5 replies to this topic

[fruities]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section or a stupid question altogether, but I couldn't find a post like this.

I have some of the layouts/ROMs from this site, and ran them through ClrMame Pro with the latest DAT files (referring specifically to "Fruit Machine Layouts - MFME (20040804)". To my surprise, there were lots of "errors" found. These included:

:arrow: wrong name on ZIP files (well, this was expected, and to be honest, why should the Classic and DX layouts have EXACTLY the same name? ClrMame is WRONG in my opinion)
:arrow: unneeded files - ZIP files at that (does this mean some of your files AREN'T in the ClrMame DAT?)
:arrow: Missing Sets/ROMs (does this mean the files you have aren't all of the games available?)

Here is the summary of that set (MFME Layouts):

Missing Sets:             450 of 493
Wrong SetName Case:       0
Wrong Named Sets:         73

Missing Roms:             2654 of 2976

So, I guess my questions are:

What ROM manager would you suggest for Fruit Machine ROMs/Layouts?

Are there games not available on your site? Similarly, are there games on your site not implemented in other packs?

Is there a "right" set of ROMs?

Oh, and also... what are these Snapshots that there are DAT files for? Sorry, newbie question I'm sure! :oops:

[Geddy]

Well first of all CMPro is never WRONG. It only follows and does what you tell it to do either by the dat you run or the instructions you give it.

As to you points well I guess you have not read the readme file that comes with the dats as this explains for one why the DX and Classic layouts have the same zip name. The zip is a PARENT set which contains all the layouts for that machine. Each individual layout is named according to what type of layout it is.. it is all in the readme and is very simple to understand......

Dx01 <---- the first DX
C01 <---- the 1st Classic etc.....

[fruities]

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I have read the file, yes I understand that this is the parent. However, if you are going to put all your ZIPs in the same folder... well you can't have two zips of the SAME name, so it would make more sense to have it (like MAME) where you can have ALL zip files in one folder. The way this site names them, you can. If you then save them in one folder, run ClrMame Pro and allow it to "repair" the names, then what happens? Do you lose one of the files? Does the second one fail to rename?

Also, the majority of my question was not answered by this readme, or your reply. Are there games available on this site not covered by ClrMame's DAT files yet? Also, does this site hold the complete set as listed in the ClrMame DAT files?

[Geddy]

Yes I have read the file, yes I understand that this is the parent. However, if you are going to put all your ZIPs in the same folder... well you can't have two zips of the SAME name, so it would make more sense to have it (like MAME) where you can have ALL zip files in one folder. The way this site names them, you can. If you then save them in one folder, run ClrMame Pro and allow it to "repair" the names, then what happens? Do you lose one of the files? Does the second one fail to rename?

Not totally sure what you mean here as you appear to be getting a tad mixed up with zips and folders. You mention two zips in the smae folder having the same name - in a renamed set using my dats this is impossible so I do not know what you are on about here. The parent sets are identical to how they are made in MAME. All 'parts' of each parent are zipped together (Merged MAME set) Remember MFME and JPEMU CANNOT play zips so you have to unzip them all to play them anyway. (and put in the relevent roms.) Some 'games' have say 20 different layouts. All these layouts are named accordingly and zipped together into a parent set. (BFM can run zips so those are renamed split.) To play the games do as I do and once you have renamed/rebuilt them unzip them all and through them all 'loose' with the required unzipped roms in one big folder - easy.

Also, the majority of my question was not answered by this readme, or your reply. Are there games available on this site not covered by ClrMame's DAT files yet? Also, does this site hold the complete set as listed in the ClrMame DAT files?

I would be suprised if any layout available on this site is NOT included in the dat. I believe I have every availble/released layout. (remember gam files alter when you play them. The ones in the dats are as released.) I would imagine this site does not have all available. I can however suplly a free DVD with all on or if you have Usenet access can provide fills from your fix dat (providing it is not too large.)

Hope that answers all your points.

[fruities]

Thanks for the reply.

I appreciate that the ROMs/Layouts must be unzipped to play them. However, for storage purposes (e.g. archival on a removable media), then it is easier to keep in a ZIP. Still, I appreciate it is probably easier to extract the Layouts/ROMs, and THEN run ClrMame on them.

Here is what I meant about the same names:

wrong name: C:Fruitapollo9classic.zip [wrong: apollo9classic] [right: Apollo 9 (Maygay)]

wrong name: C:Fruitapollo9DX.zip [wrong: apollo9DX] [right: Apollo 9 (Maygay)]

As you can see, two ZIP files, as downloaded from this site, live harmoniously in one folder. One is a Classic Layout, the other DX. However, ClrMame wants to rename them to the same name. This means that you cannot archive ClrMame approved ZIP files of the Classic and DX layouts of the same game.

ClrMame is indeed an excellent tool, and never "wrong" - it just does what its told. What I meant was, the archival method from this site appears sensible to me (eg gamenameclassic.zip gamenamedx.zip), whereas the names ClrMame wants to rename the ZIPs too would seem a little bizarre to me. By all means, have one archive with BOTH in (is this what it is looking for perhaps?), but surely if I rename the DX then try to rename the Classic the SAME name, it will fail?

Yes, questions answered. I have found the ClrMame format Layouts so shall do a bit of investigating into contents. My only other (newbie) question.... what is a snapshot?

Oh, the other thing... why do I get this?

unneeded file: C:FruitChainReactionClassic.zip
unneeded file: C:Fruitcluedoclassic.zip

...and several other files. Does this mean those Layouts aren't included in the DAT? I'm assuming they are the variant layouts, e.g. 1280x1024 versions... either that or its finding an unnecessary file, e.g. web site advert in the zip??

[Geddy]

To illiminate the 'same' name zip problem you are going to have to 'rebuild' your sets not scan them. Tell CMPro to rebuild from the folder you have all your layouts (try unzipped as well if you can - it might be better) in e.g. c:Fruit-Emulayouts (source) to another folder e.g. c:Clean Sets (destination) Then once you have done that scan the 'rebuilt' folder.

The ones you have as not needed are exactly that - not needed. Like I say I make the sets as downloaded (and not always from here) so any differences in the files will not result in the file been 'kept.' More often than not this is the gam files. (If you are certain these 'not needed' are genuine 'un datted' files then send me the details and I will check to see if they should go into the dat.)

Snapshots are exactly that - pictures of each layout running in the emulator.