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

Folly

@DTEAM

Ok, know enough

Not sure why it doesn't work will check on my pi later.
Did you check your log ?

DTEAM

@Folly
Not yet, I'll do it tomorrow

Folly

@DTEAM

FYI, It works on my pi.

bbilford83

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

@bbilford83 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

I assume it should work the same as the art currently downloaded by the script - i.e. move the zip to bios/mame/artwork and it will automatically load?

Yes, but as far as I can see for mame standalone it will be :
roms/mame/artwork
For lr-mame / lr-mess I think it would be :
BIOS/mame/artwork

@Folly, I decided to give this one more try and I made .zip artwork files for two more games based on the ones you did. I am not sure they will work - I was really struggling along in Gimp - but then when I went to test them none of them seem to work anyways. Nothing automatically loads when I add the artwork to either folder, and I think it is because these are software list roms rather than "mainline" mame roms, if that makes sense. Game and watch, Tiger, Konami, and ClassicH (all of which I can use the art) are all "normal" mame roms, so I think that is why it is different. But everything I can find online isn't helping me figure out how to make it work. Wondering if you have any ideas?

I am not confident my artwork will work anyway but I will give it a shot if I can :).

Folly

@bbilford83

I assume you are talking about the microsvn artwork.
Did you try mine first without editing ?
Can you share it in your folder with the pictures ?
Then I can take a look.

bbilford83

@Folly Yes, sorry, the microvsn artwork. I tested yours before the others I made, mame isn't picking up any of them. I goofed around trying other ideas (I thought maybe a subfolder first with "microvsn" but no). I tried a bunch of searches to see how the art would differ for software list roms but didn't find anything helpful. But it makes sense that it wouldn't just work, because I assume some of the rom filenames in software list systems are the same (as each other and as some arcade roms).

I added yours + the two I made to a subfolder in my gmail folder you linked. I stopped trying to make more because I'm super slow and don't know if they're going to work... I'm not rearranging anything in the layout file and just trying to place the correct new artwork over the old ones in the one you made.

Edit: Truth is I'm not sure it matters anyway, I can't for the life of me get the games to control/be playable. I mapped all 12 buttons and still can't seem to get anything to play, it seems to me like the paddle at the bottom just isn't moving even though it's registering the input properly in mame. So I may be giving up on the system even if we get the art working :).

Folly

@bbilford83

I looked at your files.
I see what the problem is.
You can't use these names, you have to integrate all all gameviews inside one artwork file called microvsn.zip.
So use only 1 layout file.
Take a look at the vectrex.zip I added.
That's the only way it will work with the regular runcommands.
Mame doesn't pick up artwork by softlist names by default only artwork with driver names.

bbilford83

@Folly Interesting, thank you! This did get the art to load, but it won't remember the art game-by game.... i.e. when I set it and exit it, it defaults to the first art layout in the .lay file the next time you load it. When you use the art in regular mame (i.e. non-software list roms) it remembers your art choice in each game... I guess there's no way to make it differentiate between the different games here?

I think for the same reason I can't set controls game-by-game. In regular mame when you set it by "system," so for Tiger etc. I was able to map the controls to what made sense for each game. That's even more necessary here since there are twelve possible "buttons" but most games only use six or fewer. Right now I have all 12 buttons mapped and it will save across all the microvision games, but I if I try to remap in any of the games it remaps for all of them :(.

In any case it seems a moot point for me, I still can't get the games to control properly. I'll keep trying a bit but probably will give up sooner or later.

Note also the two other artworks I made work, but the baseball one is supposed to overlap the screen, and because I can't figure out how to set the opacity it's not working right (it's just blocking the whole screen).

Even though I don't think I'm going to figure this out I might as well document what I did in case someone more clever comes along...

Folly

@bbilford83 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

@Folly Interesting, thank you! This did get the art to load, but it won't remember the art game-by game.... i.e. when I set it and exit it, it defaults to the first art layout in the .lay file the next time you load it. When you use the art in regular mame (i.e. non-software list roms) it remembers your art choice in each game... I guess there's no way to make it differentiate between the different games here?

Yes, it will load now and the disadvantage is that you have to select the view every time.
Although it's possible to load the artwork you want is possible in the runcommand.
You can see here what the options are :
https://docs.mamedev.org/commandline/commandline-all.html
I have experimented with this earlier.
There are some things to solve this issue.
However it probably means an extra runcommand load option or adding stuff to my patched runcommand.sh.
So if we want to implement we or I have to look at this again.

