Going well so far, but got a few more questions...

[Slag-O-Matic]

So far I'm doing well with my LB/BB installation. I've added about eight or nine consoles plus arcade, I've tweaked some graphics, and I'm getting better at troubleshooting (little) things. But I do have a few questions (or at least requests to verify my understanding).

There seems to be a separate process for adding ROMs to an existing console versus adding ROMs to Arcade. For console, it seems the process is to add the new ROM file(s) to the appropriate folder inside of LaunchBox\Games and then use Tools-Scan-For Added (Platform) ROMs. Theoretically this will discover the new file(s) I've added and do all the same metadata download magic as it did during my initial import of my library (Tools-Import-ROM Files). Is that an accurate assessment?

This falls apart, however, when dealing with Arcade. The Tools-Scan-For Added (Platform) ROMs function doesn't exist for Arcade, although Tools-Scan-For Added ROMs in Any Platform does exist. That seems like an overkill function though; why would it force me to scan ALL platforms when I only need to scan Arcade? What exactly is the correct procedure for adding new ROMs to Arcade?

Actually, I'm a bit fuzzy on how Arcade works anyway. The process of Tools-Scan-For Added (Platform) ROMs makes sense to me; it looks at the ROMs, pulls the metadata down for those ROMs I have installed, and builds the platform that way. If my library has 10 ROMs then it pulls metadata for those 10 ROMs; if I have 100, it pulls for 100. Makes sense. But with Arcade it seems the process is reversed? As I understand it Tools-Import-MAME Arcade Full Set just pulls down the metadata for all compatible games, regardless of whether or not you have the ROM files for them, so if I used Tools-Import-MAME Arcade Full Set and had literally ZERO ROMs, would it still show me all of the compatible games and just give me errors because it can't find the ROMs?

On the same page, there's also the metadata issue to consider. As I understand the process, I used Tools-Import-MAME Arcade Full Set so the metadata for all compatible games should already be present regardless of whether or not I have the ROMs. (Right?) What happens if I have a ROM that's compatible with MAME, but the metadata doesn't exist for it?

[sundogak]

1 hour ago, Slag-O-Matic said:

There seems to be a separate process for adding ROMs to an existing console versus adding ROMs to Arcade. For console, it seems the process is to add the new ROM file(s) to the appropriate folder inside of LaunchBox\Games and then use Tools-Scan-For Added (Platform) ROMs. Theoretically this will discover the new file(s) I've added and do all the same metadata download magic as it did during my initial import of my library (Tools-Import-ROM Files). Is that an accurate assessment?

Yes, you also have the option of dragging and dropping the ROM file into LB under the platform you want to add to and it will start the process to add.  For adding a few  that works quickest/easiest.  

1 hour ago, Slag-O-Matic said:

This falls apart, however, when dealing with Arcade. The Tools-Scan-For Added (Platform) ROMs function doesn't exist for Arcade, although Tools-Scan-For Added ROMs in Any Platform does exist. That seems like an overkill function though; why would it force me to scan ALL platforms when I only need to scan Arcade? What exactly is the correct procedure for adding new ROMs to Arcade?

If have a full MAME (arcade) set and are using the "Import, MAME Arcade Full Set..." import feature, then you do not use the scan for added ROMs feature and/or remove ROMs or it will cause issues for most situations depending on the set type you have (i.e., merged, split, unmerged).  

1 hour ago, Slag-O-Matic said:

Actually, I'm a bit fuzzy on how Arcade works anyway. The process of Tools-Scan-For Added (Platform) ROMs makes sense to me; it looks at the ROMs, pulls the metadata down for those ROMs I have installed, and builds the platform that way. If my library has 10 ROMs then it pulls metadata for those 10 ROMs; if I have 100, it pulls for 100. Makes sense. But with Arcade it seems the process is reversed? As I understand it Tools-Import-MAME Arcade Full Set just pulls down the metadata for all compatible games, regardless of whether or not you have the ROM files for them, so if I used Tools-Import-MAME Arcade Full Set and had literally ZERO ROMs, would it still show me all of the compatible games and just give me errors because it can't find the ROMs?

Correct.  Full set importer is basically just pointers and really doesn't "import" anything like for non-Arcade ROMs.  The advantage is that LB does the work to know where ROMs are and understands how the MAME naming convention works so metadata is (mostly) correct.  The assumption is that you have a full set.  The set is only modified by your selections on import (i.e., region, skip casino games, etc).  If don't have or don't want a full set and only one offs then don't use the fullset import feature. But then it is up to you to know how MAME works well enough to know what ROM to import and typically you will have to "help" the metadata search in LB DB since the DB won't know how to parse the zip ROM names (looks for the actual game name in DB).   

1 hour ago, Slag-O-Matic said:

On the same page, there's also the metadata issue to consider. As I understand the process, I used Tools-Import-MAME Arcade Full Set so the metadata for all compatible games should already be present regardless of whether or not I have the ROMs. (Right?) What happens if I have a ROM that's compatible with MAME, but the metadata doesn't exist for it?

