Can't figure out how to launch mame SL vz_snap roms

[GIKAS1]

Hey everyone! So Im adding some computer mame SL to my LB setup but I cant get launchbox to start the vz_snap SL. I've tried to change the default command line parametres from vz -snap to many other things but no dice... The games launch fine through mame itself... The cassetes for the same system (laser 310 or vz300, same thing essentially) work fine through LB...

Any help is appreciated!

Edited October 20, 2023 by GIKAS1

[sundogak]

On 10/20/2023 at 8:02 AM, GIKAS1 said:

Hey everyone! So Im adding some computer mame SL to my LB setup but I cant get launchbox to start the vz_snap SL. I've tried to change the default command line parametres from vz -snap to many other things but no dice... The games launch fine through mame itself... The cassetes for the same system (laser 310 or vz300, same thing essentially) work fine through LB...

Any help is appreciated!

Assuming you have a properly working MAME ROM and Software List setup* (see note at end) than in LB you can do the following:

Your game will point to the appropriate zip file in the Software List folder.  

Your MAME emulator for software list programs has "remove file extension and folder path" checked.  This differs from normal arcade setup which is unchecked.  I just setup two instances of MAME.  For software I call it "MAME_MESS" but naming doesn't matter.  The reason for this is that for software files MAME will use the XML hash file to figure things out and you don't have to get into long complicated command strings.  It also means you don't have to worry about the "media" switch for cassette or snap/dumps because MAME will look at the hash file for the zip file name and figure out what media type it is automatically.  ***Note see end of this post for caveat if two media types have same zip file name**

Lastly, for within the emulator setup for LB you have the following for the VZ entry:

The command is:

vz200 -mem laser210_16k

You don't absolutely need the "mem" entry but helps add in extra memory. 

If you want to use the VZ300 the it would be:

vz300 -mem laser310_16k

*Note:  properly setup meaning that you have full ROMset which includes normal ROM folder and then the Software List folder which includes vz_snap folder with associated zip files with software.  Also means your MAME.ini points to roms and software list files and you have updated xml hash files in your MAME\hash folder.  In this case the vz_snap.XML is present. 

 

**Note 2: see post a few down that if media has same name (cassette, dump/snapshots) than this method will pick the first media type alphabetically even it pointing in LB to specific media zip file. In this case for VZ will pick "cassette" vs "dump" (snapshots) if duplicate game name (Like Invaders v2) in both media types.  In that case if you specifically want to use dump/snapshots you must explicitly use the media flag or it will take the cassette version vs the snapshot/dump version. Normally MAME uses unique zip file names so likely an naming glitch.

vz300 -mem laser310_16k -dump

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by sundogak
added note on duplicate name issue in MAME

[GIKAS1]

Thank you so much for the very detailed responce! Ill try what you suggested and see if it works!

[spycat]

@GIKAS1

For the snapshots try the parameters
vz300 -mem laser310_16k -dump

You can omit the full mem parameter if you wish, but then some games may return an invalid image error on snapshot loading.

Binary (M) snapshots should auto-run once loaded.
BASIC (B) snapshots once loaded need you to then enter the RUN command at the READY prompt.
 

[sundogak]

 

On 10/22/2023 at 6:27 PM, spycat said:

@GIKAS1

For the snapshots try the parameters
vz300 -mem laser310_16k -dump

You can omit the full mem parameter if you wish, but then some games may return an invalid image error on snapshot loading.

Binary (M) snapshots should auto-run once loaded.
BASIC (B) snapshots once loaded need you to then enter the RUN command at the READY prompt.
 

You can add it, but not needed if setup as noted.  MAME will match the zip media file name with HASH file information and select the appropriate media type.  Advantage is setup doesn't have to have separate media switch for other media types and can use one entry. 

**Note see post a few down that if media has same name (cassette, dump/snapshots) then this method will pick the first media type alphabetically even it pointing in LB to specific media zip file. In this case for VZ, MAME will pick "cassette" vs "dump" (snapshots) if duplicate game name (Like Invaders v2) in both media type HASH files. You must do as SpyCat noted and add the -dump media flag or duplicates will use cassette version.

Edited October 25, 2023 by sundogak
Added note for future reference.