I think for the same reason I can't set controls game-by-game. In regular mame when you set it by "system," so for Tiger etc. I was able to map the controls to what made sense for each game. That's even more necessary here since there are twelve possible "buttons" but most games only use six or fewer. Right now I have all 12 buttons mapped and it will save across all the microvision games, but I if I try to remap in any of the games it remaps for all of them :(.

Yes, correct that somewhat the same reason.
For this problem you can use my game-specific runcommands.
Have a look when you load the rom and then select a the game-specific runcommand, that should solve your problem.

In any case it seems a moot point for me, I still can't get the games to control properly. I'll keep trying a bit but probably will give up sooner or later.

If I gave up we didn't have my beautiful script.
Of-course it will take a lot of time but it's worth it.
Mame has a very steep learning curve but once you know it it's quite easy to understand.
It's the same with gimp, man that's a good program.
Sometimes I let it rest for a while and pick it up later again.
That works almost all the time and just be patient.

Note also the two other artworks I made work, but the baseball one is supposed to overlap the screen, and because I can't figure out how to set the opacity it's not working right (it's just blocking the whole screen).

You have to do it in an other way.
You have to use the magic tool to select the things you want to get rid of.
In this case you should not use opacity.

Even though I don't think I'm going to figure this out I might as well document what I did in case someone more clever comes along...

Making a summary is always a good thing.
I would like to motivate you to push your boundaries.
Remember you can't do it all in one day you have to take the time for stuff.
Learn one thing and then go to the other things.

bbilford83

@Folly Haha thank you for the pep talk :). I am trying now a bit in gimp with free select and deleting... that is working but at least for the baseball one it is complicated because there are little red dots that are supposed to still be left, I am not sure how to select all except that little dot. But I will mess around a bit more. And I will try the runcommand for the mapping, thanks!

Edit: oh my gosh I just discovered the "fuzzy select by color" option, that is instant and perfect for this. Wow!

bbilford83

@Folly I have some good news and bad news. Good news first:

I was able to make art for all the microvsn games, kind of (see bad news #1). I added it to my folder, here, as microvsn.zip.
The "specific cart" runcommand choice did work and creates game-specific config files that allow for game-specific button mapping. I checked the config folder and it is creating subfolders (with weird titles like configs\microvsn\lr-mess_BFT98~I) but in each subfolder there is a microvsn.cfg file being created when you run the game and it contains mapping info after you map.
Probably the best news, I was wondering why if it creates game-specific cfg files for mapping you couldn't somehow assign the art in there too, and it turns out it does that automatically! So after you first pick the art in game, and map in-game, from that point on the game will automatically load with mapping and art correct. The config file will say something like this in it:

I figured out what was wrong and why I couldn't play any games. The paddle at the bottom of the handheld wasn't working at all even though it automatically maps to the left analog stick. I dug around in all the settings and found one, in "machine configuration," that says "Paddle Hardware" and is set to "Auto" by default. If you change that to "Yes," the paddle starts working as controlled by the analog stick (sort of - see bad news 2 below).

OK, bad news.

My art is crap. Some of them it is definitely good enough (see, for example, Super Blockbuster), some of them it is way off, like the art is blocking the gameplay (see Vegas Slots). And for Mind Buster, it just isn't working at all, and I can't figure out why. I don't expect you to fix any of it, but I am confident at this point that I can't... I just have been moving stuff around a little bit here and there but for some things (like Vegas Slots) I can tell I won't be able to figure out where it is supposed to be mapping to. So I am doing this detailed post in the hopes that maybe, now or some day, someone will figure out how to create fix the art to make it right. Right now, I would say that the art is no good for: Bowling, Connect 4, Mind Buster, and Vegas Slots.
I think this may be just an inherent problem with using an analog stick to control a paddle, but I still find the games pretty unplayable. The paddle location says in-game that it is in the middle, but it always defaults to being to the right. And it moves way too fast. I tried changing the sensitivity and the increment/decrement speed (under "analog input adjustments" in the MAME menu) and it didn't seem to help. No idea why, it seems like it should be adjusting it to me and I've used it in other systems that way before.

Edit: I think it is actually working better once I put the sensitivity way down, like 3 or 4.

Anyway, I again appreciate your positivity and encouragement but I think this is about as far as I'll be able to take it :(. Hopefully it'll be a stepping stone for someone at some point.

Folly

@bbilford83

Edit :
Nice to hear the good news.
Just saw your microvsn artwork attempts.
I must say WOW you have implemented quite some games, if not all.
I see that some need fixing indeed.

