Does this mean that MAME really does not support using vector.ini or raster.ini files?
MAME v0.117 was released in
July 2007.
- More recent versions do support these .ini files, but I'm not sure when that support was added.
It will use what is in MAME.ini no matter what the game is. I am using MAME .117 maybe the feature hasn't been implemented yet?
Here are two approaches to consider:
1. Have two copies of MAME -- one in C:\mame\ for the raster games and the other in C:\mame1\ for the vector games.
- Your C:\mame\ copy should already be set.
- Copy everything from C:\mame\ to C:\mame1\ .
- In C:\mame1\, update the paths, edit mame.ini, and keep only the vector game ROMs.
2. Use a .bat file to copy the desired version of mame.ini from either mame_raster.ini or mame_vector.ini before you launch the game.
- You can run a generic raster.bat or vector.bat before launching mame or you can make game specific .bat files.
It is an arcade cab with limited controls (no keyboard/mouse). I am also using the Mala front end. I did set up two Mala setups on the same system with a link, one that loads the front end with only vector games, the other with raster ones. It works with one big problem, it is a MAME cab again so no way to click the link I want without attaching a mouse. It just isn't practical.
Nobody said anything about using a keyboard/mouse for normal game selection.
With option 1, configure your front end to treat the two copies of MAME as different emulator programs.
With option 2, configure your front end to launch the .bat files.
You could also do a mashup where you run the raster games normally from C:\mame\ and run the relatively few vector games with simple .bat files that point to C:\mame1\ .
- With this mashup approach, there's no need to do the mame.ini file copy in the .bat file.
How do you do these things in MALA?
- I'll leave the detailed how-to to someone who knows their way around MALA.
Scott