Mame32 Support Documentation v.2001-11-01
this is a copy of the document prepared for
the distribution package, it lives at: www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/support.htm
Pre-Mame32. 1
Getting
Started w/ Mame32. 1
Mame32
Support Files. 1
Beautify
your Mame32: the Mame32 Art Packs. 3
Mame32
Recommended Graphic & Sound Settings. 3
Mame32
Troubleshooting. 3
Support,
Testing, Bug Reporting. 5
Mame32 was the first
and only Win32 port of Mame from
1997-2001. Mame32 does not equal
Mame[w].
Currently Mame32 has merged its
functional GUI with the recently released Win32 console mode command-line
driven Mame[w].
Mame32 runs on Win9x, WinME, WinNT, Win2k, and WinXP. Ensure you
have the latest and greatest DirectX version for your OS from Microsoft. NT4
users will need SP4 or greater. (both available for
download at www.microsoft.com). Note for Windows 95 users [and
NT4SP3]! Windows 95/NT may need the common controls update,
available from the Microsoft web site, to prevent property sheet errors when
going to options for the games or
options/default options menu, it is called 401comupd.exe
and was available here at the time of this writing: http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ieplatform/ie/comctrlx86.asp
1.
Download the zip file of mame32 from these
official sites:
1.1.1.
www.classicgaming.com/mame32
1.1.2.
www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa
2.
Create a directory/folder on your hard drive i.e.
c:\mame32
3.
Open this directory and copy the just downloaded mame32 zip file into
it.
4.
Using an archive program like WinZip or Pkunzip,
extract the contents of the mame32.zip (ensure you
use the -d option in Pkunzip to get recursed subdirectories) In WinZip select
Extract from the Actions menu, be sure the
Use folder names checkbox is checked.
5.
Place your game roms (readily
available in convenient zip format) into the sub-directory called c:\mame32\roms, which you
may have to create [note game roms are not distributed w/ Mame32]. It's
preferable to leave the roms in their zip format, and just place the zip files
into the \mame32\roms directory.
6.
Some games require sampled sounds [space invaders,
donkey kong, etc.] these are available at www.mame.net
. If a game requires samples it will
show on the games property tab [alt-Place your sample zip files in our example
into the sub-directory called c:\mame32\samples that you may have to create
[note that the sample zips will have the same name as the game roms] Donkey
Kong's roms are called dkong.zip and Donkey Kong's samples are also dkong.zip
but they go in different directories.
7.
Double click the Mame32 icon, hit F5 to refresh
your game list. Double click the game
you want to play. Insert coin with the 5
key, start the game with the 1 key.
Remap controls by using the [tab] key once you are in the game.
Mame32 Support Files
|
File Name
|
Location / Description
|
|
Icons.zip
|
http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm
This contains icons for every game
in Mame32
and the tree control on the far left.
Place it in the \mame32\icons
directory.
|
|
Snap.zip
|
http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm
These are a series of files that contain in-game
screenshots of every parent game
in Mame32. Download the split packs and combine them
into a single snap.zip, place that in \mame32\snap
directory or place all the *.pngs themselves into
the \mame32\snap
directory. [display by clicking/toggling on the screenshot area]
|
|
Bkground.zip
|
http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm
This contains numerous
images that are used as the background windowpanes for the Mame32
GUI. Download this and place it in \mame32\bkground.
[rename
the one you want to use bkground.png and place that single file in \mame32\snap.
|
|
Flyers.zip
|
http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm
This contains images of the original promotional material
sent to arcade owners when the games
came out, exhorting them to
buy the games. Combine the packs into flyers.zip in \mame32\flyers,
or leave them freestanding in \mame32\flyers. [display by clicking/toggling on the
screenshot area]
|
|
Marquees.zip
|
http://www.mameworld.net/emam/
This contains images of the images that usually sat on top
of the original arcade machines. Place
this file in \mame32\marquees
[display by clicking/toggling the screenshot area]
|
|
Cabinets.zip
|
http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm
These contain images of the actual arcade machines
themselves, showing what they looked like in their native habitat. Place
these files in \mame32\cabinets,
combine the contents and call them cabinets.zip. [display by clicking/toggling on the
screenshot area]
|
|
History.dat
|
http://www.sys2064.com/
This file contains text history of each game,
including tips, tricks, designer’s names,
etc. Very interesting. Place this file
in \mame32
alongside mame32.exe.
