Custom layout of mame, sorted by sytem.

[BlackDragon2020]

I not 100% on how I will execute this as I'm new to mame. I like the idea of sorting my mame ROMs by system. Then having each system have it's on wheel, or sub wheel of mame. I may have to learn to make themes.

I am accustomed to the goodrom naming tools and other emulators and mame is a whole new ball game. Does this seem like a good idea, cool idea or just a waste of time?

What I have found so far was to just leave mame, it's emulator, media, and roms in default locations. Then just make new entries into rocket launch and hyperspin and load XML files that load only those system games into the database to be picked from for each system.

I can come up with a plan if that's the best way, but it will lead to questions like linking mame media folders for artwork, finding any premade themes for systems like CPS, neo geo, etc,  finding or making XML of system game list.

 

Can anyone offer any assistance?

[thatman84]

Most people go this way or use Genre feature or 3rdparty apps.

Check out PlanetGeekdom on YouTube Ninja has plenty of videos which may give you some ideas.

Symbolic links are a common workaround to avoiding duplicate folders.

The best place to start is with a slim/filtered mame database and use something like Don's Tools.26 Filter List to create custom xmls for the systems you can't find.

Retro-fe.nl has a greater selection of filtered mame databases in their downloads section

[BlackDragon2020]

So I found a guide on how to add a main menu wheel entry. I like it and may use it but not for splitting mame games. After understanding the different "systems" of mame, I think what I want is to add to the genre list.

Genre write up:

custom genre: 

Looking for any links or info on this, I been reading like 2 hours.

Seems I need to make XML of games I want in the custom genre,

Come up with artwork for the wheel of the custom genre.

This is where I'm lost.

It seems the genre tags are there from the main XML file that's created from mame it's self. How do I add the tag for my custom genre? Does don tools do this?

Am I over looking a tutorial that goes over creating custom genre? I keep finding different ideas ands old post, but not a full tutorial.

 

Can I just add my XML to the genre and it work? I will play with it tomorrow maybe diving in will help.

If I overlooked it I'm sorry, thank you.

[BlackDragon2020]

Just a follow up incase it may help some one. Use Iggy- using HyperSpin's Genre Feature write up to get Genre filter going.

Next you need to make XML files of the custom Genre you want to add. I used Lightspeed from launchbox. you will have to find a download its not there anymore.

lightspeed settings:

start tab:

 I selected my rom folder, MAME exe, and MAME root locations. Restarted.

Filters a and b tab:

turned on all filters,

Platform tab:

Then I selected the system I wanted a list of games for Example CPS 1.

export tab:

bottom left next to file match, pick hyperspin, then save location.

press the 1 button, then the 2 button add all, then 3. you now have an xml file.

 

Copy this file to your  HyperSpin\Databases\MAME folder.

Open genre.xml

add the name of the new file, In my case it was CPS 1.xml

line should look like this in the genre.xml

<game name="CPS 1"/>

 

 

This got me the CPS 1 games filtered as a genre. it gave me dupes, as i need to learn how to filter games and xml files, but this should help you if your looking at this topic.

 

[BlackDragon2020]

@thatman84 trying to keep forum clean and this question is still on topic.

In downloads, there is hyperlist. Can I use this instead of some something like lightspeed to get XML of games to each mame platform?

Does it matter if they have not been updated in a few years? I'm running with 0.202 it's from 2018, some XML are from 2016.

 

There is just so much to take in. Thanks you for your time.