MAME Software List - Amstrad CPC

[flores9]

Hi folks!,

    I tried to import two Amstrad CPC collection based on the last version of MAME Software List (0,182), cpc_cass and cpc_flop. Both are with 6.000 and 31.000 roms.

I imported with the option of forcing MAME metadata, but the result of the importing proccess bring me "only" 202 games.  I tried checking no dupes, dupes, priorizing regions, and the result is the same.

Does someone know how LB solve the names when force MAME metadata?, is normal this result with Amstrad CPC?.

 

Thanks!

[DOS76]

I didn't think LB was setup to parse software list games only the Arcade part of MAME did the results you get have the correct titles or the MAME short names

[flores9]

@DOS76 thanks for the response.

But do know why LB solve only part of the romset?. I think LB look for this information somewhere, but it´s incomplete... It´s probably it looks for in the MAME.exe or a directory from the installation?

I attached the result, and the names that LB resolve are the correct, because the names of the romfiles are in MAME format.

[flores9]

Ok, I think that the resolution of the names could be looking into these files from the MAME installation. (I attached).

But I´m not sure, and how it works.

[flores9]

@Jason Carr could you help with this please?.

[DOS76]

I think that it could be using those XML files but it isn't be nice if they somehow could be made to work with it though.

[flores9]

@Jason Carr please, do you know if the import of MAME softwareList works?.

[Jason Carr]

Honestly, I have very little experience with MAME software lists; maybe @SentaiBrad can chime in?

[DOS76]

If you use the software list it is looking for MAME short names but not the same ones from whatever we are using now for MAME naming so the software lists don't get the proper naming convention and without access to the data in the Software List xml files that contain the short name and the title it won't be able to name them correctly the xml files with all the data are included in MAME in the hash folder it would be great to see these added to the MAME naming. 

[flores9]

ummmm...ok, I know what happens with my Softwarelist romset.

I imported it with the force mame metadata, and exactly that 202 romfiles are named exactly as certainly mame romfiles, so the scrapper recognized the name of these games.

@Jason Carr how works the "force mame metadata"?, I think it match the filename with a XML file or something from MAME.

For MAME software List could be the same. There are one .XML file for each system of MAME software list (I attached an image), and it has the information for every filename and game, very similar to the platforms XMLs.

Could be perfect to expand the actual funcionality of force MAME metadata to force SW MAME metadata, choosing the user the .XML file to work during the import.

 

For example:

<softwarelist name="cpc_cass" description="Amstrad CPC cassettes">


<!--

  Games

-->

    <software name="007tld" supported="no">
        <description>007 The Living Daylights (UK)</description>
        <year>1987</year>
        <publisher>Domark</publisher>
        <info name="usage" value="Load with |TAPE and then RUN&quot;&quot;" />
        <part name="cass1" interface="cpc_cass">
            <dataarea name="cass" size="59943">
                <rom name="007 the living daylights (uk) (1987) (uk retail version) [original] [tape].cdt" size="59943" crc="c364c140" sha1="c9bcb5cd6368e22718d8711949c586a14440ed2b" offset="0" />
            </dataarea>
        </part>
    </software>

    <software name="007tlds" cloneof="007tld" supported="no">
        <description>007 The Living Daylights (Spa)</description>
        <year>1987</year>
        <publisher>Domark</publisher>
        <info name="usage" value="Load with |TAPE and then RUN&quot;&quot;" />
        <info name="alt_title" value="Tuer N'est Pas Jouer, 007 - Alta Tension" />
        <part name="cass1" interface="cpc_cass">
            <dataarea name="cass" size="60121">
                <rom name="007 the living daylights (uk) (1987) (spain retail version) [original] [tape].cdt" size="60121" crc="0c26dde1" sha1="88f5e991ca54190ad95fe18ad89b604fa5a61e00" offset="0" />
            </dataarea>
        </part>
    </software>"

 

Edited February 21, 2017 by flores9

[SentaiBrad]

As far as I know, we're not doing any short hand name internalization with those short hand names, so forcing mame metadata wont do anything. If they use the full name, you're good to go. If you just need to use MESS for something, then you can use roms from anywhere (as long as they're valid and not corrupted or bad rips), you're not forced using the software list. The only software list roms I ever grabbed were for CD-i because the images sucked, and that software list set wasn't in short hand. Also, when I say MESS, I mean MESS Integrated in MAME, that's the only reason you'd be using the Software lists. We have several MESS tutorial now if you're curious. On the older ones, replace the MESS standalone package with regular MAME like in the latest 2 MESS tutorials.

[DOS76]

yes you can use roms with regular naming but the software list should be added to the naming they are pretty easy to get and the data is already included inside of MAME when you download it

[SentaiBrad]

Well, it's not that easy from what Jason explained to me. That's part of the reason the MAME Data hasn't been updated in a while. I'm all for updating the data and adding the software lists too (updating first), but that's @Jason Carr's call.

[flores9]

Yes @SentaiBrad. The problem is not the working with MESS (included in MAME), it works perfectly. The problem is the naming convention of the software list roms.

They need to solve the title name throught the XMLs files.

[SentaiBrad]

I know what you're talking about, but that's the choice the MAME team made. There's really no reason for them to be shorthand. I am also saying that you don't need their packaged roms to use MESS at all. You can use any rom, as long as they support the file extension, and they support quite a lot. Obviously, being able to parse all the names would be great, and ideal, but remember that Jason is one person who has a lot of stuff to work on, and this task isn't super easy. That's the main reason why I brought up that you can use any roms with MESS.

[flores9]

Mainly is for manage a "clean" romset. Now I worked with goodsets for Amstrad (the only one I know), and there a lot of garbage.

[DrMaxwell]

MAME softwarelists definately work. I've manually mapped several systems to your existing database as essentially new platforms. For example, Atari 400/800/XL etc through the a800 driver for the mame core in RetroArch. You just need to have it setup in RA properly, then import roms and renamed the softwarelist name using the hash file description. This is the best method because it cross checks against the No-intro/ TOSEC naming conventions currently in your database and pulls more metadata during the initial import.

Then you have to go back and curate missing metadata and media.

I was going to suggest providing you with the softwarelist based platforms I've setup already, so people with an existing mame romset could plug and play without renaming. I've attached a screenshot of the example system I referenced above and displayed the driver through RA mame core for you.

 

Edited May 18, 2018 by DrMaxwell

[Replay]

Software lists are really convenient because the Dome of Pleasure and other places post complete torrents of them. I'd love LaunchBox to better support software lists.

 

All it would have to do is parse the appropriate XML and simply utilize the software name then scrape according to what the description is.

Using an example from what is posted above LaunchBox scans and finds archive 007tld then it finds matching name in the XML and scrapes as the description field. Done! That's basically all it has to do.

 

The user will have the entire root folder in their rompath of mame.ini so it can just simply work when launching without LB needing to do much of anything.