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RETROARCH - The all-in-one emulator dreams are made of, son
- Thread starter Rich!
- Start date
Radius4
Member
As you may or may not know there have been many delays but todays is the day, we've been rebuilding cores for a few hours now (so everything's fresh and to spot cores that may have been failing to build in the last few months)
Some cores/platforms may not make it today but a lot of work has been put into this version.
After today's release we'll start making a few videos to showcase features and to explain configuration.
As for the UI, all the menus are more or less the same as you may have noticed but XMB does have some interesting extras, check this out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjefoBxtHFI&feature=youtu.be
You can now populate verticals menu by scanning directories (it will create a playlist with whatever matches). Also when you go back to the menu there is a new quick menu that has the relevant actions only.
A new feature (brand new) is that we have a content downloader now, currently only for GW games. We'll include PD roms, maybe shareware and other stuff like that later, it's under add content in the main menu.
Anyway it shouldn't be long now, maybe an hour
Some cores/platforms may not make it today but a lot of work has been put into this version.
After today's release we'll start making a few videos to showcase features and to explain configuration.
As for the UI, all the menus are more or less the same as you may have noticed but XMB does have some interesting extras, check this out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjefoBxtHFI&feature=youtu.be
You can now populate verticals menu by scanning directories (it will create a playlist with whatever matches). Also when you go back to the menu there is a new quick menu that has the relevant actions only.
A new feature (brand new) is that we have a content downloader now, currently only for GW games. We'll include PD roms, maybe shareware and other stuff like that later, it's under add content in the main menu.
Anyway it shouldn't be long now, maybe an hour
homerhendrix
Member
Awesome news. Doesn't seem the 1.2 windows stable is up yet but can't wait to try. Thanks for your work on this.
I tested the latest build of the core and found that happens to me when I bring up the xmb menu. The colors get weird and it flickers behind the menu. But it's fine when the menu isn't active.
Check the blog post here again:
http://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-1-2-july-4-release-kickoff/
It got updated with pics and videos to show a lot of the new stuff. Even as a heavy RA user, i didn't know box arts function already, but it has to be done manually right now, later it will be changed to scraped online. Super impressive.
http://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-1-2-july-4-release-kickoff/
It got updated with pics and videos to show a lot of the new stuff. Even as a heavy RA user, i didn't know box arts function already, but it has to be done manually right now, later it will be changed to scraped online. Super impressive.
So far so good, everything working fine I think. It took me a while to find where the core options was but I'm getting used to it now.
I like the "update" feature. Though, it would be nice to know when a new version of a core is available. I don't know if I'm downloading the same one I already got.
EDIT: Oh, by the way, the "cores" subfolder is missing. Create it manually otherwise every core you download won't show up.
I like the "update" feature. Though, it would be nice to know when a new version of a core is available. I don't know if I'm downloading the same one I already got.
All the crashes to desktop that I had with retroarch were always because I was missing a bios file. What are you trying to run in which core?
EDIT: Oh, by the way, the "cores" subfolder is missing. Create it manually otherwise every core you download won't show up.
KainXVIII
Member
Yeah, strange thats its not there from the start, i will try it!
And it work i think, but if you load game from collections (not all games recognized) its still not finds core, but if you load content - select file - all games runs fine.
But how to set content directory by default?
Filename fallback would be great. Using CRCs really hard locks you into using specific dumps. That might be a good way to support disc based systems too.
Support for HyperList databases would really help me. I already have my own custom ones written with all my hard patched translations and hacks included. I like how that format is XML and easily editable with a text editor. You can find all the official HyperList XML files here. "Game Name" is the filename, "Description" is the pretty name and "Manufacturer" is usually the developer.
I don't have the CRC tags included in my custom databases, so filename matching would make it a lot easier to get them working.
charlequin
Banned
Great release! I'd been avoiding the xmb driver until now, but it looks really slick and the current organization is a big step up -- big improvement from what we had before.
I have had some trouble getting the scan feature to do anything. Is there something I'm supposed to do besides just select the directories and scan? I get the on-screen display with a counter and filenames, but it doesn't seem to have any actual result.
I have had some trouble getting the scan feature to do anything. Is there something I'm supposed to do besides just select the directories and scan? I get the on-screen display with a counter and filenames, but it doesn't seem to have any actual result.
If it works, after scanning you should have a playlist with games that match the no-intro CRCs from the RDB database when you press right on the main menu. Make sure you have your playlist and database directories set properly. The playlist directory can just be a blank folder, while the database one should point to the database\rdb folder from the 1.2 archive. You might need to set the cursor folder too, but I'm not sure if that's required.
Edit: You also need to restart RetroArch to get the playlist to show up.
The little cartridge icon? Those are located in "assets\xmb\monochrome\png". You can probably swap them out with any kind of png. If you mean the boxart, you can set your boxart directory in the settings, then enable it in menu settings. It uses pngs that match the database's pretty names. I think it'd be better to match filenames just in case the pretty ones use characters not supported by the filesystem; maybe that'll change later.
Hmm cant seem to get it to work, have point RA to the directory where i have my boxart (in png file format) and enabled show boxart, both the game and the boxart have the same file name, but when i scroll down to the game there is no boxart, any ideas?
