Issues with GroovyMAME roms and gfx artifacts

[MrMatt]

Hi,

I'm using GroovyMAME with crt_emudriver on a JAMMA cab with a CRT and Hantarex 900E chassis.  I have 2 issues I'd like to resolve.

I have MAME 0.222 setup on a laptop, and GroovyMAME 0.222 setup on the arcade cab.  I downloaded a MAME 0.222 merged romset and copied the same roms I wanted to both the laptop and arcade rom folders.  On the laptop the games all start fine, on GroovyMAME they say "One or more ROMs/CHD for this machine are incorrect".  I tried some other MAME222 roms and used RomCentre to fix any roms with issues but it was the same result, all games are fine on MAME but have that error message in GroovyMAME.

The 2nd issue is I have some graphics artefacting on Robocop.  When the game starts, the green writing on the screen looks like it is missing a line of pixels.  When Robocop walks his mask visor glitches so it looks like it is opening and closing.  This doesn't happen when I test the game on MAME222 on a laptop.  This may be happening on other games too but I've only noticed it on Robocop so far.

I believe my GM and CRT_emu are setup correctly but maybe I'm missing something which means it doesn't work correctly with Robocop's resolution.  If anyone could help me audit my setup maybe we could find out why I'm getting this gfx glitch.

Thank you in advance.

[MrMatt]

Does anyone have any idea how to fix either of these issues?

Thanks.

[Calamity]

Hi MrMatt,

MAME and GroovyMAME are 100% the same regarding roms, so double check your rom files because there's something wrong for sure.

With regards to Robocop's mask visor glitch, your description somewhat sounds like tearing but I can't tell. I'd need a log to be able to help.

[Zebidee]

 

You can run Groovymame and vanilla mame from same directory, and that way they use the same mame.ini file and other resources like roms, art, snaps etc., generally the simpler way to do it.

Check your mame.ini for rom directories

[schmerzkaufen]

FYGI most people hardly get their roms from reliable sources anymore.
There's like only two places remaining on the interwebs that dispense clean complete up-to-date romsets, AFAIK, maybe one or two more that I don't know. *shrug*
And so, the often older sets they find 'elsewhere' sometimes might miss something, either a proper game rom, or the whole BIOS and/or 'devices' roms that are essential to run many of the games.
MAME tells what binary file is missing, not the name of the zipped rom that file is expected to be found in, and it can be any of the three types.

(ps: that's why I like to stay up to date with the roms and builds, so I don't have to search for little bits and parts, nor read old whatnew/mameinfo to find what change nuked my setup)

[MrMatt]

Hi MrMatt,

MAME and GroovyMAME are 100% the same regarding roms, so double check your rom files because there's something wrong for sure.

With regards to Robocop's mask visor glitch, your description somewhat sounds like tearing but I can't tell. I'd need a log to be able to help.

Hi.

I'm using the exact same roms on my laptop and my cab, I even have GM running on my laptop and it doesn't report the error that there are missing CHD/files with the same roms I use on my cab.  Could it be an xml is different on my cab than my laptop?

I'll get a vid of the Robocop artefacting, I don't think it is screen tearing, on one of the frames when walking his mask looks like it is closed.  It's very consistent.

[MrMatt]

Hi MrMatt,

MAME and GroovyMAME are 100% the same regarding roms, so double check your rom files because there's something wrong for sure.

With regards to Robocop's mask visor glitch, your description somewhat sounds like tearing but I can't tell. I'd need a log to be able to help.

Hi.

This is the log.  I had to run mame64.exe -v, I don't know where or what groovymame.exe is.  I hope this is correct.

I recorded some footage using MAME's inbuilt avi recorder and I could see the artefacting on the CRT screen but it didn't capture it in the recorded video.  I guess this means it's something to do with my CRT resolution?

[Zebidee]

Hi MrMatt,

MAME and GroovyMAME are 100% the same regarding roms, so double check your rom files because there's something wrong for sure.

This is the key issue. You need to sort out your roms directory in mame.ini, which is in whatever folder you run mame (or groovymame) from. You can also select roms directory from the standard mame/groovymame GUI options very easy stuff 

This is the log.  I had to run mame64.exe -v, I don't know where or what groovymame.exe is.  I hope this is correct.

