Emu Loader: MAME and Arcade Frontend
------------------------------------
     by Ciro Alfredo Consentino

   Emu Loader is a graphical user interface (GUI) for arcade emulators and MAME emulator. Compatible with all versions of
Windows (WinXP and newer).
This frontend started as a hobby and a learning project. I first discovered MAME in 1997.

   WARNING: DOS MAME and MAME32 are not supported by the frontend!


Disclaimer
----------

   This is a freeware software. It can be distributed freely. It cannot be sold. It cannot
be used for commercial purposes. It's an open source project, created with Borland Delphi 7.
It's totally free except from the compiler.
   The author is not responsible for any data loss or damage to your computer caused by
this program. All components, contents and codes used in this project
are copyrighted by their owners.

  Use it at your own risk.


Requirements
------------

Minimum Hardware:

OS: Windows XP with themes enabled
CPU: Pentium 4 2.0GHz
RAM: 512 MB
Video: any capable of at least 32-bits bpp and 640x480 pixels resolution
Sound: none
Other: mouse, keyboard

Recommended Hardware:

OS: Windows 7 with Aero user interface
CPU: any dual-core or quad-core 3.0GHz processor
RAM: 4 GB
Video: any capable of showing 32-bits bpp and a high resolution
Sound: sound card/onboard audio chip to listen to game sounds
Other: mouse, keyboard. (optional) arcade controller for the GUI: Devastator II, HotRod SE, SlikStik, X-Arcade


Features
--------

- Emulators supported (latest versions of all emulators only, except MAME/HBMAME)
  - MAME v0.37 beta 15 and newer (variants: UME; SDLMAME; SDLUME; MAME Plus!; WolfMAME)
  - ZiNc v1.1
  - Daphne
  - Demul
  - SEGA Model 2 Emu v1.0 and v1.1a
  - Supermodel: SEGA Model 3
  - HBMAME (HomeBrew MAME)
  - DICE: Discrete Integrated Circuit Emulator

- Support for non-arcade machines and games from software lists (MAME 0.162 and newer only)

- Support for split ROMs (zip/7-zip only)

- Detection of MAME/HBMAME merged clone sets (full scan mode only)
  NOTE: Merged sets are NOT fully supported by the frontend and I recommend stay away from them

- Multiple favorites lists (no limit)

- Support for 7-Zip ROMs. It requires an external 7z.dll file to work. MAME, HBMAME and Demul emulators only

- Three scan games modes (audit)
  - full scan with full ROMs validation thru CRC32 checksum and CHDs thru SHA-1 or MD5 checksum
  - quick scan to simply search for main game files, no validation
  - force games available to set games available no matter what, with no files search or validation

- Support for several image categories: title snapshots, game snapshots, marquees,
  flyers, cabinets, control panels, control panel layouts, PCBs, in-game artworks

- Preview snapshots (unzipped and zipped). Max of 10 snapshots per game (and per image category)
  Zipped images filenames are fixed (same filename for all emulators):
  - Title Snapshot......: titles.zip
  - In-Game Snapshot....: snap.zip
  - Marquee.............: marquees.zip
  - Flyer...............: flyers.zip
  - Cabinet.............: cabinets.zip
  - Control Panel.......: cpanel.zip
  - Control Panel Layout: cpanellayout.zip
  - PCB.................: pcb.zip
  - In-Game Artwork.....: snapartwork.zip

- Video preview playback. Watch a video sample of your games when browsing the games list
  - any video and audio format can be used, limited only by your system
  - any media player can be used as long as it can load files from the command line
  - support for command line switches so you can have more control over the media player

- Extra snapshots using full game names. This is an unique Emu Loader feature to avoid similar filenames
  to be mixed up. Format: "fullgamename0000.png" (e.g.: galaga0000.png instead of gala0000.png)

