MESSUI / MAMEUI and INI files

[Robert]

MESSUI, MAMEUI, and HBMAMEUI, have specific requirements for INI files. You MUST set up your INI files correctly, or the emulator will not work properly. The instructions below use MESSUI, but substitute MAMEUI or HBMAMEUI if that's what you're using. Also, the reference to mame.ini should be mess.ini or hbmame.ini as appropriate.

 

Note that HBMAME and HBMAMEUI use hbmame.ini. A MESS-only build (of any name) uses mess.ini. All others use mame.ini.

 

Make sure you are at a cmd prompt (start, run, cmd, press enter). Navigate to your MESS ROOT folder.

 

Root directory (e.g. C:\MESS) is the place where MESSUI.exe is.

 

If there's no mame.ini here, type in messui -cc

 

Now, open mame.ini with Notepad. Adjust the paths to match whatever you are using.

You MUST make sure that inifile_directory is ini (remove the .; )

When done, save the file.

 

Next, create a subfolder called ini (w.g C:\MESS\ini )

 

Copy (not move) mame.ini into this new ini folder.

 

When you run a computer or console (a system) in MESS, it creates another ini file, named after the system you just ran. This also goes into the ini folder. It mainly serves to hold the software and slot settings that are unique to that system.

 

The mame.ini in the root is called the basic ini. The mame.ini in the ini folder is the global ini. The system-specific ini is game ini.

 

Use of each ini:

* Basic ini: For MESS, only the inifile_directory has any meaning. The remaining options are ignored, so we use them as the backup defaults.

 

* Global ini: This is the template for each new game ini. If you don't use game ini files (arcade only), then this is the settings for the game

 

* Game ini: Individual settings for this game. Initially copied from global, after that you can customise it This file is required for systems that have software, optional otherwise.

 

 

In MESSUI, click on Options, Directories to adjust the Global directory settings. Click on Options, Default Game Options for the other Global settings. If you click on Restore Defaults, it will revert Global to be the same as Basic.

 

You can right-click on a system and select Properties to adjust game ini. Clicking on Restore Defaults will make it revert to be the same as Global.

 

 

Root .\mame.ini ------ ini\mame.ini ------ ini\game.ini

Edited August 13, 2015 by Robert
Fix ini name for MESSUI 0.164 and later

[Robert]

For MESSUI only, we need to explain software folders, how to configure them, and what kind of software goes where.

 

 

 

There are 2 kinds of software:

 

* SW Items: These are listed in a software list. Software lists are found in the hash folder. You can normally download the items listed within, from a torrent site. They should come already sorted for you, but if not, use a rom manager such as RomVault to do the job. You need to tell MESSUI where to find these files. Let's assume you have saved them into E:\software\game\*.zip.

 

You would add an extra folder to rompath_directories in your Basic or Global ini, (e.g. E:\software). In MESSUI you also add E:\software to the directory called Software List Base. Inside E:\software, there's no need for you to create folders or files, it is automatically handled by what you downloaded, or organised with RomVault.

 

 

* SW Files: This area is for the left-over software that isn't in a software list. Create a base folder for it (such as E:\DATA), and under this, a folder for each system with whatever naming convention appeals to you. (e.g. E:\DATA\Atari\Jaguar). Again, you need to tell MESSUI where this data is. In Options, Directories, Software File Base, set this to E:\DATA and save. Then right-click on the Jaguar system, Properties, Software, navigate to E:\DATA\Atari\Jaguar and select it. Save this. Continue doing this step for any other systems that interest you.

 

Make sure to always exit and restart MESSUI after making a bunch of changes, to ensure that nothing is lost.

[julepe]

mess64 -cc create a new mess.ini but messui64 doesn't use it, messui64 -cc create mame.ini

 

Too many bugs in system tabs (fields). I've deleted MessUi.ini to have a new and clear one but if I hide tabs or reorder them I get a mess.

 

* NEWUI - Devices dropdown menu has been renamed to Media

When executing a system I keep on seeing Devices menu, not Media, and it doesn't work

 

* MESSUI - Multiple directories for snapshots, titles, marquees, cabinets, pcbs, control panels.

no multiple directories for snapshots

 

* MESSUI - Multiple directories for snapshots, titles, marquees, cabinets, pcbs, control panels.

I don't see them right clicking on Folder list/Custom filters

Edited August 2, 2015 by julepe

[Robert]

MESSUI now has all of mame and mess, so it uses mame.ini (I hadn't actually realised that, but if it has mame in it, then it must use mame.ini).

 

Media.. says media for me.

 

Multiple directories can be seen in the Directories menu. Nothing to do with filters.

[Robert]

I've uploaded fixed versions (they are at current git level, not base 0.164) of MESSUI.

 

Fixed bugs:

- Main game window columns get scrambled when modified

- Snapshots not multi directory in Directories dialog

- SW Files shows multiple Filename column

- Should fix report of NEWUI not working when run under MESSUI (I didn't see this bug myself though).

 

Get them at http://messui.1emulation.com/

[julepe]

Thank you, Robert; now I see Media and not Devices

 

 

I think that it's more difficult, for you, to understand me than to solve these bugs.