Gamebase Amiga and Wiki. HELP !

[Hercules]

Firstly, a big hello to everybody on the forum.

This is my first post. Nice to see so many Amigans in one place :-)

I just downloaded Gamebase Amiga 1.6 with full roms.

1) GameBase Amiga website is no longer around: http://gbamiga.elowar.com/#Download just prints a graphic on the title screen. Has the author of Gamebase closed down his site, or is their an alternative URL?

2) I need to find a wiki to give me a step-by-step set up guide for the Gamebase front end (front end from www.bu22.com). I am a newbie so a step by step guide for a complete idiot would be ideal :-)

3) I need a Gamebase Amiga 1.6 .mbd database file. Where can I find it for download?

Thank you for reading my post, and answering my questions

:-)

[eLowar]

Originally Posted by Hercules

1) GameBase Amiga website is no longer around: http://gbamiga.elowar.com/#Download just prints a graphic on the title screen. Has the author of Gamebase closed down his site, or is their an alternative URL?

2) I need to find a wiki to give me a step-by-step set up guide for the Gamebase front end (front end from www.bu22.com). I am a newbie so a step by step guide for a complete idiot would be ideal :-)

3) I need a Gamebase Amiga 1.6 .mbd database file. Where can I find it for download?

The answer to almost all of those questions is that the GameBase Amiga website (where you could find all those things, although the docs were incomplete and outdated) was affected by a total server crash (both hard drives died) and I haven't gotten around to setting it up on the new server again, yet (and I also still need to restore some files).

I should mention, however, that the original author of the database, Belgarath, is currently not around and it is uncertain when/if he will return. So don't expect any updates soon, even after I've restored the website.

Sorry about the inconvenience, I'll see if I can quickly find the relevant files and put them online.

[eLowar]

I've put up the GameBase Amiga setup (which will install the .mdb and other files for you; remember to install GameBase itself first) at http://gbamiga.elowar.com/

I've also put up the old illustrated post-setup guide I made a while back. Please note that it's somewhat outdated, but I hope it'll help you.

[Hercules]

Originally Posted by eLowar

Sorry about the inconvenience, I'll see if I can quickly find the relevant files and put them online.

No worries - Thank you for your kind help in helping me! Edit: Just reflushed my browsers cache to get the page. Thanks for your help. I'm just about to have a good read of the setup guide.

[eLowar]

Originally Posted by Hercules

No worries - Thank you for your kind help in helping me! Can you drop me Personal Message when you got the site up ?

Hmm, I suppose I can, but I'll also post here.

[Hercules]

Hello,

Following an uneventful evening, I began the task of installing GameBase 1.6.

1) Created dir called 'Gamebase Amiga' and copied my game sets in this dir.
2) Installed Gamebase GUI
3) Ran GameBase Amiga 1.6 Setup.exe

Then I followed the setup guide you uploaded last night to the GameBase website.

My path setup is as follows:-

C:\Emulators\Gamebase Amiga

... in this I have dir I have 'Extras', 'Games', 'Kickstarts', 'Music' and 'Screenshot Directories' and 'Gamebase' folder (which contains the Gamebase GUI).

In tools > paths, I have set the following paths:-

GAMES: C:\Emulators\GameBase Amiga\Games

MUSIC ROOT FOLDER: C:\Emulators\GameBase Amiga\Music

PICTURES: C:\Emulators\Gamebase Amiga\Screenshots

EXTRAS: C:\Emulators\GameBase Amiga\Extras

PHOTOS: - LEFT BLANK -

Paths are all correct !

I verify my sets my by selecting TOOLS > VERIFY AVAILABLE FILES, and tick the tickboxes to verify 'GAMES', 'MUSIC', 'PICTURES', and 'EXTRAS'

Result of verified sets:-

Games not found 0/2711
Music: 0/2045
Pictures: 0/3129
Extras: 0/9879

Been looking at previous posts, but many refer to the wiki which no longer exists, so does anybody have any suggestions? I have full Gamebase 1.6 and SPS set. I'm using X-Arcade tankstick with homebuilt arcade machine running WinUAE

.... I got sore head!

[AAG]

Hi

Have you been though these extra config steps?

Installed winuae?

Got the kickstart roms and setup winuae to point to these om dirs. (There used to be a dat file for the roms - could look it out if needed).
(From winuae - Settngs, path, "rescan roms". You need
A500 Boot rom 1.2
A500 Boot rom 1.3
a600
a1200 - maybe where ever you got the install already has these?)

