>Profiler), the following line is written to the .cmp file >(as soon as the datfile is loaded) :
>Misc_BIOSSets = >decocass|*|1|pgm|*|1|playch10|*|1|stvbios|*|1|konamigx|*|1|tps|*|1|taitofx1|*|1|cpzn1|*|1|cpzn2|*|1


To the Icons Settingsfile??? It doesn't do that here.


>(the .cmp file in question is 'j4_rc_icon.cmp' in the >'settings' folder)

rc???? Using a RC datfile somewhere there?

Well...anyway...I did several tests. I can't repeat your problem in any way.

Maybe if you can do a step-by-step description...With information about used rompaths. Starting at loading the datfiles to a clean installation....or something..



Roman Scherzer
ClrMamePro

> >Profiler), the following line is written to the .cmp file >(as soon as the
> datfile is loaded) :
> >Misc_BIOSSets =
>decocass|*|1|pgm|*|> 1|playch10|*|1|stvbios|*|1|konamigx|*|1|tps|*|1|taitofx1|*|1|cpzn1|*|1|cpzn2|*|1
>
>
> To the Icons Settingsfile??? It doesn't do that here.
>
>
> >(the .cmp file in question is 'j4_rc_icon.cmp' in the >'settings' folder)
>
> rc???? Using a RC datfile somewhere there?
>
> Well...anyway...I did several tests. I can't repeat your problem in any way.
>
> Maybe if you can do a step-by-step description...With information about used
> rompaths. Starting at loading the datfiles to a clean installation....or
> something..
>
>
>
> Roman Scherzer
> ClrMamePro
>
Damn, don't tell me that the problem was that I was using RC files, instead of the CM ones? :@

I should have picked up on that when testing all of this!

I'm not even sure how the RC files got in there. I must have got the dat files from the Mame32 site & unzipped the whole file my datfiles folder, rather than just the '*cm*' files.

I just tried to see what would happen if I did this & what I think happened is that I unzipped it, loaded up ClrMamePro & the RC files showed up under the 'Not Used / New DatFiles' section. The new CM files are not shown, I assume because the file names are the same as the ones already in the list?

I guess I thought that the RC files being listed as new were the updated files, and loaded them. Because they have the same description as the CM, when I load them, I get a message saying that the datfile appears to be an update to the existing file.

I assumed that I was loading in the new CM dat files, but it seems that I was overwriting the CM files with the RC files. This was probably an alternating pattern, meaning that 1 release I would use the CM files, the next the RC files, then back again.

So, that brought up a question : Is ClrMamePro compatable with RC files? I checked the documentation, and it says to use them at my own risk. The only problem is, I didn't know I was using them.

Could you display a message / notification somewhere to this effect when trying to use one? I guess it's not really required, as I only ever use the CM files. I have tried to use RomCenter, but found ClrMamePro to be the superior program. The only confusion was with the set from John IV's site, a zip file that contains both formats.

I've rectified the problem, and for now cannot replicate the error with the settings files. I'll let you know if it comes up again (making sure that I'm using the CM format!).

The datfile format doesn't play a role for the problem you have described. Well...I can't repeat the issue here in any case but using a rc dat shouldn't (or better: can't) be the reason for it.

Roman Scherzer
ClrMamePro

> The datfile format doesn't play a role for the problem you have described.
> Well...I can't repeat the issue here in any case but using a rc dat shouldn't
> (or better: can't) be the reason for it.
>
> Roman Scherzer
> ClrMamePro
>
OK, I'm lost then.

The program does change the setting files when loading the program up (whether it writes to the 'Misc_BIOSSets' line or not, the files are still being changed on load). Just mentioning this because you said earlier that the settings files should not change when simply loading the datfile, but every time I load one, the associated setting file is changed.

Again, the problem has gone away for now.

