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|
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" dir="ltr" lang="en"><head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<title>mess:howto</title>
<meta name="generator" content="DokuWiki Darcs --">
<meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow">
<meta name="date" content="2011-11-14T16:37:44+0100">
<meta name="keywords" content="mess,howto">
</head>
<body>
<div class="dokuwiki export">
<h1><a name="mess_user_s_manual" id="mess_user_s_manual">MESS User's Manual</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
<p>
<em> <strong>Disclaimer</strong>: This manual is not complete yet. If
you find any outdated or incorrect info, or if you think there are
important aspects of the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> Usage which are not covered by this guide, please post at <a href="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" class="urlextern" title="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" rel="nofollow">MESS Message Board</a>. </em>
</p>
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts" id="shortcuts">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#getting_started" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Getting Started</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#consoles_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Consoles Emulation</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#internal_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Internal UI Options</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#controller_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Controller Options</a> </td><td class="col4"> <a href="#system_specific_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">System Specific Options</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#common_issues" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Common Issues</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#computers_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Computers Emulation</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#new_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">New UI Options</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#cheat_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Cheat Options</a> </td><td class="col4"> <a href="#mess_tools" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">MESS Tools</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#folder_files" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Folder & Files</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#chess_computers_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Chess Computers Emulation</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#gui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">GUI Options</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#save_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Save Options</a> </td><td class="col4"> <a href="#mess_error_messages" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">MESS Error Messages</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#command_line_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Command Line Options</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#calculators_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Calculators Emulation</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#video_options1" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Video Options</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#snapshot_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Snapshot Options</a> </td><td class="col4"> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row4">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#software_lists" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Software Lists</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#media_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Media Emulation</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#sound_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Sound Options</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#recording_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Recording Options</a> </td><td class="col4"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "MESS User's Manual" [1-1329] -->
<h1><a name="getting_started" id="getting_started">Getting Started</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts1" id="shortcuts1">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#mess_-_an_introduction" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">MESS - An Introduction</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#supported_os" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Supported OS</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#using_mess" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Using MESS</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#pause_mess" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Pause MESS</a> </td><td class="col4"> <a href="#quit_mess" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Quit MESS</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#purpose_of_mess" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Purpose of MESS</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#installing_mess" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Installing MESS</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#compiling_mess" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Compiling MESS</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#access_mess_internal_ui" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Access MESS Internal UI</a> </td><td class="col4"> <a href="#frontends" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Frontends</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#systems_emulated_by_mess" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Systems Emulated by MESS</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#requirements" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Requirements</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#start_mess" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Start MESS</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#access_mess_internal_new_ui" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Access MESS Internal New UI</a> </td><td class="col4"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Getting Started" [1330-1935] -->
<h2><a name="mess_-_an_introduction" id="mess_-_an_introduction">MESS - An Introduction</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is an acronym which stands for Multi Emulator Super System. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
documents and reproduces through emulation the inner components of
computers, consoles, chess computers and calculators. As a nice
side-effect, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> allows to use on a modern PC those programs and games which were originally developed for the emulated machines.
</p>
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is mostly programmed in C with some core components in C++ (<a href="http://mess.redump.net/reference:mame_and_mess_source_layout" class="wikilink1" title="reference:mame_and_mess_source_layout">here</a> you can see an overview of the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> source structure), and shares its core and CPU emulation with <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>. This allows <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to offer the same powerful interface and flexible options which <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> offers for arcade emulation.
</p>
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> can currently emulate over 550 individual systems from the last 5 decades.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "MESS - An Introduction" [1936-2720] -->
<h2><a name="purpose_of_mess" id="purpose_of_mess">Purpose of MESS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
The primary purpose of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is to preserve decades of computer and console history. As technology continues to rush forward, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> prevents these important “vintage” systems from being lost and forgotten. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is based on <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> and shares many of its components. Additional information about <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> and <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> can be found at the <a href="http://www.mess.org/" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mess.org" rel="nofollow">MESS home page</a> or at <a href="http://mamedev.org/" class="urlextern" title="http://mamedev.org" rel="nofollow">MAMEDev</a>. You could also find the <a href="http://mamedev.org/devwiki/index.php?title=Frequently_Asked_Questions" class="urlextern" title="http://mamedev.org/devwiki/index.php?title=Frequently_Asked_Questions" rel="nofollow">MAME FAQs</a> and <a href="http://mess.redump.net/faq" class="wikilink1" title="faq">MESS FAQs</a> a very interesting read.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Purpose of MESS" [2721-3307] -->
<h2><a name="systems_emulated_by_mess" id="systems_emulated_by_mess">Systems Emulated by MESS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<a href="http://mess.redump.net/supported_systems" class="wikilink1" title="supported_systems">MESS wiki pages</a>
contain a complete list of the systems currently emulated. As you will
notice, being supported does not always mean that the status of the
emulation is perfect. You may want
</p>
<ol>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> to check the status of the emulation in the wiki pages of each system, accessible from the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:drivers" class="wikilink1" title="mess:drivers">drivers page</a> (e.g. for Myarc Geneve, from the page for <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:drivers:geneve" class="wikilink1" title="mess:drivers:geneve">geneve.c driver</a> you can reach the pages for both <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:drivers:geneve:geneve" class="wikilink1" title="mess:drivers:geneve:geneve">geneve</a> and <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:drivers:geneve:genmod" class="wikilink1" title="mess:drivers:geneve:genmod">genmod</a>), </div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> to read the corresponding <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> entry in order to better understand which issues you may encounter while running a system in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> (again, for Myarc Geneve you have to check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo:geneve" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo:geneve">this entry</a>). </div>
</li>
</ol>
<p>
Alternatively, you can simply see the status by yourself, launching the
system emulation and taking a look to the red or yellow warning screen
which appears before the emulation starts, if any.
</p>
<p>
Notice that if you have information which can help to improve the
emulation of a supported system, or if you can directly contribute fixes
and/or addition to the current source, you can follow the instructions
at the <a href="http://www.mess.org/contacts.php" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mess.org/contacts.php" rel="nofollow">contact page</a> or post to the <a href="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" class="urlextern" title="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" rel="nofollow">MESS Message Board</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Systems Emulated by MESS" [3308-4695] -->
<h2><a name="supported_os" id="supported_os">Supported OS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
As with <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>,
the current source code can be directly compiled under all the main
OSes: Windows (both with DirectX native support and with SDL support),
Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OSX and <acronym title="Operating System">OS</acronym>/2
(these latter Operative Systems only requiring SDL 1.2 to work). Also,
both 32-bit and 64-bit executable can be built with no difficulties.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Supported OS" [4696-5050] -->
<h2><a name="installing_mess" id="installing_mess">Installing MESS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<h4><a name="windows" id="windows">Windows</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
You simply have to download the latest binary archive available at <a href="http://www.mess.org/download.php" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mess.org/download.php" rel="nofollow">this page</a>
and to extract its content to a folder. You will end up with many files
(below you find explanations about some of these), and in particular
with mess.exe and messui.exe. The former is the command line version of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, the latter is the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym> version of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. The installation procedure ends here. Easy, isn't it?
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="other_operating_systems" id="other_operating_systems">Other Operating Systems</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
In this case, you can either look for pre-compiled (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
binaries (e.g. in the repositories of your favorite Linux distro) which
should simply extract all the needed files in a folder you choose, or
compile the source code by yourself. In the latter case, see <a href="#compiling_mess_on_other_os" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">next entry</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Installing MESS" [5051-5866] -->
<h2><a name="requirements" id="requirements">Requirements</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is written
in fairly generic C/C++, and has been ported to numerous platforms. Over
time, as computer hardware has evolved, the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> code has evolved as well to take advantage of the greater processing power and hardware capabilities offered.
</p>
<p>
The official <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> binaries are compiled and designed to run on a standard Windows-based system. The minimum requirements are:
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Any MMX-capable AMD or Intel processor (Pentium III or later recommended for current versions)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Windows 98 or later (Windows 2000 or later preferred)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> DirectX 5.0 or later (included with all versions of Windows 98 or later)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> A DirectDraw or Direct3D capable graphics card</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Any DirectSound capable sound card</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Of course, the minimum requirements are just that: minimal. You may not get optimal performance from such a system, but <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> should run. Modern versions of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> require more power than older versions, so if you have a less-capable PC, you may find that using an older version of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> may get you better performance, at the cost of lowered accuracy and fewer supported systems.
</p>
<p>
As of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> 0.106 and later, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
will take advantage of 3D hardware for compositing artwork and scaling
the games to full screen. To make use of this, you should have a modern
Direct3D 8-capable video card with at least 16MB of video RAM.
</p>
<p>
Around the same time, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
added minimal multi-processor support, if you use the -mt flag. This
means that some of the video processing can be done on a second CPU core
if it is available. To take advantage of this, you should run <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> on a dual core (or greater) system.
</p>
<p>
Keep in mind that even on the fastest computers available, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
is still incapable of playing some systems at full speed. The goal of
the project isn't to make all system run speedy on your system; the goal
is to document the hardware and reproduce the behavior of the hardware
as faithfully as possible.
</p>
<p>
<em>(from mamedev.org, adapted)</em>
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="bios_dumps" id="bios_dumps">BIOS Dumps</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Most of the systems emulated by <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
requires a dump of the internal chips of the original system. These can
be obtained by extracting the data from an original unit, or finding
them (at your own risk) in the WorldWideWeb. Being copyrighted material,
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> does not come with any of these.
</p>
<p>
Also, you may want to find some software to be run on the emulated machine. Again, <a href="http://www.google.com/" class="urlextern" title="http://www.google.com" rel="nofollow">Google</a> and other search engines are your best friends. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
does not provide any software to be run on the emulated machines
because it is very often (almost always, in the case of console
software) copyrighted material.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Requirements" [5867-8465] -->
<h2><a name="using_mess" id="using_mess">Using MESS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you are a new <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> user, you could find this emulator a bit complex at first. The basic usage, from command line, is
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> <media> <software> <options></pre>
<p>
where
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <system> is the shortname of the system you want to emulate (e.g. <code>nes</code>, <code>c64</code>, etc.)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <media> is the switch for the media you want to load (if it's a cartridge, try <code>-cart</code> or <code>-cart1</code>; if it's a floppy disk, try <code>-flop</code> or <code>-flop1</code>; if it's a CD-ROM, try <code>-cdrom</code>)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <software> is the program /
game you want to load (and it can be given either as the fullpath to the
file to load, or as the shortname of the file in our <a href="#software_lists" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">software lists</a>)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <options> is any additional <a href="#command_line_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">command line option</a> for controllers, video, sound, etc.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Remember that if you type a <system> name which does not correspond to any emulated system, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
will suggest you some possible choices which are close to what you
typed; and if you don't know which <media> switch are available,
you can always launch
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -listmedia</pre>
<p>
If you don't know what <options> are available, you have many possibilities. First of all, you can check the <a href="#command_line_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">command line options</a> section of this Manual. Moreover, since <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> shares most of its core components with <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> (and its Windows <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym> with MAMEUI), any guide for <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> would fit perfectly for <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> as well, giving you directions about <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> options.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you should keep in mind the following command line options, which might be very useful in this context: <code>help</code>, <code>showusage</code> (or briefly <code>su</code>), <code>showconfig</code> (or briefly <code>sc</code>) and <code>createconfig</code> (or briefly <code>cc</code>).
</p>
<p>
If you launch at command line
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -help</pre>
<p>
you will be explained what <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is the basic structure of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> launching options, i.e. as explained above
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> <media> <software> <options></pre>
<p>
If you launch at command line
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -showusage</pre>
<p>
you will be prompted with the (quite long) list of available command line options for <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. The main options are described below, in the <a href="#command_line_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Command Line Options</a> section of this manual. You can also read all the command line options at the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:usage" class="wikilink1" title="mess:usage">usage</a> page of this wiki.
</p>
<p>
If you launch at command line
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -showconfig</pre>
<p>
you will be prompted with the (quite long) list of available configuration options for <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. These configuration can always be modified at command line, or by editing them in <code>mess.ini</code> which is the main configuration file for <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. You can find a description of some configuration options in the <a href="#command_line_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Command Line Options</a>
section of this manual (usually, to each configuration option there
corresponds a command line option to configure and modify it). You can
also read all the configuration options at the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> page of this wiki.
</p>
<p>
Finally, if you launch at command line
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -createconfig</pre>
<p>
you will create a brand new <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a>
file, with default configuration settings. Notice that mess.ini is
basically a plain text file, hence you can open it with any text editor
(e.g. Notepad, Emacs or TextEdit) and configure every option you need.
However, no particular tweaks are needed to start, so you can basically
leave most of the options unaltered the first times you use <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>.
</p>
<p>
<em>[maybe the -soft opengl option for (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> should be mentioned here…]</em>
</p>
<p>
Once you are more confident with <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> options, you may want to configure a bit more your setup. In this case, keep in mind the order in which options are read:
</p>
<ol>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> starts with all the default settings</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> overwrites the modified options found in .ini files, if any; in particular <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> reads in order</div>
<ul>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> mess.ini found in the same directory of the emulator, if any</div>
</li>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> mess.ini again (so that, if you
specified an alternative path for .ini files in the main mess.ini, this
new location will be checked)</div>
</li>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> driver.ini (so that, if you are
interested e.g. in msx clones, you can modify all their options at once
by using a single msx.ini configuration file)</div>
</li>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> parent.ini (so that… )</div>
</li>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> system.ini (so that.. )</div>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> overwrites the modified options passed to command line</div>
</li>
</ol>
<p>
Therefore, options set at command line have precedence over anything you
have set in .ini files, while unspecified options fall back to their
default values.
</p>
<p>
<em>TO DO: check if the ini part is 100% correct and add explanations about parent and system .inis </em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Using MESS" [8466-12970] -->
<h2><a name="compiling_mess" id="compiling_mess">Compiling MESS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<h4><a name="mess_messui_windows" id="mess_messui_windows">MESS / MESSUI (Windows)</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Compiling <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
for Windows requires the MinGW toolkit, a variant of GCC. MinGW comes
with a variant of GDB for debugging. Downloads of those tools can be
found on the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/build_tools" class="wikilink1" title="build_tools">build tools page</a>. Notice also that the same tools are used to compile <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>. Hence, you can download them from the correspondent <a href="http://mamedev.org/tools/" class="urlextern" title="http://mamedev.org/tools/" rel="nofollow">MAME build tools page</a> as well.
</p>
<p>
Then, you need the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> source, of course. You can either take the whole tree from the svn repository (see <a href="http://www.mess.org/download.php" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mess.org/download.php" rel="nofollow">this page</a>), or download latest stable source (see again <a href="http://www.mess.org/download.php" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mess.org/download.php" rel="nofollow">this page</a>) and add to it the corresponding version of the <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> source. The svn is however the recommended choice, because of the frequent updates.
</p>
<p>
Once you have both sources, to compile the command line version of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is enough to open a command prompt and type (assuming MinGW has been correctly installed as explained at <a href="http://mamedev.org/tools/" class="urlextern" title="http://mamedev.org/tools/" rel="nofollow">MAME build tools page</a>)
</p>
<pre class="code">make TARGET=mess</pre>
<p>
Please notice the capital letters for <code>TARGET</code>: if you use <code>target=mess</code> it won't work.
</p>
<p>
Other possible compile options are the following
</p>
<pre class="code">DEBUG=1
SYMBOLS=1</pre>
<p>
The former enables stricter validation inside the emulator and some
additional logging (but notice that the basic debugger is compiled even
without this option, and it is hence available in <strong>all</strong> builds). The latter enables symbols in the compile, to make easier the debugging of crashes through <code>gdb</code>.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can use Visual C to compile <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>.
Indeed, if you add MSVC_BUILD=1 at the compile command, the build will
use Visual C instead of MinGW. Note that MinGW is still required, as GNU
make is used rather than nmake. Using the Microsoft compilers allows to
use the Visual C debugger to debug <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, but one does not get the full benefits of the IDE.
</p>
<p>
If you want to compile MESSUI, then you need to type
</p>
<pre class="code">make TARGET=mess OSD=winui</pre>
<p>
This also compiles the alternative Internal New UI (which can then be enabled the <code>-menu</code> option).
</p>
<p>
Finally, if you want to compile the Tools (e.g. chdman, imgtool and castool), then you need to type
</p>
<pre class="code">make TARGET=mess tools</pre>
<p>
(if you forget the “TARGET=mess” part you will end up only compiling the <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> tools).
