Issues importing MAME set, mame2003-plus for Retroarch mame2003-plus core

[GiSWiG]

After going through all the options, I want to use Retroarch's mame2003-plus core for MAME. I went through the import process and got to this point:

So if you read the documentation https://docs.libretro.com/library/mame2003_plus/, the mame2003-plus core uses MAME 0.078 as a base with some roms updated with the MAME 0.223 or later but I'm just going to use 0.223 in this post. I'm thinking using MAME 0.078 or MAME 0.223 might not recognize all the roms. MAME 0.078 would not pick up the update roms while MAME 0.223 will see many 0.078 roms as invalid. Of course the mame2003-plus rom set has many duplicate I want to filter out. 

If there is no straight forward way, I thought of this tedious method:

1. Import into LB a Full non-merged 0.078 set, stripping out what I don't want (clones, non-world region, etc.)
2. Export that set from Launchbox
3. Follow the documentation for the mame2003-plus core in libretro docs (https://docs.libretro.com/library/mame2003_plus/)
   1. Generate the XML Dat from RA/mame2003-plus core
   2. Validate ROMS with clrmamepro
   3. rebuild pulling in any missing roms from 0.223 roms and rollbacks.
   4. Any missing roms SHOULD be the clones I don't want
4. Import that set using MAME 0.223 but not sure how that would pull in ROMS from the 0.078 set that would not be valid 0.078

OR, after typing all this out, just make sure my mame2003-plus set is up-to-date and just do step 4. Again, not sure how importing using MAME 0.223 would pull in 0.078 roms.

Edited September 24, 2021 by GiSWiG

[Lordmonkus]

Do not use the full set import tool with that set, the Mame2003-plus set and core are not a part actual Mame releases. It is a customized Mame 0.78 with some added games and features.

The best way to import it is to just select all the zip files in the set and drag into LB to start the import wizard.

[GiSWiG]

8 hours ago, Lordmonkus said:

Do not use the full set import tool with that set, the Mame2003-plus set and core are not a part actual Mame releases. It is a customized Mame 0.78 with some added games and features.

The best way to import it is to just select all the zip files in the set and drag into LB to start the import wizard.

But that won't use the MAME filtering built into LB. I guess i'd have to do that externally or deal with it.

Edited September 24, 2021 by GiSWiG

[neil9000]

8 minutes ago, GiSWiG said:

But that won't use the MAME filtering built into LB. I guess i'd have to do that externally or deal with it.

The MAME fullset importer requires a matching standalone version of MAME emulator for the import as we get the working games list from the emulator itself. As @Lordmonkus said though, mame2003 is a completely unofficial version of mame, and therefore does not have a standalone emulator for that exact game list that mame2003 contains. You can import the way that was in the reply though, just make sure that on the last page of the wizard you check the box that says something like "import using mame shortnames for emulators other than mame that use mame naming" I would also recommend pointing Launchbox at a actual mame emulator during the import, that will make sure you get the filters screen, and just highlight all the games once imported and change the emulator in bulk.