RetroArch Playlist Buddy - Playlist and thumbnail generation app

[markwkidd]

FBA neogeo. The dat file i’m using is FB Alpha v0.2.97.39 (ClrMame Pro XML).dat

I have an error when trying to generate the playlist, but playlist is still generated.: “Error with the DAT file format”.

I’m sorry I missed this follow-up when you first posted it. There was an error in the DAT file parsing with the test build posted last week. If you are still working on your project, this new test build should not produce the DAT error with a FB Alpha DAT: https://github.com/markwkidd/ahk-retroarch-playlist-helpers/blob/master/compiled-scripts/AHK%20Playlist%20Buddy-2017-01-28.exe

[markwkidd]

OK i figured it out, the roms in the mame softlist have to be in a specifically name folder with the correct bios in the folder with roms as well havin a folder named mame, with another folder named hash, with the mame hases in it.

the main folder name must be Exactly the same as the system name for example coco games must be in the coco folder, not coco_cass or coco_flop, like they are named in the origonal softwre list.

Thank you for posting this! As far as I know you are the first person who has used this tool to create a MAME softlist playlist. If you encounter any other issues or learn more about optimal settings, please feel to post in the thread again. It could be very useful for other people interested in emulating some those systems via MAME.

[Quickgold]

Wow! travelling by Retroarch Forum and I found with this awesome app, (simple and direct to the objective) keep up the nice job man, make my life easier with my Final Burn Alpha collection under RA.

The stable version works perfect for me, but with the test version for example if I’d select more than one folder, one of the playlist file generated could show diferents roms names or a mix with other folder content.

[markwkidd]

The stable version works perfect for me, but with the test version for example if I’d select more than one folder, one of the playlist file generated could show diferents roms names or a mix with other folder content.

Whoa, that’s a nasty bug. Thanks for letting me know. I’m traveling for a few days but when I get back I’ll see what I did to the test version to cause this I think I have only been testing it with single playlist generation recently so I didn’t notice this problem.

edit: Based on your description I a pretty sure I was able to find the source of the problem – a small error with major consequences. I updated the test build today with a fix, although I still need to test it more myself this coming week.

[BluAura]

Can you please add the option to save settings. Instead of having to enter file paths every time I start the app.

Thanks

[markwkidd]

Can you please add the option to save settings. Instead of having to enter file paths every time I start the app.

That’s not a bad idea. I’ll see what I can do next I’m I’m working on the GUI code.

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Speaking of updates to the code. I have just posted an updated ‘beta’ test build with more changes to the arcade DAT parser. I believe this is the last time that I need to update DAT processor – knock on wood! Now my focus is solely on making sure that the test version works as well or better than the older stable version – once it does I can get back to improving functionality.

Because there are now so many variations on how to use the Playlist Buddy app, it is very helpful to get bug reports on the test version. Thanks to everyone who has taken the extra time to try the test version and report back!

[Yurif74]

hello i’m just trying this script but i’m actually not able to figure it out… it simply does nothing! this is the configuration i use:

and the second option page:

when i click “generate” nothing happens, menu screen close and two EMPTY folders are generated (thumbnails and playlist). an icon remain in the tray bar endlessly… what i’m doing wrong?

[Yurif74]

sorry i’m very stupid, i was using it on a netbook… i tested on my desktop (intel i7) and some time after i clicked “generate” it started working however i have the Mame 2014 rom folder containing 13007 zip files but the playlist generator created a list with only 11398 entries i have 005.zip file but “005.png” was not copied into the snapshot directory… why? (i noticed only that but i’m almost sure there are others missing since the snapshot directory only contain 8999 png files ) can you help me please?

[shakalakka]

hello again has noticed some missing games in my playlist. some chd-games seems having no additional romfile - only the CHD-Image is available, i think (for example: hyprdriv, nightrai, psyvaria, psyvarrv, raycris, shikigam, spuzbobl, xiistag, chaoshea). any way to detect this games with the playlist buddy and adding them to playlist?

[fxgopher]

Hi

I used to use the Retroach Playlist Generator 0.94.

Does your playlist generator also cover consoles and other systems, or is it just really for addding aracde emualtors into retroarch.

Sorry if this sounds dumb, I’m having lots of RA issues that I can’t seem to solve since 1.36 grr

Thanks Frank

[markwkidd]

I apologize for the late reply, but Playlist Buddy is definitely not just for Arcade playlists.

[markwkidd]

Help put put Playlist Buddy (partly) out of a job!

As of today, if you are using RetroArch and you update your databases via the Online Updater, you will receive the new experimental MAME databases which should be able to scan arcade ROMsets for all of the libretro MAME cores!

This new funtionality needs testers. If you have a moment to test your MAME ROM collection against these new scanner databases, please visit this thread and post your results: Testers needed: New MAME ROMset playlist scanning

[Thatman84]

This sounds like something I need to try.

[Mr_Jake]

@markwkidd Can this program create playlists for CD games like Saturn and Sega CD which can’t be currently scanned by Retroarch and don’t have a DAT?

For example, if I have a Saturn folder with each bin/cue in a separate subfolder:

roms/saturn/game1/game1.bin

roms/saturn/game1/game1.cue

roms/saturn/game2/game2.bin

roms/saturn/game2/game2.cue

roms/saturn/game3/game3.bin

roms/saturn/game3/game3.cue

Can your program parse the folders and create a proper playlist with just the .cue in the playlist without also putting the .bin in the playlist?

[markwkidd]

I would like to eventually add proper support for .cue playlists. In the meantime I believe you can try this in order to omit the .bin files:

1. Open Windows Explorer to the directory where your cue/bin collection is located
2. Use Explorer’s search function to search for all .bin files within that folder and its subfolders
3. Once the search results are complete, select all bin files, right click, and select Properties
4. Temporarily change the bin files to be Hidden from the Properties menu.
5. Leaving that search result window open, run Playlist Buddy. Only .cue files should be added.
6. Return to the search results, select all bin files, and reverse the process to make sure that they are no longer Hidden

[Mr_Jake]

Thanks for the info!

[dranrebn]

I tried to generate playlist for my Minix X8-H android box and Retroarch said “File could not be loaded from playlist”. I followed the playlist setting for Android and playlist would show up but when I try to run it will not play. What am I doing wrong?

Of course when I use scan directory it works but it takes a lot of time to complete (I have all no-intro games and FB Alpha).

[markwkidd]

I tried to generate playlist for my Minix X8-H android box and Retroarch said “File could not be loaded from playlist”. I followed the playlist setting for Android and playlist would show up but when I try to run it will not play. What am I doing wrong?

Can you open the generated playlist in Notepad? Then can you please copy and paste two or three entries (18 lines) here in the forum? When you do post the playlist contents, use the “code” formatting tool , (the two angle brackets with a slash in between)

[alfrix]

@markwkidd have you thought in saving the config? Sometimes i add a rom, and have to re-scan, would be great if everything would be the same as last time, and just press Generate and done.

[final_87]

I managed to get FBA scanned with the .dat, but I have local boxarts named after the roms ex: ‘kof95.zip’ ; ‘kof95.png’. I know the .png should match the fancy name 'The King of Fighters ‘95 (NGM-084).png’ but I have over 500 hand curated boxarts, is there any automated way of ranaming all of them?