</p>
<p>
You can also read our <a href="http://mess.redump.net/compiling_mess" class="wikilink1" title="compiling_mess">Compile wiki page</a>.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="sdl_mess_windows_nix_mac_osx_other_os" id="sdl_mess_windows_nix_mac_osx_other_os">(SDL)MESS (Windows / *nix / Mac OSX / Other OS)</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Starting from version 0.137, the SDL component of <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>/<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> are included in the official source.
</p>
<p>
Therefore, to compile <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> you only need to download the source from <a href="http://www.mess.org/download.php" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mess.org/download.php" rel="nofollow">this page</a> (and to add the <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> source), or to checkout the svn repository (see <a href="http://www.mess.org/download.php" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mess.org/download.php" rel="nofollow">this page</a> for instructions about svn).
</p>
<p>
Required packages and instructions about compiling (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> are the same used to compile (SDL)<acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> and can be found following the links at <a href="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=35138#Post35138" class="urlextern" title="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=35138#Post35138" rel="nofollow">this thread</a>.
In general, you only need a compatible version of GCC (sometimes latest
bleeding edge versions may cause compile issues), the SDL libraries and
the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> & <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> sources: the makefile has been written so that typing
</p>
<pre class="code">make TARGET=mess</pre>
<p>
is enough to correctly compile the right version for your setup, by automatically choosing the appropriate <acronym title="Operating System">OS</acronym> and selecting between 32-bit and 64-bit architecture.
The only case which require and additional option is if you want an SDL build in Windows. In this case, you have to type
</p>
<pre class="code">make TARGET=mess OSD=sdl</pre>
<p>
Notice that, if you are using MacOSX 10.6, the default settings is to
compile a 32-bit executable. At your own risk, you might try to compile <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> in 64-bit too by typing
</p>
<pre class="code">make TARGET=mess PTR64=1</pre>
<p>
This is not officially endorsed, but it produces a slightly faster executable and there have been no issues reported so far.
</p>
<p>
Please notice the capital letters for <code>TARGET</code>: if you use <code>target=mess</code> it won't work.
</p>
<p>
Other possible compile options are the following
</p>
<pre class="code">DEBUG=1
SYMBOLS=1</pre>
<p>
The former enables stricter validation inside the emulator and some
additional logging (but notice that the basic debugger is compiled even
without this option, and it is hence available in <strong>all</strong> builds). The latter enables symbols in the compile, to make easier the debugging of crashes through <code>gdb</code>.
</p>
<p>
Finally, if you want to compile the Tools (e.g. chdman, imgtool and castool), then you need to type
</p>
<pre class="code">make TARGET=mess tools</pre>
<p>
(if you forget the “TARGET=mess” part you will end up only compiling the <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> tools).
</p>
<p>
You can also read our <a href="http://mess.redump.net/compiling_mess" class="wikilink1" title="compiling_mess">Compile wiki page</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Compiling MESS" [12971-17611] -->
<h2><a name="start_mess" id="start_mess">Start MESS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To start your adventure in the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
world, you simply have to double click on the executable. If you're
using messui.exe under Windows, you reach the Graphical User Interface,
where you can set up basically every possible option for <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> (see the <a href="#gui_option" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">GUI Options</a> section below). Otherwise, if you started mess.exe, you reach the Internal User Interface (see the <a href="#internal_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Internal UI Options</a> section below) and you will be asked to choose a system among the supported ones.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Start MESS" [17612-18139] -->
<h2><a name="pause_mess" id="pause_mess">Pause MESS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To take a break from the emulation, simply press <kbd>P</kbd>. Notice that, if you are emulating a computer and you are in the fully emulated keyboard mode, <kbd>P</kbd> will have no Pause effect. In this case, press <kbd>ScrLock</kbd> (<kbd>Ins</kbd> for (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>) to switch your keyboard in partial emulation mode and press again <kbd>P</kbd> to actually pause <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>.
When you want to resume the emulation, simply press <kbd>P</kbd> once more.
</p>
<p>
You may want to advance frame by frame in the emulation, while in Pause. This can be accomplished by pressing <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>P</kbd> during Pause.
</p>
<p>
See <a href="#key_functions" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Key Functions</a> section for more details about controlling <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Pause MESS" [18140-18841] -->
<h2><a name="access_mess_internal_ui" id="access_mess_internal_ui">Access MESS Internal UI</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To enter the Internal User Interface during emulation, press <kbd>Tab</kbd>. Notice that, if you are emulating a computer and you are in the fully emulated keyboard mode, <kbd>Tab</kbd> won't have the expected effect. In this case, press <kbd>ScrLock</kbd> (<kbd>Ins</kbd> for (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>) to switch your keyboard in partial emulation mode and press again <kbd>Tab</kbd> to actually enter the User Interface.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Tips</strong> - the internal UI is completely clickable with
your mouse. You can select options and move through the available menu
by a simple double click of your mouse!
</p>
<p>
See <a href="#key_functions" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Key Functions</a> section for more details about controlling <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Access MESS Internal UI" [18842-19543] -->
<h2><a name="access_mess_internal_new_ui" id="access_mess_internal_new_ui">Access MESS Internal New UI</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you use MESSUI in Windows and you have chosen the -menu option (see below for a complete description of <a href="#ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">this option</a> and of the <a href="#new_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">New UI Options</a>
available), you will have a quite familiar menu bar on the top of your
screen. You can easily select options by clicking on them with the
mouse.
</p>
<p>
Notice that this New UI could be removed in future, because of the progresses of the <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>-like <a href="#internal_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Internal UI</a> and of the difficulty of maintaining three UI at the same time (counting also Windows <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>).
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Access MESS Internal New UI" [19544-20139] -->
<h2><a name="quit_mess" id="quit_mess">Quit MESS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To stop <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulation, press <kbd>Esc</kbd>. Notice that, if you are emulating a computer and you are in the fully emulated keyboard mode, <kbd>Esc</kbd> will have no Quit effect. In this case, press <kbd>ScrLock</kbd> (<kbd>Ins</kbd> for (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>) to switch your keyboard in partial emulation mode and press again <kbd>Esc</kbd> to actually quit <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>.
After pressing <kbd>Esc</kbd>, you will
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> go back to mess <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>, if you're using messui.exe in Windows, or</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> go back to internal UI, if you started mess.exe by double clicking the executable, or</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> go back to Prompt / Bash / Terminal, if you started mess.exe from command line.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
See <a href="#key_functions" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Key Functions</a> section for more details about controlling <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Quit MESS" [20140-20888] -->
<h2><a name="frontends" id="frontends">Frontends</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you don't like using <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> from command line, you may want to use <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> in conjunction with a frontend. Various frontends currently support <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. In alphabetical order:
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://emuloader.mameworld.info/" class="urlextern" title="http://emuloader.mameworld.info/" rel="nofollow">EmuCon Playground EX</a> - Windows only</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://gelide.sourceforge.net/" class="urlextern" title="http://gelide.sourceforge.net/" rel="nofollow">Gelide</a> - Linux</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://bobz38.free.fr/gnomess/index.php" class="urlextern" title="http://bobz38.free.fr/gnomess/index.php" rel="nofollow">GNOMESS</a> - Linux</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/" class="urlextern" title="http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/" rel="nofollow">HyperSpin</a> - Windows - <a href="http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=104&Itemid=116" class="urlextern" title="http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=104&Itemid=116" rel="nofollow">Atari 5200 tutorial</a></div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/kxmame/" class="urlextern" title="http://sourceforge.net/projects/kxmame/" rel="nofollow">kxmame</a> - Linux</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://mameicons.free.fr/mame32p/" class="urlextern" title="http://mameicons.free.fr/mame32p/" rel="nofollow">MAME Plus! GUI</a> - Windows, Linux and Mac <acronym title="Operating System">OS</acronym> X supported</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/meagrefrontend/home" class="urlextern" title="https://sites.google.com/site/meagrefrontend/home" rel="nofollow">MEAGRE</a> - Windows only</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://eadmaster.altervista.org/pub/prj/cliapps.htm#mess" class="urlextern" title="http://eadmaster.altervista.org/pub/prj/cliapps.htm#mess" rel="nofollow">MESS auto-launcher</a> - Windows and *nix (command-line only)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://macmess.org/" class="urlextern" title="http://macmess.org/" rel="nofollow">MessMenu</a> - Mac <acronym title="Operating System">OS</acronym> X only</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://messui.the-chronicles.org/" class="urlextern" title="http://messui.the-chronicles.org/" rel="nofollow">MESSUI</a> - Windows only (formerly part of the official project)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://mameload.mameworld.info/" class="urlextern" title="http://mameload.mameworld.info/" rel="nofollow">ML TNG</a> - Windows only</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://robert.hurst-ri.us/myarcade/" class="urlextern" title="http://robert.hurst-ri.us/myarcade/" rel="nofollow">My Arcade</a> - Windows, Linux</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://qmc2.arcadehits.net/" class="urlextern" title="http://qmc2.arcadehits.net/" rel="nofollow">QMC2</a> - Windows, Linux and Mac <acronym title="Operating System">OS</acronym> X supported</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://www.anti-particle.com/wahcade.shtml" class="urlextern" title="http://www.anti-particle.com/wahcade.shtml" rel="nofollow">Wah!Cade</a> - Linux</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/xlbmessui/" class="urlextern" title="http://sourceforge.net/projects/xlbmessui/" rel="nofollow">xlbmessui</a> - Linux</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://code.google.com/p/xmessgui/" class="urlextern" title="http://code.google.com/p/xmessgui/" rel="nofollow">xMess GUI</a> - cross-platform</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Please refer to their home pages and support forums for more information about the available options of the frontends.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Frontends" [20889-22512] -->
<h1><a name="common_issues" id="common_issues">Common Issues</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts2" id="shortcuts2">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#bios_handling" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">BIOS Handling</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#run_systems_with_software" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Run Systems with Software</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#i_found_an_issue" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">I Found an Issue!</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#software_handling" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Software Handling</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#reset_a_system" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Reset a System</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#key_functions" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Key Functions</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#start_a_system" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Start a System</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#change_system" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Change System</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#tips" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Tips</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Common Issues" [22513-22904] -->
<h2><a name="bios_handling" id="bios_handling">BIOS Handling</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
As mentioned in the <a href="#requirements" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Requirements</a> section, to run most of the supported machines in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>,
you need BIOSes files, i.e. files which represent an exact copy of the
content of chips present inside the real systems. Once you have these
files, you can
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> either zip them up in a filed called <code><system>.zip</code> and put them in the roms/ folder (where <system> is the machine you want to emulate, e.g. you need a <code>msx.zip</code> file in the roms/ directory for the <acronym title="American Standard Code for Information Interchange">ASCII</acronym> MSX to work)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> or create a system/ subfolder in the roms/ folder and put the uncompressed files into this subfolder (again <em>system</em> is the machine you want to emulate, e.g. you need a roms/msx/ subfolder to store your uncompressed MSX BIOS)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Notice that you can modify the location of the BIOSes by setting the -rompath option (see <a href="#command_line_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Command Line Options</a>) to something different than roms/ . You can also setting it to roms/ <strong>and</strong> a second folder of your choice.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Tips</strong> - <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
can load zipped BIOSes based on their CRC checksum. Hence, if you have a
correct BIOS zipped in the roms/ folder, the names of the single files
are not really important. However, if you keep your BIOS unzipped, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> cannot load the files by CRC and you need the BIOS files to be named in a very precise way. If you keep receiving a <code>missing files</code>
error message and you think you have already the required files
unzipped in a subfolder of the roms/ folder, check if their names are
correct.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "BIOS Handling" [22905-24414] -->
<h2><a name="software_handling" id="software_handling">Software Handling</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
There exists no hardcoded software locations in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> and you can configure <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to launch software from any directory you want.
</p>
<p>
If you are running <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
from command line, you simply have to specify the full path to the
software. E.g. to launch a Sharp X1 floppy disk that you have in
“E:\sharp x1\disk.d88”, you just have to type
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe x1 -flop1 "E:\sharp x1\disk.d88"</pre>
<p>
Notice the quote around the path, to properly handle the space in the folder name.
</p>
<p>
While running <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can also change software by entering the Internal UI (press <kbd>Tab</kbd>), choosing <code>File Manager</code>,
selecting the device you want to use (Cartslots, Cassettes, Floppy
Disks, Cdroms, etc.) and browsing your folders until you find the
desired software image.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Tips</strong> - In the <code>File Manager</code>, the navigation
through folders filled of hundreds of files can be made a lot faster,
if you know a couple of features of the Internal UI! First of all, <kbd>PgUp</kbd>, <kbd>PgDn</kbd>, <kbd>Home</kbd> and <kbd>End</kbd> are fully supported and allow for faster scroll of the list of filenames. Moreover, as of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
0.142, you can type the beginning of a filename, and the File Manager
will scroll until the file with the closest name. Adding the fact that
you can click with the mouse of the file to start it, finding the file
you want to launch has never been so easy!
</p>
<p>
If you are using MESSUI on Windows, you can also easily set up some
software folders for each emulated system and then select the software
image you want in the file picker window.
Namely, select from the menu <code>Options</code> and then <code>Directories</code>. From the drop-down list choose <code>Software</code> and click on <code>Insert</code> or on <code>Browse</code>. Navigate to the root of your software folder, click ok and you are done.
</p>
<p>
Now, on the right you can see a section for software selection: two tabs are available, “Picker” and “Device View”.
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> The Device View shows the available
media with the software that is currently loaded, and a selection box
where you may Mount, Create or Unmount an image.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> The Picker lists every compatible software that is contained in the selected software directory, including subdirectories.</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Software Handling" [24415-26611] -->
<h2><a name="start_a_system" id="start_a_system">Start a System</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you are running <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> from command line, you have to type
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system></pre>
<p>
where <code>system</code> is the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
system name (a string of at most 8 characters identifying the system).
If you type the wrong system name, you will be prompted by a list of
approximate matches.
While running <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can also change emulated system by entering the Internal UI and choosing <code>Select New System</code>.
</p>
<p>
If you are running MESSUI on Windows, you just need to double click on the desired system.
</p>
<p>
Notice that some systems require a software image to run (e.g. some
consoles which cannot work without a cartridge image inserted). These
systems also gives errors when you try to start them from the Internal
UI.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Start a System" [26612-27341] -->
<h2><a name="run_systems_with_software" id="run_systems_with_software">Run Systems with Software</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
In addition to the BIOS images, to fully enjoy emulation of a system you
will need also some software. Again, this is copyrighted material and
it is up to you to find it. However, once you have found it, you can
load it in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
by simply pointing the emulator to the right directory, e.g. to run
Atari 2600 with an image of the cart Frogger in .a26 format, you need to
launch
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe a2600 -cart "C:\path_to_image\frogger.a26"</pre>
<p>
Some systems (usually consoles) do not start in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
without an image (which would correspond to a cartridge inserted in the
cartslot of the console). Other systems (e.g. all the computers) would
start also without any software mounted. As an example, running
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe c64</pre>
<p>
would prompt you to the BASIC “ready” screen. Different systems supports in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> different types of images and different media. You can check supported media devices and file extensions by using the <code>-listmedia</code> option (also described <a href="#emulated_media_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">here</a>). E.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe apple2gs -listmedia</pre>
<p>
for specific Apple ||gs emulation or
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -listmedia</pre>
<p>
for a list of all supported media and file extensions for each system.
You can always change the software you have loaded in a device by
entering the Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and selecting “File Manager” (see <a href="#internal_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">below</a>).
</p>
<p>
As of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> 0.138, a new option for launching a system with software has been added: <strong>launch from software lists</strong>.
This new option is based on the inclusion of software lists, in .xml
format, containing checksums of known dumps, and it works a bit more
like <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>, in the sense that to e.g. launch SNES emulation of Super Mario World requires the following command
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe snes -cart smwu</pre>
<p>
where “smwu” must be the proper image which is listed in the software
lists “snes.xml”. You can find more details about this new option in the
<a href="#software_lists" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Software Lists</a> section below.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Run Systems with Software" [27342-29304] -->
<h2><a name="reset_a_system" id="reset_a_system">Reset a System</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To reset <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulation, press <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>F3</kbd>. Notice that, if you are emulating a computer and you are in the fully emulated keyboard mode, <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>F3</kbd> will have no Reset effect. In this case, press <kbd>ScrLock</kbd> (<kbd>Ins</kbd> for (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>) to switch your keyboard in partial emulation mode and press again <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>F3</kbd> to actually reset <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
emulation.
Notice that this kind of reset function corresponds to quit and restart
completely the emulation. Single systems may offer a different Reset
functionality that could be available by pressing a specific key (check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> to find out if such a functionality is present or not in the system you are emulating)
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Reset a System" [29305-30031] -->
<h2><a name="change_system" id="change_system">Change System</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To change the emulated system, you can simply quit <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> (by pressing <kbd>Esc</kbd>) and start the emulation of a new system.
