[IDEA] Use RetroArch's built-in per-ROM config functionality, rather than runcommand and -appendconfig

meleu

@dankcushions

if you have 'save config on exit' turned on, your overrides will not migrate into your main .cfg

This pro is enough to go ahead!! :D

Zigurana

I agree that editing the settings from within the RetroArch interface makes a bit more sense, UI-wise.

Questions :

where does RA store those per-game settings?
can we access these from anywhere else, for instance from the command line or via SCP?
can we provide a conversion from the current per-game cfgs to the other?

dankcushions

@Zigurana said in [IDEA] Use RetroArch's built-in per-ROM config functionality, rather than runcommand and -appendconfig:

I agree that editing the settings from within the RetroArch interface makes a bit more sense, UI-wise.

Questions :

where does RA store those per-game settings?

"it will generate a gamename.cfg file in a subdirectory (named after the core) of your config directory"

eg /opt/retropie/configs/mame-libretro/MAME 2003/pacman.cfg

can we access these from anywhere else, for instance from the command line or via SCP?

they're just text files so sure :)

can we provide a conversion from the current per-game cfgs to the other?

sure - just moving and renaming would do it, which you could do via linux commands.

Zigurana

@dankcushions well then, there is not much of a difference is there?
We can write a conversion script to move any existing cfg from the rom folder to the new /opt/... location, so ppl will not have start from scratch if they have shaders/overlays installed.
There's probably a couple of Retropie specifics that need to be updated, but some of the @administrators will be able to comment on that.

What about the use case of someone wanting to switch from one libretto-core to another? He/she will start with a blank config in that case, right?
Now I think about it, that's probably a good thing, as a different core will also need different configurations.

I say, its a minor change, with minor impact, and brings some improvements towards the hassle of setting up a game. Good plan!

BuZz

Thanks - looks good.

There is another thing to consider with the current method. I have my roms on a network mount, and so any rom overrides affect all systems that use it. With the new method, that would be lost but I don't see why we can't allow for both.

I will look into it. I would prefer to do the code though (Although not much will be needed I think - mostly just switching it on). I will want to do some testing to make sure it all works etc.

GreenHawk84

I would also enjoy per-rom overlays savable in RetroArch GUI. But maybe that already exists and I can't figure it out. I don't want to do anything complicated. Just let me select an overlay per rom in the GUI. No command line stuff and no .cfg editing.

dankcushions

@GreenHawk84 said in [IDEA] Use RetroArch's built-in per-ROM config functionality, rather than runcommand and -appendconfig:

I would also enjoy per-rom overlays savable in RetroArch GUI. But maybe that already exists and I can't figure it out. I don't want to do anything complicated. Just let me select an overlay per rom in the GUI. No command line stuff and no .cfg editing.

it exists and i describe how in my first post :) if you can't find the option it might only be in later versions of retroarch. i'm not sure how long it's been there.

GreenHawk84

@dankcushions , whatever you can do you simplify Retropie, is great news to me.

Floob

@dankcushions I think the stock RetroArch in RetroPie 4.02 is from July, whereas this change was about 26 Aug.
https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/pull/3429

I'll update mine and try it out, although I guess until its within the RetroPie image download most users probably wont come across it as I doubt they would update RetroArch.

BuZz

@Floob yeah - it was after the 1.3.6 release - when the next retroarch release is out I will do some testing etc. (well may test before, but it won't be enabled in retropie until after the point release).