Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone

jamrom2

@folly Hi. Just wanted to check in and let you know the new script for Tandy Coco Floppy is working great.

Just like you said, name needs to be correct for it to work.

It is a lot of work to get the link setup and naming and all that, but once it's running... no issue. It's worth all the trouble to have these games now with a one click option.

Do you know if there is anything I need to add to make the Joystick work? So far, no matter what I do in MESS or the LR core, I can't get any directional response. Does it need a statement like the Apple IIe did?

thanks!

Folly

@jamrom2

Great to hear,

I was thinking perhaps we can make a basic structure database for creating all the autoboot links.
Something like using the sha1sum from the game-file and what the load command is.
If I have some time I will see if I can automate the idea ( I am not promising anything though ;-) ).
If that's an option we can share the data to automate it.

For the apple2ee I have added a line for "compact flash harddrive" support for the "TotalReplay" harddrive image.
You will see it in the next update when I update it.
TotalReplay will be in the restricted section also.

From the apple2ee "compact flash" add, I learned that mame can also-listmedia from added slotdevices.
So that would mean that, to some degree, it would be possible to automate that in the generating script part.
(which it doesn't do, right now)
Perhaps something for the future !

For the joystick part I will have a look.

Btw.
What is your experience with the added help-button ?
Is it an option that would help in the future ?
(you have to know, not all the lines have help yet, so not all lines will give you something)

jamrom2

@folly I'm not sure about the Help key. I don't know that it will get good use... BUT

I think we're going to have to write very clear instructions on how this is all done at some point. Once others see there is a real "easy" way to run all this, they're going to want to know how and how to make it work on their own sets as well.

How about the DOS OS/9 issue?
When I run let say flight simulator II it needs OS/9.. however the auto command says "DOSN". Needs to say DOS and it will work.

Folly

@jamrom2 @DTEAM

Again, I did a huge update.

You can read all improvements in the commit-link.

I have finally got color artifacting working using balldozer.
We have to use an NTSC tano dragon 64 for that.
I found the driver name searching for (dragon ntsc) in the source code of mame like this :
https://github.com/mamedev/mame/search?q=dragon+ntsc
You will see the tano dragon 64 in dragon.cpp
For using dragon32 floppy files I had to use a dragon floppy controller (dragon_fdc) as extra slot device.
So the dragon32 floppies will only work if tanodr64 is installed from the systems with extras or the autoboot lines section otherwise it will boot with a wrong extended dos version.

I think many issues are resolved now.

Get the latest module-script here (with added autoboot for samcoupe) :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/blob/1429cc002c398df78464f86f76d73ecb3ea02b48/00-workdir-00/add-mamedev-systems-0237.sh

Here is more about samcoupe in this post :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/31702/replacement-emulator-available/4

Commit information :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/e9d5b3dd40c9beb3112785ab0b6d48d4ec004f24
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/7a1d96fecac92c69b5ee47227afb10c0a1266c0c

Folly

Balldozer on tanodr64 :

Folly

@jamrom2 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone:

Do you know if there is anything I need to add to make the Joystick work? So far, no matter what I do in MESS or the LR core, I can't get any directional response.

I read this from your post again.
Check with the tab key in input(thismachine) on what keys are associated with the direction.
I remember I had some trouble too on some systems, I think it was apple2.
Sometimes the directional keys are associated with numpad keys.
Hope it helps, otherwise we have to look at it once again.

DTEAM

@folly
Hi Folly,
I'm back to help with the project today. I have reinstalled the handheld systems with your new script and it works fine. I am impressed every time I do this. I couldn't find your help menu. Where is it ?

Another question, which machines are running MSX2.

For help buttons, what kind of infos you want. Handheld description. How to use "basename lines" with MAME.ini. Systems who needs auto-frameskip, etc.

Folly

@dteam said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone:

@folly
Hi Folly,
I'm back to help with the project today.
I have reinstalled the handheld systems with your new script and it works fine. I am impressed every time I do this.

Very pleased about that !!!

I couldn't find your help menu. Where is it ?

There isn't a help menu.
But in many lines I added some sort of help.
You just have to go to a line and press the help-button beneath.
If the help button doesn't work then there is no "help page" yet.

Another question, which machines are running MSX2.
Sony hbf700p for example.
Added it in the systems with extras.

For help buttons, what kind of infos you want. Handheld description. How to use "basename lines" with MAME.ini. Systems who needs auto-frameskip, etc.

Yes, something like that.
I think that would be a good start ;-)

DTEAM

@folly
Quick question, when we use your script for Handheld. Does it generate a rompath like / home / pi / RetroPie / roms / tigerh in mame.ini or do we have to do it manually to be able to use the basename option. This is for the help menu.

.. configs/mame/mame.ini

Folly

@dteam

Good question, actually I can't remember if the script automatically adds it.

I think it was something that still had to be looked after.
Because for other systems the basename option isn't perfect for many systems.
So I think we still have to do it manually.

When I can I will have a look.

Edit:
I deleted the tiger rompath in my mame.ini.
After installing tiger again it's not added.
So it still has to be added manually.