It sounds like gamebase is nearly setup - just need some extra config :-

Start gamebase and load in gbamga 1.6 - GEMUS menu - click the enry for relavent "x-arcade". On the emulator path\filename -click the browse and select the winuea.exe location (using c:\program files\winuae\winuae.exe)

You can also click GEMUS / manage emulator - and move the x-arcade to the top one. (When you left-click "play game" - it will lauch the top listed emulator. Rigt click brings the se;ection)

If your got the deli-player - then click tools \ options \ music players \ select dli - click the "sqaue box" and selec the "player path\filename".


If your using a new version of winuae - then theres a error in the script which needs modification as listed n the bottom post here :-

http://gb64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4070


Good luck.

[eLowar]

Originally Posted by Hercules

Games not found 0/2711
Music: 0/2045
Pictures: 0/3129
Extras: 0/9879

Have you tried actually starting something? Notice the formulation "Games not found", so 0 is a good thing.

[Hercules]

Originally Posted by AAG

Hi

Have you been though these extra config steps?

Installed winuae?

Yes, clean install of WinUAE 1.6.1. Installed to C:/Emulators/WinUAE

Originally Posted by AAG

Got the kickstart roms and setup winuae to point to these om dirs. (There used to be a dat file for the roms - could look it out if needed).
(From winuae - Settngs, path, "rescan roms". You need
A500 Boot rom 1.2
A500 Boot rom 1.3
a600
a1200 - maybe where ever you got the install already has these?)

Following ROMS I have installed to C:\Emulators\Gamebase Amiga\Kickstarts

Kick12.rom
Kick13.rom
Kick31.rom
Kick205.rom

In WinUAE's GUI Preferences, went to Paths section, and set path for Kickstarts ROMS to: C:\Gamebase\Kickstarts

Originally Posted by AAG

It sounds like gamebase is nearly setup - just need some extra config :-

Start gamebase and load in gbamga 1.6 - GEMUS menu - click the enry for relavent x-arcade. On the emulator path\filename -click the browse and select the winuea.exe location (using c:\program files\winuae\winuae.exe)

Done.

Originally Posted by AAG

You can also click GEMUS / manage emulator - and move the x-arcade to the top one. (When you left-click "play game" - it will lauch the top listed emulator. Rigt click brings the se;ection)

Done.

Originally Posted by AAG

If your got the deli-player - then click tools \ options \ music players \ select dli - click the sqaue and selec the player path\filename
Will do this step once I get the games to load.

Originally Posted by AAG

If your using a new version of winuae - then theres a error in the script which needs modification as listed n the bottom post here :-

http://gb64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4070

This error in the script I can easily fix with a text editor, but just need to know what file I should be editing, if you would like to enlighten me :-)

Originally Posted by AAG

Good luck.

Thanks! I just need your help in knowing what script file I need to edit now for winuae 1.6.1 as that above URL, does not state which file I need to edit with text editor...

[Hercules]

Originally Posted by eLowar

Have you tried actually starting something? Notice the formulation "Games not found", so 0 is a good thing.

Ah, yes, silly me well that a good sign, as it mean paths are correct :-)

[AAG]

Load GBAmiga - Click the "GEMUS" menu, then select your config (X-arcade (this is the same as where you set the winuae.exe path))

In the bottom window - there's a load of text. Scroll down to the bottom
and you should see


Add_CLP(-f "%dbpath%\GameBase Amiga.uae" -0%gamepathfile% -1%gamepathfile(1)% -2%gamepathfile(2)% -3%gamepathfile(3)% -s diskimage0=%gamepathfile% -s diskimage1=%gamepathfile(1)% -s diskimage2=%gamepathfile(2)% -s diskimage3=%gamepathfile(3)% -s diskimage4=%gamepathfile(4)% -s diskimage5=%gamepathfile(5)% -s diskimage6=%gamepathfile(6)% -s diskimage7=%gamepathfile(7)% -s diskimage8=%gamepathfile(8)% -s diskimage9=%gamepathfile(9)% -s diskimage10=%gamepathfile(10)% -s diskimage11=%gamepathfile(11)% -s diskimage12=%gamepathfile(12)% -s diskimage13=%gamepathfile(13)% -s diskimage14=%gamepathfile(14)% -s diskimage15=%gamepathfile(15)% -s diskimage16=%gamepathfile(16)% -s diskimage17=%gamepathfile(17)% -s diskimage18=%gamepathfile(18)% -s diskimage19=%gamepathfile(19)%)

The "fix" appears to be putting spaces between the -0,-1,-2,-4. NOTE - you'll need to do this for each config you want to use.

