MAME main menu customize? or other OSD/overlay menu tool for ahk, python etc

[djor]

Hi all. I'm building a HTPC and want to play emu games using MAME/MESS. There are many good frontends for game selection with gamepad support. But I'm still looking for a good way to do in game commands using the gamepad. For example "save state 2", "load state 9", "insert coin 2", and various other commands. I know I can map keys to gamepad buttons, but there are not enough buttons and complex custon button combos are hard to memorize.

What I want is a quick menu. Two questions then:
1. is there a way to customize the MAME/MESS in game menu? Specifically add submenus with commands
(save state|load state) > (1|2|3|...)
2. if no, is there some other program or script or programming tool that enables OSD (on screen display) menu overlay over the fullscreen MAME/MESS game window? That menu could then send keyboard input back to MAME/MESS to trigger commands.

[djor]

Ok, after more reading up I think Retroarch might fit the bill. It has an in game menu and can save, load, rewind etc from there using a gamepad. But now I ran into a new problem. The SNES roms I have are zipped .u1 files (example http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/gioco.php?game=smw&list=snes ). But BSNES in Retroarch requires .sfc files. How do I convert between those formats?

[JDFan]

Ok, after more reading up I think Retroarch might fit the bill. It has an in game menu and can save, load, rewind etc from there using a gamepad. But now I ran into a new problem. The SNES roms I have are zipped .u1 files (example http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/gioco.php?game=smw&list=snes ). But BSNES in Retroarch requires .sfc files. How do I convert between those formats?

http://helmet.kafuka.org/thepile/SNESPurify

[djor]

I solved it by simply doing a binary join ( copy /b command ) on the parts files . Appears to work.

But in case that turns out to not fully work , what command line options should SNESPurify have to join zipped separate MESS files into SFC files that BSNES can run?