[note: history.dat information will only display in screenshot mode, not
during flyer/cab/marquee mode]
|
|
Mameinfo.dat
|
http://www.Mameworld.net/mameinfo/
This file contains bug, WIP, driver author, and version
information. Place it in \mame32
alongside mame32.exe. This information will display under
history.dat entries, and as above, only during screenshot mode.
|
|
Hiscore.dat
|
http://www.mame.net/hiscore.html
This file facilitates the creation of hi scores in a large
number of Mame32
games where they didn’t in
the arcades. Place this file in \mame32
alongside mame32.exe.
|
|
Rotate.zip
|
http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm
This program rotates your bkground images so you can have a
new look for Mame32
everytime
you run it. See the enclosed batch
file for a quick reference. The batch
file grabs an image from the \mame32\bkground
directory and copies it to the \mame32\snap
directory.
|
Mame32's flexible GUI
framework allows for some beautiful customization
including font color, icons, and background images that tile around
screenshots, take a look: www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/gallery/gallery.htm.
For Mame32's official art packs including icons of all working games, flyers,
cabinets, screenshots for all games, and afore mentioned background images
please see: http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm. Also see the table above for other extras.
Mame32 Recommended Graphic & Sound Settings
Optimal
Graphic Settings: Mame32 will now take advantage of your recent video card’s ability to do
hardware stretching and will stretch a game to fill your monitors dimensions. See: www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/settings/settings.htm
for more info on recommended settings and how to match classic Mame32 output.
Mame32 Troubleshooting
As with
any program there are bound to be some hiccups, here are
some suggestions to common perceived difficulties.
Also, remember, Mame32 is now based on
the core Mame[w] - if a problem exists in the Mame[w] code we
inherit it. Always ensure before reporting problems with Mame32 that it
*doesn't* happen in the Mame[w] version. If it
does, there's not much we can do about it.
Mame is an ongoing documentation project,
as such, some game may break from
version to version as core changes occur beneath them. Use a prior working version of Mame if the game you want develops
problems.
1.
'My roms aren't being seen, the roms I had in version
x don't work anymore.'
1.1.
This is the question that gets asked the most, why do my old rom sets no longer work w/ newer versions of Mame32? Mame is a documentation project,
sometimes old rom sets are
found to be missing previously miss-dumped or damaged roms, those
will be replaced as found. Small color
proms are also still trickling in. As new versions of Mame come on board the
developers add support for new iterations and often add these files for missing
games [or they will delete redundant files], this
necessitates using that new updated set. Examples you might see are donkey kong, pacman, etc. from .33b. Run an audit on the game in question
[highlight game, use alt-a to
audit], it will tell you what files you are missing. Those will likely have been added or altered
recently. You will need to locate the changed files or download a new updated
set. Note: do not email the Mame or Mame32 teams about
roms.
1.2.
If you're getting the corrupt ROM message, secondary
click on the game in the list and choose properties, do an
audit on that game [or use alt-a] and you will likely find
that you are missing a file or two. See item 1.1. above,
it's probably a missing prom.
1.3.
F5/Refresh in the GUI. (do
this anytime you alter your roms, renaming etc.)
1.4.
Ensure you have the appropriate folder view
toggled, i.e. 'all games' and it doesn't
have filtering on it to stop the display of the game you're looking
for.
1.5.
Use the options • reset to default menu choice and
check all of the items, restart Mame32.
1.6.
Final option, manually delete the registry key for
Mame32: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Freeware\MAME32
2.
Crashes & Non-Functioning Topics
2.1.
Delete the .hi and .cfg files for the game that's troubling
you.
2.2.
Check to see that you have a valid zip file and
it's not corrupt or read-only.
2.3.
