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Front End Support => MaLa Frontend => Topic started by: TheElectricMonk on September 17, 2017, 04:11:16 am

Title: [SOLVED] Layout for Other Emulators: Definables with long names
Post by: TheElectricMonk on September 17, 2017, 04:11:16 am

I've got a problem using definables in my layout.

This is not a MAME layout, but for another emulator (WinApe for Amstrad CPC), and the ROMs are links (.lnk) leading to batch files (.bat), because I had to set up each game separately.

I've already used the Snaps (the gameplay screen), Marquee (a poster for each game in the background) and CPanel fields (a graphic of a post-it note with additional info for some games) and would like to use an additional definable field (to show individual controls for some games).
The problem is that the only game info I can use for the definable is the ROM name. In other emulators where the ROM is called with an emulator exe file, that's easy: The rom is simply called "Tetris" for example, or "Super Mario Bros".

In this example however, the ROM called by MALA is a lnk file ("f:\roms\amstrad cpc\Live and Let Die.lnk") leading to "E:\emulators\Amstrad CPC\winape\!liveandletdie.bat".
So when I click on "Meta game info", the ROM name isn't "Live and Let Die", but displays as "E:\emulators\Amstrad CPC\winape\!liveandletdie.bat". Obviously, I can't use that as a file name for my definable graphics.

Now I've read somewhere that "unusable characters get converted into lowerscores". I've tried several variatons of
E__emulators_Amstrad_CPC_winape_!liveandletdie.png or
E__emulators_Amstrad CPC_winape_!liveandletdie.png or
E_emulators_Amstrad_CPC_winape_!liveandletdie.png or
E__emulators_Amstrad CPC_winape_!liveandletdie.png,
but no luck.
Am I even on the right track with this, or am I going about this completely the wrong way?

Or is it impossible to use definables if the ROM name has such long drive and directory infos in it?

Or do the png graphics need to be in the same directory as the links, i.e. in E:\emulators\Amstrad CPC\winape with the filename !liveandletdie.png ?

Thanks for your help!

Title: Re: Layout for Other Emulators: Definables with long names
Post by: bmanbdaman on September 18, 2017, 10:20:42 pm

Use BAT files instead of LNK to preserve the rom name.

Title: Re: Layout for Other Emulators: Definables with long names
Post by: TheElectricMonk on September 19, 2017, 05:37:39 pm

Argh. So simple! Thank you!  :applaud: