 Table of content |
RomCenter |
Version 1.0 - 28/02/1999
© 1999 Bole-Feysot Eric - All rights reserved.
This software is freeware and selling it is not allowed.
This program comes with no warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied. In no event will I be liable for any damages resulting
from the proper or improper use of this software.
YOU USE THIS PROGRAM AT YOUR OWN RISK.
If you find any mistakes, you don't understand something
or something is missing in this document, feel free to mail me.
I remind you that you are not allowed to distribute roms with emulators.
| Table of content |
1 - What's new ?
2 - Introduction
2.1 - What is RomCenter ?
2.2 - Requirement
2.3 - Installation
2.4 - Quick start
3 - Fonctionnalities
3.1 - Running RomCenter
3.2 - Main window
3.3 - Scanning roms
3.4 - Merging roms
3.5 - Repairing Mame roms directory
3.6 - Changing mame version
3.7 - Special notes on neo-geo games
4 - Conclusion
4.1 - Uninstall
4.2 - Contact
4.3 - Distribution
5 - Unreleased roms (READ !)
| 1 - What's new ? |
| 2 - Introduction |
Welcome to Romcenter
| 2.1 - What is RomCenter ? |
Mame ! Everybody knows today this incredible multi arcade machine emulator. It supports new games everydays, and more and more roms are needed. It supports more than 1200 games, and more than 11000 roms ! Authors try now to merge them in sets, correct bad roms, and add missing roms. But you, how do you know exactly which one are good, bad, missing or no more needed ? When a rom is missing in a game, are you sure it is not already there, but in another set? RomCenter will do all that, and more, for you. It helps me a lot, and now, I release it to public for free. RomCenter's core is a database which holds a hierarchical view of mame supported games based on sets/clones/roms. RomCenter manages for you your mame roms directory. If you have new roms, drag and drop them on RomCenter, see what is inside, and copy them in your mame roms directory. They will be analysed, renamed, spreaded and sorted for you.
RomCenter features:
- Dynamic mame roms retrieval (no datafiles needed)
- New version detection with roms checking
- Rom merging, renaming and spreading
- Incomplete games and sets detection
- Useless rom files filtering
- Roms zip files drag & drop
- Professionnal interface with sensitive tool bar and contextual menus
- Resizable splitted window
- and more (hot tracking, mouse wheel support...)
| 2.2 - Requirements |
I havn't tried RomCenter on 486, but it should work (slow). Tell me if you try.
You need:
- mame 0.34 or better due to the use of -listcrc option. Neomame and others derivatives
are also working.
- Pkzip and Pkunzip (located on the RomCenter directory, or in a PATH directory. Download
it at the Home Page
- Some disk space to temporary store roms.
| 2.3 -Installation |
RomCenter can be launched from anywhere.
- Unzip RomCenter.
The following files will be installed:
- RomCenter.exe : Main executable
- RomCenter.htm : Html documentation (this document)
- RCDoc\... : Documentation files
| 2.4 - Quick start |
- Check you have pkzip and pkunzip in your PATH
- Run RomCenter.exe
- Select your mame executable
- Press the refresh button to clean your roms directory.
- Drag & drop new roms zip in the dropping zone
- Click merge to install these roms in mame etc...
| 3 - Fonctionnalities |
| 3.1 -Running RomCenter |
When you first run RomCenter, you must give your mame executable file. Then, all datas will be retrieved. All mames roms files are checked. This can take 3-4 minutes, depending the number of roms you have. This is done only on time when you change mame version. You can display the console window to follow operations (look in taskbar). Then, RomCenter will probably ask you if you want to clean your roms. See repair chapter for more details. You are now ready to manage your roms directory thru RomCenter.
| 3.2 -Main window |
This is the RomCenter main window. You
can see in the left list that the game defend the terra attack use a galaxian rom (called
rucp in this clone).
The main window is cut in four parts:
- The files dropping zone (upper left)
- The general infos area (upper right)
- The input rom area (lower left)
- The output rom area (lower right)
You can clear the input roms area by pressing the clear
button.
The file dropping zone is used to inport zipped roms in romcenter. Simply drag files from
a directory and drop them in dropping zone.
The general infos area displays informations on the current mame version.
The input rom area displays roms which have been recognized in files dropped in dropping
zone.
The output rom area shows roms already installed in mame. They are in the 'roms' directory
in the same location as mame.exe. Note that the list shows games which are virtually
available (ie: the roms are present).The list can report that a game is working, although
mame report a missing rom. The reason is that the missing rom is available elsewhere. Do a
refresh to synchronize.
| 3.3 - Scanning roms |
Drag and drop a zip file into the dropping zone. RomCenter will scan the zip, and then
show the result in the input window. You can set the filter to 'all' or 'new'.
- 'All' will display all roms detected in zip files.
- 'New' will only show roms which are not available in the output area (in fact the
mame roms directory).
A red flag shows you that the item is not available.
A yellow flag shows you that the item is not complete.
A green flag shows you that the item is complete.