Alternatively, you can enter the Internal UI (by pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choose the <code>Select New System</code> option.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Change System" [30032-30306] -->
<h2><a name="i_found_an_issue" id="i_found_an_issue">I Found an Issue!</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you find a bug in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, please follow these simple steps
</p>
<ol>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Check if, at start, you are prompted
with a red screen stating the emulation is incomplete and known to be
not working, or with a yellow screen listing particular emulation
issues. For these systems, problems should be reported only if they
crash or freeze <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. Otherwise, they are probably already known and due to missing feature in the emulation. </div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Check <a href="http://bugzilla.mess.org/" class="urlextern" title="http://bugzilla.mess.org/" rel="nofollow">Bugzilla</a> to determine if the bug it has already been reported. If not, please register and report the issue you have found.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<p>
Also, you may follow the next steps as well
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Try to run <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
with the -log option and check the resulting error.log file with a text
editor (e.g. Notepad, Emacs, TextEdit). This output file could contain
additional information about the problem (e.g. if you're trying to run a
cart format which is unsupported) and should be added to a bug report,
if possible.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> If the problem is a crash, and you can compile the emulator by your own, then you might help us by compiling <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> with symbols enabled, i.e. with <code>SYMBOLS=1</code> (see the <a href="#compiling_mess" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">compiling section</a>
of this manual), and by adding with your report a backtrace of the
crash; such a backtrace can be obtained with “gdb” by following these
steps:</div>
<ul>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> open a command prompt / bash / terminal and move to the folder where <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is</div>
</li>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> launch <code>gdb mess.exe</code></div>
</li>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> type <code>run -window -other_necessary_options</code>
(where ”-other_necessary_options” is any other parameter you need to
reproduce the bug, e.g. the system, the media and the software names)</div>
</li>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> play until the crash happens</div>
</li>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> type <code>bt</code> or <code>bt full</code> to obtain a backtrace of the crash</div>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Alternatively, don't hesitate to ask for suggestions on the <a href="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" class="urlextern" title="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" rel="nofollow">MESS message board</a></div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
If you can provide fixes or addition of missing components, please follow the submission rules at the <a href="http://www.mess.org/contacts.php" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mess.org/contacts.php" rel="nofollow">contact page</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "I Found an Issue!" [30307-32362] -->
<h2><a name="key_functions" id="key_functions">Key Functions</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Here is a table with some key function in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> (you could notice they have the same functions in <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>). If you are emulating a computer in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, notice that these keys will have effect only in Keyboard Partial Emulation Mode (see <a href="#emulated_keyboard" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Emulated Keyboard</a> section).
</p>
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<th class="col0"> Key </th><th class="col1"> Function </th>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Scrl Lock</kbd> (<kbd>Ins</kbd> in (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>) </td><td class="col1"> Switch <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to partial keyboard emulation which lets you use keys like <kbd>Tab</kbd> to access UI, <kbd>P</kbd> to pause, <kbd>Esc</kbd> to quit, etc. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>Scrl Lock</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Paste copied text into the emulated computer </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Tab</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Access <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> Internal UI </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row4">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>P</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Pause the emulation </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row5">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>P</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Skip one frame forward if paused </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row6">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Esc</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Quit the emulation </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row7">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>F3</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Reset the emulated system </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row8">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>F3</kbd> </td><td class="col1">
Performs a “hard reset”, which tears everything down and re-creates it
from scratch. This is a more thorough and complete reset than an <kbd>F3</kbd> pressure </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row9">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>F6</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Toggle cheat mode (if started with ”-cheat”) </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row10">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>F7</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Load a saved system state from a slot number (Only few systems support Save States at the moment) </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row11">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>F7</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Save system state to 1 of 10 slots (Only few systems support Save States at the moment) </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row12">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>F8</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Decrease frame skip during emulation </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row13">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>F9</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Increase frame skip during emulation </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row14">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>F10</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Speed Throttle (Makes system overspeed) </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row15">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>F11</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Frames Per Second and Frameskip information </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row16">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>F12</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Saves image of system screen to snaps directory (the name of the saved snap can be configured in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a>) </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row17">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Ins</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Fast forward. While held, runs the game with throttling disabled and with the maximum frameskip </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>
These are the default keys assignments for these functions in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. However, you can fully customize them by pressing the <kbd>Tab</kbd> key during the emulation and selecting <code>Input (general)</code> entry. (more details in
the <a href="#internal_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Internal UI</a> section).
</p>
<p>
For more information about loading/saving a game and about saving snapshot in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, read also the <a href="#save_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Save section</a> and the <a href="#snapshot_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Snapshots</a> section of this Manual, respectively.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Key Functions" [32363-34657] -->
<h2><a name="tips" id="tips">Tips</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To simplify the use of some system, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> introduces a few features that are not always known to the user:
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> The whole Internal UI is completely clickable with the mouse. Start command line <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
with a double click, and you will be prompted with a random list of the
systems you can launch. Click on one of them and the emulation will
start. Press <kbd>Tab</kbd> during the emulation and you will enter
again the Internal UI which allows you to configure Inputs, Video and
Sound options by simply clicking on them with your mouse (a complete
description of the available options can be found below…)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> In the <code>File Manager</code> and in the <code>Software List</code>
menu, the navigation through folders filled of hundreds of files can be
made a lot faster, if you know a couple of features of the Internal UI!
First of all, <kbd>PgUp</kbd>, <kbd>PgDn</kbd>, <kbd>Home</kbd> and <kbd>End</kbd> are fully supported and allow for faster scroll of the list of filenames. Moreover, as of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
0.142, you can type the beginning of a filename, and the File Manager
will scroll until the file with the closest name. Adding the fact that
you can click with the mouse of the file to start it, finding the file
you want to launch has never been so easy!</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> For many calculator and chess computers, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> provides an artwork which depicts the original aspect of the emulated machine (see also the <a href="#artwork_folder" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Artwork</a> section). In the <code>Video options</code>
menu of the UI, you can turn it on or off. When the artwork is used,
you can also click with the mouse on the keys that you see to produce
the expected effect on the emulated machine rather than using keyboard
inputs. If you find a system using an artwork but not working when you
click on it, please report it on the <a href="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" class="urlextern" title="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" rel="nofollow">MESS message board</a> (this feature is not currently supported in every system with an artwork, but we are working on it).</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> When emulating a computer in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>,
you may want to try some BASIC program you have found in internet.
However, the process of writing them in the emulated system is usually
quite tedious. This is why <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
allows you to directly paste into the emulated system whatever text you
copy from a file! Simply select the program / command you want to
enter, copy it (e.g. by using <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>C</kbd> on Windows) and paste it in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> by pressing <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>ScrLock</kbd> (this is the default key sequence, but you can remap it to any key you want entering the Internal UI, choosing <code>Inputs (general)</code> and then <code>User Interface</code>).</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
can load zipped BIOSes based on their CRC checksum. Hence, if you have a
correct BIOS zipped in the roms/ folder, the names of the single files
are not really important. However, if you keep your BIOS unzipped, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> cannot load the files by CRC and you need the BIOS files to be named in a very precise way. If you keep receiving a <code>missing files</code>
error message and you think you have already the required files
unzipped in a subfolder of the roms/ folder, check if their names are
correct.</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Tips" [34658-37759] -->
<h1><a name="folder_files" id="folder_files">Folder & Files</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts3" id="shortcuts3">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#mess.ini" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">mess.ini</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#ini_folder" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">ini/ Folder</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#tools_folder" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">tools/ Folder</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#roms_folder" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">roms/ Folder</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#ctrlr_folder" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">ctrlr/ Folder</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#effects_files" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Effects Files</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#nvram_folder_.nv_files" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">nvram/ Folder & .nv Files</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#hash_folder" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">hash/ Folder</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#font_files" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Font Files</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#cfg_folder_.cfg_files" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">cfg/ Folder & .cfg Files</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#memcard_folder" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">memcard/ Folder</a> </td><td class="col2"> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row4">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#artwork_folder" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">artwork/ Folder</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#snap_folder" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">snap/ Folder</a> </td><td class="col2"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Folder & Files" [37760-38289] -->
<h2><a name="mess.ini" id="mess.ini">mess.ini</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
This is probably the most important file when you use <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, since it contains all the configuration settings which are used by <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. By changing mess.ini, you can use to configure every aspect of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>.
Many configuration options and the corresponding command line commands
are described in separate sections of this User's Manual and you can
find a detailed description of configuration each option at the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> page of this wiki.
</p>
<p>
If you cannot find mess.ini in your <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> folder, you can easily create a new mess.ini containing default settings by launching from command line
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -cc</pre>
<p>
or
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -createconfig</pre>
<p>
Afterwards, you can always edit this file and the configuration values
by opening and editing it with a text editor. The same command can be
also handy if you want to reset every option to its default value at
once, because the new mess.ini will overwrite the one already present.
</p>
<p>
It is recommended that you modify the writeconfig setting to 1.
</p>
<pre class="code">writeconfig 1</pre>
<p>
Save your changes. Then, copy your new mess.ini to the ini folder.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "mess.ini" [38290-39387] -->
<h2><a name="roms_folder" id="roms_folder">roms/ Folder</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
As in <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>,
this is the default folder for roms. The main difference is that in this
case '“roms” refers to BIOS roms of the various supported systems.
Therefore, to emulate <code>snes</code> in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> you just need to put its BIOS in a zipfile named snes.zip inside the roms/ folder (more information about BIOS handling in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> can be found at <a href="#bios_handling" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">here</a>).
</p>
<p>
On the other hand, software can be put in any directory you want, as long as the whole software location is passed to <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> at launch. E.g. to play the game foo.smc on snes, it is enough to the correct snes.zip into roms/ and launch at command line
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe snes -cart "C:\here_are_my_games\foo.smc"</pre>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "roms/ Folder" [39388-40079] -->
<h2><a name="nvram_folder_.nv_files" id="nvram_folder_.nv_files">nvram/ Folder & .nv Files</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
.nv files, created in the nvram/ folder by default, represent the
content of each 'Non Volatile RAM' device present on the original system
(or in its software). A typical example is provided by console carts
which were able to store in SRAM the progresses of the player. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
backups the system nvram in a nvram/<system>.nv file and software
nvram in nvram/<system>/<software>.nv files. Next time you
launch <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, it
will look in those locations to load the content of saved memory.
These files only contains the NVRAM data that would have been saved in
the original systems. For other kind of saving you have to refer to <a href="#save_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Savestates</a>, which are completely unrelated.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "nvram/ Folder & .nv Files" [40080-40804] -->
<h2><a name="cfg_folder_.cfg_files" id="cfg_folder_.cfg_files">cfg/ Folder & .cfg Files</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> saves in .cfg files, created in the cfg/ folder by default, every change made by the user in controls menus (<code>Input (general)</code> and <code>Input (this System)</code> in the Internal UI) and configurations menus (<code>Dip Switches</code>, <code>Configurations</code> and <code>Categories</code>
in the Internal UI). If you experience any problem after changing these
settings and/or you want to restore default settings and controls, you
just have to delete from cfg/ folder the file <system>.cfg or
default.cfg (the latter for changes in the <code>Input (general)</code> menu).
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "cfg/ Folder & .cfg Files" [40805-41383] -->
<h2><a name="artwork_folder" id="artwork_folder">artwork/ Folder</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> looks into this folder to find artworks: as for <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>
artworks, these are overlay files which can make easier or more
satisfactory the emulation. Typical examples are images of calculators,
pocket computers and chess computers which allow a much more faithful
experience than the simple LED display.
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> also
supports clickable artworks which are very useful for calculators,
pocket computers and chess computers: by clicking on the keys shown in
the artwork, you will pass the corresponding inputs to the emulated
system!
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "artwork/ Folder" [41384-41941] -->
<h2><a name="ini_folder" id="ini_folder">ini/ Folder</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you had set writeconfig to 1 (as noted in the mess.ini section
above), each system will have its own ini file created the first time
you run that system. Each ini file is a complete copy of mess.ini, thus
you can customise the settings for each individual system.
</p>
<p>
When you mount an image (cartridge, tape, etc), that information is
saved in the system's ini file, to be remembered for next time. This is
important for the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>, because when you choose a game from the software picker, it saves that information to the ini file.
</p>
<p>
If for some reason you have an unexpected problem with a system, just
delete the corresponding ini file, and the defaults will be used next
time.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "ini/ Folder" [41942-42644] -->
<h2><a name="ctrlr_folder" id="ctrlr_folder">ctrlr/ Folder</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress </em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "ctrlr/ Folder" [42645-42688] -->
<h2><a name="hash_folder" id="hash_folder">hash/ Folder</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
This folder contains .hsi files and .xml software lists for <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>.
</p>
<p>
.hsi files are xml-like files which contain CRC checksums of software
image, information about software known issues (e.g. if a file is a bad
dump, has been overdumped with garbage data etc.) and/or specific
settings used by <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to handle software for certain systems. Among others, .hsi files help <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
to identify NES mappers and Intellivision banking schemes based on the
checksums of the file images. Most of the .hsi files are based on
GoodTools information (thanks to Cowerings) but, since the files can be
read and edited with any text editor, you can create your own .hsi file
if you want to.
</p>
<p>
.xml software lists are used to identify known dumps and to assign them a <code>shortname</code> which can be used to load the software from command line or from Internal UI or <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "hash/ Folder" [42689-43560] -->
<h2><a name="memcard_folder" id="memcard_folder">memcard/ Folder</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress </em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "memcard/ Folder" [43561-43608] -->
<h2><a name="snap_folder" id="snap_folder">snap/ Folder</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
In this folder, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> saves the snapshots you take from the emulated system by pressing <kbd>F12</kbd>. The saving scheme depends on the <code>-snapname</code> option chosen (see <a href="#snapshot_naming_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">this entry</a> of the Manual).
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "snap/ Folder" [43609-43861] -->
<h2><a name="tools_folder" id="tools_folder">tools/ Folder</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress </em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "tools/ Folder" [43862-43907] -->
<h2><a name="effects_files" id="effects_files">Effects Files</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulates the
video output of the emulated systems as accurately as possible. Hence,
no enhancement filters or effects are implemented.
</p>
<p>
However, it is possible to overlay the screen with tiled .png files to
mimic and re-create scanlines or tv effects. Some ready-to-use effect
files can be found at <a href="http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=emuadvice" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=emuadvice" rel="nofollow">Emuadvice Mameworld Forum</a> (these are for <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>, but they work in the same way in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>). To enable such effect files, you can select them in <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym> or load them at command line with the option <code>-effect</code>
The .png files must be uncompressed and located in the artwork directory (artwork/ by default). You load them by launching, e.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -effect aperture1x2rb</pre>
<p>
which will force <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to overlay the screen output with a tiled aperture1x2rb.png pattern, if you have aperture1x2rb.png in the artwork folder.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Effects Files" [43908-44822] -->
<h2><a name="font_files" id="font_files">Font Files</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
In <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can also customize the font of the Internal UI in a very easy way. Simply put a .bdf file in the same directory as <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> (but you can modify the location by using the <code>-fontpath</code> option), rename it to ui.bdf and, next time you start the emulator, the new font set will be used.
</p>
<p>
Some ready-to-use font sets in .bdf format can be found at <a href="http://mrdo.mameworld.info/mame_artwork_supp.html" class="urlextern" title="http://mrdo.mameworld.info/mame_artwork_supp.html" rel="nofollow">Mr. Do's artwork pages</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Font Files" [44823-45281] -->
<h1><a name="command_line_options" id="command_line_options">Command Line Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts4" id="shortcuts4">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#overview" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Overview</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#performance_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Performance Options</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#emulated_ram_size_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Emulated RAM Size Options</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#creating_mess.ini" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Creating mess.ini</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#frameskipping" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Frameskipping</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#emulated_media_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Emulated Media Options</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#getting_started1" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Getting Started</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#debugging_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Debugging Options</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">UI Options</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#rom_verification_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">ROM Verification Options</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#system_bios_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">System BIOS Options</a> </td><td class="col2"> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row4">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#directories_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Directories Options</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#emulated_keyboard_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Emulated Keyboard Options</a> </td><td class="col2"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Command Line Options" [45282-45932] -->
<h2><a name="overview" id="overview">Overview</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Sharing its core with <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
is a very powerful and flexible emulator. This results in a very large
number of command line options available, which can easily lead the user
to some confusion.