I try to look at it better, if I can, when I am less busy.

some of them it is way off, like the art is blocking the gameplay

I think, somehow the display is blurred by default and that is why it's blocking somehow.
The internal view is better in that perspective although I don't know how to implement it in the layout as a filter.

bbilford83

@Folly Thanks! Yes honestly I am surprised at how playable some of them are. Baseball right now is interesting. I am making a gamelist now too with good descriptions I will add to the others on google drive for you and Dteam if you want. With the art I have up I would say these are playable:

Alien Raiders (though I really don't get it, and the paddle controls are hard)
Baseball (very straightforward, easy to do well)
Block Buster (extremely hard without a proper paddle controller even on easiest)
Cosmic Hunter (also very confusing and hard to beat, you have to be two pixels away from the bad guys, but I don't think that's a problem with art or controls)
Pinball (this is terrible and not really pinball, it is like breakout with four targets, but it works)
Star Trek: Phaser Strike (ridiculously simple/boring game but it works)
Super Blockbuster (interesting take on breakout, protect blocks below you)

These are not, and the problem is my art:

Bowling (nothing aligns to the art)
Connect Four (ditto)
Mindbuster (art just won't load, can't find my error)
Vegas Slots (nothing aligns to the art)

This one I think is a problem with my art but I am not sure:

Sea Duel (I can't really figure out how to play it).

bbilford83

One quick fix - I figured out what was wrong with MindBuster and it was just me somehow repeatedly missing a typo. I've fixed it and updated the zip. The art for that one isn't perfectly aligned but it's usable.

Folly

@bbilford83

I just added a commit adding views for artwork :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/a852de39287db2b95a39d2bfac75b16c9e023140
It should now load the correct view like we want with microvsn or even vectrex if the artwork is suited for it.
I hope it's an improvement and that it will not cause any issues.

The softlist/basename name is used for the viewname so you have to use that in the layout of the artwork file.
So for the microvsn you have to change the zoomed bezel one,for example, into the softlist name and then it should work.
Or just duplicate that one and call it like the softlist name that should do the trick too and then you still have the original name if someone has to choose for some reason.

Of-cource you have to install the microvsn system again with the script to utilise the new runcommands.
As described, to get it working there should be no view part inside the cfg, remove something like this :

<video>
     <target index="0" view="<viewname>" />
</video>

So basically if you don't store a view via the menu in the beginning it should work.
Hope you understand what I mean.

Can you test this new option for me ?

I added the views in your microvsn.zip on my gdrive :
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HQKNcrzR7AC7y4FShFT7N1hr0QHb-Gq1

Btw :
I added an edited vectrex.zip too.
(removed the old ones as the weren't what I thought they were)

bbilford83

@Folly I'm happy to but I may need a couple days, have a crazy window at work. Sorry!

bbilford83

@Folly sorry for the delay but I finally installed and tested and for me it isn't working. I updated the mamedev script and then reinstalled microvsn, but no matter what I pick now it is still automatically loading the first listed view for the art. I get what you're trying to do (make it so nobody has to do the setting of the art themselves) but I am not sure why it isn't working. I tried it both with the -basename and the -cart runcommand. It still works fine with my preset art choices if pick the game-specific run command... I didn't need to remove the view from the config file because that one creates a subfolder with a new config for each. But when it is using any of the other runcommands and the "stock" config file it is still loading the first view (always Alien Raiders).

Happy to test further if you want. I messed around a little more with the art too today trying to fix it, but no luck :(.

Folly

@bbilford83

It will only work for mame standalone.
Try to backup if you need to :
/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/mame/cfg/microvsn.cfg
Then remove the file.
Try to use the regular non-game-specific runcommands and see if it works.
If it does then we can go to the game-specific ones and test that part.

bbilford83

@Folly Unfortunately that didn't work either, but I think it might be because on pi4 standalone mame can't handle the art? The art doesn't display but everything slows to an absolute crawl and it only is recognizing buttons presses once in a while, and very delayed. Keep in mind I hadn't tried anything on standalone mame yet, I only use libretro with your script.

Folly

@bbilford83 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

@Folly Unfortunately that didn't work either, but I think it might be because on pi4 standalone mame can't handle the art?

It can handle the art but it loads the art from a different folder than lr-mess/lr-mame does.

The art doesn't display but everything slows to an absolute crawl and it only is recognising buttons presses once in a while, and very delayed.

That should not be the case, very strange.
Aren't you mixing things up ?
The libretro one should be very slow when running it with mame artwork.

Keep in mind I hadn't tried anything on standalone mame yet, I only use libretro with your script.

Although possible,I didn't add -view option in the libretro runcommands as pi's can't handle mame artwork speedy enough in the lr-mess/lr-mame.