Using Plugins

[KRFournier]

Are the plugins supposed to work automatically? No matter what datafile I use, RomCenter always uses the arcade plugin. I've read all the posts on how to make sure the nes.dll is used when fixing nes roms, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to use that plugin. Any help would be much appreciated.

[RomCenter]

The datafile defines the plugin to be used.

Code: Select all

<datafile>
   <header>
      <name>Nintendo - Super Nintendo Entertainment System</name>
      <description>Nintendo - Super Nintendo Entertainment System</description>
      <plugin>snes.dll</plugin>

Note that it is not recommended to modify the plugin info, as the datafile has been made with and for this plugin, and another one won't give the same behaviour.

For example, the nes plugin will skip the nes file header to calculate the signature. If you replace it with the arcade.dll (wich calculate the signature on the whole file), you won't resolve any rom.

To see in romcenter which plugin is currently used, go to the about menu.

[KRFournier]

No matter what data file I open, when I look at the about box, it always says arcade.dll. The XML you posted, where is that stored. The only data files I have are the no-intro .dat files. Should I be using some other date file? BTW, I'm running Vista x64.

[RomCenter]

The example I give you is a self made xml text

I don't know if some datfiles on the web use nes.dll and where. The no-intro nes dat should work with the nes.dll plugin, but you have to manually add it. (the no-intro calculate the signature without header, and the nes also, so it should work).
Simply add the plugin tag in the dat.
With this modification, you should be able to identify all format of nes files.

[KRFournier]

Let me clarify, I'm attempting to start a new database for my NES roms. I perform File->New, which prompts me to Load games list from a datafile. I select, from the datas directory, Nintendo - Nintendo Entertainment System (20080712) (CM).dat. Then, I create the game database, saving it as Nintendo - Nintendo Entertainment System (20080712) (CM).rdt. Note that the .dat file I'm using is the one that ships with RomCenter 3.3.1.

Is this the correct procedure for managing my NES roms? If so, what I don't understand is where I would add the aforementioned XML since the .dat files are not XML formatted. Here is a few lines from Nintendo - Nintendo Entertainment System (20080712) (CM).dat:

Code: Select all

clrmamepro (
   name "Nintendo - Nintendo Entertainment System"
   description "Nintendo - Nintendo Entertainment System"
   header "No-Intro_NES.xml"
   category "no-intro romset"
   version "20080712"
   author "BigFred, SolidSnake | www.gbadat.altervista.org"
)

game (
   name "'89 Dennou Kyuusei Uranai (Japan)"
   description "'89 Dennou Kyuusei Uranai (Japan)"
   rom ( name "'89 Dennou Kyuusei Uranai (Japan).nes" size 262144 crc ba58ed29 md5 4187a797e33bc96a96993220da6f09f7 sha1 56fe858d1035dce4b68520f457a0858bae7bb16d )
)


I must be missing something obvious, so I hope by detailing my usage you can better troubleshoot my problem.

[RomCenter]

You're doing right, but the nes dat provided is in the clrmame format and you can't specify a rc plugin in the clrmam format .

Here is a more recent nes dat for romcenter (in fact, both cm and rc dat are included). The rc dat already uses the nes.dll.
Nintendo - Nintendo Entertainment System (20090405) for romcenter

I will update the next rc release with these new dat. I would love to spend some time to check various dats floating around to include in rc, but I have no time

[zhao__xy]

i have meet same problem,I'm using datafile "Nintendo - Famicom Disk System (20090920_RC).dat" from http://datomatic.no-intro.org
Help->About->Plugin->arcade.dll,but it's suppose to be fds.dll......
give me a hand

[RomCenter]

If datafile does not specify a plugin, you don't have to change that.

For any change in this dat, you should contact the author at no-intro site or post a request in the no-intro forum.