- Image layouts view mode. View up to three image categories at the same time

- Support for MAMu_ icons, one folder per system (unzipped or zipped)... MAMEUI / MAME32 icons might not be fully compatible
  Icon files can have multiple icons with different sizes: 48x48; 32x32; 24x24; 16x16 (one for each games list view mode)

- Random game selection (only thru Ctrl+R hotkey or games popup menu)

- Advanced games filters, including a search bar with customizable settings

- Incremental search by game title or game name
  Just type the game title or game name for a quick acccess (partial strings support)

- Custom game/driver options (driver settings for MAME/HBMAME only)

- Support several .dat files: mameinfo.dat, messinfo.dat, history.dat, story.dat (MAMEscore v2), marp.dat

- Run multi-slot machines by selecting multiple games in list: "Neo-Geo MVS", "Sega Meta-Tech", "ST-V"

- Easy access with popup menus, toolbar buttons and hot keys

- Rename/delete preview snapshots (unzipped only)

- Long file/folder names friendly

- Browse games list with Detonator II / HotRod SE / SlikStik and X-Arcade arcade controllers (limited functions)
  
- Full screen mode. Shows only games list and preview snapshots, no tool bars or Windows title bar

- Delete/copy/move game files directly from the frontend (.zip; .7z; .cfg; nvram; .dat; etc). Recycle bin not supported!

- Game columns customization (details and grouped view modes)

- Basic detection of bad .zip files to prevent frontend crashes (ZipForge library)

- Frontend settings are stored in .ini files. Windows registry is never used!

- View complete web game info directly in images panel (ProgettoEMMA website)

- Grouped view mode. List games in "parent + clone games" groups format. (columns sort is disable in this view)

- CatVer support (catver.ini or catver_full.ini from AntoPISA). View category and version added in your games list (MAME only)

- Nplayers support (nplayers.ini). Shows how many players a game support (MAME only)

- Languages support (languages.ini). Show language for each game (MAME only)

- Category ini for MESS ("category_home.ini" from AntoPISA). Category of MESS machines and for proper non-arcade machines filtering (MAME 0.162 and newer only)

- Version ini for MESS ("version.ini" from AntoPISA). Version added of MESS machines in your games list (MAME 0.162 and newer only)

- MAME Machines Side Panel to list all MAME machines with software list games,  to filter games by machine ("Machine" tool bar button)

- MAMu_ Icons Manager. Neat feature to manage game icons. Specially coded for the icons master, MAMu_

- Alpha-blend icons support (32 bits)



Short Cut Keys
--------------

Enter..............Play game
Shift+Enter........Play game with AlterMAME
Shift+A............Show a list of all available game sets with missing ROMs/CHDs (selected game)
F8.................Show a list of all available game sets with missing ROMs/CHDs (all games)
Left Key...........Moves list to the left (standard/grouped views) / Select previous game
Right Key..........Moves list to the right (standard/grouped views) / Select next game
Ctrl+Left Key......Moves list to the left (faster)
Ctrl+Right Key.....Moves list to the right (faster)
Home...............Go to the top of the list
End................Go to the bottom of the list
Page Up............Scroll the list up (faster)
Page Down..........Scroll the list down (faster)
Alt+F4.............Close screens
Esc................Close screens / "No" / "Cancel" / "Close" buttons selection
F5.................Scan games list for ROMs (all games)
Shift+F5...........Scan all selected games for valid ROMs (single game or multiple games)
Shift+F6...........Force all selected games available no matter what (single game or multiple games)
Shift+F............Add selected game to favorites list
Shift+D............Delete selected game from favorites list
F6.................Show/hide screenshots preview panel
Shift+I............Show selected game info
F3.................Show/hide game documents panel
Shift+F2...........Toggle full screen / windowed mode
F11................Show previous image
F12................Show next image
Ctrl+F9............Show previous image category / layout
F9.................Show next image category / layout
Delete.............Delete game files of selected games
Shift+Delete.......Delete game config files of selected games (cfg; non-volatile RAM; etc)
Mouse Click........Select next image type (click on the preview image)
Ctrl+T.............Toggle main tool bar visible / invisible
Ctrl+I.............Toggle images tool bar visible / invisible
Ctrl+F3............Toggle current favorites profile / last games filters
Ctrl+Shift+T.......Delete thumbnail of selected games (thumbnail view mode)
Ctrl+M.............Toggle MAMu_ icons (enabled/disabled)
Ctrl+R.............Select a random game
Shift+V............Play game video preview



Additional Files
----------------

Place these files in "[frontend]\ini_files\" folder...