If you're crashing during an audit or an F5
refresh, you probably have a corrupt .zip, extract it and re-zip. Pkunzip -t
*.zip. Note the file that dies during the audit and concentrate on that one.
Also verify that if you do not use zips that the folder is not empty, or
contains partial or damaged roms.
2.4.
If seeing crashes, try disabling running background
apps [in Win98, use msconfig.exe], Norton Crashguard, popupkiller,
viruscans, fast find, the office bar, Intellimouse, even IE subscription
updates, etc, try moving Mame32 away from
compressed [DriveSpace, DoubleSpace, stacker] drives. IntelliMouse and Office Toolbars are a known offenders in this category. Also disable items in your system tray, like
the CD player, etc.
2.5.
Use the options • reset to default menu choice and
check all of the items, restart Mame32.
2.6.
Final option, manually delete the registry key for
Mame32: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Freeware\MAME32
3. Performance Related Topics [sound scratchiness and
stuttering]
3.1.
Mame32 will start to
crackle, scratch, or echo if the game you are running
is too taxing for your processor [Taito F3, Midway Wolf Unit, CPS2 games require a lot of
horsepower]. You can visually confirm
this by turning on FPS display with F11, and frame skip to auto with
F8. If the FPS dips anywhere or frame skipping rises
anywhere during the game play, you know
it’s maxxing out your CPU and sound breakup could
occur. The new blitter effects [partial scanlines, rgb
effects] will impose further strain on your system, upwards of 50%.
4.
Joysticks and Gamepad Topics
4.1.
To enable the joystick and mouse, remember you need to
toggle them on the first time you run Mame32, options •
default options • controllers.
4.2.
Mame32 relies on
DirectInput for joystick support, ensure your game pad is seen as
present and active in the game controller
control panel: start menu • settings •
control panel • game controllers.
4.3.
Verify your joystick is seen as ID #1 in the game controllers
control panel rather than being assigned a higher number.
5.
Misc. & GUI Related Issues
5.1.
Getting property sheet errors on setting defaults
or game properties? Get the Microsoft common controls
update here: http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ieplatform/ie/comctrlx86.asp, or update to IE4
or greater.
5.2.
If you
are seeing icon palette corruption in the GUI when returning from a fullscreen
game, try bumping up your desktop color depth to
24bpp or 32bpp.
5.3.
There
may be some issues using the pure white color in the
GUI as a font color choice or as a highlight, try silver or a slightly off
white.
5.4.
Seeing
corruption in the screenshot/flyers/cabinets images? Resize the viewable area;
Mame32 decimates the image if the area to
display the image in is too small, resulting in colored patterns. [you can increase the viewable screenshot area by turning off
status bar, and toolbar, and widening/heightening the screenshot pane].
5.5.
If
you’re having trouble saving your keyboard mappings and configuration, verify
that the *.cfg files are not read-only and that you have a \cfg directory.
5.6.
Tab menu no longer working? You’ve mapped it
accidentally to something
else apparently; delete the default.cfg file in the \mame32\cfg directory.
5.7.
If a game quits immediately, you might try removing its entry
[or remarking it out] from the hiscore.dat file. Examples are Phoenix and Pac-Mania.
5.8.
My
hi-scores aren’t being saved anymore.
For non-NVRAM games
get the hiscore.dat file from www.mame.net.
Remember not all games are converted to this method yet,
see the hiscore.dat file itself for the list of supported games.
For breaking
information on troubleshooting techniques or issues related to the latest
release as well as updated art, icons, and screenshots go to the Mame32 QA/Test &
Art Dept. www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa .
The
current list of Mame32 issues can be
found here: http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/bugs.htm
These
bug entries do not include DCRs [Developer Change
Requests / Feature Requests].
Remember; always
ensure that the problem doesn't happen in the Mame[w] version before
reporting a bug. Check Mame[w] bugs here: http://www.Mame[w]orld.net/mametesters/report.html
.
john iv
mame32qa@hotmail.com
[note: put 'mame32' in the subject line or you will be spam filtered.]
This
document was previously quickstart.htm, but it evolved
beyond getting the app up and running hence the name change.