However, in general, most options can be set once and then seldom
modified: for this reason is important to keep in mind that to each
option below (and to the ones described in the <a href="#video_option" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Video Options</a>, <a href="#sound_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Sound Options</a> and <a href="#input_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Input Options</a> sections of the Manual) there correspond a configuration option in mess.ini.
Editing a configuration option in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> will force <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
to change that particular aspect of the emulation every time it is
launched, exactly as if you would pass the corresponding command line
option at launch.
This approach allows you to only remember a couple of options when you
are starting emulation, namely the ones that you want to overwrite for a
particular system (and also in this case you may want to modify them
once for all creating a <system>.ini file, where “system” is the
computer or console you want to emulate)
</p>
<p>
Also, remember that if you are using <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym> version for Windows or if you are using <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
in conjunction with a frontend, you can set your favorite configuration
options through the graphical interface rather than launching emulation
from command line. The option in the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym> should have the same name of the Command Line / Configuration ones.
</p>
<p>
Notice that here we list and discuss only general <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
options, and only the main ones. For Video, Sound and Input options,
please look at the corresponding entries below. For a complete list of
command line options, you can see the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:usage" class="wikilink1" title="mess:usage">usage</a> page of this wiki, while for a list of the corresponding configuration options you can see the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> page of this wiki
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Overview" [45933-47806] -->
<h2><a name="creating_mess.ini" id="creating_mess.ini">Creating mess.ini</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
As you will be repeated plenty of times in this User Manual, most <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> options can be enabled at once by changing settings in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a>. However, when you first unzip <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> or compile the source code, there is no mess.ini in your <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> folder. You can create a default one, by using the <code>-createconfig</code> option.
</p>
<p>
Check the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> wiki page to read a very detailed description of available configuration options .
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Creating mess.ini" [47807-48290] -->
<h2><a name="getting_started1" id="getting_started1">Getting Started</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Launching <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> at command line you can always use <code>-help</code> or <code>-showusage</code> options to obtain a list of available options. You can also read the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:usage" class="wikilink1" title="mess:usage">usage</a> page of this wiki, which lists the options as they are output when you use the <code>-showusage</code> option.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can simply launch <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> with no parameters and enter the system selection menu.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Getting Started" [48291-48690] -->
<h2><a name="rom_verification_options" id="rom_verification_options">ROM Verification Options</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> offers the
possibility to verify if the romset you are using contains all the files
required for the emulation. You can simply launch the following command
to test your romset for “system”
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -verifyroms <system></pre>
<p>
In the case of e.g. a800pal, you must of course use
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -verifyroms a800pal</pre>
<p>
If the romset is exactly the one needed by <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can receive either a
</p>
<pre class="code">romset <system> is good</pre>
<p>
or a
</p>
<pre class="code">romset <system> is best available</pre>
<p>
message. The former indicates that you have all you need to run emulation in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>;
the latter can appear when the known dump has some issue (e.g. it needs
to be redumped or it misses some currently undumped components). In
this case, emulation may work or not, depending on the importance of the
missing components. However, it also means that no one has a better
dump, so you cannot do much to improve your romset.
</p>
<p>
On the other hand, if the whole romset is missing you will receive a
</p>
<pre class="code">romset "<system>" not found!</pre>
<p>
message
</p>
<p>
Finally, if your romset is not complete or it contains wrong ROMs, you will receive a
</p>
<pre class="code">romset <system> is bad</pre>
<p>
message, with indication of which files are missing and/or wrong.If your
romset is not good, the only thing you can do is to look for a good
one.
Also, notice that, if “system” is a clone, i.e. if it could share some
ROMs with another system, as in the a800pal case above, you would
receive a message like
</p>
<pre class="code">romset a800pal [a800] is best available</pre>
<p>
where the <code>[a800]</code> part means that <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> has also looked for the roms in the parent romset, if present.
</p>
<p>
If you don't specify any system after the <code>-verifyroms</code> option, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> will verify the romsets for every supported system.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "ROM Verification Options" [48691-50431] -->
<h2><a name="directories_options" id="directories_options">Directories Options</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Basically every directory settings can be customized in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, both in the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>, in mess.ini and at command line. Namely, you can modify the default locations in which <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> looks for needed files (BIOS ROMs, hash files, artworks etc.) and the default directories in which <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> stores outputs files (cfg, nvram, inp, snapshots etc.).
</p>
<p>
The former ones can be modified by using the following options,
recalling that you have to enter the absolute path for each directory:
</p>
<pre class="code">-rompath [for BIOS ROMs]
-hashpath [for hash files]
-artpath [for artworks]
-ctrlrpath [for controller files]
-inipath [for alternative ini files]
-fontpath [to change fonts in the internal UI]
-cheatpath [for cheat XML files]</pre>
<p>
To changes the output directories from the default ones, you can use the
following options, followed by the absolute path of the directory you
want to set:
</p>
<pre class="code">-cfg_directory [for configuration files]
-nvram_directory [for save RAM files]
-memcard_directory [for memory card files]
-input_directory [for input recordings]
-state_directory [for save states]
-snapshot_directory [for screenshots]
-diff_directory [for CHD diff files]
-comment_directory [for debugger comments]</pre>
<p>
Check also <a href="http://mess.toseciso.org/mess:mess.ini#core_search_path_options" class="urlextern" title="http://mess.toseciso.org/mess:mess.ini#core_search_path_options" rel="nofollow">this page</a> and <a href="http://mess.toseciso.org/mess:mess.ini#core_output_directory_options" class="urlextern" title="http://mess.toseciso.org/mess:mess.ini#core_output_directory_options" rel="nofollow">this page</a>, respectively, to read about the corresponding configuration options available in mess.ini.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Directories Options" [50432-51937] -->
<h2><a name="performance_options" id="performance_options">Performance Options</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> also offers a few options to improve performances.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="sleep" id="sleep">-sleep</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
With this option (turned ON by default), <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
gives back as much CPU time as possible to the operating system, when
nothing is going on. However, you may want to switch it OFF on some
laptops, to improve performances.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="speed" id="speed">-speed</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
With this option you can force <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to run a system faster than its normal speed. E.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe kaypro2 -speed 1.5</pre>
<p>
will force <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to run Kaypro 2 emulation at 1.5 times its normal speed.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="refreshspeed" id="refreshspeed">-refreshspeed</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
With this option <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
will match its speed to user's monitor refresh rate, to prevent sound
hiccups and to ensure a smoother scrolling. However, some adjustment may
be still needed by playing a bit with this an the -speed option.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="throttle" id="throttle">-throttle</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
With this option, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
will try to keep the emulated system running in real time. If you
switch it off (with -nothrottle), the game will run as fast as your CPU
specs allows, ignoring CPU speed and screen refresh of the emulated
machines.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="str" id="str">-str</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
With this option, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> will run for a given amount of seconds and then will exit emulation. E.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe a500n -str 20</pre>
<p>
will run Commodore Amiga 500 (NTSC) emulation for 20 seconds and then
quit. This option can be of use for benchmarking and regression testing.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Performance Options" [51938-53274] -->
<h2><a name="frameskipping" id="frameskipping">Frameskipping</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If an emulated system cannot run 100% on your system, you might want to
sacrifice some frame here and there to avoid slowdowns. This can be
obtained by using <code>-autoframeskip</code>.
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> will try to
keep the speed of the game as closer as possible to the intended one,
automatically choosing how many frames to drop.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can tell <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> how many frames out of 12 to drop, by setting <code>-frameskip n</code> at launch, with <code>n</code> an integer number between 0 (default) and 12. You can also change this setting during emulation by pressing <kbd>F8</kbd> and <kbd>F9</kbd> (see the <a href="#key_functions" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Key Functions</a> section).
</p>
<p>
Keep in mind that dropping too many frames will cause the game to become more jerky and stuttery.
</p>
<p>
Check also <a href="http://mess.toseciso.org/mess:mess.ini#core_performance_options" class="urlextern" title="http://mess.toseciso.org/mess:mess.ini#core_performance_options" rel="nofollow">this page</a>, to read about the corresponding configuration options available in mess.ini.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Frameskipping" [53275-54195] -->
<h2><a name="debugging_options" id="debugging_options">Debugging Options</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<h4><a name="log" id="log">-log</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
When running <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> with <code>-log</code>
option, the emulator will generate a file called error.log which
contains error information and debug messages. It can help to track the
reason of a bug.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="debug" id="debug">-debug</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
When running <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
with -debug option, the emulator will start with the debug window
active. From there, you can disassemble CPU instructions, follow memory
accesses, read error messages that would be added to error.log and look
for memory locations to be modified for cheats. To learn more about the
debugger, simply type <code>help</code> in the debugger window, or read this <a href="http://mess.redump.net/debugger" class="wikilink1" title="debugger">wiki page</a> devoted to the topic.
</p>
<p>
Check also <a href="http://mess.toseciso.org/mess:mess.ini#core_debugging_options" class="urlextern" title="http://mess.toseciso.org/mess:mess.ini#core_debugging_options" rel="nofollow">this page</a>, to read about the corresponding configuration options available in mess.ini.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Debugging Options" [54196-55027] -->
<h2><a name="system_bios_options" id="system_bios_options">System BIOS Options</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Many systems in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supports multiple bios choices (e.g. bugfixed and/or improved versions of the <acronym title="Operating System">OS</acronym>). These can be chosen at command line, by using the <code>-bios</code>
option. E.g. nascom1 supports versions T1, T2 and T4 of its operating
system NasBug. You can select which one you want by launching <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> with
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe nascom1 -bios T1
mess.exe nascom1 -bios T2
mess.exe nascom1 -bios T4</pre>
<p>
respectively. Please refer to <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> for the available BIOS options for each system.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "System BIOS Options" [55028-55555] -->
<h2><a name="emulated_keyboard_options" id="emulated_keyboard_options">Emulated Keyboard Options</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
For emulated computers and calculators, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> offers two different way to translate the keyboard of the original system into the keyboard of your computer:
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> the <strong>emulated</strong> mode, in which original keys are mapped to your keyboard based on their position (e.g. <kbd>Z</kbd> could be mapped on your <kbd>Y</kbd>
if you're emulating a QWERTZ keyboard with your QWERTY one): this can
sound a bit unnatural, but it can be handy when you're looking for an
unusual key which was only used by home computers in the '80s and has no
correspondent key on modern keyboard (e.g. Atari or Commodore function
keys on 8 bit home computers); also you can remap every single key by
pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd> and entering the <code>Input (this System)</code> menu of the Internal UI</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> the <strong>natural</strong> mode, in which original keys are mapped to the equivalent keys of your keyboard when present (e.g. your <kbd>Y</kbd>
always produces a 'Y', no matter if the keyboard in the emulated system
was QWERTY or QWERTZ); this is more natural to be used but some keys
are lost in the translation, e.g. again the old Atari or Commodore
function keys have no equivalent on modern keyboards.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
By default, you start <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> in emulated mode. However, you can start emulation in natural mode by using the <code>-natural</code> option at command line or by changing the corresponding configuration option in mess.ini.
</p>
<p>
Also, remember that you can switch keyboard mode in any moment, by pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd> and entering the <code>Keyboard Mode</code> menu. This allows to easily remap and use missing keys when you need them.
See the <a href="#emulated_keyboard" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Emulated Keyboard</a> section below for more details.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Emulated Keyboard Options" [55556-57247] -->
<h2><a name="emulated_ram_size_options" id="emulated_ram_size_options">Emulated RAM Size Options</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> offers
different RAM sizes for many emulated computers, reflecting the possible
configurations of the original systems. You can select the RAM size by
using the <code>-ramsize</code>
option. Refer to <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> to find which valid sizes are available for each system.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Emulated RAM Size Options" [57248-57566] -->
<h2><a name="emulated_media_options" id="emulated_media_options">Emulated Media Options</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supports for
each system a certain number of media devices (tapes, floppy disks,
cartridges) and file formats. A list of the available media and the
correspondent supported file formats can be obtained at command line by
using
<code>-listmedia</code> which lists the available media of a given system, e.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -listmedia</pre>
<p>
If you don't specify any system, i.e. if you simply use
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -listmedia</pre>
<p>
you will obtain a list of each supported system with its corresponding media devices and file formats.
</p>
<p>
While usually media are named in a standard way (e.g. <code>flop1</code> for the first disk drive, <code>flop2</code> for the second one, <code>cass1</code> for the first tape drive, etc.), some systems require specific names to work. Hence, you shall remember to use the <code>-listmedia</code> option if you get an “unknown option” error message. You also may check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> to read a list of supported devices and file formats for each system.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Emulated Media Options" [57567-58551] -->
<h2><a name="ui_options" id="ui_options">UI Options</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you are using MESSUI on Windows, you can choose between two different User Interface during emulation (in <strong>addition</strong> to the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym> that you see when you start messui.exe).
Indeed, in addition to the standard Internal UI, which corresponds to <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> User Interface and it is the only choice for (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can use the New User Interface (whose name was historically given because it was newer than the <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>-based one).
You can select which User Interface you want at command line by using the <code>-menu</code> option or from the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>.
</p>
<p>
Below, you can find a description of the available options of both the <a href="#internal_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Internal UI</a> and the <a href="#new_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">New UI</a>. Keep also in mind that New UI could disappear in the future.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "UI Options" [58552-59316] -->
<h1><a name="software_lists" id="software_lists">Software Lists</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts5" id="shortcuts5">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#overview1" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Overview</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#usage_from_command_line" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Usage from Command Line</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#additional_usage" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Additional Usage</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#list_format" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">List Format</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#usage_from_internal_ui" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Usage from Internal UI</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#using_software_lists_with_cmpro" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Using Software Lists with cmpro</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#setting_up_lists" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Setting Up Lists</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#usage_from_new_internal_ui" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Usage from New Internal UI</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#software_sources" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Software Sources</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#setting_up_software" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Setting Up Software</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#usage_from_messui" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Usage from MESSUI</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#missing_features" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Missing Features</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Software Lists" [59317-59922] -->
<h2><a name="overview1" id="overview1">Overview</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
As of 0.138 release, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
has added support for software lists in xml format to document the
games & programs which have been released for various consoles and
home computers, much like the source already does for the systems
themselves and <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>
does for the arcade games.
At the moment, not all the systems are covered, but the plan is to
extend the support to most systems, given the high risk for info on
obscure and not so obscure systems & software to be lost forever.
</p>
<p>
The software lists are stored in the hash/ directory and are released
together with the emulation. Hence, you should have them already both if
you download the current <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
release and if you downloaded the latest svn. Alternatively, you can
download the various xml lists (or check their content) from our <a href="http://git.redump.net/cgit.cgi/mess/plain/hash/" class="urlextern" title="http://git.redump.net/cgit.cgi/mess/plain/hash/" rel="nofollow">git repository</a>.
</p>
<p>
Notice that software lists are an additional documentation effort of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>,
but they are not going to completely replace fullpath loading. Indeed,
we are fully aware that part of the fun when emulating an home computer
is the capability for the user to run its own software, and therefore
loading by fullpath will always remain available as well.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Note</strong>: by mistake, in version 0.142 the lists have been
only included in the source pack and not in the exe pack, please get
them from the git repository until next version is released
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Overview" [59923-61331] -->
<h2><a name="list_format" id="list_format">List Format</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
We have chosen a (minimal) format which contains a <strong>shortname</strong> for each game (like <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> shortnames), a <strong>description</strong> (which should match the title screen, or the box screen if no title screen exists), the <strong>release year</strong>, the <strong>publisher name</strong> and the <strong>CRC32/SHA1 checksums</strong>,
plus some additional fields that helps either the emulation or the
accurate description of the original hardware.
Additional info strictly concerning the software, like available
languages, programmers names, cheats, etc. can be stored externally in
datfiles to be displayed by front-ends.
</p>
<p>
More info about our software list format can be found in the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:swlist_format" class="wikilink1" title="mess:swlist_format">appropriate Wiki page</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "List Format" [61332-62039] -->
<h2><a name="setting_up_lists" id="setting_up_lists">Setting Up Lists</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
By default, software lists in .xml format are stored in the hash/ directory inside the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
directory. You can however decide to store them elsewhere (or in
multiple paths), by adding the corresponding directories with the <code>hashpath</code> option.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Setting Up Lists" [62040-62314] -->
<h2><a name="setting_up_software" id="setting_up_software">Setting Up Software</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Software storage is slightly more complicate than list storage. The
basic principles is that software for each list should be stored in a
directory named after the list name and placed inside your roms/
directory. E.g. the Epoch Super Cassette Vision carts, which belong to
the scv.xml list, should be stored in a <code>roms/scv/</code> directory and the Sharp X68000 floppies, which belong to the x68k_flop.xml list, should be stored in a <code>roms/x68k_flop/</code> directory.