 - Catlist (catver.ini)
     by TriggerFin: http://www.mameworld.net/catver/
     Italian Forum: http://www.progettoemma.net/?catlist
     Alternate....: http://www.catver.com

 - Full CatVer for MAME arcade and non-arcade machines (catver_full.ini) by AntoPISA
     http://www.progettosnaps.net/renameset/

 - NPlayers (nplayers.ini) by Nomax
     http://nplayers.arcadebelgium.be

 - Languages (languages.ini) by AntoPISA
     http://www.progettosnaps.net/languages

 - Category for MESS (category_home.ini) by AntoPISA
     http://www.progettosnaps.net/renameset/

 - Version for MESS (version.ini) by AntoPISA
     http://www.progettosnaps.net/renameset/

Place these files in MAME's main folder...

 - MAMEInfo (mameinfo.dat) by M.A.S.H.
     http://www.mameworld.net/mameinfo

 - MESSInfo (messinfo.dat) by ANtoPISA
     http://www.progettosnaps.net/messinfo/

 - History (history.dat) by Alexis Bousiges
     http://fandemame.emu-france.com

 - MAMEscore v2 (story.dat)
     http://www.arcadehits.net/mamescore/home.php?show=files

 - MARP (marp.dat)
     http://replay.marpirc.net
     http://replay.marpirc.net/marp.dat



Miscellaneous Files
-------------------

- Cheats (cheat.dat)
    http://cheat.retrogames.com/

- Mr. Do's MAME Artwork In-game
    http://mrdo.mameworld.info/mame_artwork_ingame.php

- MAME Titles by Petr1field
    http://www.mametitles.com/

- MAME Video Snaps
    http://emumovies.com/forums/index.php/files/category/44-mame/

- Progetto-SNAPS Unpacked VideoSnaps MP4; An awesome collection of video snaps for MAME
    http://www.progettosnaps.net/videosnaps/videosnaps_files.php


Thanks
------

Many thanks to the MAME (TM) team for their excellent work!
To Mugnier Aymeric, a.k.a. MAMu_, for allowing the use of his 3D model of Hot Rod SE
controller, for all the graphics and icons he created for EL and all his awesome game icons.

Thanks to Ra Chen, who made EL famous :-D
AzzaAzza69 for helping with the implementation of the list's virtual mode
Marshall Brooks [TigerHeli] for beta testing and the "Tips and Tricks" file
Marco De Mori for a bunch of critital fixes and beta testing
Karasu for beta testing
Roland Testa [TriggerFin]
Humbert Stephane [StephH]
L. D. Orchard [Eldio]
Fuzz Norelid
Gh0st
Stig Remnes for beta testing
Dave Swanwick
cutebutwrong for the awesome MAWS database
hap for helping me with test the new scan games feature
AntoPISA for the custom catver_full.ini, category/version for MESS and video snaps database
Bugs reporters and everyone else I forgot to mention here, for helping in the improvements
of this frontend.

Special thanks to MAMEWorld for hosting Emu Loader's website!


How to Contact Me
-----------------

My name is Ciro, and I'm from Brazil.
Homepage: http://emuloader.mameworld.info
E-Mail..: emuloader@gmail.com
Forum...: http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=emuloader

   You will always find the latest version of the frontend at EL's homepage. Send comments
and bugs reports to my e-mail or post a message in the forum.



-- Master Control: "End of line." (quote from "TRON") --
