MESS Help

kamakazi · February 16, 2010

I'm trying to use MESS for 7800 emulation. I did try to follow the instructions here. My version didn't create the folders mentioned. I did obtain a 7800 BIOS, but MESS keeps saying the 7800.u7 file cannot be found. Any clues?

Nukey Shay · February 16, 2010

When unpacking MESS, make sure that the "do not extract pathnames" option is NOT selected...or subfolders will not be created for you. If your main folder is C:\MESS, the folder that it expects BIOS files to exist would be C:\MESS\Bios\{system name}. The folders you need for 7800 emulation are Bios\a7800 and Bios\a7800p (only the PAL-specific file needs to be in the latter).

+Mitch · February 16, 2010

You have to rename the BIOS file to 7800.U7 for some stupid reason. Some of the decisions that the MESS team have made in the recent past are really boneheaded.

Mitch

kamakazi · February 16, 2010

You have to rename the BIOS file to 7800.U7 for some stupid reason. Some of the decisions that the MESS team have made in the recent past are really boneheaded.

Mitch

Tried using the built-in unzip ability of Windows as well as WinRAR...both extracts only show two folders, "artwork" and "hash". This was the newest release in January 2010. Maybe an older version would work best. I'll try that instead and see what I get. The NES and Atari2600 portions of the emulator work well though. And I did rename the BIOS to 7800.u7 and still get the same results.

Buzbard · February 16, 2010

You have to rename the BIOS file to 7800.U7 for some stupid reason. Some of the decisions that the MESS team have made in the recent past are really boneheaded.

Mitch

Tried using the built-in unzip ability of Windows as well as WinRAR...both extracts only show two folders, "artwork" and "hash". This was the newest release in January 2010. Maybe an older version would work best. I'll try that instead and see what I get. The NES and Atari2600 portions of the emulator work well though. And I did rename the BIOS to 7800.u7 and still get the same results.

Actually the newer version of MESS seems to be looking for 2 bios files named: 7800.u7 and c300558-001a.u7

a7800.zip

kamakazi · February 17, 2010

Tried again using the 7800 BIOS that Buzbard posted (thanks) but still get the same issues. I may just stick with individual emulators, but it would have been nice to have them all in one spot.

Buzbard · February 17, 2010

Tried again using the 7800 BIOS that Buzbard posted (thanks) but still get the same issues. I may just stick with individual emulators, but it would have been nice to have them all in one spot.

Ok, just to clarify, first close MESS if it's running.

In the MESS folder you should have a folder named BIOS and one named SOFTWARE.

Zipped Bios files go in the BIOS folder (obviously).

The software folder should have sub-folders for each system;

a2600 for Atari 2600

a5200 for Atari 5200

a7800 for Atari 7800

etc...

Place your game roms into their appropriate sub-folders.

In your MESS folder open the MESSUI.ini file in a text editor, scroll down until you see something like this:

#
# NAVIGATION JOYSTICK CODES
#
ui_joy_up 	1,1,1,1
ui_joy_down 	1,1,1,2
ui_joy_left 	1,1,2,1
ui_joy_right 	1,1,2,2
ui_joy_start 	1,0,1,0
ui_joy_pgup 	2,1,2,1
ui_joy_pgdwn 	2,1,2,2
ui_joy_home 	0,0,0,0
ui_joy_end 	0,0,0,0
ui_joy_ss_change 	2,0,3,0
ui_joy_history_up 	2,0,4,0
ui_joy_history_down 	2,0,1,0
ui_joy_exec 	0,0,0,0
mess_column_widths 	387,230,88,84,84,68,248,248
mess_column_order 	0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7
mess_column_shown 	"1, 1,	1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0"
mess_sort_column 	0
mess_sort_reversed 	0
current_software_tab 	picker
softwarepath 	software
3do_play_count 	0

Make sure softwarepath is set to the software folder.

You should also have a INI folder, open that folder then open the mess.ini file in a text editor, right at the top you should see this:

<UNADORNED0> 	

#
# CORE CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
#
readconfig 	1

#
# CORE SEARCH PATH OPTIONS
#
rompath 	bios
hashpath 	hash
samplepath 	samples
artpath 	artwork
ctrlrpath 	ctrlr
inipath 	ini
fontpath 	.
cheatpath 	cheat
crosshairpath 	crosshair

Make sure rompath is set to the bios folder.