</p>
<p>
In this way, you can separately store the software of different systems
and the different media of each system (e.g. carts separated from disks
separated from tapes).
</p>
<p>
Of course, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
also allows you to store your carts in different folders than “roms”,
e.g. you can use “C:\console_games\snes” and “C:\console_games\gbcolor”,
as long as you add the root directory “C:\console_games” to your
rompaths in mess.ini. The only things you have to care about is that the
subfolders (“snes” and “gbcolor”, in the examples above) are correctly
named as the software lists they refer to.
</p>
<p>
Notice that, for helping development, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
also looks for list items directly in the roms/ directory. Hence, you
can in principle store all your software in the rompath, together with
the bios files, even if it is not the recommended setup.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Setting Up Software" [62315-63632] -->
<h2><a name="usage_from_command_line" id="usage_from_command_line">Usage from Command Line</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you have stored the software roms as explained above, and you want to
launch “Super Mario Land” for the Game Boy (which corresponds to the
shortname <code>sml</code> in gameboy.xml), then you simply have to type
</p>
<pre class="code">mess gameboy -cart sml</pre>
<p>
and <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> will load the game.
</p>
<p>
Notice that if you type the wrong shortname, then a few best match
suggestions will be prompted to you, so that you can amend the game
name.
</p>
<p>
And if you want to launch “Ancient Ys Vanished Omen” for the Fujitsu FM7 (which corresponds to the shortname <code>ys</code> in fm7_disk.xml), you can simply type
</p>
<pre class="code">mess fm7 -flop1 ys</pre>
<p>
or
</p>
<pre class="code">mess fm7 -flop2 ys</pre>
<p>
depending on which disk drive you want to use. In fact, you can also use
</p>
<pre class="code">mess fm7 -flop1 ys -flop2 ys</pre>
<p>
but in this case you end up mount the first disk of the game in both disk drives.
</p>
<p>
If you want to mount different disks in the various drives, you can do
that as well! To load e.g. the third disk of the game in the second
drive, you have to use the following command
</p>
<pre class="code">mess fm7 -flop1 ys -flop2 ys:flop3</pre>
<p>
where the <code>:flop3</code> part tells <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
to load the data corresponding to the “flop3” part in the xml file. If
you specify a part which does not exist (e.g. because of a typo or
because you think a game has more disks than there really are), <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
will revert to loading the first disk in the drive and you will have to
change disk during emulation, through the File Manager in the Internal
UI.
</p>
<p>
Also, notice that some systems in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
support not only their own lists but also some compatible ones. For
example, gbcolor supports gameboy.xml as compatible list, in addition to
its own gbcolor.xml list of carts. This means that you can load any
gameboy game in gbcolor: using the same “Super Mario Land” example
above, you can launch <code>sml</code> in the Game Boy Color, by using the following command
</p>
<pre class="code">mess gbcolor -cart gameboy:sml</pre>
<p>
where the <code>gameboy:</code> part tells <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> that <code>sml</code>
belongs to the gameboy.xml list. Similarly, you can load “Legend of
Zelda Oracle of Ages” for the Game Boy Color (whose shortname is <code>zeldaage</code>) both in gbcolor with the command
</p>
<pre class="code">mess gbcolor -cart zeldaage</pre>
<p>
and in gameboy with the command
</p>
<pre class="code">mess gameboy -cart gbcolor:zeldaage</pre>
<p>
even in this specific case you will receive a “This Game Can Only Be
Played on a Game Boy Color” message, as if you had plugged your “Oracle
of Ages” cart inside an old Game Boy console.
</p>
<p>
Other examples of compatible lists are <code>wscolor.xml</code> for the Wonderswan, <code>wswan.xml</code> for Wonderswan Color, and <code>pce.xml</code> for SuperGrafx.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Usage from Command Line" [63633-66169] -->
<h2><a name="usage_from_internal_ui" id="usage_from_internal_ui">Usage from Internal UI</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
In addition to support from command line, software lists are completely
supported in the File Manager of the Internal UI. Once emulation is
running, indeed, you can press <kbd>Tab</kbd> and select the <code>File Manager</code>.
Once you have chosen a media device that you want to fill with an
image, the File Manager allows you to browse your computer in search of
the files to mount. Among available options, the third from top is the
option you are looking for: <code>Software List</code>!
</p>
<p>
Once you have chosen it, you will be prompted with the available lists
for the system you are running and the specific media device you had
selected in the File Manager, including any available compatible list.
In the examples above, when trying to load a FM7 floppy disk you would
find here the “Fujitsu FM-7 Disk Images” and when trying to load a Game
Boy cart you would find here both the “Nintendo Game Boy cartridges” and
the “Nintendo Game Boy Color cartridges”.
</p>
<p>
Select the list you want, and you will access the menu with all the
games present in our xml software list. Launching the game you want is
now a matter of a click! And if you select a game which is composed of
multiple media (e.g. multiple cdroms or multiple floppy disks), you will
be prompted with a new submenu which allows you to select among the
available parts the one you want to load.
</p>
<p>
Notice that by default games are ordered based on their shortname, but
you can select the first option at top to display the list of games
ordered by their description.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Tips</strong> - In the <code>Software List</code> menu, the navigation can be made a lot faster if you know a couple of features of the Internal UI! First of all, <kbd>PgUp</kbd>, <kbd>PgDn</kbd>, <kbd>Home</kbd> and <kbd>End</kbd> are fully supported and allow for faster scroll of the list of filenames. Moreover, as of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
0.142, you can type the beginning of a filename, and the menu will
scroll until the file with the closest name (which will be the closest
shortname or the closest description, depending on the ordering you have
chosen). Adding the fact that you can click with the mouse of the file
to start it, finding the file you want to launch has never been so easy!
</p>
<p>
<strong>Note</strong> This specific entry of the Manual refers to latest svn builds. Some features have been indeed added after 0.142 got released.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Usage from Internal UI" [66170-68521] -->
<h2><a name="usage_from_new_internal_ui" id="usage_from_new_internal_ui">Usage from New Internal UI</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Support for software lists in the New Internal UI (available by using MESSUI with the <code>-menu</code> option) has not been added yet.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Usage from New Internal UI" [68522-68690] -->
<h2><a name="usage_from_messui" id="usage_from_messui">Usage from MESSUI</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Support for software lists in MESSUI is currently only partial. If you
select a system which supports a software list, then you will see that
there is an additional tab for the software entries that can be used to
select a game and launch it. However, for systems which have multiple
cartslots or multiple floppy drives, you can currently only load the
software list item in the first slot (-cart1 or -flop1). If you want to
load the item in any other slot you have to launch emulation from
command line, or enter the emulation and use the File Manager to add
images to the other slots.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Usage from MESSUI" [68691-69310] -->
<h2><a name="additional_usage" id="additional_usage">Additional Usage</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
One of the main reasons to have a database of known dumps, is to be able
to identify spare files or dumps you do by yourself. This has been an
appreciated feature in <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>
for years, when dealing with arcade dumps, and we wanted to offer
something similar for consoles and home computers. Software lists allow
for this: indeed, if you have some unknown files in “C:\unk\files\”,
then you can simply launch
</p>
<pre class="code">mess -romident C:\unk\files\</pre>
<p>
and <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> will
compare size and checksums with the ones recognized by its source (for
BIOS items) and by its software lists (for cart/floppy/tape items).
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Additional Usage" [69311-69933] -->
<h2><a name="using_software_lists_with_cmpro" id="using_software_lists_with_cmpro">Using Software Lists with cmpro</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Software lists are not 100% integrated with clrmame, hence not
everything is automated, but with some work at your end you can
successfully use <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> xml lists with cmpro.
</p>
</div>
<h5><a name="single_list_handling" id="single_list_handling">Single list handling</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<p>
First of all, let assume you are only interested in a single software
list, say the Arcadia one. Since at the moment clrmame cannot directly
extract the list info from <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>,
you have to manually feed the software list into the rommanager, by
pointing cmpro directly to the arcadia.xml file in the “hash/” directory
(by selecting “Add DatFile…” in the Profiler window, and browsing your
HD until you find the “hash/” directory inside your <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
directory).
Once you have added the list to clrmame, a new profile will be created
and, by loading it, you can finally setup the directory where you want
to store your arcadia software, and rebuild any directory containing
arcadia roms to create a romset compatible with <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>.
</p>
</div>
<h5><a name="multiple_lists_handling" id="multiple_lists_handling">Multiple lists handling</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<p>
Now, what if you want to get all the supported lists at once? In this
case, a first dumb solution would be to repeat for each list the
procedure above. However, there is also a smarter and easier procedure,
thanks to the clrmame batchrun capabilities!
Indeed, to rebuild all the software lists at once, you can simply follow
these steps:
</p>
<ol>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> you point clrmame to all the lists
you are interested in (by selecting “Add DatFile…” in the Profiler
window and choosing the xml lists you want)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> after clrmame has created a new profile for each of the lists, you select all of them</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> by pressing Enter, you are prompted with a “Profile Batchrun” window where you can choose among plenty of batchrun options</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> in the Misc submenu, you select the
fundamental “Create rompath for new dat” option and choose as root
folder either your roms/ directory or any other rompath you like (you
can leave “For rompath naming use” to its default value “Datfile Name
Tag”)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> in the Rebuilder submenu, you select
“Rebuilder run before scan” and “Use source folder”, and you enter the
location of the directory which contains the roms you want to rebuild</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> you press OK and you wait for clrmame to do its job (remember to confirm OK when the statistics are prompted)</div>
</li>
</ol>
<p>
At the end, you will have the folders you need inside “roms/” and all
the available roms will be in the correct location. Of course, at Step
5. you can also select additional Rebuild and Scan options as you like,
or you can decide to only Rebuild without scanning.
</p>
<p>
Notice that, after the first run, you can always select multiple
profiles to scan more software lists at once, with or without any
Rebuild procedure.
</p>
</div>
<h5><a name="conclusion" id="conclusion">Conclusion</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<p>
Eventually, we hope to add better integration between clrmame and <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> software lists (e.g. clrmame could be able to choose proper batchrun options after simply parsing the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> -listxml output), but for the time being the procedure described above should work for everyone with little effort.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Using Software Lists with cmpro" [69934-72919] -->
<h2><a name="software_sources" id="software_sources">Software Sources</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
First of all, you should remember that software which have been released
and sold, no matter how old, is still copyrighted material. Therefore,
unless the original owner of the rights has released it for public use,
it is illegal to download such a software.
</p>
<p>
In some countries, it is legal to make a backup copy of a software if
you own it. In this case, you can indeed copy your software and use it
with our lists. However, in many countries, even backup copies of the
software you own is a sort of gray area.
</p>
<p>
As a result, we do not distribute any software with <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> and it is completely up to the user to look for it.
</p>
<p>
What we distribute is a series of files containing info about software
titles and their checksums. Since our goal is to document <strong>accurately</strong> the original software, it is however of interest to explain where we got these info from.
</p>
<p>
Things change a lot depending on the media we are talking about and as such we cover them separately here.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="cartridges" id="cartridges">Cartridges</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For carts, we have either relied directly on dumper's info or on
collections like the no-intro ones, which currently represent the most
up-to-date collection concerning carts for a lot of systems.
</p>
<p>
For pirate carts, info come usually or from alternative collections
(like GoodTools or TOSEC), or from chinese dumpers and chinese message
board members.
</p>
<p>
Overall, when you want to verify if the dump you have matches one of our
software lists, you have to remember that we try to match the original
cart contents as much as possible. Therefore, cart dumps in our lists do
not have headers and consist on separate files if it is known that the
cart contained more than one chip.
</p>
<p>
If you have a file in a different format, you can often recover the
files with the expected checksums by following the following steps:
</p>
<ol>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> open the file with an hex editor,
and strip the header (whose size depends on the file format: e.g. the
iNES and A78 header is typically 0x10 long).</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> if you have a single file, while the
list expect multiple ones, you can try to split the file you have
according to the size expected by the list, and check if the resulting
part gives you the right files.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<p>
Point 1. could help for NES and A7800 mainly (not many other headered
format are around), point 2. helps for sure with NES (separate PRG and
CHR), with Coleco (most carts contained 8K rom chips only) and with
latest additions to the SNES list.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Note</strong> - Among current lists, lynx.xml still contains files with header. This is going to be rectified soon, anyway.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="cds" id="cds">CDs</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For CDs, as for carts, we try to rely on the best collections available,
which often means redump.org, but not always (e.g. they still haven't
found a way to extract properly the content of PCE CDs). Then, we
convert the available .bin + .cue files to .chd, following the
instructions that you can find <a href="http://guru.mameworld.info/tutorials/dumping_cds_&_hdds/index.html" class="urlextern" title="http://guru.mameworld.info/tutorials/dumping_cds_&_hdds/index.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>.
</p>
<p>
This is usually enough to produce the .chd with the checksums expected by the software list.
</p>
<p>
Things become a bit messier when the only available rips are in
.iso+.mp3 format. In this case, the conversion to .chd usually involve
in mounting the image in a program like Daemon Tools and then ripping it
as a real CD.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="floppy_disks_tapes" id="floppy_disks_tapes">Floppy Disks & Tapes</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For floppies and tapes the situation is not yet established. We
currently use common formats like .imd or .td0 or .d88 (for disks), and
.t77 or .tap (for tapes, which got converted internally to .wav at
loading time), but we might decide in the future to witch to some better
format if a good candidate appears.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Software Sources" [72920-76531] -->
<h2><a name="missing_features" id="missing_features">Missing Features</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
There are various aspects which still need to be improved.
</p>
</div>
<h5><a name="core_improvements" id="core_improvements">Core improvements</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<p>
As already mentioned, we need to complete integration of lists with UI
and newui, to both display software info of the selected image and to
handle software consisting of several files.
</p>
</div>
<h5><a name="list_improvements" id="list_improvements">List improvements</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<p>
While lists already contain most of the known software for each systems,
additional info like year and publisher are often incomplete or
missing. And even when present, they often still have to be verified
against title screens.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Missing Features" [76532-77089] -->
<h1><a name="consoles_emulation" id="consoles_emulation">Consoles Emulation</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts6" id="shortcuts6">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#available_emulated_devices_formats_and_media" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Available Emulated Devices, Formats and Media</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#using_memory_cards" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Using Memory Cards</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#emulated_controllers_consoles" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Emulated Controllers (Consoles)</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Consoles Emulation" [77090-77354] -->
<h2><a name="available_emulated_devices_formats_and_media" id="available_emulated_devices_formats_and_media">Available Emulated Devices, Formats and Media</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
For each emulated system, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
supports a certain number of media devices present on the original
system, e.g. carts or CD-ROM players, and a certain number of file
extensions for each device.
To find out which devices and formats are supported by your favorite
system, simply launch
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -listmedia <system></pre>
<p>
Assuming you were interested in a2600, you will obtain the following output
</p>
<pre class="code">SYSTEM DEVICE NAME (brief) IMAGE FILE EXTENSIONS SUPPORTED
---------- -------------------- ------------------------------------
a2600 cartridge (cart) .bin .a26
cassette (cass) .wav .a26</pre>
<p>
Device name and its brief version can be used at command line to launch a specific program/game. E.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe a2600 -cartridge foo1.bin</pre>
<p>
or
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe a2600 -cass foo2.a26</pre>
<p>
Notice that only supported extensions will load successfully.
</p>
<p>
In the following, we briefly describe how to use media in console emulation under <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. See also the <a href="#media_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Media Emulation</a> section of this Manual.
</p>
<p>
Notice that, starting from <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
0.138, it is also possible to load images from software lists:
instructions are the same as the ones described below (except you have
to use the appropriate name for the software, as prescribed in the .xml
list). See the <a href="#software_lists" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Software Lists</a> section of this Manual for all the details.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="loading_a_cartridge" id="loading_a_cartridge">Loading a Cartridge</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
You can load a cartridge in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> it by simply launching
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -cart foo.ext</pre>
<p>
If a system supports more than one cartslot, you may need to replace <code>-cart</code> with either <code>-cart1</code> or <code>-cart2</code>.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, while the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select one of the <code>Cartslot</code>
entries and browse your HD to find the cart file you want. After
selecting it, the emulation will be automatically restarted with the
cart inserted.
