Tosec Dat Files

[Guest Ninja Rygar]

I'm really sorry about this you guys, I just have a few questions about CD systems, and I'm not totally sure where to ask.

Take something like the NEO-GEO CD for example: I have a folder called "Games" and inside is a subfolder for each game, each one containing an .iso, several .mp3s (or .wavss) and a .cue

I'm pretty sure the ones I have are named using Tosec's naming convention... which I'm pretty sure is the only .dat file availible for CD consoles like this.

The names are like this: "Samurai Shodown (1994)(SNK)(JP-US)(Track 01 of 29)[!][samurai Spirits].iso"

Some of the names were SO long, Windows couldn't move them from folder to folder. I think I had to remove some tags just to move the files....

Which is why I want to SCAN this set, using clrmamepro and a dat file I got off of Tosec's main page. But here's my issue... how do I do that? I totally understand clrmamepro when it comes to just simple roms... but how do you scan CD folders like this?

I don't quite get it.

[Nologic]

Well I certainly agree that TOSEC is out of line with the length of their file names. Some of the info in the file names should be moved into a NFO file.

Anyways it is a little odd that windows had an issue of moving the files...not so odd that an application did...as its a typical programming shortfall.

This is basically what you need to do.

1. create a folder at the root level of your drive called "1" move all your files into this folder, ideally not in any sub folders.

2. create a folder at the root level of your drive called "2" extract all of tosec's cue files into this folder.

3. create a folder at the root level of your drive called "3"

4. set clrmamepro to use folder "3" as the rom folder and folders 1 & 2 as "Add-Paths"

5. rebuild with clrmamepro.

That should solve the issue...just move things once your done but try not to have to deep of a directory path...that is unless you plan to update your set...then you should leave things at root level other wise it make cause problems with "other" applications.

[headkaze]

I don't think TOSEC is out of line at all??

[brian_hoffman]

I don't think TOSEC is out of line at all??

Maybe out of line is the wrong term, I think he is referring to the fact it is diffacult to magange with long file names as there are filesystem limitations. I have "aquired" files that are very long (in thier name) saved to my desktop, tried to extract into its own folder. Soon I have a path that is C:\documents and settings\user\brian hoffman\desktop\my really long file name\my really long file name\file.xxx

by having the user go to the root and use a very short folder name is a great idea, and a good workaround for handling this type of data.

[headkaze]

Yes but TOSEC is a standard we either go with it or we don't. With GameEx's databases we support the main naming systems. It's a standard and we deal with the standard or we don't. I don't find it to be a problem other than it's a dying system and that is the problem. We should be supporting these naming systems because without them we lose standards, and with EmuMovies it's important to have matching video names to games. The databases I've created with the software I've written along with Flash and his hard work we've done an amazing job. I wouldn't like to think we would lose a naming scheme.. which does bring me to a question.. what is the naming scheme we should go for? NoIntro? TOSEC? GoodTool? We support all of them, but what is the way of the future?

[brian_hoffman]

Yes but TOSEC is a standard we either go with it or we don't. With GameEx's databases we support the main naming systems. It's a standard and we deal with the standard or we don't. I don't find it to be a problem other than it's a dying system and that is the problem. We should be supporting these naming systems because without them we lose standards, and with EmuMovies it's important to have matching video names to games. The databases I've created with the software I've written along with Flash and his hard work we've done an amazing job. I wouldn't like to think we would lose a naming scheme.. which does bring me to a question.. what is the naming scheme we should go for? NoIntro? TOSEC? GoodTool? We support all of them, but what is the way of the future?

I agree, the tosec naming convention has its uses, the databases you refeer to is a great example, there does have to be a standard so databases, art and even emumoves match up with rom names. The future I think is no intro, but I could be wrong. No Intro does not do CD based systems.. To qualify for tosec they have to be ripped a certian way and be in a certain format. So I guess for now it is both. Just because a naming convention is a standard does not mean it is not difficult to work with, especially in the above scenario.

[DJoneK]

Not to sound like I'm bragging, but redump.org uses no-intro's naming convention and does only cd based systems, so hopefully those titles will someday be incorporated into the awesome GameEx databases. I also find tosec's naming to be a little too long, but some people like having the whole database in the filename so.. yea.. lol

I once had to restructure/re-configure all my paths in the front-end, since I ran into some trouble because of the long filenames.

And to scan CD images, it's pretty much the same thing as scanning roms. An archive (.rar, .zip, .7z) is treated as a folder in clrmamepro, so if you have them archived, then you just put them all in a single folder (just like you do with roms), and scan that folder. If you have the games uncompressed, then you'd need to have each game in it's own folder, and then add the folder with all the game folders into the clrmamepro rompath.

Example 1: (Archives)

C:\Dreamcast\discs\game1archive

C:\Dreamcast\discs\game2archive

C:\Dreamcast\discs\game3archive

Example 2: (Uncompressed)

C:\Dreamcast\discs\game1folder\game1files

C:\Dreamcast\discs\game2folder\game2files

C:\Dreamcast\discs\game3folder\game3files

In both examples, you'd need to use "discs" as the rom folder.