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Default cartridge folders/directories?
#390355 - 03/18/21 03:41 PM
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I'm using MAME .220 with a large, rather eclectic set of rom images for multiple machines gathered over many years, stored on a separate NAS for security.
I'm particularly pleased with how in recent editions the MESS project was merged in, so I can use MAME to play BBC Micro or NES games. The cartridge (disk, cassette ...) images for these machines are in no particular format or naming convention on the NAS, but they are all stored in separate folders by machine, so I update the sets for each machine more easily.
I don't mind that I can't load them directly from the MAME front menu but... It's a bit of a bind having to browse to the folder for each of these images every time I restart MAME.
So, for example, I'll start MAME, choose the Bally Professional Arcade, and then inside that machine, I have to use file manager to browse through to the right folder on my NAS before I can attach a cartridge. It would be nice if, for each machine, it would drop me at the right folder for the cartridges for that machine from the beginning.
I've seen that there's the possibility of having multiple INI files, but I'm not sure what options I'd need to put in/change to set the default folder for the 'attachments' (or even if that's possible). Searches just get me to articles on how to set the main ROM folder, rather than that for the attached media.
If there's any help on how to do this, or if someone knows if there's a front end to MAME that will help with the process, I'd be really grateful.
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Re: Default cartridge folders/directories?
[Re: moogthedog]
#390361 - 03/18/21 09:52 PM
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This is one of the reasons why softlists exist, just audit the games you have for each system and move them to their own folder named after the system's parent set, and put said folder inside "roms".
Then whenever you want to load a game you just have to select the "Software list" option under the File Manager and choose from the list which will appear, no folder navigating necessary.
For games not in the softlists, I believe that MAME saves the last used directory (used to hang if it didn't exist anymore), so you'll only have to browse through the folders once per system.
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Re: Default cartridge folders/directories?
[Re: moogthedog]
#390363 - 03/19/21 02:35 AM
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This can be done, but you need to make an ini file for each system you're interested in.
For example, for nes, create nes.ini and add the one line
swpath 'path to your roms'
e.g
swpath e:\data\nintendo\nes
In theory, doing this with the parent systems should flow down to the clones. It's a lot of work, but it will accomplish what you want.
> So, for example, I'll start MAME, choose the Bally Professional Arcade, and then
> inside that machine, I have to use file manager to browse through to the right folder
> on my NAS before I can attach a cartridge. It would be nice if, for each machine, it
> would drop me at the right folder for the cartridges for that machine from the
> beginning.
>
> I've seen that there's the possibility of having multiple INI files, but I'm not sure
> what options I'd need to put in/change to set the default folder for the
> 'attachments' (or even if that's possible). Searches just get me to articles on how
> to set the main ROM folder, rather than that for the attached media.
>
> If there's any help on how to do this, or if someone knows if there's a front end to
> MAME that will help with the process, I'd be really grateful.
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Re: Default cartridge folders/directories?
[Re: Robbbert]
#390365 - 03/19/21 12:17 PM
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Thank you! I'll give it a go.
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Re: Default cartridge folders/directories?
[Re: ICEknight]
#390366 - 03/19/21 12:29 PM
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Thanky you! It's something I need to do, definitely, but I'm not sure how to start.
Is there a set method for auditing the software for the other systems? I used to use MameUI (Now I tend to use IVPlay), and that had an audit for the MAME roms, but I don't know how I'd start with the software for other systems. (If the answer's JFGI, that's fine - but some search terms would be useful  )
So is there a core database and auditing software somewhere for all the (popular) systems available under MAME (and MESS as was), or do I need to go hunting in the various machine communities online to find them? Or is it something MAME can do itself?
Apologies for my ignorance. I started out with MAME back in about 1999, and my collection's grown over the years to include other systems, all with their own emulators, and my own filing methods for each. Now there's MAME (and Retroarch) doing everything including the kitchen sink and I've rather fallen behind the pack...
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Re: Default cartridge folders/directories?
[Re: Robbbert]
#390368 - 03/19/21 04:39 PM
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Hmm. I created an ini file in the ini folder for the machine I was playing with, and put a swpath line in there - but no change. The file manager still just opens up in the folder is running from every time. I know it's reading the right ini file for the machine, as I tried changing it to 'rompath', and then it couldn't find the main ROM
I tried adding '-swpath' to the command line as well, and no change. I also tried a few variants using quotes around the path, and linux-style forward-slash path names - no dice 
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Re: Default cartridge folders/directories?
[Re: moogthedog]
#390369 - 03/19/21 05:14 PM
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> Hmm. I created an ini file in the ini folder for the machine I was playing with, and
> put a swpath line in there - but no change. The file manager still just opens up in
> the folder is running from every time. I know it's reading the right ini file for the
> machine, as I tried changing it to 'rompath', and then it couldn't find the main ROM
>
> I tried adding '-swpath' to the command line as well, and no change. I also tried a
> few variants using quotes around the path, and linux-style forward-slash path names -
> no dice
Try deleting the cfg file for that system. Unfortunately when using MAME's File Manager the cfg overrules the ini file and the command line.
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Re: Default cartridge folders/directories?
[Re: moogthedog]
#390370 - 03/19/21 07:18 PM
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I'm afraid setting an specific folder at swpath doesn't work in mame, and you only get roms at the file manager if you do it at the usual way renaming all the software list roms. (software/megadriv/tf4.zip for example).
I can only get working external folders with MameUI, so the solution by IceKnight could be valid, since when you add a game, then you can access to the folder that contains it...
Edited by Sthiryu (03/19/21 07:24 PM)
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Re: Default cartridge folders/directories?
[Re: moogthedog]
#390374 - 03/19/21 09:35 PM
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>So is there a core database and auditing software somewhere for all the (popular) systems
>available under MAME (and MESS as was), or do I need to go hunting in the various machine
>communities online to find them? Or is it something MAME can do itself?
The softlist hash files, started in 2010/2011, eventually became the option.
Some of the coinop games that used interchangeable cartridges were moved to the
hash list since they could be changed out such as Neo Geo system.
The hash list .xml files are located in the Hash folder directory when downloading MAME or some alternate build of MAME.
https://github.com/mamedev/mame
https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/hash
neogeo.xml
One way to determine if a game is playable or not and if game is already documented
within the hash .xml file There are still quite a few hash files where games have yet to be documented in the hash file such as Apple II floppy diskette games.
Open up the respective .xml file and examine files.
I'll use hash/ibm5150.xml as an example.
This game is considered working because of the status software name="serenia"
If a game is not working, then look at the supported status to see if it is
either no or partial. That is how one can tell if game works or not.
software name="advmath" supported="no"
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Re: Default cartridge folders/directories?
[Re: moogthedog]
#390386 - 03/21/21 12:50 AM
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Negatron is a good mame frontend that has software lists in ui form as well
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