The fullset importer features uses MAME backend files created by the MAME developers, so LB "knows" what the MAME ROM names are and what MAME (per the MAMEDev group) named the game.  That is distinct/separate from the LB database.  You can tell this in that the genres that MAME uses are hyper granular compared to what is in the LB DB.  So, if the game was just added in MAME the game will still import and have a name with limited metadata even if not in the LB DB. If no one has added it in LB DB you won't get images and any additional data beyond what the MAME Developers included. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by sundogak

[Slag-O-Matic]

This is all awesome info; thanks!

Follow-up hypothetical question regarding Arcade... Let's say I did Tools-Import-MAME Arcade Full Set, but I only have a subset of the full set ROMs (for whatever reason). Is there a way to tell LB/BB to only show the Arcade games for the ROMs that I actually have? IOW, if LB pulls metadata for 3000 ROMs and I have only 500 of them, is there a way to tell LB/BB to only show those 500? And then if I were to add another 100, is there a way to "refresh" the Arcade list so that it now shows 600?

7 minutes ago, sundogak said:

So, if the game was just added in MAME the game will still import and have a name with limited metadata even if not in the LB DB. If no one has added it in LB DB you won't get images and any additional data beyond what the MAME Developers included. 

So then, a follow-up question based on current events. Marble Madness 2 recently was confirmed (as I understand it) to work with MAME. Yet it doesn't exist in LB...because it's such a new update? Or, another reason? If I download the MM2 ROM and drop it into my Games\Arcade folder, how do I get LB to recognize it?

Edited June 16, 2022 by Slag-O-Matic

[Retro808]

9 hours ago, Slag-O-Matic said:

This is all awesome info; thanks!

Follow-up hypothetical question regarding Arcade... Let's say I did Tools-Import-MAME Arcade Full Set, but I only have a subset of the full set ROMs (for whatever reason). Is there a way to tell LB/BB to only show the Arcade games for the ROMs that I actually have? IOW, if LB pulls metadata for 3000 ROMs and I have only 500 of them, is there a way to tell LB/BB to only show those 500? And then if I were to add another 100, is there a way to "refresh" the Arcade list so that it now shows 600?

No, there is no way to tell LB to do what you want if you used the Full Set import option on a partial set. The full set option does not actually import roms like Sundogak advised. It merely lists the working roms labeled as such by mame using the Mame.xml file for the version of Mame you have downloaded. So if you are importing a partial set you should use the File import option or just drag and drop the roms directly into LB.

Also Scan for Added roms does exist for Arcade just not if you used the Full Set Import method.

9 hours ago, Slag-O-Matic said:

So then, a follow-up question based on current events. Marble Madness 2 recently was confirmed (as I understand it) to work with MAME. Yet it doesn't exist in LB...because it's such a new update? Or, another reason? If I download the MM2 ROM and drop it into my Games\Arcade folder, how do I get LB to recognize it?

You can manually add any rom to any platform by using the File Import method or Drag & Drop as previously mentioned. Games never have to exist in LB. You can add whatever you want. Where it will not add it is if you use the Full Mame Set import option and have not downloaded the latest version of Mame that has the game now listed as working. LB would need the Mame.xml from that version to know to import it. Once you have the latest version you simply run the Full Set importer again. You do not need to delete the existing games.

[Slag-O-Matic]

59 minutes ago, Retro808 said:

No, there is no way to tell LB to do what you want if you used the Full Set import option on a partial set. The full set option does not actually import roms like Sundogak advised. It merely lists the working roms labeled as such by mame using the Mame.xml file for the version of Mame you have downloaded.

...and...

1 hour ago, Retro808 said:

Once you have the latest version you simply run the Full Set importer again. You do not need to delete the existing games.

So when I run Full Set Importer again after updating MAME, I just point it (Full Set Importer) at my existing ROM library -- potentially with any newly-copied ROMs already in it?

 

[Retro808]

13 minutes ago, Slag-O-Matic said:

So when I run Full Set Importer again after updating MAME, I just point it (Full Set Importer) at my existing ROM library -- potentially with any newly-copied ROMs already in it?

Technically yes. Just to clarify though there should not be any added roms as its a full set. So if you download the latest Mame Full Rom Set to run with the latest version of Mame. All roms are there. Do not use the Full Set import option on a partial set of roms you just add more roms to. Also, typically when Mame promotes a rom to working status the rom itself was already in the rom set. So it is not like they actually added a new rom file.

[Evovi]

Ive got it launching via LB..

Download the modified version of mame that recognises it and set this up as an emulator, ive called it MAME MM2, copy the rom into the rom folder within this custom mame install and then Manually import the rom pointing the emulation tab to your newly installed modified mame, LB finds the game as Marble Man.. very little artwork is downloaded but hey ho, you've got a very rare game indeed!

[Retro808]

16 minutes ago, Evovi said:

Ive got it launching via LB..

Download the modified version of mame that recognises it and set this up as an emulator, ive called it MAME MM2, copy the rom into the rom folder within this custom mame install and then Manually import the rom pointing the emulation tab to your newly installed modified mame, LB finds the game as Marble Man.. very little artwork is downloaded but hey ho, you've got a very rare game indeed!

You do not really need to set it up as a second Mame. Its just a recompiled Mame that keeps all the original playable Mame roms and adds MM2 support. If you got a good recompile it would also have Akai Katana and DoDonPachi support since those were removed a few version ago. So you can just use this as Mame for all your roms.

Similar to the NoNag that MadK9 posts on our forum each month.