[GIKAS1]

I've setup my command line parameters as @sundogak suggested and worked like a charm! Many thanks for your help everyone! 

[spycat]

I'm still in a bit of a muddle. I've tried out several game snapshots with the LaunchBox Launching ROM File entry pointing to the game in the vz_snap folder, and I'm seeing something odd when I use the parameters
vz300 -mem laser310_16k
If a snapshot does not have a game of the same name in the vz_cass folder, then the snapshot loads fine.
But if the game also exists in the vz_cass folder, then the snapshot doesn't load and TABing into MAME's File Manager shows the snapshot empty and the cassette present and ready for loading.
Adding -dump to the parameters get's rid of this anomaly.

I've noticed the same thing with other systems that have more than one softlist. With the Sord M5 the game zacbanic.zip exists in both the m5_cart and m5_cass folders.
With LaunchBox pointed to the game in the m5_cass folder, the parameters
m5
loads the cart version.
Adding the -cass parameter loads the wanted cassette version.
I may be barking up the wrong tree but it seems to me that MAME is searching the relevant softlist folders alphabetically and picking the first match - cass is before snap, cart is before cass, cass is before flop and so on.
Any one else seeing this or is it something not setup correctly at my end?

[sundogak]

4 hours ago, spycat said:

I'm still in a bit of a muddle. I've tried out several game snapshots with the LaunchBox Launching ROM File entry pointing to the game in the vz_snap folder, and I'm seeing something odd when I use the parameters
vz300 -mem laser310_16k
If a snapshot does not have a game of the same name in the vz_cass folder, then the snapshot loads fine.
But if the game also exists in the vz_cass folder, then the snapshot doesn't load and TABing into MAME's File Manager shows the snapshot empty and the cassette present and ready for loading.
Adding -dump to the parameters get's rid of this anomaly.

I've noticed the same thing with other systems that have more than one softlist. With the Sord M5 the game zacbanic.zip exists in both the m5_cart and m5_cass folders.
With LaunchBox pointed to the game in the m5_cass folder, the parameters
m5
loads the cart version.
Adding the -cass parameter loads the wanted cassette version.
I may be barking up the wrong tree but it seems to me that MAME is searching the relevant softlist folders alphabetically and picking the first match - cass is before snap, cart is before cass, cass is before flop and so on.
Any one else seeing this or is it something not setup correctly at my end?

Hmm..always something with MAME!  Nothing on your end, I see same issue.  I  just never noticed with other software setups.  My understanding was MAME team made unique naming for zip files, but suspect with software set that is less of a good assumption and/or it is a goof up that wasn't noticed.  I never hit this on systems like Apple II, GS, and Atari 800.  I did a cursory click through on some other systems and seems media is either differently named or no overlap in naming. But as you noted SORD has some dupe names as well.  Systems like Atari 800 did have duplicates for Zaxxon cart and cassette but the Atari 8-bit cassette subsystem isn't working in MAME so never conflicted.  

In case of VZ 200/300, if you do a -listemedia the short media name is "Snapshots = dump" and "Cassette=cass" so like you said it is taking the first media type HASH file alphabetically which happens to be cassette vs dump.  If I delete the cassette version (like Invaders) even if pointing in LB to the zip file in dump directory then it will error out that cassette version is missing.  It is doing exactly what supposed to in that it is looking at HASH file and matching zip file name but in this case breaks due to duplicate names. 

Thus, sadly my comment above is with a caveat that on some systems you may still be stuck using the media type.  Or for those few oddballs that are named the same explicitly, setup a command path with media flag in LB.  For systems like Apple II where you have multiple discs on games the HASH (no media flag) method is great because it auto loads discs into all available floppy slots automatically in MAME vs having to manually load each via command line.  

Nutshell for at least this system (you were right Spycat!), use the media flag like you said above unless really want to use the cassette version:

vz300 -mem laser310_16k -dump

Made edits to prior post to clarify for others down the road. 

Edited October 25, 2023 by sundogak

[spycat]

I'm relieved to learn that it's not an error at my end, and I know now how to handle those iffy softlist clashes.
@sundogak Thanks for all your help, much appreciated.