RetroBat (Windows 11 EmulationStation Frontend) using .rpk format (MAME64 or Libretro/MAME)

[globeron]

 

RetroBat (Windows 11 Emulation Station Frontend) using .rpk format (MAME64 or Libretro/MAME)

 

Why?

* With Batocera I need to reboot my PC go to the BIOS to switch each time between Batocera and Windows (and for laptops, I need to reconfigure the BIOS to disable secure boot)

   I like Batocera, which is a Linux based Emulation Station) running from a USB drive  (it can be installed dedicated on a PC), but I am using this device with Windows and other purposes (e.g. watch TV channels)

   https://forums.atariage.com/topic/335490-batocera-emulation-system-and-ti-994a

 

* RetroBat solves that issue as it runs on Windows 11 (64 Bit), but for the TI-99/4A it relies on the .zip file structure for roms.

   It has the same Emulation Station interface, but I did not want to redo all the work done for the Batocera configuration

 

* It is very straight forward to install and to customize it

 

  The only issues I currently have

   1.  Bezel backdrop does not work (works with Libretro/MAME, not with MAME64 starting from RetroBat, but from command prompt mame it shows the Bezel)

   2.  When using Libretro/MAME it sometimes start the TI-99/4A, sometimes not (very similar issue as in Batocera setup).   MAME64 (v253) is stable in startup

   3.  USB-DB9 Joystick works in MAME64,  but a PS4 controller does not work  (but PS4 controller works with Libretro/MAME)

   4.  Hotkey using a keyboard does not work.   (now using ALT TAB to exit), but the PS4 controller works with SHARE + OPTION buttons as hotkeys to exit)

 

 

[globeron]

 

Detailed instructions how to install RetroBat for a TI-99/4A system on Windows 11 (64-bit).

 

TI99-Retrobat-Setup.zip

  

  (the directory you can copy it over the installed directories it will overwrite / merge into those directories)

 

  for /roms/ti99, with preview of images, videos (see the Batocera thread https://forums.atariage.com/topic/335490-batocera-emulation-system-and-ti-994a)

 

 

This video is Batocera based, but RetroBat has the same Emulation Station interface:

 

Edited June 10 by globeron

[globeron]

Item 1 (Bezel of TI99) and 3 (PS4 controller) seems to be resolved magically on my other PC which I normally use.  For item 2 i use now Mame64.

 

Only item 4 left. Hotkey on the keyboard with TI99 (other emulators Shift + Esc works).

But I am using the PS4 controller hockey (PS + OPTIONS). 

 

 

Also updated with another TI-Logo (file called mess.png)  for the system (C:\RetroBat\emulationstation\.emulationstation\themes\es-theme-carbon\art\logos)

 

TI99-Retrobat-Setup.zip

 

Edited June 10 by globeron

[globeron]

 

Update:

 

TI99-Retrobat-Setup-v2.zip

 

in the logo's directory either delete "mess.svg"  (or overwrite it with a Ti-logo mess.svg) otherwise the MESS logo remains.

 

Re issue 4 fix  * added the /Retrobat/bios/mame/ini/mame.ini file  (UI_Active    1),  so that the ESC (Keyboard) works to exit back to Retrobat

                     (or create a mame.ini file  using  mame  -createconfig and copy that into the directory above)

 

Re issue 2 - use MAME64 it is more stable and starts the emulator (Libretro does not start the emulator)

 

 

Items to sort out:

Re issue 3 - when using a USB-Controller everything works and sometimes the Bluetooth connected PS4-type controller also works normally.

                  (I have not figured out yet when the PS4 controller works and when not).

 

Issue 1:

 

 The only issues I currently have

   1.  Bezel backdrop does not work (works with Libretro/MAME, not with MAME64 starting from RetroBat, but from command prompt mame it shows the Bezel)

   2.  Fixed (use MAME64) - When using Libretro/MAME it sometimes start the TI-99/4A, sometimes not (very similar issue as in Batocera setup).   MAME64 (v253) is stable in startup

   3.  USB-DB9 Joystick works in MAME64,  but a PS4 controller does not work  (but PS4 controller works with Libretro/MAME)

   4.  (Fixed, UI Active  1 in mame.ini)  - Hotkey using a keyboard does not work.   (now using ALT TAB to exit), but the PS4 controller works with SHARE + OPTION buttons as hotkeys to exit)

 

 

 

[tmop69]

On 6/10/2023 at 8:59 AM, globeron said:

 

Why?

* With Batocera I need to reboot my PC go to the BIOS to switch each time between Batocera and Windows (and for laptops, I need to reconfigure the BIOS to disable secure boot)

 

 

 

 

I'll try RetroBat, however it's possible to install Windows 11 without TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot creating a bootable USB stick (try Rufus 4.1).  

 

[+OLD CS1]

Just now, tmop69 said:

 

I'll try RetroBat, however it's possible to install Windows 11 without TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot creating a bootable USB stick (try Rufus 4.1).  

 

Also, try Tiny11.

https://archive.org/details/tiny-11-NTDEV

[globeron]

 

Fixed item 1 - Bezel backdrop 

TI-99/4A Bezel.

