clrmamepro datfiles

[atog]

I recently downloaded clrmamepro to see if I could clean up my cabs roms folder a bit.  It looks to me like I have two dat file options - having clrmamepro generate one from the mame executable, or downloading one from an external site like logiqx.  

If any of you guys use clrmamepro, which method do you use to generate your dat?  Is there a benefit to one over the other or is the end identical?

[Minwah]

I let ClrMAMEPro generate the DAT from my mame.exe.  I don't see any point downloaded that one, but you can get DATs for the various types of MAME artwork which may be handy.

[SirPoonga]

I let ClrMAMEPro generate the DAT from my mame.exe.  I don't see any point downloaded that one, but you can get DATs for the various types of MAME artwork which may be handy.

I thought that too, until HowardC told me why.  There are some problems in listinfo for mame.  The downloadable dats fix those problems.

[Jakobud]

I can't use Clrmamepro.  It totally confuses me.  There's like 100 different things you can do in that program and I don't understand what any of them do.

[SirPoonga]

There isn't that much you can do.    

Basically there is the profiler, which is where you configure roms directories.
Then there is the scanner which tells you what you have and don't have.

The rebuilder you use to take partial roms (say just rom file not zi) and add to existing roms.  It's like a repairer.

Merger you don;t have to worry about unless oyu want merged sets.  Not important, but some people like it.

So, for just checking your roms all you need is to fill out the roms folders.  Then goto the scanner.  Select what you want to scan and check for and click scan.  when done output to a logfile and read the file.

[Minwah]

I let ClrMAMEPro generate the DAT from my mame.exe.  I don't see any point downloaded that one, but you can get DATs for the various types of MAME artwork which may be handy.

I thought that too, until HowardC told me why.  There are some problems in listinfo for mame.  The downloadable dats fix those problems.

I hadn't realised, what kind of problems does listinfo have?

[jets]

I can't use Clrmamepro.  It totally confuses me.  There's like 100 different things you can do in that program and I don't understand what any of them do.

I found it confusing too but just because something is "hard" it doesn't mean you "can't" do it. Check out this tutorial.

Thats where I honed my skillz with this program. It's invaluable to mame-ing

[Howard_Casto]

Although clrmamepro is great romcenter does just as good a job and it's less confusing.  Cmp has some great features that rc doesn't, but quite frankly they aren't needed 95% of the time.

It's personal preference really, but cmp is by no means invaluable.  


Oh and the problems about generating your own dat arise from the harddrive games.. something about clrmamepro having to load the entire rom into memory, which chokes the program.  I think they take those roms out in the dats, unless they have fixed the problem now.