This is the other part of your problem. How do you even run groovymame when you don't know where the executable is? Given that you don't know where groovymame.exe is, why/how can you even comment about it screen tearing in Robocop? Another thing... how do you even run Robocop if you can't locate your roms? This make no sense 

Just put groovymameXX.exe into your mame folder and BAM! they are using the same config for roms and everything else. Then you'll also know where the groovymame.exe is 

I recorded some footage using MAME's inbuilt avi recorder and I could see the artefacting on the CRT screen but it didn't capture it in the recorded video.  I guess this means it's something to do with my CRT resolution?

Let's deal with the other issues first, then we can help you deal with your groovymame setup.

[MrMatt]

Hi MrMatt,

MAME and GroovyMAME are 100% the same regarding roms, so double check your rom files because there's something wrong for sure.

This is the key issue. You need to sort out your roms directory in mame.ini, which is in whatever folder you run mame (or groovymame) from. You can also select roms directory from the standard mame/groovymame GUI options very easy stuff 

This is the log.  I had to run mame64.exe -v, I don't know where or what groovymame.exe is.  I hope this is correct.

This is the other part of your problem. How do you even run groovymame when you don't know where the executable is? Given that you don't know where groovymame.exe is, why/how can you even comment about it screen tearing in Robocop? Another thing... how do you even run Robocop if you can't locate your roms? This make no sense 

Just put groovymameXX.exe into your mame folder and BAM! they are using the same config for roms and everything else. Then you'll also know where the groovymame.exe is 

I recorded some footage using MAME's inbuilt avi recorder and I could see the artefacting on the CRT screen but it didn't capture it in the recorded video.  I guess this means it's something to do with my CRT resolution?

Let's deal with the other issues first, then we can help you deal with your groovymame setup.

OK, maybe I've missed a step but my GM directory only has mame64.exe.  I just re-downloaded the GroovyMAME0.222 017q zip folder and there isn't a groovymame.exe inside it.

[MrMatt]

Also, all of my ROMs work in GM on the cab, they just all have the warning that there are missing or incorrect CHDs/ROMs.

This is the resolution info screen for Robocop, so I thought that switchres and GM was working OK because it is in 15kHz.  I've always launched them using the mame64.exe inside the GM directory.

[Zebidee]

OK, maybe I've missed a step but my GM directory only has mame64.exe.  I just re-downloaded the GroovyMAME0.222 017q zip folder and there isn't a groovymame.exe inside it.

Ah I see sorry yes the filename is different depending on how you download it. If you get the whole folder set then it'll just be mame64.exe or whatever, but when downloading the groovymame build separately it will have a different filename. So, you could rename your groovymame executable to "Groovymame.exe" or whatever, and pop that in a standard MAME directory of same version and run both mame and groovymame from same directory concurrently.

I'm wondering... Try going into VMMaker on cab and go to "Edit Settings/MAME" (last tab). Do you have "Generate XML from MAME executable" ticked? If so that might cause your issues perhaps with mame and groovymame using different xml file versions. Generally you should leave it unticked. It should look more like in attached pic.

If that's the issue you can restore/download the xml separately, or generate your own xml from the executable via command line with "groovymame64.exe -listxml > mame.xml"

[MrMatt]

OK, maybe I've missed a step but my GM directory only has mame64.exe.  I just re-downloaded the GroovyMAME0.222 017q zip folder and there isn't a groovymame.exe inside it.

Ah I see sorry yes the filename is different depending on how you download it. If you get the whole folder set then it'll just be mame64.exe or whatever, but when downloading the groovymame build separately it will have a different filename. So, you could rename your groovymame executable to "Groovymame.exe" or whatever, and pop that in a standard MAME directory of same version and run both mame and groovymame from same directory concurrently.

I'm wondering... Try going into VMMaker on cab and go to "Edit Settings/MAME" (last tab). Do you have "Generate XML from MAME executable" ticked? If so that might cause your issues perhaps with mame and groovymame using different xml file versions. Generally you should leave it unticked. It should look more like in attached pic.

If that's the issue you can restore/download the xml separately, or generate your own xml from the executable via command line with "groovymame64.exe -listxml > mame.xml"

Thanks.

I didn't have that option checked, but I also didn't have "Generate video modes from MAME XML" checked.  Can that cause any issues?

Also, my MAME executable path has changed since I set this up last July.  Do I need to update it?

[Zebidee]

I didn't have that option checked, but I also didn't have "Generate video modes from MAME XML" checked.  Can that cause any issues?

