Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- mame_listxml [2022/11/20 16:32] – johnsanc
+++ mame_listxml [2023/07/04 15:18] (current) – johnsanc
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== How to create MAME sets with RomVault ======
-|**ⓘ NOTE:** \\ This page is currently undergoing a content refresh.|
 RomVault will allow you to build, repair, or upgrade a MAME collection in a few easy steps:
@@ Line 10: / Line 8: @@
   - Scan your ROM sets
   - Fix your ROM sets
+  - Keep your ROM sets up-to-date
+\\
 ===== Set up RomVault for the first time =====
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
+\\
 ===== Add MAME Arcade DATs =====
@@ Line 24: / Line 25: @@
   - Expand the **Emulators** group
   - Select **MAME** if you want DATs for the latest stable build or **MAME-Daily** for the latest development build
-  - Decide which MAME Arcade DATs you want to use for ROMs and CHDs. For this guide we will use **MAME ROMs (listxml)** since it provides flexibility to change merge settings and allows ROMs and CHDs to be stored together which is the prevailing MAME recommendation. Refer to the table below for additional information and use cases for each DAT. <WRAP>
+  - Decide which MAME Arcade DATs you want to use for ROMs and CHDs. For this guide we will use **MAME ROMs (listxml)** since it provides flexibility to change merge settings and allows ROMs and CHDs to be stored together which is the prevailing MAME recommendation. Refer to the table below for additional information and use cases for each DAT. <WRAP tablewidth 800px>
 ^ DAT                     ^ ROMs  ^ CHDs  ^ Description                                                                                                                                                                                                    ^
 | MAME CHDs (merged)      |       |  X    | Contains only CHDs in merged format. Use if you prefer to keep CHDs in a separate directory from ROMs.                                                                                                         |
@@ Line 33: / Line 34: @@
 </WRAP>
   - Select the checkbox in the row for the **MAME ROMs (listxml)** DAT
-  - Click the **Add Selected** button
+  - Click the **Add Selected** button \\ <WRAP>
+{{:screens:mame:mame-datvault-download.png?nolink&800:|}}
+</WRAP>
   - Choose a location in your DatRoot to store the DAT. You can use DatVault's default directories or choose your own.
-  - Review the DAT path in the preview box, and once it looks good click the **OK** button
+  - Review the DAT path in the preview box, and once it looks good click the **OK** button \\ <WRAP>
+{{:screens:mame:mame-datvault-add.png?nolink&500:|}}
+</WRAP>
   - The DAT should download and the row will be highlighted green. If you deselected the automatic download option when choosing a DAT location, then click the **Update Selected** button to download.
   - Close the DatVault window and RomVault will automatically refresh your DATs
+\\
 ===== Configure directory settings =====
@@ Line 59: / Line 61: @@
     * Header Type: **Optional** (Not relevant for MAME, so just leave this as Optional)
   - Click the **Apply** button to save the rule
-  - Close the directory rule window and the DAT will be reprocessed automatically
+  - Close the directory rule window and the DAT will be reprocessed automatically <WRAP>
+{{:screens:mame:mame-dirsetting.png?nolink&750:|}}
+</WRAP>
+\\
 ===== Scan your ROM sets =====
@@ Line 69: / Line 73: @@
   - Select **MAME** in the tree
   - Select your **ToSort** directory in the tree to consider additional files for fixing MAME sets. For example, you could place a pack of MAME update ROMs in your ToSort directory
-  - Click the **Scan ROMs** button. RomVault will decompress and hash all archives to ensure they are good and match the DAT contents. This may take awhile, but initial hashing is a one-time process. RomVault remembers file modified timestamps and skips over any files that have not been modified. This means future scans will be very fast.
+  - Click the **Scan ROMs** button. RomVault will decompress and hash all archives to ensure they are good and match the DAT contents. This may take awhile, but initial hashing is a one-time process. RomVault remembers file modified timestamps and skips over any files that have not been modified. This means future scans will be very fast. \\ <WRAP>
+{{:screens:mame:mame-scan.png?nolink&800:|}}
-|**ⓘ NOTE:** \\ chdman.exe is required to decompress and verify the contents of MAME V5 CHD files. chdman.exe should be placed in the same directory as the RomVault application. This is optional, but recommended. |
+</WRAP>
+\\
 ===== Fix your ROM sets =====
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   - Click the **Find Fixes** button. RomVault will compare the information in the DAT with the files you have scanned. Only directories that are selected in the tree are considered in this process.
-  - Review the fixes RomVault determined are necessary. Refer to the [[color_key|color key]] to learn more about each ROM status and fix action.
+  - Review the fixes RomVault determined are necessary. Refer to the [[color_key|color key]] to learn more about each ROM status and fix action. \\ <WRAP>
+{{:screens:mame:mame-find-fixes.png?nolink&800:|}}
+</WRAP>
   - Click the **Fix ROMs** button. RomVault will start performing fixes by moving files, repacking archives, and removing unnecessary files.
-  - When the process is complete, click the **Close** button in the status log window.
+  - When the process is complete, click the **Close** button in the status log window. \\ <WRAP>
+{{:screens:mame:mame-fix-roms.png?nolink&800:|}}
+</WRAP>
+Congratulations! You should now have a clean MAME Arcade set that matches the DAT.
+<WRAP info>RomVault's fixing process does NOT delete any unique files. All unnecessary files are moved to your primary ToSort directory. You can keep these files in case they are needed for fixing other sets. Alternately, if you choose to delete the unneeded files manually, be sure to rescan your ToSort directory so RomVault knows what files you actually have.</WRAP>
+\\
+===== Keep your ROM sets up-to-date =====
+Chances are you will periodically update your MAME ROM set whenever there is a new version available. You can do this in a few simple steps:
-RomVault's fixing process does NOT delete any files. All unnecessary files are moved to your primary ToSort directory. You can keep these files in case they are needed for fixing other sets. Alternately, if you choose to delete the unneeded files manually, be sure to rescan your ToSort directory so RomVault knows what files you actually have.
+  - Open DATVault and click **Update Selected** to download the new MAME DAT
+  - Close DATVault and the DAT will automatically be updated and processed
+  - Add an update pack of ROMs and CHDs to your ToSort directory
+  - Select only the ToSort directory in the tree. Since our old MAME set is already scanned there is no reason to scan it again.
+  - Click the **Scan ROMs** button and the new files in your ToSort directory will be hashed
+  - When scanning is complete, keep the ToSort directory selected, and also select the MAME directory
+  - Click the **Find Fixes** button
+  - After fixes are found and reviewed, click the **Fix ROMs** button
+That's it! You just successfully upgraded your MAME ROM set.