Multi-Disc Game Swap Technique - BIN/CUE Functionality?

RetroArch
#1

Hey all!

Continuing the discussion from Multi disc for Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn using M3U files:

Has anyone tested this method using .bin and .cue files? If so, can you please let us know if it works? If not, how do you all do disc swaps? I have seen a few tutorials on the internet for this but have yet to test any methods due to not having any saves I can use that are near an in-game disc swap.

Thanks in advance!

Sin

#2

Yes, just put the cue files into the m3u.

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#3

Don’t know if this info is going to help or not (never tested it myself), but I have seen users stating that their m3us with .cues inside did not work, and turns out they resolved the issue by renaming the m3u files the same way as the cue ones inside of it. Don’t know how that would work, but just sharing it in case is valuable info.

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#4

Ok good thinking. Yes this would need confirmed. However I am a bit confused. Are you saying that the .cue need to be modified so that it points to the .m3u rather than the .bin or?

#5

Nope. For example, you have Shenmue files named as

Shenmue (Disc 1).cue
Shenmue (Disc 2).cue
Shenmue (Disc 3).cue
Shenmue (Disc 4).cue

The m3u file you create with the above text lines inside should not be called something other than Shenmue.m3u

Again, take this info with a grain of salt, as by logic it should not matter how you call the m3u as long as the cue lines inside refer to the right files. Just an extra troubleshoot in case naming the m3u file any name you want not related at all with the cue files does not work.

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#6

Ahhh ok gotcha. Thanks. So I would imagine then that the thumbnail files need to be named similar to the following to make sure the artwork is displayed properly?

Before:

Final Fantasy IX (Disc 1).png
Final Fantasy IX (Disc 2).png
Final Fantasy IX (Disc 3).png
Final Fantasy IX (Disc 4).png

After:

Final Fantasy IX.png

Correct?

#7

Dont know how thumbnails will work with m3u files, but I am assuming that the thumbnail needs to be named exactly the same as the m3u file (with everything inside brackets and all).

The only thing to take into account is that if the filename has &*/:`<>?| then these characters need to be changed by an _

#8

Yes, you need to be sure that all paths are properly escaped (e.g., I think you would need to wrap any filename with spaces in it with double-quotes)

#10

Lastly,

I just realized I could answer my own question in regard to the thumbnails…my mistake. Once the m3u file is created, all you should have to do for the game to automatically play from within Retroarch with the correct artwork would be to:

  1. Edit the name of the game file in the playlist so that is no longer says (Disc 1) and the file’s extension from .cue to .m3u so that it loads that instead of the .cue itself.
  2. Rename the game’s display name in the playlist file removing (Disc 1) so that it will display properly in Retroarch
  3. Delete the other game file references in the playlist file as they are now no longer needed
  4. Rename the game’s disc 1 thumbnail file to remove (Disc 1) since this is no longer needed and should match the game display name from step 2
  5. Lastly, delete the extra disc thumbnails to save space on your hard drive (or USB/SD Card) since they are now not needed.

Hope this helps everyone!

Thanks,

Sinistradian