Posted: 10/12/2024 5:04 PM
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sl23
Joined: 8/1/2024
Posts: 16
Hi, I'm needing some help getting certain ROMs to load in BizHawk. I'm not really interested in the TAS side of things, but I can't find any where to ask about my issues. Is this the right place for such things? Thanks.
Posted: 10/12/2024 5:08 PM
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CoolHandMike
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Just write out your questions here, or ask in the discord server. Link to discord can be found here https://tasvideos.org/DiscordServer
discord: CoolHandMike#0352
Posted: 10/12/2024 7:27 PM
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sl23
Joined: 8/1/2024
Posts: 16
Ah ok, thank you. :) Well, I am wanting to load some roms in bizhawk via a windows shortcut. There are a few different types. I have set up most Roms simply by using windows file associations and that works perfectly. Some file types can't be set up like that however as they are used in windows itself. Examples of these are ISO, BIN and CUE. I've created a Game Launcher in Rainmeter, and it functions by the use of Windows Shortcut files. But it doesn't work with certain games of certain systems. I presume I need to set up arguments within the shortcut files, but I can't find any info on how to do this and really am not very good at figuring out how this works. The systems I am looking at are: - Game & Watch (MAME ROMs) - These work only when I run them from 'Open Advanced'. But the AspectRatio is off. I can sort of resolve this in the settings but you have to resize the window perfectly to get correct aspect ratio. - Playstation 1 (BIN and CUE files) - These work when loaded from the CUE files. Again, aspect ratio is off, as above. - Commodore 64 (CRT and T64 files) - some work, some don't, but all work with Vice. I would prefer to use BizHawk. This is probably a compatibilty thing though so accept that in time this will likely be resolved. - Libretro cores don't always run a game and sometimes crash. I would mostly just like to get these ROMs running direct from a shortcut.lnk file per game, if you could help with that please. Thanks very much.
Posted: 10/12/2024 8:08 PM
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CasualPokePlayer
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1. I'm surprised Game & Watch games are working at all since our MAME core is Arcade only. Also very odd they only work with Open Advanced, you are actually on the latest BizHawk version, correct? The core is deciding the aspect ratio here too so I would assume it would be actually correct. 2. You are not supposed to load with the .bin file, you are supposed to load with the .cue file. The .cue file tells the emulator where the .bin file is, possibly where other .bin files are at, and how the .bin file is structured with its tracks and whatever CD modes are used. This is the standard across emulators dealing with cue/bin, at best an emulator might be "smart" and use the .cue file next to the bin (although the .cue files are supposed to contain a file path to the .bin, so this is kind of wrong regardless) or maybe generate some .cue file to use with the .bin (which is rife with potential issues since it has to make assumptions about the .bin file that could very well be wrong). Not sure what you mean by the "aspect ratio is off," the aspect ratio presented with default settings would be given using the core's numbers, which would have the correct PAR and such. 3. C64Hawk isn't perfect, although using T64 isn't giving you any favors, as that's an incomplete format (we don't actually support .t64 in the core; you should be using .tap files rather): https://github.com/TASEmulators/BizHawk/issues/1501 Not sure why .CRT would give any particular issues (it's just a cartridge), perhaps just some other compatibility woes with C64Hawk here. VICE port is already a request: https://github.com/TASEmulators/BizHawk/issues/2002 4. Libretro has "experimental" slapped on for a reason: it's nothing more than a curiosity to use them in BizHawk. Some cores don't work due to us not implementing all of libretro's bells and whistles and some don't work due to relying on unspecified behavior with RetroArch.
Posted: 10/12/2024 9:16 PM
(Edited: 10/13/2024 2:11 AM)
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sl23
Joined: 8/1/2024
Posts: 16
1. I did read that, but just tried on the off chance and Donkey Kong worked. I didn't try any others yet. 2. I don't know much about CUE and BIN files. I remember reading some years ago that one controlled the other. I tried loading both as I wasn't sure which and it worked fine with loading CUE but wouldn't when loading BIN. That said, the aspect ration was off, in the same way as with Game & Watch that I mentioned. ie, the picture was squashed down vertically. So instead of a 4:3 aspect ratio, it was more like 16:9. Any attempt to adjust the window size just reverted the picture back after letting go of the window corner. And adjusting the settings didn't help either. Is there something I can do here to getthe correct aspect ratio? Most emulators just show correctly and allow window size adjustment. But then most emulators aren't as complex as BizHawk, I mean that in a good way! It supports so much functionality it must be difficult getting everything right? 3. Two games only seem to be available as T64 and no other version: Kangaroo and Scott Adams' Pirate Adventure #2. [Moderator Edit: Do not describe where to acquire copyright protected materials]. I only kept a small selection as there is just way too many. So I assumed those ROM's were the most reliable. If it helps, could I attach one for you to examine and see why it doesn't work? I know talking of ROMs is often forbidden, sorry if I shouldn't say anything, just delete my comments if necessary. 4. Ok no problem. Good to know. It's been quite tricky finding info on BizHawk, does it use a similar functionality as RetroArch, regarding Cores? Are they built in? I found RetroArch very unreliable and overly complex in use, and my search for a replacement brought me to BizHawk and it's an amazing program that just works, I love it! Are there plans to support more systems? Also, my main reason for posting was to get help with creating Windows shortcuts. I understand the G&W aren't supported, but is there any way to get them to launch from a LNK file? I changed the extension of the CRT files to CRTC, the last C is for Commodore, in order to avoid the conflict with Windows Security Certificates. Would that cause a problem? Apologies for all the questions and thank you for your help.
