MyPrograms - The Original

[waeberd]

This plugin has been in MediaPortal installation for long time, but has been removed and will be released as standalone plugin since svn March 2008.

Any discussion about the original plugin by waeberd should go into this thread.
It also exists a completly rewritten plugin MyProgramsAlt, you can find it :: here ::.

Download: :: here ::
WikiPage: :: here ::

regards
chefkoch



Hi,

Support of the well-known emulator MAME has been improved in current cvs (19.05.).

Here are some quick hints to get you started, test-feedback is very welcome:

PREREQUISUTES:
*) You need to have mame installed
*) You need to have some roms that are in the standard ZIP format
*) OPTIONAL: it's good to have screenshots installed in the default directories ("SNAP", "TITLES", etc).
*) OPTIONAL: it's good to have a recent version of HISTORY.DAT and CATVER.INI in the mame-home directory.


HOW TO USE THE 'MAME DIRECT' IMPORTER:

1) Launch Configuration.exe
2) Launch the myPrograms-plugin-setup screen
3) Add a new "MAME DIRECT"-application:
   "Add Child" => "Extended" => "MAME Direct importer"
   -> a new detail screen appears
4) Set the "LAUNCHING APPLICATION" by clicking the browse button
   to the right. Select the location of your mame.exe / mame32.exe
   => myPrograms tries to set as many options and directories as
   possible.
5) Click the FILES tab
6) Click the "UPDATE DATABASE" button to launch the importer

That's all!

If you have pictures, if you use default directories and if you have the
additional CATVER.INI / HISTORY.DAT files you should get a nicely filled,
seamlessly working list of your mame-roms.

RESTRICTIONS:
* right now, I'm only scanning for ORIGINALS and I'm skipping clones of games.

LINKS:
* Get CATVER.INI here: catver.com
* Get HISTORY.DAT here: arcade-history: video games, pinballs, slot machines, etc.

Tell me if it works! :-)

Regards,

Daniel

Hey

I was trying to follow your guide to set Mame up for Media Portal, but I couldn't find some of the things (as you can probably tell, I'm an entire noob at this so).

You say to go to Add Child > Extender > MAME Direct, but all I could fine was Add Child > Filelaunch... I was also unable to find any "Update Database" button.

This is the way I set it up:

I downloaded those 2 files you told me to, but not knowing where to put it, I put the .ini in the base directory, and the .dat in the docs folder.

Details:

Title: MAME
Launching application: (mame.exe directory)
Wait for Exit: On
Arguements: %filename% (I have no idea if this makes a diffrence or not)
Window Style: Normal
Image Directory: (where my ROM files are)

Files:

Title: Game name
Filename: (path to ROMS + file name)

What happens when I open is:

Error: Duplicating Filename: (filepath)\bublbobl.zip
error while parsing cmdline

I'm using the base MAME binaries, latest versoin (.96), and the 1.2.0 distribution of Media Portal. Any help you can give would be appreciated


P.S. I would love to set it up like you have it, but as I said, I'm not finding some of the stuff you're mentioning...

[Downzy]

Hi Migishu,

I was just having a look at this thread, as I'm interested in having Mame integrated nicely too.

From what I read in the initial post, the changes that Waeberd is talking about are not in 1.2.0, they are in the CVS as of 19.05.2005, which is newer than the 1.2.0 release. Are you using the CVS or just the 1.2.0 install?

The way I read it, the next release should include it, unless you want to play with CVS.

I'm definately looking forward to having a look when is it released.

Great job Waeberd!

Cheers,
Downzy

Thanks! I'll try it out tomorrow

[waeberd]

Hi folks,

Downzy was right, Migishu . These changes were implemented after 0.1.2.0, that's why you don't find the MAME DIRECT IMPORTER in the configuration. You can do two things:

*) wait for 0.1.3.0
*) get a current CVS version, for example here:
http://www.myshare.de/component/opti...per/Itemid,37/
(scroll down)

I downloaded those 2 files you told me to, but not knowing where to put it, I put the .ini in the base directory, and the .dat in the docs folder.

please put them both into your MAME-basedirectory. Otherwise MP wont find them.

If you want to test MAME now, you can do the following:
(this is the old style of using mame roms and the method described on top of this thread is much simpler and much more complete)

1) AddChild -> "DIRECTORY CACHE"
2) Click "Tools" -> "Read from Profile" -> "MAME":
    This will fill the sheet with reasonable values for mame
3) Overwrite the path to your MAME32.exe in "Launching Application"
4) Add your ROM-directory in the field "File Directory"
5) Optional but recommended: add all the mame-image directories you have on the "Image directories" field
6) Click the "FILES" tab
7) Hit the "Update Database" button, (yes this time it's there :) )
    => This will import all the roms you have on your disk into the MP database

Now you can:
*) in configuration, doubleclick one item to see the imported details
*) select one item and hit LAUNCH to test if the game is started properly
*) of course launch games in MP itself.

Problems with this "old-style" method:
. Gametitles are not correct. myPrograms simply uses the rom-filename as the gametitle, which is wrong for MAME-games
. No overview descriptions, details about games etc.

So.... if you want cool MAME support, check out the latest CVS version!

Hope that helps!

Daniel

Just installed it and it works perfectly! And I see you have ZSNES support aswell, so I may try that out too

[onkl]

Works perfectly also. However, for those having problems: The arguments you can parse to mame have apparently changed. So, if you use the direct-mame importer, change the pre-entered arguments to "-joy" only. The other two seem to hinder the automatic import.

[aasmund Nordal]

I am having some problems with mame.
I have read the documentation but, can`t get it to work.

I downloaded a free rom that I placed into the rom folder.
Then I tried update database but it would not work, there is nothing coming up.

I have the latest arcade og catvar files and I use MP rc2.

edit: whoops, easy solution. It wan not original roms so I just had to uncheck only import original roms.

[Downzy]

G'day,

I finally got around to starting work on my MP powered MAME Arcade Cabinet (I'll post a description once I get it completely up and running).

I've got a huge list of ROMS and using the mame plugin in MP, it can take a long time to scroll through the lists to find some of my favorite games.

Is there any way of setting up a favourites list?

[waeberd]

Hey Downzy,

Yeah, favourites are possible, see here:
http://www.team-mediaportal.com/doku...ins/myprograms

in short you need to:
1) start myProgram config
2) add a "grouper item", called "Top Shooters" for example
3) in your rom list:
. mark the games you wish to add
. click the "Add to favourites" button
=> a popupmenu with all grouper items appears
. select the item you've created in step (2)

This will add LINKS to the roms you've selected.

Nice detail: you can mix links from different emulators in one single list, myPrograms will launch the correct emulator associated with the link (which means you can for example set up a FINAL FANTASY list that launches games using 5 or 6 different emulators)

Have fun!

Daniel