, if you import your games under the Arcade System (The default system name, and you should use the default as much as possible), you'll automatically use the MAME Import function which parses everything and gives you games based on your check boxes and region selections. You don't import everything as not every file is needed to launch the game, but are needed for games to run. You'll also get the best possible scraping as well for the media. Regular MAME still works better technically, but RetroArch has the controller and shader benefits as well as a better UI and UX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 It's also worth noting that if you changed the rom file names from your split pack, you'll need to put these file names back the way they were for everything to import and run properly through the MAME Importer. The funky names are a product of MAME and are required to be that way. We internally convert the names to legible and scrapeable names. I also suggest to watch the tutorial series on YouTube. The latest SNES Tutorial triples as an intro to LaunchBox and RetroArch. Click the link in my signature at the bottom of all my posts or the tutorial link at the top of the forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avalanche4000 Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 Is this the arcade importer you were talking about Brad? https://www.launchbox-app.com/forum/emulation/lightspeed-ultra-fast-mame-importer-tool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 No. I didn't link to anything. You can certainly use that but it's completely optional. The option I am talking about is already built in to LaunchBox. Like I said, all you need to do is call the platform Arcade and it will automatically pop up in the wizard. It should be called Arcade for the best possible scraping as well. If you name your system Arcade during import it will automatically show you this screen: https://i.imgur.com/hWo9uZG.png Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avalanche4000 Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 Oh ok. Yep I've seen that import wizard before. All good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avalanche4000 Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 SentaiBrad said No. I didn't link to anything. You can certainly use that but it's completely optional. The option I am talking about is already built in to LaunchBox. Like I said, all you need to do is call the platform Arcade and it will automatically pop up in the wizard. It should be called Arcade for the best possible scraping as well. If you name your system Arcade during import it will automatically show you this screen: Cheers SentaiBrad. I used the importer and loaded in my Roms in. I used the filters to block out all the gambling ect games. Been testing out a lot of things and most of them seem good so far. Weird thing is none of the Street Fighter games seem to load up. Not sure if I need another Bios file or something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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