Posted: 10/12/2024 9:27 PM
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CasualPokePlayer
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Could you screenshot the window of this "squashed down" PSX game? BizHawk primarily does not use libretro like RetroArch. The cores are all included and tightly integrated with BizHawk, 3rd parties can't just make cores like you can with RetroArch.
Posted: 10/12/2024 10:00 PM
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sl23
Joined: 8/1/2024
Posts: 16
Apologies the G&W was working with the gnw_libretro core not with MAME. I think the issue with aspect ratio on PSX has gone??? Not sure what happened!
Posted: 10/13/2024 2:14 AM
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Bigbass
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sl23 wrote:
I only kept a small selection as there is just way too many. So I assumed those ROM's were the most reliable. If it helps, could I attach one for you to examine and see why it doesn't work? I know talking of ROMs is often forbidden, sorry if I shouldn't say anything, just delete my comments if necessary.
No, definitely do not attach/redistribute that kind of content. Even describing where/how you do such things is not acceptable here.
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Posted: 10/13/2024 2:22 AM
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DrD2k9
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sl23 wrote:
- Commodore 64 (CRT and T64 files) - some work, some don't, but all work with Vice. I would prefer to use BizHawk. This is probably a compatibilty thing though so accept that in time this will likely be resolved.
It could also be region compatibility settings. BizHawk can emulate both PAL and NTSC systems. In the C64 menu from the menu bar, there should be a settings option. Try the opposite region and see if the games that aren’t working before work in the opposite region settings.
Posted: 10/13/2024 6:10 AM
(Edited: 10/13/2024 6:10 AM)
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Spikestuff
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CasualPokePlayer wrote:
Libretro has "experimental" slapped on for a reason: it's nothing more than a curiosity to use them in BizHawk. Some cores don't work due to us not implementing all of libretro's bells and whistles and some don't work due to relying on unspecified behavior with RetroArch.
For more information about that you can look at here for what works and what doesn't.
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Posted: 10/13/2024 10:34 AM
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sl23
Joined: 8/1/2024
Posts: 16
Bigbass wrote:
sl23 wrote:
I only kept a small selection as there is just way too many. So I assumed those ROM's were the most reliable. If it helps, could I attach one for you to examine and see why it doesn't work? I know talking of ROMs is often forbidden, sorry if I shouldn't say anything, just delete my comments if necessary.
No, definitely do not attach/redistribute that kind of content. Even describing where/how you do such things is not acceptable here.
Yeah sorry about that, was just trying to help the dev's maybe figure out the issues. I would only do so if it was requested.
Posted: 10/13/2024 10:37 AM
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sl23
Joined: 8/1/2024
Posts: 16
DrD2k9 wrote:
sl23 wrote:
- Commodore 64 (CRT and T64 files) - some work, some don't, but all work with Vice. I would prefer to use BizHawk. This is probably a compatibilty thing though so accept that in time this will likely be resolved.
It could also be region compatibility settings. BizHawk can emulate both PAL and NTSC systems. In the C64 menu from the menu bar, there should be a settings option. Try the opposite region and see if the games that aren’t working before work in the opposite region settings.
Thanks, I did look at those settings, nothing that I tried helped at all. It may be due to the fact that some CRT's are original released versions, other are converted from tape or disk format, some are homebrew that were released/converted to CRT maybe. Not sure what the various formats are but the info in the download does explain, I just didn't understand it and am not really into the tech side of that so didn't pay too much attention. I expect that is why some CRT's work and others don't though.
Posted: 10/13/2024 10:38 AM
(Edited: 10/13/2024 10:40 AM)
Quote
sl23
Joined: 8/1/2024
Posts: 16
Spikestuff wrote:
CasualPokePlayer wrote:
Libretro has "experimental" slapped on for a reason: it's nothing more than a curiosity to use them in BizHawk. Some cores don't work due to us not implementing all of libretro's bells and whistles and some don't work due to relying on unspecified behavior with RetroArch.
For more information about that you can look at here for what works and what doesn't.
Ah that's helpful, thanks! EDIT: Just noticed this at the bottom:
TODO --open commandline which receives a command capable of running an OpenAdvanced item. Do this kind of soon, since it might affect the serialization of those command a little bit
Which is one of the things I was hoping to be able to do, guess I'll have to wait for that. ;)
Posted: 10/13/2024 10:57 AM
(Edited: 10/13/2024 11:01 AM)
Quote
sl23
Joined: 8/1/2024
Posts: 16
So back to my original question... Can I somehow set up a shortcut to a game, for example: "In Cold Blood.LNK" which opens the file "In Cold Blood.CUE" in BizHawk? I know I could set up a file association in windows, but this is probably not a good idea? I attempted adding a "B" to the file extension, ie, "In Cold Blood.cueB" to see if that would work, but BizHawk gives an error after asking which core to use. Does BizHawk treat a file differently depending on it's extension? Or does it just read and interpret it as is? Thanks.
Posted: 10/14/2024 9:53 AM
(Edited: 10/14/2024 9:54 AM)
Quote
sl23
Joined: 8/1/2024
Posts: 16
It's ok, I figured it out! Wasn't difficult in this instance. :) Just in case anyone else needs the info:
; Playstation 1 Shortcuts: Target="X:\path-to-bizhawk-folder\BizHawk\EmuHawk.exe" "X:\path-to-playstation-roms\- In Cold Blood\In Cold Blood - d1.cue" StartIn="X:\path-to-bizhawk-folder\BizHawk" ; Playstation 2 Shortcuts: Target="X:\path-to-pcsx2-folder\PCSX2\pcsx2-qt.exe" "X:\path-to-playstation2-roms\PS2 - Tomb Raider - Anniversary.iso" StartIn="X:\path-to-pcsx2-folder\PCSX2"