Homebrew Can I make emulators autoboot ROMs?

[jceggbert5]

I want to try doing a mod of a certain Wii app so that I can also load ROMs with it, so I was wondering if there was a way to make it do one of a couple things:

• One copy of the Emulator per ROM that always autoboots that ROM...
• modify something in a .ini or something telling it to autoboot a ROM on load...

I was hoping to be able to do this for a NES, SNES, GBA, and maybe GENESIS emulators...

Thank you all

 

[J-Mirage]

So. Run a channel who runs the rom directly?

You change the ROM from the channel.

 

[jceggbert5]

So. Run a channel who runs the rom directly?

You change the ROM from the channel.

I don't want to use channels, although it could be a start for me... I want the loader to boot the ROMs directly through the emulator (probably the GX series if they are capable of this)

 

[VashTS]

you could then have GBA virtual console titles!

 

[claudekennilol]

I've never done this, but I think it's possible.. If this is what you're aiming for, couldn't just inject roms into official VC titles and change the icon then you'd have a channel for each rom. Or am I misinterpreting what you're asking?

 

[jceggbert5]

I've never done this, but I think it's possible.. If this is what you're aiming for, couldn't just inject roms into official VC titles and change the icon then you'd have a channel for each rom. Or am I misinterpreting what you're asking?

That is not what I am asking...

Using YSMenu for the DS as an example, you set a certain variable in ysmenu.ini to a .nds ROM's name and location on the card, and, until you remove it, YSMenu loads that ROM each time it is run...

I am asking if that is also possible for Wii emulators...

I have so many custom channels and VC already on my Wii, if I were to inject more ROMs, I would run out of room... that is why I want to do this...


Thanks

 

[MattJ]

You would need to edit the code for the emulators, remove the menu and make it load the specific rom you want to load. Best way would be to implement the rom to load as an argument, this would only require one copy of the emulator.

 

[Jacobeian]

apparently, it's now possible with genplus (SVN)

http://code.google.com/p/genplus-gx/source/detail?r=445

I tested it (there is an option in the emulator settings to enable first, go to "menu options") and it works, it loads the first file from history.ini...

 

[jceggbert5]

You would need to edit the code for the emulators, remove the menu and make it load the specific rom you want to load. Best way would be to implement the rom to load as an argument, this would only require one copy of the emulator.

Are there any emulators that support that already?

 

[giantpune]

ive submitted a patch for snes9x to tantric that allows passing args to the emulator to have it boot a specific game. i cant say if it will get included into the svn or not. its up to him.

but using this modified emulator, you can use any number of methods to boot snes9x and tell it what game to play. this will allow you to make a channel and stick on your system menu that just boots the emulator and has it boot mario bros or whatever. i think this way is better than your idea for a couple reasons.
1 - you dont end up with a entire copy of the emulator on your nand for each game.
2 - it is easy to update the emulatoron the sd card/usb drive and it will effectively update in all of your channels

the only down side i see about this is that you must have the emulator on your sd card. it is almost identical to a forwarder channel.

another great thing about this method is that you can use wiixplorer, click a rom, and it will start playing. also i can make a shortcut on my PC that calls "wiiload snes9x-gx.dol smb1:/blablabla/mario.rom" and it will send the snes emulator to HBC. the dol will be booted, and the emulator will load the rom from my pc. the sd card or usb drive is not even necessary.

 

[jceggbert5]

*snip*

My idea is very similar to what you said... Another way that I can think of is a .dol that loads the emulator with the argument (similar to your channel idea), but is loaded by HBC or another .DOL loader (probably the easiest way...)...

Also, may I have that additional code for SNES9x GX? I want to study it and see if I can adapt it to FCEU GX or VBA GX... (I can't code, so this will be a trip XD)

 

[Slimmmmmm]

That sounds great, we can have a loader and select Wii games, GC (if you have a WODE) and if you make forwarder game isos WiiwAre & VC, if this catches on then we could soon see emu roms too.

