WolfMAME Gui?

[Vigorousjammer]

So, I see that WolfMame is all the rage around here, but I tend to prefer GUI mame interfaces. (such as MAMEUI64).

What are the benefits of WolfMame, anyway, that it is so widely used? It seems cumbersome to have to open up a dos prompt, browse to a folder, and remember a specific command just to playback an INP file.
Or, also just to start recording one!
This process takes a whole extra 20-30 seconds, so why do that, when it's much easier to search for a game and select a menu option?

Does WolfMame just have better compatibility with games? Better quality input recording?
What's the deal? I'm genuinely curious.

Anyway, if anybody has any programs that will let me record in WolfMame, but just have one button that I have to press instead of a cumbersome DOS prompt, that would be handy, thanks! ^_^

[giro-X]

Elder members more knowledgeable than me about this, can give more detailed (and correct, whether I may say something silly) answers to your questions.

To shorten up to essential: WolfMAME won't allow you to use turbo speed, pause game, use cheats, (else?) while recording. Others may enlight you better on the (else?) that I am not currently aware of. (I'm pretty sure there are answers in older posts, anyway)
About GUI, again, I'm sure there are plenty of links to different GUIs out there. I found this http://sourceforge.net/projects/mameplus/
(from viewtopic.php?f=2&t=14817&hilit=wolfmame+GUI )
If it's the one I know, it's easier and faster to use, but as far as I remember, it doesn't delete NVRAM before recording so you still would have to do it manually every, every time.

Batch files i.m.o. are still the best. Fast, you know what/how you run, you can prevent the creation of NVRAM directory.

Code: Select all

Delete/rename NVRAM directory first, then add in the commands
-nvram_directory NUL
to prevent MAME to create it again. All MARP INPs should be recorded after deleting NVRAM by rules, and common sense, otherwise plenty of INPs couldn't be playbacked.

GUI instead is nice for exercise, discovering details, play for fun without the thought of regular recording, etc.
Sorry if my reply is quick but I have to run, and didn't want to not give a starting help

[mahlemiut]

QMC2 is the unofficially recommended GUI for MAME or MESS, although MAMEPGUI will work also, but isn't really updated much.
Both can be built for Windows, Linux or OS X.

[Vigorousjammer]

QMC2 is the unofficially recommended GUI for MAME or MESS, although MAMEPGUI will work also, but isn't really updated much.
Both can be built for Windows, Linux or OS X.

I did download something called "wolfmameplus" from the versions page here, which is running Wolfmame 0.106
However, half of my roms won't even load on it, so I'm guessing either I'd need older roms as well, or it just doesn't work very well with 64-bit Windows.

I'm really liking the look of QMC, but is it usable with WolfMame, or am I just confused and is it it's own, separate version of mame?

After creating this topic, I also managed to find something called "Wolfmamescore" which is running Wolfmame 0.135 using the MameUI gui and seems to work pretty well. Do you guys have any opinion on it?

[mahlemiut]

Versions up to 0.106 of WolfMAME are based on MAME Plus!, which is why it is name as such. Later versions from 0.107 are based on stock MAME. 0.106 is over 8 years old now, so many romsets it uses have been updated/redumped since then.

QMC2 is a standalone GUI, so you point it to the version of MAME/MESS/UME you want to use it with, and it should just work. MAMEPGUI is also standalone, although it is included with MAME Plus, you can copy it to a different folder where another MAME version resides. Either should work fine with modern versions of WolfMAME.

[simpsons99]

Wolf 106 is still the best .. Even if it is 8 years old .. That's nothing most of these games are 30 years old

[mahlemiut]

I do need to update the recording and playback guides to be based on modern MAME versions. Just have to find the time... what little time I do have is spent either watching INPs or working on MESS.

[empardopo]

The record.bat file included in my wolfmame version is the next

Code: Select all

@echo off
if exist cfg\%1.cfg move cfg\%1.cfg cfg\%1.bak
if exist hi\%1.hi move hi\%1.hi hi\%1.bak
if exist nvram\%1.nv move nvram\%1.nv nvram\%1.bak
if exist diff\%1.dif move diff\%1.dif diff\%1.bak

mame %1 -record %1.inp %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9 -nvram_directory NUL

if exist cfg\%1.bak move cfg\%1.bak cfg\%1.cfg
if exist hi\%1.bak move hi\%1.bak hi\%1.hi
if exist nvram\%1.bak move nvram\%1.bak nvram\%1.nv
if exist diff\%1.bak move diff\%1.bak diff\%1.dif

Is it necessary to delete cfg? is it possible to change record.bat file?

