MAME Resolution change

[deano728]

I just played my Mame machine for the first time in a while.  For some reason, many games set to a current resolution are completely distorted.  So much so that there is no way to see what game is actually playing.  So I go into MAME display screen resolution select the next screen size up and then they work fine.  Nothing at all changed with my configuration and noone else even knows how to turn it on, so what could have changed to make this happen?

1. Since it appears that for some reason my monitor can no longer display that resolution, how can I go into MAMEUI and change all games that have that resolution to a new resolution?
2. How can I prevent this from happening in the future? (This is the second time that this has happened.)
3. Is there a table of good resolutions for all games?
4. Is there a simple way to change a resolution while playing a game?  Or is the only solution to exit the game and UI and then go into MAME file to manually change the setting?   

Thanks in advance...

[BASS!]

Could be something changed with your video card setup. I would go into your mame directory and delete all of the files in your ini directory except default.ini. There should be a ton in there. Then go download mamewah's resolution tool http://mamewah.mameworld.net/downloads/mame_res_tool.zip

[u_rebelscum]

Or if you have other game specific settings you want to keep, you can do a text search and replace.  Be careful though.  If you have game A @ res1 and game B @ res2, if you search and replace res1 with res2, then res2 with res3, both games will have res3.  If you replaced res2 with res3 first, then res1 with res2, you're fine.

[deano728]

Thanks guys.

Rebel, what file do I go into to do the text replace?  I am not even sure where the resolutions are stored since I usually make all of my changes in MAMEUI32 and then the changes are saved. 

I will heed your warning about the text replace - thanks for the heads up!   

Where is there a list of the suggested resolutions for every game?  Someone once told me where to go, but I have since forgotten.  No fun getting old.

[u_rebelscum]

Rebel, what file do I go into to do the text replace?  I am not even sure where the resolutions are stored since I usually make all of my changes in MAMEUI32 and then the changes are saved. 

MameUI saves the options in the ini folder.  The general, default settings are in the mame.ini file.  And the game specific settings are in the gamename.ini files.  If you want to do batch search and replace on multiple files, use a half decent text editor, such as Notepad++.

FYI, mameUI's ini folder and files are the same as vanilla mame; both mame and mameUI will look in the ini folder for ini files.  The only difference is mame creates mame.ini in the mame folder by default but will use the one mameUI creates if there is no mame.ini in the mame folder.

Where is there a list of the suggested resolutions for every game?  Someone once told me where to go, but I have since forgotten.  No fun getting old.

Well, the link uprightbass360 can do it.  Maws is the best online site for most mame game info.  And if you don't mind big xml files, mame & mameUI can create a file with res info with "mame -lx > listxml.xml" or "mameUI32 -lx > listxml.xml" from the commandline; this listxml.xml file is where Maws gets 90% of the info on the site, but displays it a little easier to read.

[Ummon]

Thanks guys.

Rebel, what file do I go into to do the text replace?  I am not even sure where the resolutions are stored since I usually make all of my changes in MAMEUI32 and then the changes are saved. 

I will heed your warning about the text replace - thanks for the heads up!  

Where is there a list of the suggested resolutions for every game?  Someone once told me where to go, but I have since forgotten.  No fun getting old.

Clicking on 'Help', the question mark at the top, and looking through the file will tell you lots of things about mame and mameui.

[deano728]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!

[deano728]

I have identified the resolutions that are funky.  288X240 and 352X256. 

I figured out what I need to change them to in order to make them work.

I downloaded Notepad++.  Rebel, I have never used this before.  Is there some sort of code or plugin that I need to run in order to have it look in all files in the directory and change 352X256 into 321X256?

[deano728]

Nevermind,

Clicked on "Search" on the file menu and then "find in files" 

Thanks Rebel!

[deano728]

Now I am stumped again.  I got Notepad ++ to find all of the instances (541), but then I don't know how to replace them.  I see the "replace" tab, but when I click to replace, it says "0 occurrences replaced".  Then when I change back to the find tab, it has a different folder in the directory drop down.  This is frustrating since it identifies all of the ini files that have a resolution my monitor doesn't support but I have no idea how to make it go into all of those files and replace the non-working resolution...

I guess I could try and run the MAME resolution tool, but how do I get rid of resolution settings within ArcadeVGA that my monitor obviously doesn't support?

Thanks!

[u_rebelscum]

Now I am stumped again.  I got Notepad ++ to find all of the instances (541), but then I don't know how to replace them.  I see the "replace" tab, but when I click to replace, it says "0 occurrences replaced".  Then when I change back to the find tab, it has a different folder in the directory drop down.  This is frustrating since it identifies all of the ini files that have a resolution my monitor doesn't support but I have no idea how to make it go into all of those files and replace the non-working resolution...

I guess I could try and run the MAME resolution tool, but how do I get rid of resolution settings within ArcadeVGA that my monitor obviously doesn't support?

Thanks!

Huh, looks like Notepad++ can only replace in files it has open.   So you could drag and drop all the files into notepad++ and then use the "replace in all open documents" button.  Sorry for the bad info on features.   (I've been using textpad more often recently, but it has the same limit and is shareware, which are why I recommended notepad++.)