Heh, I thought it would be an easy one, cause I could replicate it every time. But I can't seem to see any pattern to it anymore. It seems to just come up every now & again, then I can find the way to make it happen, then it goes away for a while. :(

If you can't see anything that could write something wrong to the setting file when loading the datfile, then I guess this one should just get added to the 'too hard' basket :)

OK, I've just started a new installation of ClrMamePro, and this is what I get :

- Unzip 'cmp306a.zip' to a new directory
- Unrar 'xerces-c_2_3_0.rar' to the same directory
- Unzip the latest 'Mame Testdrivers' datfile from your site to the 'datfiles' directory
- Unzip just the '*rc*' files from the ClrMame dats zip file from John IV's site
- Run 'cmpro.exe' from the new directory
- Load the 'MAME Test Drivers v0.74' datfile, selecting 'Default' from the list of options presented in the 'No Settings Found' screen
- When the main buttons come up, press the Profiler button
- Load the 'official mame32 cabinets' datfile, again, selecting 'Default' from the 'No Settings Found' screen

I get a message straight away now (must not have come up because I had 'Hide Common' selected in the Settings).

It says this :

The following BIOSSets aren't used by any set :

then lists the BIOS's used in the Testdriver datfile

There is no need to tell you any other settings, as this is EXACTLY the steps I followed to get the message. I never touched any settings.

There is no mention of those BIOS's in the 'j4_rc_cabinets.dat' file, and you should have the incorrect 'Misc_BIOSSets' line in the 'j4_rc_cabinets.cmp' file. (I checked this while the 'BIOSSets message' was still on the screen)

That's the best I can do! :)

Thanks. I found the reason for it. Fixed it.

Roman Scherzer
ClrMamePro

> Thanks. I found the reason for it. Fixed it.
>
> Roman Scherzer
> ClrMamePro
>
Thanks god for that! I was beginning to think I was insane :)

> Thanks god for that! I was beginning to think I was insane :)

hehe...it was in fact the RC datfile import routine. It didn't clean possibly existing biossets from a previously loaded dat. Luckily I saw that "icons_rc" in your postings ;)

Thanks again.

Roman Scherzer
ClrMamePro

> hehe...it was in fact the RC datfile import routine. It didn't clean possibly
> existing biossets from a previously loaded dat. Luckily I saw that "icons_rc" in
> your postings ;)
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Roman Scherzer
> ClrMamePro
>
Yeah, GREAT pickup! Well done! :D

This may sound stupid, but I was just going through the program yesterday in greater depth (I have it setup the way I like, and just chuck in a dat file, set a rom path & scan. That's all I've ever needed, although I did use the Merger function once.) and, I must say, I didn't realise quite how deep the program is!

I must have skimmed over the Profiler documentation, cause I never even realised you could setup folders (I always wondered why you got the option when creating a new exe based dat file to put it into a folder, now I know!). I now have a nice, organised list :)

I have a question, though. The documentation doesn't really explain what the 'Add-paths' are. What are these used for? Is one of the uses for if you get a new dat file for, let's say, another arcade emu, does it look through those add-paths for matching CRC's for missing files if you select to Fix Missing? If so, I wish I had known about this sooner ;)

In any case, this has just confirmed my belief even more that this is the BEST rom manager around. I'm sure I'm not alone in telling you that we all appreciate all of your work you put into the program! Thank-you! :)

P.S. I hope your Amazon wish list is up to date ;)

> I have a question, though. The documentation doesn't really explain what the
> 'Add-paths' are.

Addpaths are used in the following ways:

- put your newly collected wip roms there, Scanner's "fix missing" will search any addpath for roms when it finds a missing rom/set and copies (no move) it to your rompath.
You don't have to setup your cmpro backup path as a rompath. This is already done internally. Fix missing also searches for missing roms in all your rompaths (e.g. if a set misses a file which is already in one of your other sets). It does that even without setting up any addpaths.

- the rebuilder is normally limited to 1 sourcefolder (or you use drag& drop from the rebuilder or scanner). There's an option to use multiple source paths, by enabling the "use addpaths" option. So it'll use each addpath as a rebuilder sourcepath and rebuilds the files from there. Great to add new stuff to your collection.

> so, I wish I had known about this sooner ;)

Now you know ;)

> P.S. I hope your Amazon wish list is up to date ;)

erm...rather ;) I'm gonna clean it up today a bit.

Roman Scherzer
ClrMamePro