Mame XML Database vs CLRMAMEPRO

[nguerra]

I just finished updating my Mame files to 0.226.  I also ran everything through CLRMAMEPRO and got zero errors.  I then pulled down the latest xml file from ROman0's website - http://r0man0.free.fr   Issue I'm getting is about 200 roms not found in RocketLauncer.  When i try to re-add the missing roms, CLRMAMEPRO says they are not needed and wants to delete them.  Who should I believe?  RL or CMP?

[Spawk]

The games in the XML that RL can’t find are more than likely CHD games that have no rom associated with them. Like the golden tee golf series.


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[nguerra]

For the two roms that I added back into the roms directory, they also happen to have CHD directories as well.  So your suggestion seems logical.   However if RL can't see the files, then you can't play them?

 

 

[Spawk]

RLs audit just checks file names against the databases. That’s it. It is no indication of working or anything like that. Has no effect on the launch.


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[Spawk]

To clarify. That’s why I mention Golden Tee Golf. A couple of these have no roms. Everything is in the CHD. You need the entry in the database still so it shows in HS wheel. But RL will fail to see a .zip since one doesn’t exist. All should launch though, as I said the audit is just not that important as far as mame is concerned.


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[nguerra]

That doesn't make sense.  I just tested that theory by launching a rom that RL couldn't find.  RL came back with an error so it is indeed looking for that rom to launch.

[Spawk]

What game was it?

Just saying “an error” could be anything... I could take a look at an RL troubleshooting log if you like.


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[nguerra]

Thanks Spawk, I just tried the a51site4 game and it doesn't launch in RL or HS.  The error is a missing file but I get that error with or without the rom file in place.  Doing this eliminates the thought of the came just using the CHD by its self.  The HS wheel also states there and know problems with the game.  I'm thinking about what you stated with RL only checking the names.   Since it doesn't check the contents or checksums, it could be a bad dump or in fact the Mame 0.266 left the rom out because it doesn't work?  I don't know for sure but to be really honest there is something defiantly wrong with by brain.  Out of the 28K worth of rom files, I'm only missing 200 of them.  Am I really going play all of those games and wish I could have played the additional 200 I was missing?? Doubtfully, my brain is just broken because it doesn't like that fact that I don't have a 100% list of all the games

 

[Spawk]

28k??? I think you grabbed the full XML. You should have used the “working only” filtered list. I think it has about 12k entries in the XML.

Even then, not every single entry will be “playable”. The term “working” as far as mame is concerned is something that simply “operates as it should”. So a rom that is a digital scoreboard for some arcade machine that has physical parts (like a pinball table) is technically 100 percent accurate and working. But it will not be useful to us without the physical stuff. Hope that makes sense.


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[Spawk]

Hey is this a brand new setup? Are you doing a cabinet or just using game pads?


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[nguerra]

Consider this a brand new setup.  Decided to completely redo the old system with the latest of everything.   AND I think I figured out what was happening...my roms are compressed, CHD's are open folders.  If I remove the rom and then compress the CHD folder, RL can now see the name and the game will launch.  Area 51 site 4 loaded correctly.  I think I tried that before but I had a setting wrong in RL for uncompromising. 

[Spawk]

??? Ok you lost me.


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[nguerra]

That's ok, turns out I didn't have it anyway...I let CLRMAMEPRO do it's thing and remove the UN-necessary files.  Then I compressed the CHD folder.  With the folder compressed, RL now sees the name and considers it found.  Once more, when launching with RL, the game loads as well, problem solved so I thought.  Just for grins, I ran the CLRMAMEPRO a second time to verify it would accept the CHD folder compressed.  Turns out that it thinks the compressed file is UN-necessary and wants to delete it.  So the NEXT step was to leave the folder open and compress a blank folder for RL.  RL was smart enough to see the empty folder and then move to the folder that had the CHD and open the game.  Going back to CLRMAMEPRO however to verify it would accept an empty compressed folder during it's search resulted in a skipped record "due to archive- or sharring-error. 