</p>
<p>
Notice that a few systems currently supports 'fake' multiple slots to
allow the emulation of carts with multiple files. This will be fixed
eventually with the introduction of a xml format for multi-file
cartridge, but for the moment you may need to use <code>-cart1</code> & <code>-cart2</code> also in this case.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="loading_a_cd-rom" id="loading_a_cd-rom">Loading a CD-ROM</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For systems which support CD-ROM emulation, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> uses CHD file format. You can read a guide about how to create a CHD from a CD <a href="http://guru.mameworld.info/tutorials/dumping_cds_&_hdds/index.html" class="urlextern" title="http://guru.mameworld.info/tutorials/dumping_cds_&_hdds/index.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> , courtesy of The Guru. Once you have a CD-ROM image in CHD file, you can load it by simply launching
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -cdrom foo.chd</pre>
<p>
Alternatively, while the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Cdrom</code>
and browse your HD to find the CHD file you want. After selecting it,
the emulation will be automatically restarted with the CD inserted.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="loading_a_cassette_tape" id="loading_a_cassette_tape">Loading a Cassette / Tape</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
You can load a tape in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> it by simply launching
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -cass foo.ext</pre>
<p>
If a system supports more than one cassette drive, you may need to replace <code>-cass</code> with either <code>-cass1</code> or <code>-cass2</code>.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, while the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select one of the <code>Cassette</code>
entries and browse your HD to find the tape file you want. After
selecting it, the emulation will be automatically restarted with the
cassette inserted. Depending on the system, you may need to manually
press “Play” to start cassette loading (or, as in the c64 case, to type
“LOAD” and to press “Play” afterward). To do this in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, simply enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>Tape Controls</code> menu and press “Play”. The same procedure goes for any other tape operation (“Rec”, “Stop”, etc.).
</p>
<p>
Notice that the loading procedure can be slow. However, you can speed up emulation with no bad consequence by pressing <kbd>Ins</kbd> in partial keyboard emulation mode.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="loading_quickloads" id="loading_quickloads">Loading Quickloads</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For some systems <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
also supports quickload files. These are usually dumps of the system
memory which can be re-inserted in the emulated machine to make a
program or a game start immediately. To load a quickload file in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can simply launch
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -quick foo.ext</pre>
<p>
Alternatively, while the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Quickload</code>
and browse your HD to find the quickload file you want. After selecting
it, the emulation will be automatically restarted with the quickload
file loaded into memory.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="removing_a_cartridge" id="removing_a_cartridge">Removing a Cartridge</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
While the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Cartslot</code>
and click on the cart file you are currently using. This shall prompt
you with a file browser which allows you either to change cart image or
to select “empty slot” to remove completely the cart file from the
cartslot.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can quit emulation and start it again with a new cart image.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="removing_a_cd-rom" id="removing_a_cd-rom">Removing a CD-ROM</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
While the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Cdrom</code>
and click on the CHD file you are currently using. This shall prompt
you with a file browser which allows you either to change CD image or to
select “empty slot” to remove the CHD file from the CD-ROM player.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can quit emulation and start it again with a new CD-ROM image.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="removing_a_cassette_tape" id="removing_a_cassette_tape">Removing a Cassette / Tape</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
While the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Cassette</code>
and click on the tape file you are currently using. This shall prompt
you with a file browser which allows you either to change tape image or
to select “empty slot” to remove completely the tape file from the
cassette drive.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can quit emulation and start it again with a new tape image.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="removing_quickloads" id="removing_quickloads">Removing Quickloads</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
While the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Quickload</code>
and click on the quickload file you are currently using. This shall
prompt you with a file browser which allows you either to change
quickload image or to select “empty slot” to remove completely the
quickload file from the memory.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can quit emulation and start it again with a new quickload image.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="saving_to_a_cassette" id="saving_to_a_cassette">Saving to a Cassette</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For systems supporting cassettes, you can save programs to tape exactly
as in the original machines. First of all, you need to have a cassette
in the tape drive: enter the Internal UI in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu and select <code>Create</code>
to create a new cassette file (in .wav format) with any name of your
choice. Now, you will see that a brand new tape file is inserted in the
Cassette slot.
Next step consists in using the procedure that you would have followed
on the real machine to save on tape (e.g. for c64 you have to type SAVE
after having written the program). Once the emulated computer is ready
to save, you just have to press “Rec” on the cassette drive. In <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, this means to enter the Internal UI, select the <code>Tape Controls</code> menu and press “Rec”. At this point, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> will save the output to the .wav file you created. Next time you use <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can also load the program again, exactly like a cassette on the emulated system!
</p>
<p>
Notice that the saving procedure can be slow. However, you can speed up emulation with no bad consequence by pressing <kbd>Ins</kbd> in partial keyboard emulation mode.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Available Emulated Devices, Formats and Media" [77355-84905] -->
<h2><a name="using_memory_cards" id="using_memory_cards">Using Memory Cards</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress </em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Using Memory Cards" [84906-84956] -->
<h2><a name="emulated_controllers_consoles" id="emulated_controllers_consoles">Emulated Controllers (Consoles)</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<h4><a name="emulated_joystick" id="emulated_joystick">Emulated Joystick</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For consoles using joystick/joypad controllers, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> follows usually <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> default keyboard mappings:
</p>
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> Arrows Key </td><td class="col1"> Directions </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>1</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Start </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>5</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Select </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LCtrl</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button1 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row4">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LAlt</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button 2 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row5">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Space</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button3 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row6">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LShift</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button4 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row7">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Z</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button5 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row8">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>X</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button6 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row9">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>C</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button7 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row10">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>V</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button8 </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>
Also, if you enable your joystick with -joystick at command line (or in mess.ini or in <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>), you will usually have the emulated joystick automatically mapped to your joystick.
However, you can re-map each key to the keyboard or to your joystick by entering Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choosing <code>Input (general)</code> and <code>Input (this System)</code> menus.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="emulated_lightgun" id="emulated_lightgun">Emulated Lightgun</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For consoles using lightgun controllers, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> follows usually <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> default keyboard mappings:
</p>
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> Arrows Key </td><td class="col1"> Directions </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LCtrl</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button1 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LAlt</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button 2 </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>
Also, if you enable your mouse with -mouse at command line (or in mess.ini or in <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>), you will usually have the emulated lightgun automatically mapped to your mouse.
However, you can re-map each axis / key to the keyboard or to your joystick by entering Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choosing <code>Input (general)</code> and <code>Input (this System)</code> menus.
</p>
<p>
Notice that, to enable emulated lightguns as controllers for a console, you may need to enter the Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choose the <code>Categories</code>
menu: there, you can usually select which kind of controller you want
to connect to each controller port of the emulated machine (this ideally
corresponds to the act of connecting the controller on the real thing).
You can check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> to find if the system you want to emulate currently supports emulated lightguns.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="custom_controllers" id="custom_controllers">Custom Controllers</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Some consoles may use custom controllers. These are usually enabled by entering the Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choosing the <code>Categories</code> menu, where you can decide which controller to use among the ones emulated by <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. After having enabled the controller, you can enter the <code>Input (this System)</code> menu to find out what is the default mapping of the chosen controller and to remap it as it best suites your needs.
</p>
<p>
You can check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> to find out which custom controllers are supported for each system.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Emulated Controllers (Consoles)" [84957-87458] -->
<h1><a name="computers_emulation" id="computers_emulation">Computers Emulation</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts7" id="shortcuts7">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#pasting_code_to_emulated_computers" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Pasting Code to Emulated Computers</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#available_emulated_devices_formats_and_media1" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Available Emulated Devices, Formats and Media</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#emulated_ram" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Emulated RAM</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#emulated_keyboard" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Emulated Keyboard</a> </td><td class="col4"> <a href="#other_emulated_controllers_computers" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Other Emulated Controllers (Computers)</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Computers Emulation" [87459-87846] -->
<h2><a name="pasting_code_to_emulated_computers" id="pasting_code_to_emulated_computers">Pasting Code to Emulated Computers</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
One of the main interesting aspects, when you emulate old home
computers, is the possibility to run on them programs you have written,
or programs whose code is available in the net.
However, having to type hundreds of lines of code into the emulated
terminal is not so funny. This is one of the reasons you may love the
pasting feature <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> offers.
Indeed, with <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>,
you can simply copy any kind of code from a webpage or a text file and
then directly pasting it into the emulated computer. Once you have
copied the text (e.g. with <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>C</kbd> in Windows), you simply have to start the emulation and press <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>ScrLock</kbd> (but, as usual, you can remap this input in the <code>Input (general)</code> menu of the Internal UI).
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Pasting Code to Emulated Computers" [87847-88622] -->
<h2><a name="available_emulated_devices_formats_and_media1" id="available_emulated_devices_formats_and_media1">Available Emulated Devices, Formats and Media</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
For each emulated system, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
supports a certain number of media devices present on the original
system, e.g. carts or CD-ROM players, and a certain number of file
extensions for each device.
To find out which devices and formats are supported by your favorite
system, simply launch
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -listmedia <system></pre>
<p>
Assuming you were interested in atom, you will obtain the following output
</p>
<pre class="code">SYSTEM DEVICE NAME (brief) IMAGE FILE EXTENSIONS SUPPORTED
---------- -------------------- ------------------------------------
atom quickload (quik) .atm
cassette (cass) .wav
printer (prin) .prn
floppydisk1 (flop1) .ssd
floppydisk2 (flop2) .ssd</pre>
<p>
Device name and its brief version can be used at command line to launch a specific program/game. E.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe atom -flop1 foo1.ssd</pre>
<p>
or
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe atom -cassette foo2.wav</pre>
<p>
Notice that only supported extensions will load successfully.
</p>
<p>
In the following, we briefly describe how to use devices in computer emulation under <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. See also the <a href="#media_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Media Emulation</a> section of this Manual.
</p>
<p>
Notice that, starting from <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
0.138, it is also possible to load images from software lists:
instructions are the same as the ones described below (except you have
to use the appropriate name for the software, as prescribed in the .xml
list). See the <a href="#software_lists" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Software Lists</a> section of this Manual for all the details.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="loading_a_cartridge1" id="loading_a_cartridge1">Loading a Cartridge</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
You can load a cartridge in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> it by simply launching
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -cart foo.ext</pre>
<p>
If a system supports more than one cartslot (e.g. a800 with its two slots), you may need to replace <code>-cart</code> with either <code>-cart1</code> or <code>-cart2</code>.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, while the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select one of the <code>Cartslot</code>
entries and browse your HD to find the cart file you want. After
selecting it, the emulation will be automatically restarted with the
cart inserted.
</p>
<p>
Notice that a few systems supports 'fake' multiple slots to allow the
emulation of carts with multiple files (e.g. some very old c64 and vc20
dumps). This will be fixed eventually with the introduction of a xml
format for multi-file cartridge, but for the moment you may need to use <code>-cart1</code> & <code>-cart2</code> also in this case.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="loading_a_floppy_disk" id="loading_a_floppy_disk">Loading a Floppy Disk</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
You can load a floppy disk in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> it by simply launching
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -flop foo.ext</pre>
<p>
If a system supports more than one floppy drive (many computers may have up to 4 of them), you may need to replace <code>-flop</code> with <code>-flop1</code>, …, <code>-flop4</code>
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, while the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select one of the <code>Floppy Disk</code>
entries and browse your HD to find the disk file you want. After
selecting it, the emulation will be automatically restarted with the
floppy inserted.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="loading_a_cassette_tape1" id="loading_a_cassette_tape1">Loading a Cassette / Tape</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
You can load a tape in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> it by simply launching
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -cass foo.ext</pre>
<p>
If a system supports more than one cassette drive, you may need to replace <code>-cass</code> with either <code>-cass1</code> or <code>-cass2</code>.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, while the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select one of the <code>Cassette</code>
entries and browse your HD to find the tape file you want. After
selecting it, the emulation will be automatically restarted with the
cassette inserted. Depending on the system, you may need to manually
press “Play” to start cassette loading (or, as in the c64 case, to type
LOAD and to press “Play” afterward). To do this in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, simply enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>Tape Controls</code> menu and press “Play”. The same procedure goes for any other tape operation (“Rec”, “Stop”, etc.).
</p>
<p>
Notice that the loading procedure can be slow. However, you can speed up emulation with no bad consequence by pressing <kbd>Ins</kbd> in partial keyboard emulation mode.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="loading_quickloads1" id="loading_quickloads1">Loading Quickloads</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For some systems <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
also supports quickload files. These are usually dumps of the system
memory which can be re-inserted in the emulated machine to make a
program or a game start immediately. To load a quickload file in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can simply launch
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -quick foo.ext</pre>
<p>
Alternatively, while the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Quickload</code>
and browse your HD to find the quickload file you want. After selecting
it, the emulation will be automatically restarted with the quickload
file loaded into memory.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="removing_a_cartridge1" id="removing_a_cartridge1">Removing a Cartridge</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
While the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Cartslot</code>
and click on the cart file you are currently using. This shall prompt
you with a file browser which allows you either to change cart image or
to select “empty slot” to remove completely the cart file from the
cartslot.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can quit emulation and start it again with a new cart image.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="removing_a_floppy_disk" id="removing_a_floppy_disk">Removing a Floppy Disk</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
While the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Floppy Disk</code>
and click on the disk file you are currently using. This shall prompt
you with a file browser which allows you either to change disk image or
to select “empty slot” to remove completely the disk file from the
floppy drive.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can quit emulation and start it again with a new disk image.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="removing_a_cassette_tape1" id="removing_a_cassette_tape1">Removing a Cassette / Tape</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
While the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Cassette</code>
and click on the tape file you are currently using. This shall prompt
you with a file browser which allows you either to change tape image or
to select “empty slot” to remove completely the tape file from the
cassette drive.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can quit emulation and start it again with a new tape image.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="removing_quickloads1" id="removing_quickloads1">Removing Quickloads</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
While the emulation is running, you can enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Quickload</code>
and click on the quickload file you are currently using. This shall
prompt you with a file browser which allows you either to change
quickload image or to select “empty slot” to remove completely the
quickload file from the memory.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, you can quit emulation and start it again with a new quickload image.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="saving_to_a_cassette1" id="saving_to_a_cassette1">Saving to a Cassette</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For systems supporting cassettes, you can save programs to tape exactly
as in the original machines. First of all, you need to have a cassette
in the tape drive: enter the Internal UI in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu and select <code>Create</code>
to create a new cassette file (in .wav format) with any name of your
choice. Now, you will see that a brand new tape file is inserted in the
Cassette slot.
Next step consists in using the procedure that you would have followed
on the real machine to save on tape (e.g. for c64 you have to type SAVE
after having written the program). Once the emulated computer is ready
to save, you just have to press “Rec” on the cassette drive. In <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, this means to enter the Internal UI, select the <code>Tape Controls</code> menu and press “Rec”. At this point, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> will save the output to the .wav file you created. Next time you use <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can also load the program again, exactly like a cassette on the emulated system!
</p>
<p>
Notice that the saving procedure can be slow. However, you can speed up emulation with no bad consequence by pressing <kbd>Ins</kbd> in partial keyboard emulation mode.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="saving_to_a_floppy_disk" id="saving_to_a_floppy_disk">Saving to a Floppy Disk</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
<em> In Progress </em>
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="formatting_and_creating_a_floppy" id="formatting_and_creating_a_floppy">Formatting and Creating a Floppy</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
<em> In Progress </em>
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="emulated_hard_disks" id="emulated_hard_disks">Emulated Hard Disks</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
<em> In Progress </em>
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="formatting_and_creating_an_hard_disk" id="formatting_and_creating_an_hard_disk">Formatting and Creating an Hard Disk</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
<em> In Progress </em>
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="emulated_printers" id="emulated_printers">Emulated Printers</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
<em> In Progress </em>
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="emulated_serial_ports" id="emulated_serial_ports">Emulated Serial Ports</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
<em> In Progress </em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Available Emulated Devices, Formats and Media" [88623-96640] -->
<h2><a name="emulated_ram" id="emulated_ram">Emulated RAM</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> often supports different RAM configurations for a single computer. To choose the configuration you want, you can use the <code>-ramsize</code> option at launch. A list of available ramsizes for each system is available in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Emulated RAM" [96641-96912] -->
<h2><a name="emulated_keyboard" id="emulated_keyboard">Emulated Keyboard</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Dealing with the emulation of a wide range of systems, from console and
handhelds devices, to home computer, calculators and chess computers, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
has to emulate very different kinds of controllers. In particular, it
has to emulate the original keyboard of a system through the keyboard of
your computer.
However, due to differences in the keyboard layouts (e.g. QWERTY vs.
QWERTZ vs. AZERTY vs. Japanese vs. Russian and Bulgarian keyboards) and
the possible presence of custom keys in the emulated system (e.g. the
'Apple' command key in Macintosh, the 'CBM' key in Commodore computers
etc.), it is tough to cover all the possibilities and to offer at the
same time a nice interface for configurations.
