Une nouvelle version de ce frontend multi-systèmes a été publiée et en version complète cette fois. Les améliorations sont les suivantes:
Can you guess what this is ?... a new version with lots of goodies.
Several bugs were fixed and lots of dead code removed from source code.
MAME software list support has been expanded and largely improved. There are 2 options when creating software games lists:
- update mode: if you're updating MAME but softwarename.xml files are the same (CRC32 checksum), frontend will not delete current lists or re-create their games lists. There are around 400 software lists in MAME. From now on, this is the frontend's default mode.
- overwrite mode: this mode will delete current lists and recreate all software games lists again. This is how the frontend was working until now
The system selection dialog and the scan mode dialog were updated with the new software list feature. User interface and info texts also updated.
Internal changes to improve game .chd file search routine. Also added \softlist_name\ sub-folder search since MAME supports this.
Software games that only have .chd files and no gamename.zip set were not audited correctly. This was a serious bug!
This is really cool! Support to run games that require and extra set to run. Info saved on a new \arcade\games\mame.elsoftlistreq file. You don't have to manually insert the required media (cart, floppy, etc) to run these games anymore. Highly experimental feature and it might require updates in future builds. Some examples:
Atari 2600 Cassettes require an extra cartridge inserted called Starpath Supercharger.
PC Engine CDs require an extra cartridge inserted called Super CD-Rom System Card (v3.0).
Atari 800 fans, Emu Loader can now read Atari 800 cartridge header (first 4 bytes), looking for the 'C' 'A' 'R' 'T' tag. If found, the cartridge type will no longer be added to the command line. Unzipped and zipped games are supported. See change log for more details.
Plus, code tweaks for consistency and speeds improvements.
Remaining image category/layout settings moved out of EmuLoader.ini into their own settings .ini file (see change log). Now you won't lose image their settings on a frontend crash or a clean install. :)
Be aware that file \arcade\image_categories.ini was renamed to \arcade\sysimagefolders_arcade.ini. Done once at startup, if old file exists.
A new \ini_files\image_category.ini file was created containing image category settings from EmuLoader.ini. Done once at startup.
Arcade Miscellaneous filter dialog interface updates and added a new category filter Music for sets like VGM Player (vgmplay). You need AntoPISA new catver.ini for this filter to work.
Added a new Device Name column in Game Details screen, ROMs/CHDs list panel. Only visible for sets that use 2 or more device sets. This is a nice visual update.
Support for MAME v0.169, including the new comm setting Syncronize Frames entry in mame.ini.
Initial work to support software lists in HBMAME. Most of the work is done for MAME, only a few functions were modified to add HBMAME.
One last change. I re-implemented an old setting, Disable Threaded Preview Image Loading. If you have problems and/or frontend crashes while viewing zipped images, just enable this setting. Emu Loader will no longer load images within threads. Not that much of a speed loss, except when fast-scrolling the games list (hold up or down arrow key).
Oh, and make sure to re-create the games lists for the following systems so the fixes/changes/new features can be applied to the games list:
MAME, HBMAME, MAME Software List (use overwrite mode), ZiNc, Demul.
Fixed
- Bios/device ROMs showing as "Parent Bios" / "Parent Device" in game sets ("Arcade Scan Results" screen)
- Message panel not showing up when applying quick systems filter in grouped view mode
- MAME software list games not audited correctly if set has no main "gamename.zip" file but have CHD files
- Setting "MAMU_ Icons Folder" was not saved in .ini file when closing "Preferences" screen
- TEdit was in read-only mode; you can rename files in "Rename Image" dialog again
- Background color of single image layout was not restored at startup and not set after closing "Image Category Settings" screen
- Create ZiNc games list was setting bios ROMs as "parent ROM" on games sets
Changed
- File "\arcade\image_categories.ini" renamed to "\arcade\sysimagefolders_arcade.ini" (done at startup)
- Image category background color/visibility settings moved out of "EmuLoader.ini" into a new "\ini_files\image_category.ini" file (done at startup)
*from now on, file is updated only when you change settings in "Image Category Settings" screen
*settings are no longer lost on a frontend crash or clean install
- Image layout visibility settings moved out of "EmuLoader.ini" into "\ini_files\screenshot_layouts.ini", where they belong (done at startup)
*from now on, file is updated only when you change settings in "Image Layout Settings" screen
*settings are no longer lost on a frontend crash or clean install
- Changes and fixes to "Game Details" screen
*CHD files of software list games were not correctly detected, "software name" parameter was missing
*added "extra required set" info for software list games
*bios set filename not shown in "Game Files" section (left panel)
*several tweaks
- Tweaks to "Create MAME Games List"
- Changes/fixes to "MAME Software List Games"
*detection of "sharedfeat requirement" tags in .xml files when creating games lists; highly experimental!
