MAME: how to update it in LaunchBox?

[legolas119]

Hi,

I have loaded in Launchbox my MAME full set 0.220, and I update once for month my full MAME romset, using ClrmamePro.

In order to update it in LB (i mean, update the renamed roms, detect new roms, or delete obsolete roms), which is the right option in LB? In the picture below, the 2 options in red are useful I suppose to detect added/deleted MAME roms, and automatically update only these roms in LB, am I right? But how LB can detect renamed roms?  And what about the 2 options in blue? When I have to use them?

https://i.postimg.cc/zBZWgrJc/Immagine2.png

I'm sorry but due to a language issue, I can't show you the picture in english... even if i set ENGLISH in my Launchbox options, it shows some options in italian...I don't know why... But I think that it is clear, the icons on the menu are the same in every language

 

thank you for your help!

[neil9000]

Just run the fullset importer again and uncheck all media downloads.

[legolas119]

ah ok...but in this way, after the new import, I have to download the media download in this way:  I choose one MAME game, then CTRL+A in order to select them all, and then "Tools --> Media and metadata" and then before the import I have to choose the 2nd option:

 

Correct? 

In any case, which is the function of the 4 options (2 in red and 2 in blue) in my picture above? Just to know

 

thank you!

[legolas119]

Well, I followed what you said, and after my MAME update, i import again all the fullset without media. Then I noticed a strange behaviour...

I tried to use the option Tool --> Check Deleted rom for MAME --> it detected 55 roms not present in my MAME roms folder. But it isn't true. For example, Ray Crisis is one of these roms. In my roms mame folder this game has only a chd file:

but LB detect a .zip file that I don't have in my roms folder, as you see in my previous screenshot.

If I use the "Check Deleted rom for MAME" and I delete them, Ray Crisis disappears from LB, but of course it is available in MAME because it use the chd file. I don't understand how can LB detect a .zip file that currently I don't have in the MAME roms folder... If i import again the fullset, LB reload the 55 deleted romd and Ray Crisis is staill available, of course.

Can you help me?

thanks!

[sundogak]

@legolas119Ray Crisis is an example of where there is only a CHD file and no corresponding ROM zip file in a MAME set.  Whereas others such as Area 51 have a CHD and ZIP.  However, LB doesn't launch directly from a CHD file. So LB with fullset importer just puts a dummy pointer (non-existent) zip file in the launch command for the game.  It only exists in the launch command path.  Games like Ray Crisis will launch fine as LB sets it up with pointer launch command. 

Basically, scan for added and scan for deleted are not really something to use with the MAME fullset importer tool. By design, the fullset importer takes care of both adds and removes needed. The fullset importer uses the XML MAME file to compare to whereas the scan tool is simply matching ROMs in directory to games installed. MAME has more complex structure and CHDs are good example of that. 

[legolas119]

aaaah ok! thanks, it's clear!  So,every month, when i update my MAME fullset, in order to update it also in LB, I only need to run again the full set import, unckecking ALL the media files. In this way, it automaticaly verify the new/deleted roms.

After that, in order to update media files for new roms, I choose ALL the mame games, and Tools --> Download MEdia and Metadata, without overwriting the existing ones.  At the end, in order to remove the unnecessary media, Tools --> Delete Media.

Am I right?

 

thanks!

[sundogak]

Here are my steps:

1. New MAME Set Arrives
   • Update your ROM location with your normal tools you use outside of LB, so complete version set (i.e., 220, 221). 
2. In LB
   • Select Tools >> Import >>MAME Arcade Full Set
   • Select Media - I personally turn off all media at this point.  See Step 3 for why I do it this way. If you want one stop done, select the media you want downloaded here. 
   • Select What ROMS To Import  - Option boxes, toggle which you do and do not want
   • LB will do its thing
   • Delete media as you noted if you have dupes/don't like.  I personally run LB media images with emuMoves video/manuals only settings. Then if no images in LB, run emuMovies via media download with just emuMovies to catch any missing.
   • Done.
     • MetaData Note: any data in the MAME XML file will always over-write any modifications you make if you use the MAME importer tool.  So things like Player Mode, Name, Date, Publisher, etc will always nuke whatever is there and replace it with the MAME data.  Where this is a bit annoying is for the Genre and PlayMode settings since MAME has completely different options there than LB. So using this tool, you somewhat have to live with the genre differences.  You can change them in LB, but if you reimport with fullset tool, you will lose all your changes since the XML takes priority.  Currently, there is no way to lock fields (wish there was!). 
     • MetaData Version Note:  LB can lag behind the monthly updates MAME (typically) does. I know of no easy way to tell which XML version each version of LB is using (seems like that should be something visible to me).  Since LB has been updated a lot lately this hasn't been issue. But if you download the new MAME set on Day 1, the XML is not likely updated and it won't import the game even if the romset has it physically in the folder.  However, you can force add a Game ROM via drag drop or Tools >>Import>>ROMs or alternatively wait until LB is updated with current set.  If want to see the XML used, it is in here:   ....Launchbox\Metadata\Mame.xml 
3. Optional: 
   • I hide some MAME games I have no interest in seeing, particularly ones with no media. If you just want a full complete set visible at all times, then most of this isn't applicable; hence optional.
   • I turn off media in Step 2 so I can see what "new" games are added and decide what want to do with them. By not downloading Media at Step 2 it makes easy to see. Monthly Arcade updates don't really add that many new games for most part so not like you have to wade through 100s of roms. 
   • For the ones I don't care about, I select them and move to a Playlist I call "ZZ-Do Not Use". Everything in this playlist I hide in LB.  The "ZZ" just keeps it sorted at end and out of way.
   • If you have games hidden, then in BB and LB they will not show up along with the associated playlist since BB doesn't show playlists where all games are hidden.
   • I don't worry about media at that point for hidden ones, since won't see them (most don't have media anyway, which is why started doing this to begin with).
   • For the few games I want visible, I download via the Tools >> Download Metadata and Media option (you can select all of them and do in one download batch then).  Alternatively, if you are getting MAME media updates, you can dump those in corresponding image folders since LB will pickup media with named with ROM.
   • Interestingly, with the MAME importer tool,  LB will "hide it again" when you do another monthly import with the Importer tool as long as you don't delete it.  So in my case, the ones I have hid reimport as "hidden" and are still in the Playlist(s) I setup.  That way I have fullset if want to see "all" the files but don't see them otherwise.
   • The reason for all this is that if you delete a MAME entry from LB, then when you re-import with the tool it will import them again (as it is designed to do). So you are back to having to hunt them down and removing each month.  If you hide, don't have to mess with them other than one time.  Also, if you delete an entry in LB, it loses its Playlist, Hidden, and LB specific metadata.