Code: Select all

@echo off
REM if exist cfg\%1.cfg move cfg\%1.cfg cfg\%1.bak
if exist hi\%1.hi move hi\%1.hi hi\%1.bak
if exist nvram\%1.nv move nvram\%1.nv nvram\%1.bak
if exist diff\%1.dif move diff\%1.dif diff\%1.bak

mame %1 -record %1.inp %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9 -nvram_directory NUL

if exist cfg\%1.bak move cfg\%1.bak cfg\%1.cfg
if exist hi\%1.bak move hi\%1.bak hi\%1.hi
if exist nvram\%1.bak move nvram\%1.bak nvram\%1.nv
if exist diff\%1.bak move diff\%1.bak diff\%1.dif

Greetings!

[mahlemiut]

Deleting .cfg files should not affect anything, it's mostly precautionary, but it does at least ensure that you are using default DIP switch settings. Not deleting the .cfg will allow you to use non-default DIP switch settings (harder than default, or TG settings only are allowed).

[empardopo]

Deleting .cfg files should not affect anything, it's mostly precautionary, but it does at least ensure that you are using default DIP switch settings. Not deleting the .cfg will allow you to use non-default DIP switch settings (harder than default, or TG settings only are allowed).

But It would possible to check if the player had changed the default DIP?
Greetings

Note: Sorry, for my bad english.

[giro-X]

Sure that you can edit your record.bat as long as you satisfy the same requests needed for MARP (or else, if you plan to load elsewhere).
This is my solution, meaning that is the method I currently use, and it's one among tons of solutions:
Having had to download plenty of different wolfmame versions in the past, and having so multiple directories at my disposal now, I do the random playing, training, all sorts of experiments (for example, leaving games in service mode dipswtiches to play music from sound test, while I do else at PC), in a folder that I never use to record.
For the recording, I use folders in which I never, never, never change dipswitches nor give an opportunity to program to create an NVRAM. This way, I don't have to delete .cfg, as in there lay my settings for my favorite keys (ZXCV for buttons A, B, C, D; numeric keypad for 1P at times), and can modify the *.bat to run with the game I want without passing from DOS prompt, even with other preferences saved in.
For example, this is my record01.bat (meaning that there are other pre-built batch files) for my wolfmame 0.152 directory that I am currently using in these days for recording Neo Mr. DO! INPs.

Code: Select all

@echo off
mame neomrdo -gamma 0.75 -bios japan -record neomrdo.inp -nvram_directory NUL

Actually @echo off is not necessary, it is just for aesthetics, somehow. As you see, game name is already on the batch file, as well as other settings, so I don't have to pass from cmd.exe, locate directory, run mame with other values - just a double click the first time on file, ENTER if I (rage)quit and restart immediately.
The -nvram_directory NUL is an essential that needs to be used everywhere if you are that bored (like me) to delete NVRAM each time, or create a bogus nvram extension-less file that blocks mame from building a directory (but by logic, you can use it also on a wolfmame folder in which you keep saved your NVRAMs, and still game will not read/write any NVRAM file)... so, you should not delete it from playback.bat either.

I hope it is not so hard to understand, because it really saves lot of boring procedures.

[giro-X]

But It would possible to check if the player had changed the default DIP?

Yes. On playback.bat add

Code: Select all

-iv 1

-iv stands for Input View. You can see the inputs done by player while you playback the recording. And *magic!* while pressing DEL you can see dipswitches in use.
The input view will never tell you if you are using default MAME settings, though. Once you know which they are, just compare them to the dipsw. used in recording.

Of course, Input view can be used even when you don't playback, but doesn't make much sense outside of playback
Also, this feature is not available on the oldest MAME versions, one of the reasons why I prefer new versions to old (keep note of this, Brian). Not me, but someone other can anyway detect autofire and macros with other tools, if used on old versions.

[empardopo]

Thanks for your information.
Greetings!

[empardopo]

I've just programmed a little program to generate bats file to use in wolfmame.
It's possible to download here.

The program has two options.
batN --> generate two bat files. One to see the inps and anothe to record inp.
batS --> Only generates one record bat file.

You must always submit the rom name and the output bat file will be for your rom selected.

Greetings.