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> solution to
this problem is to offer two different emulation modes for the keyboard
of each system, Full and Partial, whenever you start the emulation of a
computer (this does not apply to console). As said above, you can switch
between the two using <kbd>ScrLock</kbd> (in (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, the default key is <kbd>Delete</kbd> and you can change it in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> changing the <code>uimodekey</code> line).
</p>
<p>
(For more information on how to change this <kbd>ScrLock</kbd> to be something else, see: <a href="http://mess.redump.net/faq#for_some_reason_esc_does_not_quit_mess_nor_does_tab_bring_up_the_menu" class="urlextern" title="http://mess.redump.net/faq#for_some_reason_esc_does_not_quit_mess_nor_does_tab_bring_up_the_menu" rel="nofollow">http://mess.redump.net/faq#for_some_reason_esc_does_not_quit_mess_nor_does_tab_bring_up_the_menu</a>)
</p>
<p>
Below is a short description of the differences between the two modes.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="partial_emulation_mode" id="partial_emulation_mode">Partial Emulation Mode</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
In this emulation mode, you can access the UI keys described <a href="#key_functions" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">above</a> (e.g. <kbd>Tab</kbd>, <kbd>Esc</kbd>, <kbd>F4</kbd>, <kbd>F12</kbd>,
etc.). Therefore, this suits your needs whenever you want to configure
Inputs and Dip Switches, to take Screenshots, Movies or Savestates, or
simply to quit emulation.
Notice that, anyway, inputs are registered also by the emulated system,
so if you e.g. pause the emulation with <kbd>P</kbd> in Partial Emulation, a 'P' will appear on the emulated screen as well.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="full_emulation_mode" id="full_emulation_mode">Full Emulation Mode</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
In this emulation mode, the UI keys effect vanishes and each key on your
keyboard corresponds to a key on the keyboard of the emulated computer.
Actually, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> offers two different flavours of Full Emulation: <strong>emulated</strong> and <strong>natural</strong>. You can switch between pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd> and entering the <code>Keyboard Mode</code> menu.
</p>
</div>
<h5><a name="full_emulation_mode_with_emulated_keyboard_default_behaviour" id="full_emulation_mode_with_emulated_keyboard_default_behaviour">Full Emulation Mode with Emulated Keyboard (default behaviour)</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<p>
By default <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
in Full Emulation mode tries to change your keyboard into the original
keyboard. This way, all accessible keys of the original keyboard have a
correspondent mappings on your keyboard, even the strangest function key
that could have been present. Moreover, the default mapping tries to be
as close as possible to the original one so that, if you were used to
type without even looking at the keyboard on the real thing, you can do
the same in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>!
However, this can produce a few strange situations when the original
keyboard layout was very different from modern keyboards layout. As an
example, you can think to Mattel Aquarius. In this computer the <kbd>Return</kbd> was at the right of the <kbd>. ></kbd>, and therefore it defaults in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to your <kbd>/ ?</kbd> key.
</p>
<p>
Even with this mapping quirks, sometimes it is still not really possible
to remap the keyboard of an old computer to a modern keyboard. Hence,
some of the following exceptions can happen:
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> 'Spacebar', 'Backspace' and the
arrow keys (when they have separate keys) are usually mapped to the
correspondent keys of your keyboard;</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> when an emulated keyboard presents keys that are not on a modern pc keyboards, then <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> tries to map them to a closer key</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> character keys at left of '1' or between 'Shift' and 'Z' are often mapped to '~',</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> a third character key after '0' and
'P' or a fourth one after 'L' and 'M' is often mapped to 'Backlash2' or
to 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' etc.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
To be sure of the mapping of a keyboard in emulated mode, you can verify it in the <code>Input (this System)</code> menu of the Internal UI. In this menu, you can also remap every key to the location you prefer on your keyboard.
</p>
</div>
<h5><a name="full_emulation_mode_with_natural_keyboard" id="full_emulation_mode_with_natural_keyboard">Full Emulation Mode with Natural Keyboard</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<p>
This mode can be activated launching <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> with the <code>-natural</code> option or by entering the Internal UI and choosing the <code>Keyboard Mode</code> menu. When you select the Natural Keyboard mode, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> translates the key you press in the same exact key of the original keyboard, so that when you press e.g. <kbd>+</kbd>
you will see on screen a plus sign, no matter where that key was
located on the original system, or if a key combination was needed to
access it. Or, again, if you press arrow keys while emulating a Spectrum
48k, you will see the cursor move in the corresponding directions even
if you should have used <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>5</kbd>, <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>6</kbd>, <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>7</kbd> or <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>8</kbd> to obtain the same result on a real Spectrum keyboard. This makes typing much easier but it presents a couple of limitations:
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> many custom key have no equivalent
on modern pc keyboards: in this case, you may want to switch between
Natural and Emulated mode when you need such keys</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> some UTF-8 characters are not present on every keyboard (e.g. £, ¥, §, π etc.): in this case, usually <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
maps them to the corresponding keys and if you don't have them on your
keyboard, you shall switch to Emulated mode when you need it.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Notice that the Natural Keyboard cannot be remapped.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="summing_up" id="summing_up">Summing Up</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
A few experiments combining the three modes, and a bit of time spent
configuring the keys you use most, shall allow you to recreate a perfect
experience of the emulated system.
However, if you experience any problem, or if you think any important
key is still unmapped, please file a bug report in <a href="http://bugzilla.mess.org/" class="urlextern" title="http://bugzilla.mess.org/" rel="nofollow">Bugzilla</a> or contact us at the <a href="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" class="urlextern" title="http://www.bannister.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" rel="nofollow">MESS message board</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Emulated Keyboard" [96913-102870] -->
<h2><a name="other_emulated_controllers_computers" id="other_emulated_controllers_computers">Other Emulated Controllers (Computers)</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<h4><a name="emulated_mouse" id="emulated_mouse">Emulated Mouse</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For computers using a mouse, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> follows usually <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> default keyboard mappings:
</p>
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> Arrows Key </td><td class="col1"> Directions </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LCtrl</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button1 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LAlt</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button 2 </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>
With some computers however, this would conflict with other keyboard functions. You can enter Internal UI and choose <code>Input (this System)</code> to verify the default mappings for the system you are emulating.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, if you enable your mouse with -mouse at command line (or in mess.ini or in <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>), you will usually have the emulated mouse automatically mapped to your mouse.
However, you can re-map each axis / key to the keyboard or to your joystick by entering Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choosing <code>Input (general)</code> and <code>Input (this System)</code> menus.
</p>
<p>
Notice that, to enable emulated mouse as controllers for a computer, you may need to enter the Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choose the <code>Categories</code>
menu: there, you can usually select which kind of controller you want
to connect to each controller port of the emulated machine (this ideally
corresponds to the act of connecting the controller on the real thing).
You can check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> to find if the system you want to emulate currently supports emulated mouse.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="emulated_joystick1" id="emulated_joystick1">Emulated Joystick</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For computers using joystick/joypad controllers, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> follows usually <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> default keyboard mappings:
</p>
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> Arrows Key </td><td class="col1"> Directions </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>1</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Start </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>5</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Select </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LCtrl</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button1 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row4">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LAlt</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button 2 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row5">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Space</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button3 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row6">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LShift</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button4 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row7">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>Z</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button5 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row8">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>X</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button6 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row9">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>C</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button7 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row10">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>V</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button8 </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>
With some computers however, this would conflict with other keyboard functions. You can enter Internal UI and choose <code>Input (this System)</code> to verify the default mappings for the system you are emulating.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, if you enable your joystick with -joystick at command line (or in mess.ini or in <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>), you will usually have the emulated joystick automatically mapped to your joystick.
However, you can re-map each key to the keyboard or to your joystick by entering Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choosing <code>Input (general)</code> and <code>Input (this System)</code> menus.
</p>
<p>
Notice that, to enable emulated joysticks as controllers for a computer, you may need to enter the Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choose the <code>Categories</code>
menu: there, you can usually select which kind of controller you want
to connect to each controller port of the emulated machine (this ideally
corresponds to the act of connecting the controller on the real thing).
You can check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> to find if the system you want to emulate currently supports emulated joysticks.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="emulated_lightgun_lightpen" id="emulated_lightgun_lightpen">Emulated Lightgun / Lightpen</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
For computers using lightgun / lightpen controllers, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> follows usually <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> default keyboard mappings:
</p>
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> Arrows Key </td><td class="col1"> Directions </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LCtrl</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button1 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <kbd>LAlt</kbd> </td><td class="col1"> Button 2 </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>
With some computers however, this would conflict with other keyboard functions. You can enter Internal UI and choose <code>Input (this System)</code> to verify the default mappings for the system you are emulating.
</p>
<p>
Alternatively, if you enable your mouse with -mouse at command line (or in mess.ini or in <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>), you will usually have the emulated lightgun / lightpen automatically mapped to your mouse.
However, you can re-map each axis / key to the keyboard or to your joystick by entering Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choosing <code>Input (general)</code> and <code>Input (this System)</code> menus.
</p>
<p>
Notice that, to enable emulated lightguns / lightpens as controllers for
a computer, you may need to enter the Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choose the <code>Categories</code>
menu: there, you can usually select which kind of controller you want
to connect to each controller port of the emulated machine (this ideally
corresponds to the act of connecting the controller on the real thing).
You can check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> to find if the system you want to emulate currently supports emulated lightguns / lightpens.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="custom_controllers1" id="custom_controllers1">Custom Controllers</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Some computers may also use custom controllers. These are usually enabled by entering the Internal UI (pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and choosing the <code>Categories</code> menu, where you can decide which controller to use among the ones emulated by <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. After having enabled the controller, you can enter the <code>Input (this System)</code> menu to find out what is the default mapping of the chosen controller and to remap it as it best suites your needs.
</p>
<p>
You can check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> to find out which custom controllers are supported for each system.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Other Emulated Controllers (Computers)" [102871-107649] -->
<h1><a name="chess_computers_emulation" id="chess_computers_emulation">Chess Computers Emulation</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
<p>
Most of the information about Consoles apply to Chess Computers as well
(even if in this case devices and media are not very common). However,
if the emulated Chess Computer comes with an artwork (e.g. mm5), you may
find interesting the following feature.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Chess Computers Emulation" [107650-107947] -->
<h2><a name="clickable_artwork" id="clickable_artwork">Clickable Artwork</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
One of the main features of Chess Computer emulation in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is the possibility to click on the artwork to pass inputs to the emulated machine. Try to move your mouse on the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
window and to click on keys present on the artwork. The inputs shall be
recognized by the system you are emulating and produce result as if you
were pressing the key with your finger!
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Clickable Artwork" [107948-108343] -->
<h1><a name="calculators_emulation" id="calculators_emulation">Calculators Emulation</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
<p>
Most of the information about computers apply to Calculators as well
(even if in this case devices and media are not very common). However,
if the emulated Calculator comes with an artwork (e.g. hp48sx), you may
find interesting the following feature.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Calculators Emulation" [108344-108633] -->
<h2><a name="clickable_artwork1" id="clickable_artwork1">Clickable Artwork</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
One of the main feature of Calculators emulation in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is the possibility to click on the artwork to pass inputs to the emulated machine. Try to move your mouse on the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
window and to click on keys present on the artwork. The inputs shall be
recognized by the system you are emulating and produce result as if you
were pressing the key with your finger!
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Clickable Artwork" [108634-109026] -->
<h1><a name="media_emulation" id="media_emulation">Media Emulation</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
<p>
In addition to the instructions below, see also the <a href="#software_lists" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Software Lists</a>
section of this Manual for specific details about the “loading from
software lists” option (which works like generic loading, except for
requiring software to be named and stored exactly as expected by the
.xml lists).
</p>
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts8" id="shortcuts8">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#tape_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Tape Emulation</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#quickloads" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Quickloads</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#printer_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Printer Emulation</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#cartridge_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Cartridge Emulation</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#cd-rom_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">CD-ROM Emulation</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#serial_ports" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Serial Ports</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#floppy_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Floppy Emulation</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#hard_disk_emulation" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Hard Disk Emulation</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#choosing_bios" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Choosing BIOS</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Media Emulation" [109027-109738] -->
<h2><a name="tape_emulation" id="tape_emulation">Tape Emulation</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supports tapes for a huge number of systems. Typical tape format for <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
is plain .wav: at loading time, any other tape format is internally
converted to .wav and if you save any program to tape, you will obtain a
.wav file.
</p>
<p>
To load a tape in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you simply need to use the <code>-cass</code> option (for systems with many cassette drive, you use <code>-cass1</code> or <code>-cass2</code> respectively):
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -cass foo.ext</pre>
<p>
Cassette loading is in general not automatic, except if it was on the
original system. This means that you may need to enter CLOAD or LOAD or
another command and then to press “Play” on the cassette drive. To press
“Play” in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you simply need to enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>Tape Controls</code> menu and press “Play”. The same procedure goes for any other tape operation (“Rec”, “Stop”, etc.).
</p>
<p>
To remove a tape in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> or to replace it with a new one, while the emulation is running, you simply need to enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Cassette</code>
and click on the tape file you are currently using. This shall prompt
you with a file browser which allows you either to change tape image or
to select “empty slot” to remove completely the tape file from the
cassette drive.
</p>
<p>
In the same file browser you can also choose to create a brand new
cassette, choosing “Create”. In this case you have to enter a name and
then a new wav file will be created, from the cassette drive. This is
very useful when you want to save data or programs to a cassette. Again,
the saving procedure is not automatic, except if it was on the original
system, and you need to know the correct commands used by the emulated
machine. At the end, you will find a .wav file in your <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> directory containing the data you wanted to save.
</p>
<p>
Notice that loading and saving procedures can be slow. However, you can speed up emulation with no bad consequences by pressing <kbd>Ins</kbd> in partial keyboard emulation mode.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Tips</strong> - <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supports also a faster way to create a new tape file: from command line launch <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> with a non-existent .wav file
</p>
<pre class="code">mess <system> -cass foo.wav</pre>
<p>
and the emulator will create an empty tape for you, without any need to enter the File Manager
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Tape Emulation" [109739-111975] -->
<h2><a name="cartridge_emulation" id="cartridge_emulation">Cartridge Emulation</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supports carts for a huge number of systems. To load a cart in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you simply need to use the <code>-cart</code> option (for systems with many cartslots, you use <code>-cart1</code> or <code>-cart2</code> respectively):
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -cart foo.ext</pre>
<p>
Cartridge loading is automatic once the emulation is started.
</p>
<p>
To remove a cart in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> or to replace it with a new one, while the emulation is running, you simply need to enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Cartslot</code>
and click on the cart file you are currently using. This shall prompt
you with a file browser which allows you either to change cart image or
to select “empty slot” to remove completely the cart file from the
cartslot.
</p>
<p>
If the original cart supported saving data to internal SRAM, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> should save the same data to a nvram file foo.nv inside the folder nvram/<system>/. You can check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> to find if the system you want to emulate currently supports saving to SRAM.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Cartridge Emulation" [111976-112979] -->
<h2><a name="floppy_emulation" id="floppy_emulation">Floppy Emulation</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supports floppy disk for a huge number of systems. To load a floppy disk in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you simply need to use the <code>-flop</code> option (for systems with many floppy drives, you use <code>-flop1</code>, …, <code>-flop4</code> respectively):
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -flop foo.ext</pre>
<p>
Floppy loading is in general not automatic, except if it was on the
original system. This means that you may need to enter LOAD or another
command to actually start floppy loading.
</p>
<p>
To remove a floppy disk in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> or to replace it with a new one, while the emulation is running, you simply need to enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Floppy Disk</code>
and click on the disk file you are currently using. This shall prompt
you with a file browser which allows you either to change disk image or
to select “empty slot” to remove completely the disk file from the disk
drive.
</p>
<p>
<em>In progress</em>
<em>- saving to a floppy</em>
<em>- formatting/creating a floppy</em>
</p>
<p>
<strong>Tips</strong> - <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supports also a faster way to create a new disk file: from command line launch <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> with a non-existent file in a floppy drive
</p>
<pre class="code">mess <system> -flop foo.ext</pre>
<p>
and the emulator will create an empty disk for you, without any need to enter the File Manager
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Floppy Emulation" [112980-114211] -->
<h2><a name="quickloads" id="quickloads">Quickloads</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supports
quickloads formats for a many systems. This kind of formats consist in a
dump of the memory content of the system after a program or a game has
been loaded. Re-loading the same data directly into the memory of the
emulated system, you should be able to start immediately to use the
program. To load a quickload in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you simply need to use the <code>-quick</code> option:
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -quick foo.ext</pre>
<p>
Once the Quickload file is in the memory, the program should started automatically.