It has to match the "pretty" name, which is the one that shows up in the playlist. For example:
The Twinbee art shows up because the png is named "Pop'n TwinBee (Japan).png" just like in the list. However, if I scroll down to R-Type III, the art doesn't show up since it's named "R-Type III - The Third Lightning (USA).png" and doesn't match with what shows up on the list. Though it does match my ROM's filename. Boxart only shows up in playlists BTW; they won't show up in Load Content.
charlequin
Banned
Sweet! That worked. I imagine this is my fault for importing a config file. It'd be nice if the default.cfg listed the defaults for these things so it was easier to configure them right on an upgrade tho.
What is the "cursors" directory for anyway?
There are some example cursor files here. I haven't looked into how to use them yet, but they seem to be a way to create a list using specific database search queries.
Ah ok ive always used the Load Content to select a game....how on earth do you add a game to a playlist i cant see an option for selecting a playlist at all?
Add Content, Scan Directory, find a folder with No-Intro verified ROMs and scan it. Then restart RetroArch and press right to go to the playlist. You need to have your database and playlist directories set up; I explain that in some of my above posts.
KainXVIII
Member
mGBA is promising.
Steam Broadcasting don't work with Retroarch (as non-steam app) or it is normal for non steam games?
X and Z on keyboard are OK and Back, respectively.
Go to "Online Updater" > "Core Updater" > [Name of Core] to download the emulator core
From there you can load games in a number of ways;
1) "Load Core" > [Name of Core] > "Load Content" > "Select File" > [Where Game is]
2) "Load Content" > "Select Content and Detect Core" > [Where Game Is] > [Which System it's on]
New to this version of Retroarch is collections which allow users to create shortcuts to games in Retroarch for easy loading.
Adding Games is done as follows;
"Load Core" > [Name of Core] > "Add Content" > "Scan Directory" > [Where Games Are]
To see the scanned games, simply reset Retroarch and you should see an icon of a gamepad (or game media depending on the system), loading games is then a simple case of navigating to system by pressing left and right and then slecting the game.
zephervack
Member
XMB interface is very exciting, hopefully with the media player support, Retroarch can someday replicate the PS3 XMB and show a small video of the game running with the whole background changing to some game art.
I love that kind of stuff for discovering retro games I have never played before.
I love that kind of stuff for discovering retro games I have never played before.
I could be missing something regarding playlists, but it doesn't seem like there's any way to change what core is used for any given game after you have launched a game once?
For example, tried to launch one of the GBA Castlevania games, it asked me to pick a core, I picked VBA-M. After looking around a bit I decided that maybe I should give mGBA a shot instead. But launching a game from the playlist will always pick VBA-M now, and it seems like the only way to launch with another core is to load core first and then load content, can't use the playlist at all.
Also, if I now manually delete the VBA-M core and then try to launch the game from the playlist, it just crashes, rather than say, let me pick another core to run the game with.
I ended up opening the GBA playlist in a txt editor and changing the two core related lines back to DETECT for the game, which allowed me to switch to mGBA.
For example, tried to launch one of the GBA Castlevania games, it asked me to pick a core, I picked VBA-M. After looking around a bit I decided that maybe I should give mGBA a shot instead. But launching a game from the playlist will always pick VBA-M now, and it seems like the only way to launch with another core is to load core first and then load content, can't use the playlist at all.
Also, if I now manually delete the VBA-M core and then try to launch the game from the playlist, it just crashes, rather than say, let me pick another core to run the game with.
I ended up opening the GBA playlist in a txt editor and changing the two core related lines back to DETECT for the game, which allowed me to switch to mGBA.
Storm Chamber
Banned
Definitely gonna catch up on this thread because I discovered Retroarch months ago via mednafen and I love it
You can do that with per game overrides. Turn on auto override loading in Settings, Configuration Settings. Then create a Gambatte folder in your config folder. Inside that, create a text file with the ROM filename of one of your GB games, but with a cfg extension. Then open that and add the line:
video_shader = ".\path\to\gb-pocket-shader.cgp"
With the correct path to wherever you keep the shader. Then you can make copies of that file and name them after your other GB games.
You can also use a core override file with the name Gambatte.cfg. But that will apply the shader to all games loaded with that core; including GBC games. Unless you have game overrides too, which override the core override.
You can have it change when you move between playlists. Though there are some bugs with it.
It can't be done easily yet. Right now you'd have to know how to edit the plaintext DAT databases from the Libretro git and then compile them into RDBs. Editing the playlist files manually to add a hack doesn't work either. They will show up on the list, but then when you try to launch it says "No Playlist Entries Available". I assume that's because nothing is matching in the database. You would think it would at least still show "Start Content" though.
Thanks that worked.
I noticed when you select content and you scan directory and scan file. I have tried just to add 1 game to a playlist via scan file but it doesnt appear to work, can just 1 game be added like this?
It's not taking. I have a folder named "Gambatte" in my config folder, and a Gambatte.cfg which has that line pointing directly to the shader
\shaders\shaders_cg\handheld\console-border\gb-pocket-4x.cgp) in that and it will just not load the stupid thing.You could try putting that line in your main retroarch.cfg and see if it works just to make sure the path is working.It's not taking. I have a folder named "Gambatte" in my config folder, and a Gambatte.cfg which has that line pointing directly to the shader
TheMadMan007
Member
RetroArch uses the No Intro ROMset for it's database right? Anyway to edit that? I have no desire to filter out the 2,126 ROMS for NES to just have the US only games. Also, I added the whole 64 directory (not filtered with US only its like 403) But only about 15 games show up. Am I doing something wrong?
Any reason for doing precompiled dats instead of 'easy to modify' XML ones?