The scanning result is available in a report. Press the report button to display it.
| 3.4 - Merging roms |
If you want to copy previously scanned roms in the mame roms directory, simply press the merge button, and roms will be copied at their right places with their right names. If you manually copy roms to the mameroms directory, you will need to refresh the output window to take them into account. No roms are deleted in the merging process. This process can take a lot of time. I will go further in optimization in later release, but for now, if you have a huge number of roms to copy, manually copy them to the roms directory and do a repair with RomCenter.
| 3.5 - Repairing mame roms directory |
RomCenter include a fast roms repairing engine. It can spread roms in all sets where
they are needed, rename them and delete unknown files. To repair your mame roms directory,
simply click the refresh button. All roms are scanned, and controled. Then, if some
problems are detected, RomCenter ask you if you want to repair them.
The repairing engine follows these rules:
- Zip filename must be the name of a set. (only one zip per set)
- All roms are at the same level in the zip (no subdirectories)
- Roms names will match rom names of the main clone (if applied)
- Neo-Geo bios files are moved to neogeo.zip archive, and removed from all neogeo games
- All unknown roms can be deleted (if you agree the warning). See the neogeo warning.
This process can take more or less time, so, be patient.
You can follow the process in the console window.WARNING - Roms recorded in mame with a crc of 00000000 will be deleted if you tell romcenter to delete bad roms. Alist of these roms is given in chapter 5.
| 3.6 - Changing mame version |
RomCenter can automatically detect that your mame executable has been changed. As the new version probably support more roms, RomCenter will build a new list, and will also check the mame roms directory (and ask for a repair if needed)
| 3.7 -Special notes about neo-geo games |
To optimize disk space, neogeo bios files are removed from all neogeo games and put in a new set called neo-geo. This set is needed for every neogeo games to work. As a side effect, RomCenter will report that a neogeo game is complete, even if the bios files are missing. This is not a bug.
WARNING - Some neogeo roms (sound...) are recorded in mame with a crc of 00000000. If you have good roms, they are detected as bad rom (cause crc doesn't match ), and CAN BE DELETED if you says RomCenter to delete bad roms. backup these roms, or wait for new up-to-date mame version. A list is provided in chapter 5.
| 4 - Conclusion |
| 4.1 - Uninstall |
To uninstall RomCenter, delete romcenter executable, doc and games.dat file, and remove the entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/SOFTWARE/ROMCENTER in the registry.
| 4.2 - Contact |
You can reach me at ebolefeysot@bigfoot.com. Send me bugs, ideas, new features you like to see, greetings, phonecards etc...
| 4.3 - Distribution |
Get the latest version on the home page at :http://www.bigfoot.com/~ebolefeysot
| 5 - Unreleased roms (Read !) |
These roms are supported by mame, but their crc is set to 00000000. They were unavailable at mame release date. WARNING : If RomCenter find one of them, and if you select to delete bad roms, it will be deleted. (This is particularly true for mame sound roms). Backup them, or don't accept deleting bad roms.
List for M.A.M.E. v0.35 BETA 3 (Feb 14 1999) Set Set Name Rom name ------------------------------------------------------------------- twincobr Twin Cobra (Taito) dsp-22 twincobr Twin Cobra (Taito) dsp-21 pignewt Pig Newton (Revision C) cpu.u25 pignewt Pig Newton (Revision C) cpu.u25 pignewt Pig Newton (Revision C) 1906a.bg pignewt Pig Newton (Revision C) 1907a.bg pignewt Pig Newton (Revision C) 1908a.bg. pignewt Pig Newton (Revision C) 1904a.bg pignewt Pig Newton (Revision C) 1905a.bg ghostb The Real Ghostbusters (2 player) dz19a.10d ghostb The Real Ghostbusters (2 player) dz20a.11d shackled Shackled dk-12.rom shackled Shackled dk-13.rom shackled Shackled dk-14.rom shackled Shackled dk-15.rom shackled Shackled dk-16.rom shackled Shackled dk-17.rom shackled Shackled dk-18.rom shackled Shackled dk-19.rom renegade Renegade (US) kuniokub ta18-04.bin spacefb Space Firebird (Nintendo) 4i.vid spacefb Space Firebird (Nintendo) mb7051.3n spacefb Space Firebird (Nintendo) ic20.snd pulstar Pulstar pstar_v1.rom pulstar Pulstar pstar_v2.rom sonicwi3 Aero Fighters 3 / Sonic Wings 3 sonw3_v1.rom magdrop3 Magical Drop 3 / Toretate Zoukangou III drop3_v1.rom ninjamas Ninja Master's ninjm_v1.rom twinspri Twinkle Star Sprites sprit_v1.rom ragnagrd Operation Ragnagard / Shin Oh Ken rgard_v1.rom ragnagrd Operation Ragnagard / Shin Oh Ken rgard_v2.rom wakuwak7 Waku Waku 7 waku7_v1.rom wakuwak7 Waku Waku 7 waku7_v2.rom samsho3 Samurai Shodown 3 / Samurai Spirits 3 sams3_v1.rom rbff1 Real Bout Fatal Fury rbff1_v1.rom rbff1 Real Bout Fatal Fury rbff1_v2.rom rbff1 Real Bout Fatal Fury rbff1_v3.rom
Enjoy...