I think I did some tests to add the rompath into the runcommand line.
But I never added these lines because some systems needed an other solution, like the apfm1000.
It should be somewhat a universal solution but never had clever idea for that.

DTEAM

Maybe you should add a line like this in your first post.

" EXTRA OPTION: To use basename options for a specific system, you have to add the rompath in .. configs/mame/mame.ini like this:

rompath  /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/tigerh; /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/konamih

This way, if you have a ROM with the appropriate MAME naming system, you will be able to use hash files with preset from MAMEdev.org and also cheat codes.

Basename option doesn't work for some systems like apfm1000

IMPORTANT: It is not necessary to use the basename option to play games with MAME or lr-MESS. "

Folly

@dteam

Indeed, for now it's a good option to add it in the first post.

When I have some time I will try to look for a solution again.

Folly

@dteam

I think we overlooked another issue.
With the mame basename option for, for example tigerh, it adds the systemname tigerh to the runcommand which doesn't work obviously.
It looked like this (not OK) :
mame-basename = "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -v -c tigerh %BASENAME%"

I have fixed this now over here. (not on github yet as I have to do more)
So systems with media get the system-name before the %BASENAME% and systems that don't have "media" the system name isn't added.

Examples for tigerh and apfm1000 as they should be (see the difference) :
tigerh:
mame-basename = "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -v -c %BASENAME%"
apfm1000:
mame-basename = "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -v -c apfm1000 %BASENAME%"

With the last line I tried apfm1000 again, adding the rompath to the mame.ini.
Now it works ;-)

I asked myself the question why didn't it work with the line described in post 748.
Well, I think, when we add a rompath in the runcommand line the rompaths in the mame.ini are overruled so then it uses only the rompath that is added to the runcommand line.
Adding more rompaths to a runcommand line isn't possible I think.
So for lr-mess getting a solution for the same problem will be more difficult.

So now I have to figure out how I can append the rompaths in the mame.ini automatically.

To be continued ......

DTEAM

@folly
I agree , on my side, i'm using something like that for Handheld

mame-autoframeskip = "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -autoframeskip %BASENAME%"

For "real" system

mame-basename = "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -v -c jaguar %BASENAME%"

I didn't mention that before. Good call!!! We already talked about that a long time ago ;-)
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/28462/tutorial-handheld-and-plug-play-systems-with-mame/22
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/29682/development-of-module-script-generator-for-lr-mess-and-mame-standalone/15?_=1638892175522

Folly

@dteam

Indeed we somewhat talked about that, seems we didn't realize back then.

Of-course, If I add a line with framekip or autoframeskip, the idea is the same.

Folly

@dteam

Seems I just found a way to add multiple rompaths to a command, by backslash escaping \;( good to know) .
Works :

/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -v -c  -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/apfm1000\;/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame apfm1000 "spacedst"

Doesn't work :

/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -v -c  -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/apfm1000;/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame apfm1000 "spacedst"

Doesn't work (altough /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame apfm1000 is in mame.ini) :

/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -v -c  -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/apfm1000 "spacedst"

Folly

@dteam

I did some investigation on how the rompaths are added in the module-script for mame.
It's added in a plain way, so I can't use that method, because we have to append.

I think it's simpler to just add both rompaths in the runcommand line.
Benefit will be that the mame.ini doesn't get overflowed with rompaths.
Also, when we de-install a module-script the emulator.cfg will be wiped.
But if we add rompaths to the mame.ini they aren't removed with a de-install.

I have added the rompaths to the runcommand lines.
I have removed the mame-cmd lines as the are no longer needed.
(The name isn't good either because they will not load .cmd files)
Instead I will replace them with equal basename lines.

Edit :
It's working I will put it on github soon !

https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/d7fe855ca321a5a007d963a87d213f37cae1d7d6

DTEAM

@folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone:

I have added the rompaths to the runcommand lines.

This is a good idea!

Folly

@dteam

I think you know how to get rid of the old lines in the emulators.cfg.

Can you test for me if cheats are working with these lines ?
If that works then I think it's a very good improvement.

Then we can probably take it to the next step and make more retropie names adding for example :

pinball
shooter
calculator
climbing
etc

For that I want to be able to get these matching arrays in the generator-script part from the database .

At the moment I am busy with a script that will automatically build the new data-base from the new files from progettosnaps.net.
Seems I can get all data now from progettosnaps.net also the categories.
So probably no need to use adb.arcadeitalia.net.
Hopefully I can get it to work, that way it will save a lot of time each time a new mame version comes.

DTEAM

@folly

These lines work to load a game without Rompath in mame.ini but doesn't work for Cheat codes and I can't explain why.

Basename_link = /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -v -c  -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/coleco\;/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame coleco "spacedst"
Basename_link2 = /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -v -c  -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/coleco\;/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame coleco %BASENAME%"

For cheat codes we need for now (for coleco) :
in mame.ini

rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/coleco

in emulator.cfg

mame-coleco-cheat= "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -c -autoframeskip coleco %BASENAME%"