Howard's Command Wrapper 4.0: Short Broke?

[bdp]

I can't seem to get the SHORT=1 option to work in Howard's latest command wrapper.

I am trying to use it with Z26, it doesn't like having long filenames passed to it.

Howard, can you fix this sometime or, another option...Add the ability to put double quotes around the entire rompath and romname.  This will work a lot better with roms that don't like spaces in their command line.

Thanks, I love the new frontend.

BDP

[bdp]

Actually Howard the more I look at it, if you could just, in the next version of the FE, make it surround the rompath in double quotes by default, that would be easier.  There would be quite a few emus I could use without even needing the wrapper then.  In some instances, I only wanted to use the cmdline wrapper for the SHORT option.  It's not so much that emus need short filenames anymore, its that their command lines aren't capable of processing special characters like spaces or apostrophes (z26 and magic engine are two that come to mind).

Anyway, if you could just have the FE surround just the rompath in double quotes, like this:

pce.exe "e:\pce\roms\bonk's adventure.zip"

That would totally rock.  And I don't think it'd be tough for ya.  I hope.

BDP

[joeblade]

Hey bdp, if you need a quick fix for this problem, while waiting for howard to update his wrapper - check mine out. It allready has this feature (configurable).

You can download it at:

http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/joe_blade/cmd/

Cheers

 

[Howard_Casto]

The short option works fine in version 4.0 so it must be your settings or it's another option that the z26 doesn't like.  

Double quotes may be added in the future, but don't hold your breath as they cause other coding issues.  The way I currently parse the command line, it would be very difficult to know where to place the quotes.  


bdp i haven't directly said it yet, but great job on your wrapper.  We need to compare notes when you get a chance. (I've heard yours sometimes has better luck exiting problem emus.)

[bdp]

Howard,

I have "Short=1" in there.  And I can say for certain that the command line that's being sent is still using the long filename (laz_log.txt tells me so).  Am I doing something wrong?  What can I post here for you to look at?

Shame about the double quotes.  It really would make life easier but I understand.  There's just a few emus where the only reason I need a wrapper is because I need to quote the rom name.  Joe's wrapper does solve the problem though (it's joe's wrapper, by the way, not mine).

Thanks for the wrapper, Joe!

So far, the only emu that's still giving me problems is Magic Engine.  It just locks up at the Loading screen in Dragon King, whether I use it with Howard's wrapper, Joe's wrapper, or even try and launch direct (it doesn't like the long filenames without quotes).

Anyone got Magic Engine to run in Dragon King, and if so can you post your cfg?

BDP

[Howard_Casto]

The laz=log.txt shows what lazarus is sending to the wrapper.  The actual conversion is done inside the wrapper itself.  Set the launch style to 1 in the wrapper and you'll see the little command prompt.

[joeblade]

Hey howard,

> We need to compare notes when you get a chance.

No worries mate, I will drop you a personal mail on the board, sometime today / tommorrow to give you the lowdown on what mine does.

I think it was just fluke really that it ended up as it did, I had no idea what I was doing (with regards to the windows bits), I ended up spending a fair bit of time over at the MSDN web page.

Interestingly enough I think I may have found a bug, although not too sure yet. I was giving MameWah a run yesterday (I am only just catching up on all the recent FE releases, yet to try Dragon King, still actually using Lazarus), and for whatever reason my wrapper randomly fails to quit when run from MameWah.

It quits the emu fine, but doesn't quit itself sometime, and the focus then doesn't go back to Mamewah.

Will have to investigate this one.

Cheers

Martin

[Minwah]

It quits the emu fine, but doesn't quit itself sometime, and the focus then doesn't go back to Mamewah.

I have recently heard of this sometimes occuring with Howard's wrapper too (with MAMEWAH).

I have not yet tried your wrapper joeblade, but I shall do...I'll let you know if I find anything of interest...

[joeblade]

I found the problem with my wrapper last night (although haven't fixed it yet, but you can all expect an update soon), and its nothing to do with MameWah, so you can breathe easy on that one.

I was using it for z26 (the FE modified one) to quote the rom name (possibly a feature for the next MameWah ?). Well the FE version of z26 picks up the ESC key itself and exists. This can occur before my wrapper detects the ESC key, hence z26 quits, and my wrapper is left waiting. Another ESC and it might exit (I didn't test that), but we don't want to have to do that.

The wrapper is currently configurable as to whether it hangs around attempting to kill the emu (so I could have turned that feature off, and there would then be no problem), but even still, I would like it to be a bit more intelligent.


The fix - 2 parts:

(1) Reduce the sleep time while in the "check for the exit key loop". Actually I will reduce the default, and expose the fact that this value is configurable (always has been), hence can be "tweaked" if required.