Long story short, RL needs compressed files only and CLRMAMEPRO needs both. 

[Spawk]

That's ok, turns out I didn't have it anyway...I let CLRMAMEPRO do it's thing and remove the UN-necessary files.  Then I compressed the CHD folder.  With the folder compressed, RL now sees the name and considers it found.  Once more, when launching with RL, the game loads as well, problem solved so I thought.  Just for grins, I ran the CLRMAMEPRO a second time to verify it would accept the CHD folder compressed.  Turns out that it thinks the compressed file is UN-necessary and wants to delete it.  So the NEXT step was to leave the folder open and compress a blank folder for RL.  RL was smart enough to see the empty folder and then move to the folder that had the CHD and open the game.  Going back to CLRMAMEPRO however to verify it would accept an empty compressed folder during it's search resulted in a skipped record "due to archive- or sharring-error. 
Long story short, RL needs compressed files only and CLRMAMEPRO needs both. 

All completely wrong. I defy you to find one tutorial anywhere suggesting to compress CHDs. Totally unnecessary. I don’t how it’s even launching but you are not set up correctly.


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[Spawk]

If clrmamepro says the file is unnecessary then it is unnecessary for launch! The only possible reason to have a fake rom is to have nice green in the audit. Which I already stated has nothing to with launching.


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[nguerra]

Maybe no tutorial yet but it proves that it can be done.  Current set up is open CHD folder and compressed rom folder with nothing in it.  RL finds all files, CLRMAMEPRO doesn't ask to delete files, only skips the checking of them.  Should be a way for both of them to agree and work together.  As for the nice green audit, it does have something to do with launching.  If the file isn't found, then how can RL launch it?

[Spawk]

It's ok, you can do whatever you like. If you want to wait for RL to un-compress CHD files instead of just launching, that's fine. You are just making things harder than they need to be.

Just know that I am not talking theory here. I have been doing this a long time. If it runs in MAME itself (outside of HS/RL), then there is nothing more you have to do with the roms or CHD's. No compressing, no fake roms, no it doesn't matter if it's green, it's just getting the settings right. You can set skipchecks to "rom only" for example and RL will just send the command line to mame and not look for an actual file. And it WILL launch since we know it launched in MAME already! 

[Spawk]

1 hour ago, Spawk said:

Are you doing a cabinet or just using game pads?


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You never answered this. I need a new user setting up with gamepads to test something for me.

[nguerra]

Sorry, 4 player setup with ipac 4, Happ trackball with Utrac, Tornado Spinner with U-Spin, PS1 emulator with original controller plugged into a usb converter using keytojoy...still yet to be added is N64 controller with usb converter and key2joy.  Using emulators only and not using Retroarc.

[Spawk]

That sounds awesome! Real CRT?

[nguerra]

Thanks, I really enjoy the arcade games with the joystick and buttons but for the console games, there is just something about holding a real controller.  Plus when you start getting controller with multiple buttons, a cabinet layout is hard to convert to.  So I guess you can say it's a hybrid cabinet/gamepad setup???  I have a system that uses a Wells Gardner CRT and it is nostalgic, but with this build I built a pedestal cabinet that will use a flat screen.

[Spawk]

Interesting. I would have used individual emulators on the CRT build. A flat screen kind of needs shaders so it looks at least kind of like it's suppose to though. Not everyone's cup of tea I guess.

Besides that, is the pedestal built already? Have you thought of going vertical?

https://www.verticalarcade.com/

[nguerra]

Yes, pedestal is complete.  I've never thought about vertical and never actually saw how that would work.  But now that you have shown how it looks, It's very cool.  LOL all of these options and I may never get this build done.

[Mrmikey73]

11 hours ago, Spawk said:

You never answered this. I need a new user setting up with gamepads to test something for me.

Just curious what you’re working on with controllers? I have an old set up working on crt but I just made a newer setup for a big screen and using 1 Xbox one controller. I’m using Retroarch for a lot of systems. 

[nguerra]

So far I have only changed over PS1 games to use the PS1 controller using the Joy2Key