Hacking Rominator for NDS

[hankchill]

Is there anyway to download all of the boxart for the games in your collection with one command like the previous version of the software. I dislike having to go through each game in my list one by one and wait for the box art to re download (especially since I had them all downloaded from the previous version with the download box art command). This especially stinks since I have about 335 or more to go through and I'm on dial up.

Is there anyway to at least extract the box art from the boxart.rsd from the old version...something...anything.

Why in the world would a feature be taken out of the software.

Now now, don't get all worked up here. The only feature that was removed was the Skins, because it became irrelevant. Mass downloading of box art still exists, it just seems like you didn't bother to look for it... Well, not that you'd have to look far -- Just open the Toolbox, and you're done

The Box Art Manager has been moved to the Toolbox. Highlight the boxes to download, and press 'Download'.

I'll have the Help section up shortly.

 

[knocturnal]

Don't you dare try to come at me with your "logic" hankchill

This is the internet where logic is the only 5 letter 4 letter word. \

Anyway thanks for the heads up, slowly downloading the box arts now

 

[imgod22222]

Uh.. i know that this is more of a discussion than a troubleshooting thread, but...

Uh, it says that there are 1500+ ROMs in the DB and none of them are showing up... O.o It only shows what's directly in that folder, unincluding those in subfolders. In the future, can we expect Rominator to search subfolders for ROMs? Please?

 

[Salamantis]

Thanks for the fast update. Also, just one question that's been bugging me, why do you have to access the settings by clicking Tools > Settings, instead of having them under Rominator > Preferences? Cause that option is there, but greyed out, and I'm used to clicking preferences under the application's name, like in almost every other application on Macs.

Not high-priority, but it would be nice

 

[punking]

This is my first time trying Rominator and so far I think it's pretty good. I have one question. I want to back up the save files from my DS and the save files from my wifes DS but not get them mixed up. Is there a way of having one game with different file saves and a way of knowing whose belongs to whose?

Thanks for your time.

 

[hankchill]

This is my first time trying Rominator and so far I think it's pretty good. I have one question. I want to back up the save files from my DS and the save files from my wifes DS but not get them mixed up. Is there a way of having one game with different file saves and a way of knowing whose belongs to whose?

Thanks for your time.

Yep, when you back up the save game you can give it a different name... In the bugfix release tonight you can browse your flash card, right click on a game, and select 'Backup Save', that is where you can rename the save file that is associated for that game.

@salamence502: Yeah yeah, I'll put it in the File menu... eventually

 

[Blu`]

No thats fine. The amount of people telling you that the application is as useless as tits on a bull would indicate to me that the $99 would be a good investment with the amount of people that would pick the application up. I'm sure you'd get your money back in the blink of an eye, heck someone even offered to cover half the cost for you off the bat!

Listen to the end users, or the work suffers.

Now tell me, what on earth would make you think I'd go and spend the money on something I develop for free? I already spent tons on making the program, and am not in the financial situation to spend more on it. I don't care that I would get the money back quickly or that I was offered half the cost -- I'm not taking that risk. Again, do I need to mention that I develop for free?

well when i doubled clicked on the exe file and it went through the settings i did click on the automatically check for database updates near the end and pressed finish but it seems that did nothing, i don't know any way else to download the database as i didn't see any option in the drop down menu to do so, also the icons for the DS games still do not show even when the settings menu the option to view the icons is selected yes i also checked for updates in the drop down menu and it downloaded them, i opened up the exe and i still get the same results, no boxart, no game icon for my games, nothing.

i already have net framework installed so that wouldn't have been a problem, the above poster did explain what i meant by the file location thing.

overall my view hasn't changed, the program simply doesn't let you edit, delete or view your roms quickly in the main list without having to go through the settings, going through windows explorer is much faster, it's not the fact that i don't like it, i was curious about it and was wondering what the locomotion was all about that's why i tried it, it a shame that i was not impressed while first using it.

and the fact that i would have to spend nearly half a afternoon manually dragging and dropping my roms because they are in "subfolders" doesn't make this program user friendly at all, most of all it makes it frustrating to use and not something you can open straight away and drag your roms to your flashcart in a few seconds without having to go through all those settings.

File -> Check for Updates. This will check for any database updates. To be honest, I made the initial setup process as seamless and easy as possible. It seems to be an isolated incident as nobody else has this issue.

.Net is not required to use Rominator. No frameworks are required to use it -- The framework is built into the app, hence the app size.

I understand that you would spend a long time dragging and dropping your games into it just to use it, but you need to understand that you're in the minority who keeps their games in subfolders -- I think you're only the 2nd person who does, so really it hasn't been an important feature for me to add in. Maybe when I get other bugs kicked out I might consider allowing you to drop a folder and having it scan the entire contents to find ds games

QUOTEJalaneme your first post, the tone of it, makes me feel ashamed to be from the same country. I've no idea how much time and effort Hank puts into this application but the fact that he churns out updates to the program and the database at an almost weekly rate tells me he works damned hard on it. He did not deserve the way in which you went about your criticism which was closer to "your application is a pile of shit" then constructive criticism.