(2) Whilst in the "check for the exit key loop", I will also check if the emu is still running. If not, the wrapper will quit.

That should sort it.

Hopefully a new version will be out int he next few days (I will probably finish coding it up whilst at work today).

Cheers

Martin

 

[bdp]

Martin,

Please let us know when a new version is out!

I can tell you I love your wrapper.  The ability to add quotes around the filename has saved me a TON.  I now have your wrapper working in DragonKing with every emu I've tried EXCEPT for Magic Engine.  That emu doesn't like your wrapper or Howard's.  I think ME might just have trouble launching from within DragonKing itself, I haven't had the chance to test this yet.  I want to try it without a wrapper at all but I need to have it call a rom via a short filename somehow (or find a rom that's short enough that it has no spaces in it).

Otherwise, so far, so good -- Now I just gotta figure out how to use the Visual Pinball wrapper!

BDP

[Howard_Casto]

Ok I have to ask... what the crap is the magic engine?

Sorry if I sound out of the loop, but I don't do console emus.

[joeblade]

Yeh, I am curious aswell now (more to why my wrapper won't work with it).

I assume its a PC Engine emu ?

I will go off and do a search in google, see what I can see.

Cheers

Martin

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah, you guys have to remember... we aren't psychic.  And besides that sometimes, no matter what we do a game just can't be run via wrapper.  Sad but true.  

Just don't get all snippy about the quality when 1 out of 10,000 apps won't run on it.    It's not the wrapper, it's ALWAYS the program your trying to launch with it.  Remember, we are jimmy rigging a piece of software to do something it isn't supposed to do, it's not an exact science.  

[bdp]

Yup, I was never blaming the software.  It's gonna be a Magic Engine thing judging from the fact that it doesn't work with both wrappers.

I do want to try using Magic Engine with another FE and the same wrappers though.  That way I'll be able to tell if it's a problem with ME and DragonKing or just a problem with ME in general.  For example, if roms load fine in MameWAH or GameLauncher using the wrappers, just not in DK, I thought you might want to be aware.

But I haven't tested this yet.  When I do, I'll post my results here.

BDP

[Howard_Casto]

Yup, I was never blaming the software.  It's gonna be a Magic Engine thing judging from the fact that it doesn't work with both wrappers.

I do want to try using Magic Engine with another FE and the same wrappers though.  That way I'll be able to tell if it's a problem with ME and DragonKing or just a problem with ME in general.  For example, if roms load fine in MameWAH or GameLauncher using the wrappers, just not in DK, I thought you might want to be aware.

But I haven't tested this yet.  When I do, I'll post my results here.

BDP

I know man, I wasn't directing that towards you, just towards everyone in general. (I've gotten some really awful emails over the years on how they "don't work.")  Sorry if you took it that way.  

[Minwah]

Kinda related...does anyone have Howard's commandline wrapper v3.0 or 4.0 working with ZiNc?  For me it doesn't launch the rom, just goes black screen, then returns to the commandline.

I can get the previous (old) version working fine...maybe I missed something in the newer wrappers?

[Howard_Casto]

Well I always test my new wrappers on zinc specifically, so I can confirm that it works.  However I have been noticing some wierdness with zincs' renderers that causes crashes and blank windows.  

It has to do with the render settings and what-not so make sure you are pointing to a rom path, and renderer.cfg and a controller.cfg in the command line or it will bail out or cause wierdness.  

Also the lconfig.ini changed just a tad, so it might be a simple thing like checking the lconfig.ini and making sure it's current.  Hope that helps!

[colonelsnow]

Yup, I was never blaming the software.  It's gonna be a Magic Engine thing judging from the fact that it doesn't work with both wrappers.

I do want to try using Magic Engine with another FE and the same wrappers though.  That way I'll be able to tell if it's a problem with ME and DragonKing or just a problem with ME in general.  For example, if roms load fine in MameWAH or GameLauncher using the wrappers, just not in DK, I thought you might want to be aware.

But I haven't tested this yet.  When I do, I'll post my results here.

BDP

You can use Magic Engine in Mamewah without a wrapper by using a bat file.

Create a bat file.
c:
cd\turbografix
pce.exe c:\turbografix\roms\%1

In Mamewah set the bat as the executable
Send rom path: no
Send rom extension: yes
long file names: yes
show dos: yes

[Minwah]

Well I always test my new wrappers on zinc specifically, so I can confirm that it works.  However I have been noticing some wierdness with zincs' renderers that causes crashes and blank windows.  

It has to do with the render settings and what-not so make sure you are pointing to a rom path, and renderer.cfg and a controller.cfg in the command line or it will bail out or cause wierdness.  

Also the lconfig.ini changed just a tad, so it might be a simple thing like checking the lconfig.ini and making sure it's current.  Hope that helps!

Thanks Howard, I'll check it all out...