 

[legolas119]

perfect, many thanks, understood.

So, every month, at the beginning of the month, I update my fullset with clrmame. After that, it is better to wait a new LB version before to update the fullset in LB too, am I right?  Unfortunately it is not possible to see in LB which MAME version is currently supported.

in the MAME.xml file I don't find the mame version currently updated...I see only this: <?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>

In LB I have loaded the 0.220 fullset. And some days ago I updated it with your steps the fullset to 0.221.

thank you!

 

[DOS76]

As of now 221 isn't officially released so it hasn't been updated to it in LB yet. You should definitely make sure that the version has been revised in LB before updating though not because anything bad can really happen besides not seeing the few games that may have been added that month but mostly because you will just be wasting your time.

[legolas119]

ah! I usually update the MAMEUI fullset, not the MAME. FOr this reason I have already updated the fullset: i found the upgrade pack from 0.200 to 0.221 but probably it isn't official because MAME 0.221 isn't released yet. 

So, starting from next month, I will update my MAMEUI only when MAME too will be updated. After that, I will wait a new LB release in order to be quite sure that it will consider the new MAME version, am I right? But I still have a questioN: there is no way to understanrd if the new LB version can consider the new MAME version, am I right? Or is it displayed in MAME.xml file?

thank you

[Joe35car]

So LB is like HS and we have to wait for a new database to be created on every new MAME release? Why can't LB create its own using the xml like MALA? 

Thanks 

Edited May 8, 2020 by Joe35car

[legolas119]

hi,

please, can anyone help me with this little issue related to a hacked MAME version? https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/54924-pgm2-mame-and-error-loading-pluginini/

the plugin.ini file is present and saved in the "ini" folder (\PGM2MAME v0.193\ini), so I don't know why, when I run the .exe file from LB, it appears this error message..

 

thank you

[sundogak]

21 hours ago, legolas119 said:

hi,

please, can anyone help me with this little issue related to a hacked MAME version? https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/54924-pgm2-mame-and-error-loading-pluginini/

the plugin.ini file is present and saved in the "ini" folder (\PGM2MAME v0.193\ini), so I don't know why, when I run the .exe file from LB, it appears this error message..

 

thank you

Probably looking for it in the root folder versus in the INI folder.  Might try moving it.

[legolas119]

yes sure I tried, ma same error.... the plugin.ini file is an empty file...I don't know why...do you think that it appears the error message for this reason?

thank you

[sundogak]

Well, if it is empty then that is likely the issue.  The program is looking for settings inside the file and it isn't there.  Here is mine, but you will need to set those to zero you don't want to use and those you want activated to numeral one. My guess is looking for the hiscore plugin so that would need to have a "1". 

 

#
# PLUGINS OPTIONS
#
autofire                  0
cheat                     0
cheatfind                 0
console                   0
data                      1
discord                   0
dummy                     0
gdbstub                   0
hiscore                   1
json                      0
layout                    0
portname                  1
showcp                    1
timer                     0

 

[legolas119]

yeat, thanks! It works now!!! Do you have this emulator too? The PGM2MAME v0.193? If so, are you able to add scanlines? I dind't find any option

 

many thanks!

[sundogak]

@legolas119 No, never even heard of it until you noted in post.  If it is using similar logic as MAME.ini settings would look at if it can use HLSL which will simulate CRT. But have no idea if PGM2 ported over that portion from regular MAME. See here for MAME docs https://docs.mamedev.org/advanced/hlsl.html

[legolas119]

thank you!

well, today I updated LB to 10.15 version and the official MAME official 0.221 has been releases. I have already updated my romset with clrmame so, now, i I will import again the full set, it should add the additional roms included in the MAME 0.221 update, am I right?

[sundogak]

No, because LB MAME.XML is likely not updated yet.  You would have to do manual import at this stage.

From Post above:

Quote

MetaData Version Note:  LB can lag behind the monthly updates MAME (typically) does. I know of no easy way to tell which XML version each version of LB is using (seems like that should be something visible to me).  Since LB has been updated a lot lately this hasn't been issue. But if you download the new MAME set on Day 1, the XML is not likely updated and it won't import the game even if the romset has it physically in the folder.  However, you can force add a Game ROM via drag drop or Tools >>Import>>ROMs or alternatively wait until LB is updated with current set.  If want to see the XML used, it is in here:   ....Launchbox\Metadata\Mame.xml 

 

[wallmachine]

@sundogak as the LaunchBox team probably use the mame.exe to export a xml file for LaunchBox compatibility I suggested in the thread below they include it as a tool in LaunchBox so that the team do not need to constantly update maybe once every major release and let users decide in between, seems we've got multiple threads about MAME databases going on now.