I think it would get cluttered for some people, but with profiles and the like it could make some interfaces really cool. Imagine clicking on "Zelda" or "Mario" profiles and having ALL the games available in NES, SNES, N64, GB/GBC/GBA, DS, GC & Wii .... one day (stops dreaming)

But seriously, you gotta ask questions that some people shoot you down for, I do it all the time.

This exact load a rom Q.... back in November You would cry if you saw the mess of my SMB folder gp

Me wondering if saves could be written to SD/USB in Nov 2008 btw, in many ircs I was laughed at for even suggesting such a crazy idea, now we have uLoader and SNEEK.

So bravo jceggbert5 for bringing this back up and catching the attention of giantpune a really talented coder that might make this reality

(starts dreaming again)
We gotta find someone brave enough to put smb into the emus that don't have it now ..... help with DS and N64 .... maybe even ps1 more .... get crediar the means to persue GC usb loading (cause if it was emu nand style, no more GC memcards) ... total menu replacement ... usb loaders that load everything ... all in one loaders that do media too (movies, music, pdf, jpgs lol EVERYTHING ! ! !) .... and, and and..... If people don't start asking questions, no one finds an answer.

Anyone doing any of the above can have my time to do laundry, walk the dogs, and all other general monkey work

 

[jceggbert5]

@Slimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Have you used WiiFlow before? If so, just think of what could be done if there were sections for each system XD

[dream]like press + and - to change from system to system XD

like WiiFlow, N64Flow, SNESFlow, NESFlow, 2600Flow, etc, and, instead of boxart, have the cartridges show up on screen for the cartridge systems lol

[/dream]

 

[MattJ]

@Slimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Have you used WiiFlow before? If so, just think of what could be done if there were sections for each system XD

[dream]like press + and - to change from system to system XD

like WiiFlow, N64Flow, SNESFlow, NESFlow, 2600Flow, etc, and, instead of boxart, have the cartridges show up on screen for the cartridge systems lol

[/dream]

That is actually something I started doing awhile ago. Got as far as getting Wiiflow to scan a directory for roms, and add them to the games list. I even had it launching a dol file with the rom filename as an argument.

Never got around to adding different sections though, and never altered the emulator to launch the roms, although I did get it launching Wiiware games via a slightly modified Triiforce.

If I get enough free time I may try and finish it. But I have a lot of other projects on right now.

 

[djbubba2002]

jceggbert5

i MADE a Theme for NESflow .. and stuff, i just have to get the dol file done .. bc i got all the full covers done , next step is to fine a coder to help me with the dol file, ..

I was going to pay a coder for the work .. but he back out , bc he didnt have time to do it .. for 150 bucks..If any one wants the job , pm me , ..

 

[matguitarist]

I think that'S you're are looking for : ( link )

look for custom GBA and custom SNES , i don't think he made a mod for nes .... but just look in that page you can customize witch rom to load in the settings.xml

Hope it help

 

[giantpune]

installing it that way is just rediculous. each channel will be 7.8MB (emulator) + rom size + banner size. youre probably looking at 10 - 15MB for each channel. 1MB = 8 blocks. thats like 100 blocks for each channel.

you can really get down and dirty and make the emulator part of the channel a shared contend, so you will only install 1 copy of it to the nand and all the channels will share it. but if you do that, you must re-build every channel and re-install them if you ever want to update it. and since there is no homebrew that deletes unused shared contents, that copy of the emulator is stuck on your nand never to be used again.

 

[SaulFabre]

Sorry for necrobump this very old thread

But my answer to this question "Can I make emulators autoboot ROMs?", is "Yes!".
For get a custom Single ROM Loader (or individual game ROM launcher) of your favorite emu for Wii, go to this link: https://gbatemp.net/threads/my-coll...-for-some-best-wii-homebrew-emulators.591509/

Here's a tutorial for how to make and configure your custom game launchers from my SRLs: https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-...ls-of-your-favorite-retro-games-d-wii.602640/