However I think after some dissecting of the unnecessary crap from your post, you make a few valid points I'm sure Hank will address.

I feel I do have to agree with the posters above regarding ZIP support. It still remains one of the most missed features for me personally. Hell I'd even take 7z but to please the masses its gotta be ZIP support.

That seems really harsh to say Logan. We're not here to put each other down or feel ashamed of anyone. It's not the first time someone has called my work unimpressive, but that's just their opinion, and I don't control that. All I can do is find out what they see wrong with it, and try to fix it.

I know Zip is the most wanted feature -- But again, costs man

I can't budget it in right now for free software -- Yes, I do spend countless hours developing and cranking out updates every week, but I can't afford spending the money on it, especially considering I don't get back everything I've spent to make this.

If there is enough support through donations, then I will add Zip. Until then, it'll have to wait, and I'll just have to improve on every other aspect.

Your loss, without zip you're selling a car without wheels, thats all i'm saying. For someone with your skill i find it hard to believe that $99 is really that hard to come by. Joined with all the time you put into the project i really can't understand why $99 is such a big deal for something that would make all the time you've spent 100x more worthwhile.

Seems... dumb quite frankly.

 

[MerlockMagus]

Say Hankchill, would you happen to know why Rominator closes when I try opening the Settings window twice in a row? I basically just load up Rominator, check the settings, exit the settings window, and check the settings again. Note that I haven't downloaded the database or any extra files yet-- just fiddling with the options. Any idea? (Windows version).

 

[iritegood]

@^
You have rZip, so what do you need zip for anyways?

 

[Urza]

Your loss, without zip you're selling a car without wheels, thats all i'm saying.
That analogy doesn't apply to this situation at all. Its more like he's selling a car without air conditioning (and by selling, I mean giving away for free).

I find the application incredibly useful even without zip support, and making statements like that just makes you seem incredibly belligerent.

QUOTE1. Let me guess: You have over 1000 games in your library, correct? Of course it'll be a 5 second wait, but at least it beats the crap out of having it lag to death when scrolling, resizing, etc.

Only 200, but I store them on an external drive.

The reason I'm asking is because I keep the game icon setting turned off, and would prefer to not have to deal with this wait time because I don't benefit from it. It should be quite easy to have it check if "Display Game Icons" is selected before loading all the images.

 

[nightwalker]

does this work with m3 lite -slot2? or is it only for slot 1's like m3 simply/R4

 

[IBNobody]

@^
You have rZip, so what do you need zip for anyways?

People with large collections that use an off-site backup service would have to re-upload everything. They also wouldn't be able to use their rzipped roms with anything other than Rominator.

I just wanted zip support because it would make the actual flash cart management easier.

Rominator can't really compete with OfflineList for a collection manager because OLL can get up-to-the-minute updates from lists maintained by Advanscene.net.

- N

 

[cheatah]

I can't get the program to not crash on me.

Tried the linux version on two different systems both with the same error. Happens the second I drag anything into the program or click on a rom in the list.

The windows version crashes if you click anywhere in the rom list under wine.

I can post a backtrace of the error if that'll help. I've been using Rominator for awhile now and I'd like to keep using it. Is it possible to repost the previous pre 5.x linux version?

 

[mollekemiel]

Rominator can't really compete with OfflineList for a collection manager because OLL can get up-to-the-minute updates from lists maintained by Advanscene.net.

totally agree.

I can't see the added value (yet) of rominator unless maybe for linux users, but it doesnt seem to work that good on linux.

compared with offlinelist even the most basic features are missing.

Whats the use of re-inventing the wheel anyway.
But i do like that the games type (genre) is displayed. It's the one thing OLL is missing

.

.

 

[Gaffer]

Firstly, great update. A few (Very minor) issues:

* Whenever I check for updates, it prompts to d/l "Program update: This update brings Rominator to v5.0.1 and incorporates the following features......"
Well, I'm using that one already....not sure why it keeps asking to re-download it....not a major problem but thought you should know

.

* I second the subfolder support request (please). I assume that Jalaneme does what I used to do and keeps all games inside a folder of the same name so that her save files are in the same place (which is why she was so irate over the issue). Even though I used to do this, I personally have since moved most of mine into one folder as R4 now won't show you the .sav files, so it doesn't clutter up it's GUI anyway. However, I still have a few in a seperate folder (unused/old) and others I know group theirs into genre (eg one for "rpg" one for "action" etc with games grouped under them)..........so another minor request, that it would be useful for us

.

* Latest version 5.01 does not allow me to right click on a game in the flash list and "backup save file". The "managing save games" section of your site is empty

.
Please please please include a v simple "basics on how to back up save games from your cart to your HD" FAQ on there (please

).......one that even numbskulls like me can follow

(at the moment, I'm manually dragging and dropping from cart to HD using the Finder.....have never used Rominator to do it before so a simple How-To guide would help)?