.some games require an extra set to run properly; Atari 2600 cassette, PC-Engine CD, others (info shown in "Game Details" screen)
.if a game doesn't run and you're sure you have all game files, look for this extra info above the "Games Files" section, left panel
.requirement data stored in a new "arcade\games\mame.elsoftlistreq" file
.the extra parameter is added before the gamename parameter
*expanded options to create software lists (new "update" mode)
."Disable": do not create software lists and delete current games list files
."Enable: Update": create new lists and update existing ones only if CRC32 checksum of "mamedir\hash\softwarename.xml" file has changed (XML file updated)
."Enable: Overwrite": create new lists and overwrite existing ones even if CRC32 checksum match
NOTE: settings can be found in the screen to select systems when creating MAME games list and in "Scan Games Mode" screen
*new "xmlfile_crc32" entry in "frontenddir\arcade\mame_softwarelist_games\softname.el" to compare with MAME "softname.xml" (for "update" mode only)
- Interface changes to Select Arcade System" dialog
*added new software list modes
*systems list moved to a left panel
*option "For This Task Only" is unchecked by default
*info texts improved
- Changes to "Arcade Miscellaneous Filters" (main tool bar buttons)
*renamed "Device" drop-down list to "Device ROMs" since this filter is not exclusive to device sets
*renamed "BIOS" drop-down list do "BIOS ROMs" since this filter is not exclusive to bios sets
*renamed texts from "Sets" to "ROMs" in "Device ROMs" and "Bios ROMs" drop-down filters since they are related to particular ROMs, not the entire set
*renamed "Filter by Main CPU Filter" to "Enable Main CPU Filter Bar"
*renamed "Games with ROMs (any set)" to "Games With ROMs (any ROM)" in "Game ROMs" drop-down list since this filter includes device/bios ROMs
*renamed "Games with no ROMs" to "Games With no ROMs/CHDs" in "Game ROMs" drop-down list to reflect what the filter actually does
*new category filter "Music" for sets like "VGM Player" (vgmplay)
*minor interface tweaks
- Renamed several "function" code blocks to "procedure" since they don't need to return a result
- Minor interface tweaks to Preferences screen, and removal of texts with "7 pixel" font size
- If screen resolution is smaller than the dialog, scroll bars will be added to the TForm so you can see everything (experimental!)
*for screen resolutions smaller than 1280x1024 and because some dialogs just can't be scaled down
*supported dialogs: "MAME Settings", "Game Details"
NOTE: minimum screen resolution for Emu Loader is 1024x768 / 1280x720 but some dialogs still fit on 640x480 resolution
Removed
- Masssive source code cleanup (commented/not used code)
Added
- Search .chd files in "\softlist_name\" sub-folder for MAME software lists
- Support to search .chd file in "\parent_gamename\" sub-folder; MAME supports this; "romspath\parent_gamename\clonename_file.chd"
*now you can have clone CHD files in the parent folder
*for MAME arcade, MAME software list, Demul
- New file "arcade\filters\supermodelsegamodel3_control_type.ini"
*a list of control tags and descriptions, extracted from Supermodel3 source code
*for now, it only show controls list in "Game Details" screen; not used anywhere else
- File header detection for "Atari 800" cartridges before running games (highy experimental, used by all Atari800 emulators, except MAME)
*the first 4 bytes of file will be read, looking for 'C' 'A' 'R' 'T'
*if tag is found, Emu Loader will no longer add the cartridge type in the full command line
*any file extension is supported for unzipped game files
*for zipped game files, Emu Loader will unzip it to a TMemoryStream and validate the tag; only ".bin; .car; .rom" file extensions are supported (if there's more than one file inside .zip, the first one found with any of the 3 supported extensions will be used)
- HBMAME Software List support, to be used in the distant future, in a galaxy far, far way... what works:
*create games list
*audit games files
*show softlist games in main games list
*run games
*for everything else, they are handled as MAME softlist games (for now)
- Setting "Restore Internet Game Info at Startup", to restore the last state of internet game info button at startup ("Preferences" screen, "General" tab)
- Setting "Disable Threaded Preview Image Loading" in "Preferences" screen / "Images" page, to prevent images loading delay and "Invalid pointer operation" error
- Support for MAME 0.196
*new comm setting: "Syncronize Frames" in "Input" tab |
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