(I haven't tried this myself - as i'm still running v1.4.6)

Hope this helps

[Hercules]

Originally Posted by AAG

Load GBAmiga - Click the "GEMUS" menu, then select your config (X-arcade (this is the same as where you set the winuae.exe path))

In the bottom window - there's a load of text. Scroll down to the bottom
and you should see


Add_CLP(-f "%dbpath%\GameBase Amiga.uae" -0%gamepathfile% -1%gamepathfile(1)% -2%gamepathfile(2)% -3%gamepathfile(3)% -s diskimage0=%gamepathfile% -s diskimage1=%gamepathfile(1)% -s diskimage2=%gamepathfile(2)% -s diskimage3=%gamepathfile(3)% -s diskimage4=%gamepathfile(4)% -s diskimage5=%gamepathfile(5)% -s diskimage6=%gamepathfile(6)% -s diskimage7=%gamepathfile(7)% -s diskimage8=%gamepathfile(8)% -s diskimage9=%gamepathfile(9)% -s diskimage10=%gamepathfile(10)% -s diskimage11=%gamepathfile(11)% -s diskimage12=%gamepathfile(12)% -s diskimage13=%gamepathfile(13)% -s diskimage14=%gamepathfile(14)% -s diskimage15=%gamepathfile(15)% -s diskimage16=%gamepathfile(16)% -s diskimage17=%gamepathfile(17)% -s diskimage18=%gamepathfile(18)% -s diskimage19=%gamepathfile(19)%)

The fix appears to be putting spaces between the -0,-1,-2,-4. NOTE - you'll need to do this for each config you want to use.

(I haven't tried this myself - as i'm still running v1.4.6)

Hope this helps

Thank you for this little tip. I shall give it a go and let you know how I get on.

[Hercules]

Originally Posted by AAG

Hope this helps

Thanks AAG for your help! SPS and ADF sets are now working, and I can confirm that tip of putting the spaces in the gmenu config does indeed work when using GB 1.6 !

Yes, but I believe the spaces create other issues when you have more than 4 disks and want to use the diskswapper...

[Retro-Nerd]

"Use short (8.3) Filenames" in the Gamebase Emulator settings should fix the problem too.

[Hercules]

Just to clarify, spaces between -1 -2, etc in GMENU's config (as recommeded above by AAG), *and* 8.3 filenames need to be selected together to fix diskswapper problem?

[Retro-Nerd]

I referred only to the newer WinUAE version+script issue. Noticed sometime last year that Gamebase didn't start any game (don't know exactly which WinUAE version). The 8.3 filename option fixed this issue.

[AAG]

This might be of help?

If you add this gemus command to the end of the script - just before the Run_Emulator command :-
:-


Edit_CLP("The cmdline is")
Run_Emulator()
End If

This displays a box showing the command line which is going to be used to launch the emulator. Helpful for debugging in 2 ways (if you like command lines?) :-

1 - A box appears showing you (you can copy'n'paste this into a cmd window to help debug the script). Ie get it woring from a cmd prompt 1st.

2 - You can inspect the contents of the ini file prior to emulator launch.

Thought it might be useful?? (Eg you can see the effect of "use 8.3 filenames" has the command line)

EDIT

"Yes, but I believe the spaces create other issues when you have more than 4 disks and want to use the diskswapper..."

This might have something to do with spaces in the games folder - and gemus not quoting the strings corrctly. (Something similar popped up with a mess script :-http://gb64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4205)

Maybe "a better fix" would be something like :-

-0 "%gamepathfile%" -1 ... s diskimage1="%gamepathfile(1)%"

Can't test it at the moment though - but that edit_cpl command will show the results of changing the script

[ukdesigner]

Originally Posted by Hercules

Thanks AAG for your help! SPS and ADF sets are now working, and I can confirm that tip of putting the spaces in the gmenu config does indeed work when using GB 1.6 !

Hey man, where do you put the SPS stuff in WinUae please? Ive been to the site and theres lots of various downloads, but it doesnt say anywhere.. where or what your meant to do with them?

Cheers

[ukdesigner]

ok its actually best not to use SPS at all and just use the normal WHDLOAD version of roms...