^^^these are all minor things though, so finally:

* To all those pi**ing and moaning about zip support. It has been mentioned several times ALREADY. I am amazed at the sheer quantity of "neuronally challenged" folk who don't understand the basics of the issue.
I tell you what, I'll type it slowly for you ('cos I know you don't read too fast

):
It . . . . . . . will . . . . . . . cost . . . . . . . n i n e t y . . . . . . . n i n e . . . . . . . D . O . L . L . A . R . S . . . . . . . to . . . . . . . implement . . . . . . . it.

U N D E R S T A N D ?
Hello? Anybody there?

Rather than shoot your (big) mouths off about how sh*t you think Rominator is, why don't you put your money where your mouths are? If you want it that badly, GIVE HIM $99 TO IMPLEMENT IT..........until then, if you're not willing to pony up for what you alone are blabbering on and on about, STFU.........Sheesh....it's not rocket science is it?

.
Secondly, MOST people I know who use roms (in fact ALL people I know) have a computer with Gb's of HD space. On top of this, many people have external HD's. Even without these, it is perfectly possible to have all files you use unzipped and STILL not take up much space at all with the amount of HD real estate we have. Keep the roms you don't use zipped up in a seperate disc/hd/file etc etc.
A third option is to utilise the rZip function he has implemented for you.

@Hank: Stick to your guns mate

. Some folks will NEVER be happy (and yes folks, there's a BIG difference between a polite feature request and a harpy, blathering on and on rudely about something which has already been explained to them countless times

).




P.S. Oh.....one other minor request: I have the boxart for those three XXXX (J) games and have used Photoshop to resize them correctly as 200x180 jpg's. I then renamed them XXX1 (for Game&Watch), XXX2 (for TinglesBalloonAdventure) and XXX3 (for ExclamationWarriorsSakeburain).........which is what the actual roms have been renamed to (hoping that this way, the prog would know which boxart went with which rom).
The jpgs are then placed in the Boxart folder........but still won't show up in rominator. Launching the toolbox and selecting boxart manager comes up with a list that doesn't include these roms either.
Q: Is there any way for me to make rominator show the correct boxart (or my own boxart) for those roms (ditto the icons)?

Thanx

 

[Splutterbug]

This is my first time trying Rominator and so far I think it's pretty good. I have one question. I want to back up the save files from my DS and the save files from my wifes DS but not get them mixed up. Is there a way of having one game with different file saves and a way of knowing whose belongs to whose?

I'm in exactly the same boat, I haven't tried this in the latest version but there was the option to write comments by your saves so I simply make sure the saves have one of our names on.

Also just wanted to say a huge thank you to Hank I've tried a few programmes and yours is the best by far, not many people seem to make multiplatform freeware so it's great to have something for the mac. I really can't understand how people can moan about something that's free! Keep up the good work and I'll be sure to donate something after payday.

 

[halljames]

I get an error when I use the Rom Queue to flash to my memory card. I also tried it with a folder on my hard disk set up as a flash card, same error number 1117.

It seems to work just dragging a rom from the games list to the Icon for the card.

Any ideas

 

[IBNobody]

Rather than shoot your (big) mouths off about how sh*t you think Rominator is, why don't you put your money where your mouths are? If you want it that badly, GIVE HIM $99 TO IMPLEMENT IT..........until then, if you're not willing to pony up for what you alone are blabbering on and on about, STFU.........Sheesh....it's not rocket science is it?Â

.

I already agreed to pay him $50 upon completion and inclusion of zip support.

I'm not going to prepay him for the potential of including a feature. I do that enough with Microsoft.

 

[hankchill]

Rather than shoot your (big) mouths off about how sh*t you think Rominator is, why don't you put your money where your mouths are? If you want it that badly, GIVE HIM $99 TO IMPLEMENT IT..........until then, if you're not willing to pony up for what you alone are blabbering on and on about, STFU.........Sheesh....it's not rocket science is it? 

.


I already agreed to pay him $50 upon completion and inclusion of zip support.

I'm not going to prepay him for the potential of including a feature. I do that enough with Microsoft.

Yes but Microsoft already charges you for their product. I do not ask for money. If I get money, then I put it towards the development. So far, I've only made enough to cover the costs of the initial plugin package. If and when I make enough through donation to cover the cost of additional plugins, THEN I will do that. You've mentioned that you've agreed to pay $50 upon completion of Zip in every post you've made, and as I've said, I simply cannot do that because a) The software is free, and b) it's not in the budget right now. Besides, how would I know that you will say 'It must now do this, this, and this with the Zip support or no money!' -- This is not a risk I will want to take. Until I make the money, it's not happening. If people want it, they will show they want it. If not, then too bad.

On a completely different note, for those of you who wanted the rZip utility, you can download it below:
rZipper for Mac OS X: Download
rZipper for Windows:Download

I'll put it in my sig as well. Basically it's so easy to use that I didn't even include any help files. Just Open the program, drop your game into the window, and that's it.

--Henry

 

[kmihalj]

Rominator is great utility, also free .... thanx.

If you don't like it, don't use it, ... there is lots of other utils on Windows...

But on Mac and Linux there is the only one, ... and GREAT app ... Rominator, which means less VirtualPC for me (I have PPC Mac).

PS. ... just GBA Rom util for Mac/Linux is missing ....