 

files are in this zip:

TI99-Retrobat-Setup-v3.zip

 

 

 

For the Bezels, this is the directory that worked for me (using a TI-99/4A and using MAME)
C:\RetroBat\saves\mame\artwork
put here genhorizontal.zip
and horizont.ini in C:\Retrobat\bios\mame\ini

horizont.ini:
#
# CORE ARTWORK OPTIONS
#
fallback_artwork genhorizontal

# Uncomment next line to use this for all games
override_artwork genhorizont


These posts helped:
https://mrdo.mameworld.info/mame_artwork_generic.php (e.g. download genhorizont.zip)
https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/54304-default-mame-bezels/

 

 

[globeron]

 

(Not working via Retrobat yet to start MAME,  not sure if both Retrobat/Emulstation and MAME can use the Bluetooth PS4 Controllers, but all other systems work fine).

 

When using MAME directly it works partially.

 

3.  USB-DB9 Joystick works in MAME64,  but a PS4 controller does not work 

 

 

(Via UI Mode,  press TAB):

* Bluetooth PS4 controller gets detected in MAME under Joystick (number 1 means Joystick 1,  if you have more you see Joystick 2)

* Often I see all 0  under Device ID

* Then I turn off the Bluetooth controller and turned it on, then all is working  (you see these values)

   (this works directly with MAME, but with Retrobat,  it remains all 0 and turn on/off the PS4 controller sometimes shows -65536, etc. but does not work)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gferluga]

I follow the instructions but when I select a cart in Mame I get a message that required rom is missing or incorrect.

Please advise...

Thanks in advance.

 

[+mizapf]

Please tell us the precise error message; this will likely give the answer.

[globeron]

7 hours ago, gferluga said:

I follow the instructions but when I select a cart in Mame I get a message that required rom is missing or incorrect.

Please advise...

Thanks in advance.

 

 

My guess is that the 

 

C:\RetroBat\roms\ti99  directory  is empty ?  (no .rpk)

 

(see ti99 directory here):

https://ftp.whtech.com/Cartridges/Batocera/Batocera-ti99v2.zip

 

 

 

 

[globeron]

4 hours ago, mizapf said:

Please tell us the precise error message; this will likely give the answer.

 

For the Wireless Controllers issue - there is no error message 

(I can see them being connected as 1 and 2, but no input, unless I turn them on/off sometimes it works in MAME,  I guess a bluetooth / Windows issue and if 2 programs use the controllers (retrobat/emulstation and mame)

I am using MAME 256  (but tried earlier versions as well)

 

 

When using USB (for Joystick controllers) it works fine (as long they are assigned wireless port 1 and 2 of course,  means to turn of all other controllers as they dynamically might take port 1 and 2)

(it can be configured statically to use port 1 and 2 for the specific controllers I saw)

 

 

 

 

[gferluga]

[gferluga]

 

files are there...

[+mizapf]

And your console ROMs? (ti99_4a.zip)

 

(Note: The RPKs may be put wherever you want; they need not be put in a preset path, since you have to provide the full path name anyway. Only the *.zip files must be put into the rompath.)

[gferluga]

Looks like to be in the correct place...

[+mizapf]

I could reproduce this error message when I removed the ti99_4a.zip file, so it seems that your installation does not find the file in the dedicated path. If you have a mame.ini, what does your rompath setting say? (for me, 11th line from the top)

 

I usually run MAME from a command line, not by clicking the mame executable, so your situation may vary from mine.

 

[globeron]

Normally you should not go into the mame interface at all, when starting  Retrobat   (directory C:\Retrobat).

 

in Retrobat you can check missing bios files.

[gferluga]

Reinstalled from scratch, but no success. Same errors.

 

From command line I get:

 

C:\RetroBat\emulators\mame>mame ti99_4a
994a_rom_hb.u610 NOT FOUND (tried in ti99_4a)
994a_rom_lb.u611 NOT FOUND (tried in ti99_4a)
994a_grom0.u500 NOT FOUND (tried in ti99_4a)
994a_grom1.u501 NOT FOUND (tried in ti99_4a)
994a_grom2.u502 NOT FOUND (tried in ti99_4a)
Fatal error: Required files are missing, the machine cannot be run.

C:\RetroBat\emulators\mame>

 

[gferluga]

mame.ini looks correct 

[+mizapf]

Try mame ti99_4a -rompath c:\retrobat\bios

 

and maybe check that ti99_4a.zip contains the files as listed above - just to make sure you did not use an outdated rom package.

[gferluga]

It's working. I have had to copy the mame.ini file into C:\RetroBat\emulators\mame

 

[globeron]

6 hours ago, gferluga said:

It's working. I have had to copy the mame.ini file into C:\RetroBat\emulators\mame

 

glad to hear it works!

 

I thought when starting MAME from Retrobat it uses the mame.ini from this directory - C:\RetroBat\bios\mame\ini   (I will add it to this in the TI-99.zip file)

and starting mame directly it uses C:\RetroBat\emulators\mame

 

(and similar with the bezel artwork it uses another directory from the saves\mame\artwork directory vs  \emulators\mame\artwork