I have a Mame .180 collection of around 55 gb's in size and some 65000 files. I was hoping to manually knit pick through, removing the 99% that I don't want.
Which is easier -- subtracting 99% or adding 1%?
Whats the most efficient method for me to sort through games I want to keep? I just want something like a MAME interface where I can visually see the titles, snap shots and delete the ones I don't want.
The approach I use is a GUI version of MAME (MAMEUIFX), a full set of artwork from ProgettoSnaps, .DAT files (history.dat, mameinfo.dat, etc.), and a full ROMset in a "..\MAMEUIFX\roms\Archive\" subdirectory.
The GUI allows you to search for titles, look at pics of the cab/control panel/flyer/screenshots, read the description, check current emulation status (working, non-working, working with issues), find related games, etc.
To add a game:
- Use Windows File Explorer to copy the ROM filename (listed in the MAMEUIFX layout) from the "Archive" directory to the "roms" directory
- Right-click to "audit" the ROM and check if there are any missing drivers, CHDs, etc. that also need to be copied from "Archive".
- If the game isn't a keeper, just delete the related ROM/CHD/driver files from the "roms" directory -- there's still a copy in "Archive" if you change your mind later.
Once you build your desired games list, you can copy the ROM/CHD/driver files (minus the "Archive" directory) from the "roms" diectory to the "roms" directory of whichever version of MAME (mainline, groovymame, etc.) you want to use for your cab.
Scott