Ma me 32 Support Docu me ntation v.2001-11-01

this is a copy of the docu me nt 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

# Pre-Ma me 32

Ma me 32 was the first and only Win32 port of Ma me from 1997-2001. Ma me 32 does not equal Ma me[w]. Currently Ma me 32 has me rged its functional GUI with the recently released Win32 console mode command-line driven Ma me[w]. Ma me 32 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 ga me s or options/default options me nu, it is called 401comupd.exe and was available here at the ti me of this writing: http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ieplatform/ie/comctrlx86.asp

# Getting Started w/ Ma me 32

1. Download the zip file of ma me 32 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:\ma me 32

3. Open this directory and copy the just downloaded ma me 32 zip file into it.

4. Using an archive program like WinZip or Pkunzip, extract the contents of the ma me 32.zip (ensure you use the -d option in Pkunzip to get recursed subdirectories) In WinZip select Extract from the Actions me nu, be sure the Use folder na me s checkbox is checked.

5. Place your ga me roms (readily available in convenient zip format) into the sub-directory called c:\ma me 32\roms, which you may have to create [note ga me roms are not distributed w/ Ma me 32]. It's preferable to leave the roms in their zip format, and just place the zip files into the \ma me 32\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.

# Ma me 32 Support Files

File Na me | Location / Description
Icons.zip | http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm This contains icons for every ga me in Ma me 32 and the tree control on the far left. Place it in the \ma me 32\icons directory.
Snap.zip | http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm These are a series of files that contain in-ga me screenshots of every parent ga me in Ma me 32. Download the split packs and combine them into a single snap.zip, place that in \ma me 32\snap directory or place all the *.pngs themselves into the \ma me 32\snap directory. [display by clicking/toggling on the screenshot area]
Bkground.zip | http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm This contains nu me rous images that are used as the background windowpanes for the Ma me 32 GUI. Download this and place it in \ma me 32\bkground. [rena me the one you want to use bkground.png and place that single file in \ma me 32\snap.
Flyers.zip | http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm This contains images of the original promotional material sent to arcade owners when the ga me s ca me out, exhorting them to buy the ga me s. Combine the packs into flyers.zip in \ma me 32\flyers, or leave them freestanding in \ma me 32\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 \ma me 32\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 \ma me 32\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 ga me, including tips, tricks, designer’s na me s, etc. Very interesting. Place this file in \ma me 32 alongside ma me 32.exe. [note: history.dat information will only display in screenshot mode, not during flyer/cab/marquee mode]
Ma me info.dat | http://www.Mameworld.net/mameinfo/ This file contains bug, WIP, driver author, and version information. Place it in \ma me 32 alongside ma me 32.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 Ma me 32 ga me s where they didn’t in the arcades. Place this file in \ma me 32 alongside ma me 32.exe.
Rotate.zip | http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/down.htm This program rotates your bkground images so you can have a new look for Ma me 32 everyti me you run it. See the enclosed batch file for a quick reference. The batch file grabs an image from the \ma me 32\bkground directory and copies it to the \ma me 32\snap directory.

# Beautify your Ma me 32: the Ma me 32 Art Packs

Ma me 32's flexible GUI fra me work allows for so me 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.

# Ma me 32 Recom me nded Graphic & Sound Settings

Optimal Graphic Settings: Ma me 32 will now take advantage of your recent video card’s ability to do hardware stretching and will stretch a ga me to fill your monitors di me nsions. See: www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/settings/settings.htm for more info on recommended settings and how to match classic Mame32 output.

# Ma me 32 Troubleshooting

As with any program there are bound to be so me hiccups, here are so me suggestions to common perceived difficulties. Also, re me mber, Ma me 32 is now based on the core Ma me[w] - if a problem exists in the Ma me[w] code we inherit it. Always ensure before reporting problems with Ma me 32 that it *doesn't* happen in the Ma me[w] version. If it does, there's not much we can do about it. Ma me is an ongoing docu me ntation project, as such, so me ga me may break from version to version as core changes occur beneath them. Use a prior working version of Ma me if the ga me 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 Ma me 32? Ma me is a docu me ntation project, so me ti me s 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 Ma me co me on board the developers add support for new iterations and often add these files for missing ga me s [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 ga me in question [highlight ga me, 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 Ma me or Ma me 32 teams about roms.

1.2. If you're getting the corrupt ROM me ssage, secondary click on the ga me in the list and choose properties, do an audit on that ga me [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 anyti me you alter your roms, renaming etc.)

1.4. Ensure you have the appropriate folder view toggled, i.e. 'all ga me s' and it doesn't have filtering on it to stop the display of the ga me you're looking for.

1.5. Use the options • reset to default me nu choice and check all of the items, restart Ma me 32.

1.6. Final option, manually delete the registry key for Ma me 32: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Freeware\MAME32

2. Crashes & Non-Functioning Topics

2.1. Delete the .hi and .cfg files for the ga me 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 Ma me 32 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 me nu choice and check all of the items, restart Ma me 32.

2.6. Final option, manually delete the registry key for Ma me 32: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Freeware\MAME32

3. Performance Related Topics [sound scratchiness and stuttering]

3.1. Ma me 32 will start to crackle, scratch, or echo if the ga me you are running is too taxing for your processor [Taito F3, Midway Wolf Unit, CPS2 ga me s require a lot of horsepower]. You can visually confirm this by turning on FPS display with F11, and fra me skip to auto with F8. If the FPS dips anywhere or fra me skipping rises anywhere during the ga me 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 Ga me pad Topics

4.1. To enable the joystick and mouse, re me mber you need to toggle them on the first ti me you run Ma me 32, options • default options • controllers.

4.2. Ma me 32 relies on DirectInput for joystick support, ensure your ga me pad is seen as present and active in the ga me controller control panel: start me nu • settings • control panel • ga me controllers.

4.3. Verify your joystick is seen as ID #1 in the ga me 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 ga me 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 ga me, try bumping up your desktop color depth to 24bpp or 32bpp.

5.3. There may be so me 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; Ma me 32 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 me nu no longer working? You’ve mapped it accidentally to so me thing else apparently; delete the default.cfg file in the \ma me 32\cfg directory.

5.7. If a ga me quits im me diately, 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 ga me s 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.

# Support, Testing, Bug Reporting

For breaking information on troubleshooting techniques or issues related to the latest release as well as updated art, icons, and screenshots go to the Ma me 32 QA/Test & Art Dept. www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa .

The current list of Ma me 32 issues can be found here: http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/bugs.htm

These bug entries do not include DCRs [Developer Change Requests / Feature Requests].

Re me mber; always ensure that the problem doesn't happen in the Ma me[w] version before reporting a bug. Check Ma me[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 docu me nt was previously quickstart.htm, but it evolved beyond getting the app up and running hence the na me change.