Setting up a Ipac2

Riverstorm

You can't have two files with the the same filename in any single location--arcade folder or elsewhere.

Ok, I just wanted to make sure I had it straight and there wasn't some clever way to display/run two identically named sets in a list but with potentially different ROM files (i.e. - different MAME versions).

When I started using RetroPie it was more learning how to use it and not so much ROM management. The Raspberry Pi and RetroPie merged has been revolutionary for me in making retro gaming incredibly portable in any room or visiting family and friends. Shoot you can take it on a trip even if you're willing to use controllers. It renewed an old spark. I did follow PiPlay for a while but it seemed like RetroPie was evolving quicker.

I've used ClrMamePro for about 15 years or so and feel very strong in my ROM management. I have it down to a science mostly but I don't use Software Lists much. They can get a bit advanced if you don't use profiles. It's just repetition of use, reading and using it for years. Learning each option as you go. I remember the days of trying to manage ROM sets without tools or incomplete sets of just the games I wanted to run. I can't imagine not use some type of ROM management now.

I run them through ClrMamePro as non-merged, TorrentZip the set and finally zip the whole version. So I have in a folder:

MAME 0.36 Non-Merged (Torrent Zipped).zip (another project)
MAME 0.37b5 Non-Merged (Torrent Zipped).zip
MAME 0.78 ROMs Non-Merged (Torrent Zipped).zip
MAME 0.94 Non-Merged (Torrent Zipped).zip
MAME 0.106 Non-Merged (Torrent Zipped).zip
etc.

Then I just pull out the ROM set from the archive I need quick and easy. I use WinMerge if I need to compare to identically named sets for differences or compare folders of sets.

I think I can make a folder structure and searching it for knowing which set belongs to which version work pretty easy. The key is knowing that you can only have one version in the folder structure that will be merged into the arcade folder. If I find it in mame2003 on my USB drive then I know it's from 0.78. I suppose I could also pipe the directory to a file but I don't think I would need to go that far.

The initial setup seems like it will be slow as you start each game and reference a "list" for the emulator config.

I always keep the current set of MAME (split) which I think is 0.191, CHD's and rollback to be able to create any new sets as they are added to RetroPie.

Storage is at a high now I think somewhere between roughly 20 to 25 terabytes but about half of that is backup. So really around 12 terabytes of actual data. Always adding drives it seems.

Riverstorm

@caver01 said in Setting up a Ipac2:

This is cheating a little, as your ROMs should obviously align with MAME set required, but many classics don't change from set to set.

I wouldn't call it cheating at all! ;) I have 250+ games in mame4all and mame2003 folders. If I compare them as binary they are almost 100% identical directories. On top of that if you TorrentZip your sets they'll have the exact same hash and are 100% identical except for the half dozen or so not supported in mame4all.

kombat

I had to go through a bunch of the defaults and set them ="nul" in order to prevent them from overlapping the standard IPAC/MAME mapping above.

Where would I go about's setting defaults to nul? Is that in the menu (tab key) once inside a rom?

rbaker

@kombat You would be better starting your own thread with a specific question but the answer is no. Are you referring to TAB in MAME? that is how you can make changes but with regard to setting up the keyboard encode you need to read through https://retropie.org.uk/docs/RetroArch-Configuration/#hardcoded-configurations

Riverstorm

@kombat - If you're using mame2003 there's a version named mame2003-plus in the Experimental section of the RetroPie setup menu. It has options under Quick Menu/Options once in a game to completely ignore TAB inputs. It might save you from needing to 'nul' every input. It's basically the same core with around 130 additional games and some other improvements. It's Experimental but solid. You can report any issues on the Github page.

Input interface: retropad| mame_keyboard | simultaneous

kombat

@rbaker said in Setting up a Ipac2:

@kombat Are you referring to TAB in MAME? that is how you can make changes but with regard to setting up the keyboard encode you need to read through https://retropie.org.uk/docs/RetroArch-Configuration/#hardcoded-configurations

I'm good with my keyboard encode, my question was in regards to @caver01 setting defaults to null as I am having some similar (i think) issues where the emulator defaults are conflicting with my standard IPAC/MAME mapping (example my player 2 button 6 is triggering a fast-forward?). I am wondering where I can access those settings

rbaker

@kombat said in Setting up a Ipac2:

I am wondering where I can access those settings

By editing the file as shown in the link I posted. You need to access it via SSH.

caver01

@kombat Yes, the link above that rbaker provided will lead you to a description of /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg which is the global config for retroarch. Inside that file, i set funtions to "nul" that I am not using. I seem to recall needing to do this for overlapping keys on mine as well. Fast foward was one of them as I recall.

As for setting ALL player inputs to "nul" globally--this is NOT what I have done in the past. I only ever did that for a couple of games using rom-specific configs. For example I placed a file into my ROMs folder next to the game rom for vidicators using the format: romname.zip.cfg such that the romname matches. In this file I set all player inputs to "nul" so that I could use the MAME GUI menu <TAB> to define the unusual <CODE_NOT> mapping for a tankstick setup. This is highly unusual, as only a few games require that. I don't rely on this globally because some retroarch emulators don't have a <TAB> feature. FBA for instance won't get very far if you NUL all of your player inputs!

DetroitKp

@AndersHP Hello. I’m new to manually editing Config ALL and have been using TextEdit on Mac. What do you mean that it left the inputs dead? What’s the difference with TextWrangler? Thanks!

AndersHP

@DetroitKp
Hi, I'm no coder, but there's a difference between curly quotes and non-curly ones.
TextEdit uses the curly quotes, which in coding I guess is wrong.

See here.

My recommendation is to use TextWrangler - it's free and a much better tool than TextEdit.

Lugzyboy82

I am replying to this topic in the hope that somebody sees this and can help me. Fantastic bit of info on here which has helped me enormously. The only thing I have an issue with is setting up my hot keys in the all retroarch.cfg file. I cant seem to find anywhere that enables me to edit the hotkeys. This is really important as I have a 2 player setup, each with a joystick, 6 in game buttons each (a,b,x,y,l,r) and a start button each. I cant seem to find a section in the config file that allows to set the exit game/exit emulator or pause hotkeys.

Can anybody help?

Lugzyboy82

@caver01 could you please read my comment above to see if you have any help or advice. Thank you.