Check to box that says "Get video modes from mame xml". Then make sure you actually have a proper xml file.

restore/download the xml separately, or generate your own xml from the executable via command line with "groovymame64.exe -listxml > mame.xml"

Also, my MAME executable path has changed since I set this up last July.  Do I need to update it?

Yes!
 
You have to do this otherwise CRTEMU doesn't know where you groovymame installation is, won't be able to find your mame.ini or mame.xml files. The checked box that says "Export settings to groovymame" allows VMMaker to update mame.ini with your monitor presets and other settings - this is how GM knows what your monitor is capable of.

Then click "OK" and you'll see a message in the command window "Exporting settings to mame.ini...", which means VMMaker has updated your mame.ini for you

[MrMatt]

I didn't have that option checked, but I also didn't have "Generate video modes from MAME XML" checked.  Can that cause any issues?

Check to box that says "Get video modes from mame xml". Then make sure you actually have a proper xml file.

restore/download the xml separately, or generate your own xml from the executable via command line with "groovymame64.exe -listxml > mame.xml"

Also, my MAME executable path has changed since I set this up last July.  Do I need to update it?

Yes!
 
You have to do this otherwise CRTEMU doesn't know where you groovymame installation is, won't be able to find your mame.ini or mame.xml files. The checked box that says "Export settings to groovymame" allows VMMaker to update mame.ini with your monitor presets and other settings - this is how GM knows what your monitor is capable of.

Then click "OK" and you'll see a message in the command window "Exporting settings to mame.ini...", which means VMMaker has updated your mame.ini for you

Thank you.

I re-generated a mame.xml file and I have updated VMMaker but I still have the same 2 issues.  Please see everything here including the artefacting on Robocop.

https://imgur.com/a/fTrXgX1

I've run the initialisation log for Robocop again this morning and attached the log.  Do I have all of the correct resolutions setup?  I've only ever setup GM one time ages ago, there's a good chance a setting is wrong somewhere.

[Zebidee]

lol, it occurred to me that maybe the roms for original game haven't been dumped correctly, and that seems to be the case. It is just an information box FYI. I just ran robocop on my win7 mame 0.219 and got the same roms error message as you. So no error as such. If you are actually missing rom files from the official 0.222 set then you get a different message specifying which are missing.

Your vanilla mame .exe might be a nonag version?

Couldn't replicate your "closed visor" issue though. Looks a little like 1 or more lines are missing (as in removed) from the raster display - almost like you have "screen vert stretch" set to something less than 1.000 (you can check this by pressing TAB in game and selecting slider controls).

[MrMatt]

lol, it occurred to me that maybe the roms for original game haven't been dumped correctly, and that seems to be the case. It is just an information box FYI. I just ran robocop on my win7 mame 0.219 and got the same roms error message as you. So no error as such. If you are actually missing rom files from the official 0.222 set then you get a different message specifying which are missing.

Your vanilla mame .exe might be a nonag version?

Couldn't replicate your "closed visor" issue though. Looks a little like 1 or more lines are missing (as in removed) from the raster display - almost like you have "screen vert stretch" set to something less than 1.000 (you can check this by pressing TAB in game and selecting slider controls).

Yeah, you were right about the slider settings, for some reason my Vertical and Horizontals were at about 0.970.  Now that artifact has gone.  Great, thank you.

I have the "skip info" turned on on all MAME and GM installs but this skips the resolution info box at startup.  I have the same GM version installed on my laptop and it also doesn't show that missing CHDs/ROMs message.

[Zebidee]

Cool, glad you got the "visor" issue sorted.

The rom warnings are actually there for a reason - it is not a problem. They are there to tell you to not expect perfection. Ironically they are there to stop people incorrectly reporting a problem. There are ways to compile mame without them appearing, but by default they should. Weird thing is that your laptop doesn't report them.

[MrMatt]

Cool, glad you got the "visor" issue sorted.

The rom warnings are actually there for a reason - it is not a problem. They are there to tell you to not expect perfection. Ironically they are there to stop people incorrectly reporting a problem. There are ways to compile mame without them appearing, but by default they should. Weird thing is that your laptop doesn't report them.

Thanks again for your time and help.  I'll see if I can find what is different between the two installs on laptop and cab to see what is causing this info message on the cab.

I'm glad it appears my GM and CRTEMU is setup correctly now.

Cheers.

[Calamity]

Just for the record, the suggested step where you checked "Get video modes from XML" wasn't really required, since you were using super resolutions just fine. The wrong slider setting was actually the problem, well spotted.