Save both files then start MESS.

kamakazi · February 18, 2010

That seemed to do the trick. The bios folder setting wasn't correct. It was looking under ROMS for the bios. Thanks. Incidentally, mine didn't create any folders nor did it have any documentation.

Buzbard · February 18, 2010

That seemed to do the trick. The bios folder setting wasn't correct. It was looking under ROMS for the bios. Thanks. Incidentally, mine didn't create any folders nor did it have any documentation.

Yeah, I don't think it will create folders, you have to do that yourself.

And as for the documentation, it's here.

Schmudde · November 30, 2010

That seemed to do the trick. The bios folder setting wasn't correct. It was looking under ROMS for the bios. Thanks. Incidentally, mine didn't create any folders nor did it have any documentation.

I just want to second this solution. With Mac Mess I had to create a bios folder (all the others were created, including a ROMS folder). The .ini file pointed to the ROMS folder. Mac Mess wouldn't find it. I had to create a bios folder and then change the .ini file to point it to that folder before it worked. Nothing in the documentation. Amazing.

Thanks for the help everybody!

Schmüdde

www.schmudde.net

www.earthcirclefilms.com

+-^CrossBow^- · May 24, 2015

I know this is old, but I finally was able to get MESS 7800 emulation working. However there is no Pokey Audio? That normal? I get tia but no pokey.

+DrVenkman · May 24, 2015

I know this is old, but I finally was able to get MESS 7800 emulation working. However there is no Pokey Audio? That normal? I get tia but no pokey.

What ROMs are you running? Most 7800 games don't use POKEY audio. Try Ballblazer or Commando; both of those use POKEY for audio.

+-^CrossBow^- · May 24, 2015

The Commando rom from here is the primary one I'm talking about. In Prosystem I get Pokey audio, in Mess...I don't. I haven't tried the ballblazer rom but will do so now.

+DrVenkman · May 24, 2015

The Commando rom from here is the primary one I'm talking about. In Prosystem I get Pokey audio, in Mess...I don't. I haven't tried the ballblazer rom but will do so now.

You know, this thread got me curious so I tested and just came back to report the same thing. POKEY audio DOES work for Ballblazer in MESS but not for Commando, while it works fine for both in ProSystem. Sounds like a bug for the MESS team, unless it's been fixed in a more recent version - I'm using MESS 0.159 here.

EDIT: Okay, I just downloaded a binary for MESS 0.161 ... same thing. POKEY audio works for Ballblazer but not Commando.

Edited May 24, 2015 by DrVenkman

+-^CrossBow^- · May 24, 2015

Okay so I do get Pokey from Ballblazer?! Wow that is odd. I just re-downloaded the commando rom from here again and still no pokey on Commando.

Yes had meant to add that I'm using Mess .161 and this is what I was getting. Thought it was just me.

Edited May 24, 2015 by -^Cro§Bow^-

+DrVenkman · May 24, 2015

I posted about this problem in the 7800 Programming thread because there had been some discussion awhile back about 7800 emulation in MESS. Turns out we both have a common (corrupted) Commando ROM.

Check this post and try this one instead - POKEY audio works great.

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/236680-mess-0160-out-update-to-the-7800-driver/?p=3243915

Trebor · May 25, 2015

Yes had meant to add that I'm using Mess .161 and this is what I was getting. Thought it was just me.

Just as a side note, MESS (MAME) 0.160 and newer introduced a timing issue that causes graphic corruption in a few titles. The current 'gold standard' in 7800 emulation is MESS 0.159.

Utilizing this post with four simple steps, you'll have MESS (0.159) setup with the complete original 7800 NTSC and PAL ROM collection provided and in place, all ready to go and runs perfectly. It includes HSC support with XM support (if desired), and of course excellent POKEY sound for original titles, released and future homebrew titles as well.

+DrVenkman · May 25, 2015

Just as a side note, MESS (MAME) 0.160 and newer introduced a timing issue that causes graphic corruption in a few titles.

I have 0.159 and 0.161 both installed currently, simply because I was experimenting above before being advised of the corrupt header in the Commando ROM.

Could you elaborate on the 7800 timing issues?

Trebor · May 25, 2015

Could you elaborate on the 7800 timing issues?

It relates to the m6502 and icount implementation. For game examples, compare Double Dragon, Ikari Warriors, and Kung-Fu Master.

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