</p>
<p>
To remove a quickload file in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> or to replace it with a new one, while the emulation is running, you simply need to enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Quickload</code>
and click on the quickload file you are currently using. This shall
prompt you with a file browser which allows you either to change
quickload file or to select “empty slot” to remove completely the
quickload file from the memory.
</p>
<p>
No saving to quickload is implemented in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>,
nor it is planned addition of this. Saving memory contents can be
already done in systems which supports State Saving, and other systems
should add support for Save States rather than for Quicksave.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Quickloads" [114212-115414] -->
<h2><a name="cd-rom_emulation" id="cd-rom_emulation">CD-ROM Emulation</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supports CD-ROM for a few systems. Typical tape format for <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is CHD. You can read a guide about how to create a CHD from a CD <a href="http://guru.mameworld.info/tutorials/dumping_cds_&_hdds/index.html" class="urlextern" title="http://guru.mameworld.info/tutorials/dumping_cds_&_hdds/index.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>, courtesy of The Guru.
To load a CD-ROM in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you simply need to use the <code>-cdrom</code> option
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe <system> -cdrom foo.chd</pre>
<p>
CD-ROM loading is automatic once the emulation is started.
</p>
<p>
To remove a CD-ROM in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> or to replace it with a new one, while the emulation is running, you simply need to enter the Internal UI, choose the <code>File Manager</code> menu, select <code>Cdrom</code>
and click on the CHD file you are currently using. This shall prompt
you with a file browser which allows you either to change CD-ROM image
or to select “empty slot” to remove completely the CD-ROM file from the
CD-ROM drive.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "CD-ROM Emulation" [115415-116260] -->
<h2><a name="hard_disk_emulation" id="hard_disk_emulation">Hard Disk Emulation</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress</em>
<em>- loading</em>
<em>- creating / formatting</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Hard Disk Emulation" [116261-116353] -->
<h2><a name="printer_emulation" id="printer_emulation">Printer Emulation</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Printer Emulation" [116354-116402] -->
<h2><a name="serial_ports" id="serial_ports">Serial Ports</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Serial Ports" [116403-116445] -->
<h2><a name="choosing_bios" id="choosing_bios">Choosing BIOS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Sometimes, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supports more BIOS dumps for a single system, e.g. to offer access to different <acronym title="Operating System">OS</acronym> revisions. To select among these, you can use the <code>-bios</code> option at launch. A list of available bios and related options for each system is available in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a>.
</p>
<p>
At the moment, there is no way to change BIOS while emulation is running.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Choosing BIOS" [116446-116831] -->
<h1><a name="internal_ui_options" id="internal_ui_options">Internal UI Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
<p>
During emulation in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can always press <kbd>Tab</kbd>
to access the Internal UI and customize all the options you can need to
fully enjoy your experience. This Internal UI works very similarly to <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> one (with a few additional items, as you will notice below). Hence, if you are used to <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>, you will immediately recognize what you need here.
</p>
<p>
Before passing to analyze each submenu of the Internal UI, please
remember that if you enter the wrong submenu, you can always press <kbd>Esc</kbd> or scroll down to <code>Return to Prior Menu</code> to go back.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="input_general" id="input_general">Input (general)</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Exactly as in <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>,
in this menu you can configure the UI controls and the common Inputs
which will be shared by all the systems, e.g. the “Pause” key (by
default mapped to <kbd>P</kbd>), the Snapshot key (by default mapped to <kbd>F12</kbd>) or the joypad/joystick buttons (e.g. Button 1 to 4 by default mapped to <kbd>LCtrl</kbd>, <kbd>LAlt</kbd>, <kbd>Space</kbd> & <kbd>LShift</kbd> as in <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>).
</p>
<p>
Notice that you must be careful when selecting the keys you want to use:
they may be already in use for other functions.
The options changed in this menu will be saved in cfg/default.cfg (which
can be opened with any text editor) and will affect every emulated
system. If you end up setting something wrong and the emulation does not
work anymore as you expect, <strong>DON'T PANIC!</strong> You simply
need to delete the default.cfg file from the cfg/ directory, in order to
reset the settings to their default value. Every change can always be
reverted in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>!
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="input_this_system" id="input_this_system">Input (this System)</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Exactly as in <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>,
in this menu you can configure the Inputs which are system specific,
e.g. the computer keyboards, or joypad/joystick buttons (e.g. Button 1
to 4 by default mapped to <kbd>LCtrl</kbd>, <kbd>LAlt</kbd>, <kbd>Space</kbd> & <kbd>LShift</kbd> as in <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>).
</p>
<p>
All you need to do now is to select the function you want to change,
press enter and then press the key you want to use. It is possible to
assign more than one key to a function by pressing enter again and
pressing a different key.
More fancy key combinations can be made as well:
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> To map <kbd>Key1</kbd> OR <kbd>Key2</kbd> (i.e. more than one key will produce the same effect), set one of the keys as before, wait until <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> accepts it, then repeat for second key.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> To map <kbd>Key1</kbd> AND <kbd>Key2</kbd> (i.e. you need to press to keys at the same time to obtain an effect) press both (or more than two) keys after pressing enter.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> To map <kbd>Key1</kbd> NOT <kbd>Key2</kbd> (i.e. <kbd>Key1</kbd> has an effect only if <kbd>Key2</kbd>
is not also pressed), select the function you want to change, press
enter, press the first key and then quickly press the second key(s)
twice.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
The correspondent combination will appear on screen and you can check if the result is the one you wanted to obtain.
</p>
<p>
Notice that you must be careful when selecting the keys you want to use:
they may be already in use for other functions.
If you want to assign joystick movements to a function then once you
have selected the function you want to change move the joystick/pad or
press the fire button you want to use (remember that, as explained
above, you must have selected the <code>-joystick</code> option to activate the Joystick support if you want it to work in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>).
The options changed in this menu will be saved in cfg/<system>.cfg
(which can be opened with any text editor) and will affect only the
chosen system and (possibly) its clones. If you end up setting something
wrong and the emulation does not work anymore as you expect, <strong>DON'T PANIC!</strong>
You simply need to delete the corresponding .cfg file from the cfg/
directory, in order to reset the settings to their default value. Every
change can always be reverted in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>!
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="dip_switches_driver_configuration" id="dip_switches_driver_configuration">Dip Switches / Driver Configuration</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Exactly as in <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>,
in this menu you can setup some additional configurations which were
available in the original systems. These may differ from system to
system, or be completely absent.
</p>
<p>
The options changed in this menu will be saved in cfg/<system>.cfg
(which can be opened with any text editor) and will affect only the
chosen system and (possibly) its clones. If you end up setting something
wrong and the emulation does not work anymore as you expect, <strong>DON'T PANIC!</strong>
You simply need to delete the corresponding .cfg file from the cfg/
directory, in order to reset the settings to their default value. Every
change can always be reverted in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>!
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="categories" id="categories">Categories</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Here, for systems which support them, you can choose between different
emulated controllers. Changing a setting in this menu, corresponds in
some sense to unplug a controller from a controller port of the original
system and to plug a new one into it.
As an example, consider Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) which allows
you to choose between a normal controller, a Zapper lightgun and an
Arkanoid paddle in the <code>Category Menu</code>. Corresponding re-mappable inputs will appear in the <code>Input (this System)</code> menu after your choice here.
</p>
<p>
The options changed in this menu will be saved in cfg/<system>.cfg
(which can be opened with any text editor) and will affect only the
chosen system and (possibly) its clones. If you end up setting something
wrong and the emulation does not work anymore as you expect, <strong>DON'T PANIC!</strong>
You simply need to delete the corresponding .cfg file from the cfg/
directory, in order to reset the settings to their default value. Every
change can always be reverted in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>!
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="analog_controls" id="analog_controls">Analog Controls</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Here you can configure all the analog controls available for the system
you're emulating (e.g. emulated mouses, paddles or lightguns). Many
choices are given in this menu: you can make the controller more or less
sensible in each direction, or invert the axis, to better suit your
needs.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="system_information" id="system_information">System Information</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Here you can see some basic info about the system you're emulating
(which system is, what CPU it used etc.). It simply shows you again the
information screen that <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> had already showed at start.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="image_information" id="image_information">Image Information</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Here, you can see which image is currently loaded in each available device.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="file_manager" id="file_manager">File Manager</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Here, you can mount an image in one of the available media devices, or
unmount the image currently loaded and mount a new one in the same media
device or in a different one. This menu also allows you to create new
images for devices which supports image creation and saving (e.g.
cassette). You simply have to select the device, and then the “Create”
option. You will be asked to type in a filename and then the new image
will be created (if there exists already a file with the same name, you
will be asked if you want to overwrite the old one or to change
filename).
</p>
<p>
Notice that, once you have selected the device you want to modify, the
File Manager will allow you to browse every volume and directory of your
computer and to select the file you want. Moreover, the File Manager
allows you to use <kbd>PgUp</kbd>, <kbd>PgDn</kbd>, <kbd>Home</kbd> and <kbd>End</kbd> for a faster scroll and to input the first letters of the file you look for in order to reach immediately the image you want.
</p>
<p>
And if you want to load an image from the available software lists, you
can do that as well by selecting the correspondent menu entry (more info
on this topic can be found in the <a href="#software_lists" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Software List</a> Section of this Manual).
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="keyboard_mode" id="keyboard_mode">Keyboard Mode</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Here, you can select in real time the keyboard emulation mode you
prefer, between “Full Emulation Mode with Emulated Keyboard ” (emulated)
or “Full Emulation Mode with Natural Keyboard” (natural). See <a href="#emulated_keyboard" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Emulated Keyboard</a> section of this Manual for more information about these two modes.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="slider_controls" id="slider_controls">Slider Controls</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
<em> In progress</em>
Here you find controls to stretch the screen and/or increase the
contrast or brightness of the emulation. Also, if you activated cheats
with the <code>-cheat</code> option, you can overclock the various CPUs of the system.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="video_options" id="video_options">Video Options</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
<em>In progress</em>
Here you can access Video options similar to those available for <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="cheat" id="cheat">Cheat</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
If you have an xml cheat file in the directory, and you start <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> with <code>-cheat</code> (or setting <code>cheat</code> to “1” in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a>, or selecting cheats in the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>), here you will find the available cheats. Notice that cheat search is temporarily not available, as in <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="select_new_system" id="select_new_system">Select New System</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Here you can pass to emulate another system.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="return_to_system" id="return_to_system">Return to System</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Here, you exit from the menu to go back to the emulation!
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Internal UI Options" [116832-125443] -->
<h1><a name="new_ui_options" id="new_ui_options">New UI Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h4><a name="file_menu" id="file_menu">File Menu</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> Load State </td><td class="col1"> Load a saved system state </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> Save State </td><td class="col1"> Saves the exact state of a system so you can load it again </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> Save Screenshot </td><td class="col1"> Saves a screenshot </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> Exit </td><td class="col1"> Exits the system </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<h4><a name="edit_menu" id="edit_menu">Edit Menu</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> Paste </td><td class="col1"> Lets you paste text into certain computer drivers. </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<h4><a name="options_menu" id="options_menu">Options Menu</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> Pause </td><td class="col1"> Pauses <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> Reset </td><td class="col1"> Resets the loaded system </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> Keyboard </td><td class="col1"> Lets you setup keyboards for computer systems in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> Joysticks </td><td class="col1"> Lets you setup joystick controllers for systems in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row4">
<td class="col0"> Configuration </td><td class="col1"> Configure elements of certain drivers </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row5">
<td class="col0"> Dip Switches </td><td class="col1"> Sets internal dip switches used by certain systems. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row6">
<td class="col0"> Frameskip </td><td class="col1"> Sets how many frames are skipped to speed up <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> on slower systems. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row7">
<td class="col0"> Throttle </td><td class="col1"> Runs the loaded system as fast as your system will allow it to. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row8">
<td class="col0"> Show FPS </td><td class="col1"> Shows the frames per second of a running system. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row9">
<td class="col0"> Hide Menubar </td><td class="col1"> Hides the menubar. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row10">
<td class="col0"> Fullscreen </td><td class="col1"> Switches <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to fullscreen mode. </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<h4><a name="devices_menu" id="devices_menu">Devices Menu</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
This is where you load your software. On this menu you'll see all of the
compatible devices that the system supports. Just click a device,
select mount and a file window will open and let you select the file you
want. If the software is cassette based there are controls for the
“virtual” cassette player there too.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="help_menu" id="help_menu">Help Menu</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
<em> In progress</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "New UI Options" [125444-126834] -->
<h1><a name="gui_options" id="gui_options">GUI Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts9" id="shortcuts9">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#windows1" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Windows</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#other_operating_systems1" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Other Operating Systems</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "GUI Options" [126835-126960] -->
<h2><a name="windows1" id="windows1">Windows</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<h4><a name="file_menu1" id="file_menu1">File Menu</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> Run (Selected System) </td><td class="col1" colspan="2"> Runs the selected system in the system list </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> Play and Record Input </td><td class="col1" colspan="2"> Saves a file that contains all the control inputs that you make whilst running a system. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> Playback Input </td><td class="col1" colspan="2"> Lets you play back the Input file of you running a system. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> Select Random system </td><td class="col1" colspan="2"> Runs a system randomly from the list </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row4">
<td class="col0"> Open Other Software </td><td class="col1" colspan="2"> Lets you load software from a different folder. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row5">
<td class="col0"> Create Image </td><td class="col1" colspan="2"> Takes the software you've loaded and will save it as a snapshot image. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row6">
<td class="col0"> Properties </td><td class="col1" colspan="2"> Opens the currently selected systems properties box. Here you can find: </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row7">
<td class="col0 rightalign"> </td><td class="col1"> General </td><td class="col2"> Gives you information on the system. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row8">
<td class="col0 rightalign"> </td><td class="col1 leftalign"> Audit </td><td class="col2"> Tells you if you have a problem with the ROM file. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row9">
<td class="col0 rightalign"> </td><td class="col1"> Software </td><td class="col2"> Will let you add more folders of software for the selected system. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row10">
<td class="col0 rightalign"> </td><td class="col1" colspan="2"> Most of the other options are covered in the MESSUI Configuration section of the help file (that you can access form the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym> itself, in the Help menu) </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row11">
<td class="col0"> Audit All systems </td><td class="col1" colspan="2"> Check all of the systems in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to see if the rom files are OK. If this option report a faulty system you will need to re-download it. </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<h4><a name="view_menu" id="view_menu">View Menu</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> Toolbar </td><td class="col1"> Toggles the toolbar on the main <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> window </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> Status Bar </td><td class="col1"> Toggles the status bar on the main <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> window </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> Folder List </td><td class="col1"> Toggles the folders window on the main <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> window </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> Picture Area </td><td class="col1"> Toggles the Screen Shot window on the main <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> window </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row4">
<td class="col0"> Screenshot Tab </td><td class="col1"> Toggles whether the tabs above the screen shots are displayed. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row5">
<td class="col0"> Fullscreen </td><td class="col1"> Runs the MESSUI using the whole of your screen. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row6">
<td class="col0"> Show Pictures </td><td class="col1"> Lets you pick what pictures are shown in the picture area. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row7">
<td class="col0"> Large Icons </td><td class="col1"> Views the system list as Large icons </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row8">
<td class="col0"> Small Icons </td><td class="col1"> Views the system list as small icons </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row9">
<td class="col0"> List </td><td class="col1"> Views the system list as a list of systems </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row10">
<td class="col0"> Details </td><td class="col1"> Views the system list as a detailed list of systems </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row11">
<td class="col0"> Grouped </td><td class="col1"> Views the system list with parent systems and clones listed together. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row12">
<td class="col0"> Arrange Icons </td><td class="col1"> Arranges the icons on the system list if you have moved them </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row13">
<td class="col0"> Line Up Icons </td><td class="col1"> Lines up the icons in the main windows without sorting them. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row14">
<td class="col0"> Refresh </td><td class="col1"> Refresh the system list if you add new systems. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row15">
<td class="col0"> Custom Filters </td><td class="col1"> Lets you filter out unwanted system types in the folders window. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row16">
<td class="col0"> Customize Fields </td><td class="col1"> Lets you decide what information is displayed about systems in the detailed system list. </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<h4><a name="options_menu1" id="options_menu1">Options Menu</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> System List Font </td><td class="col1"> Lets you customize the font used to display system names. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> System List Clone Colour </td><td class="col1"> Lets you specify a color for systems that are clones to differentiate them. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> Directories </td><td class="col1"> Lets you add or override the default directories used by <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. Useful if you store you systems on CD for example. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row3">
<td class="col0"> Default System Options </td><td class="col1"> Lets you set the options used for every system in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> unless it is overridden by changing the systems properties. See below for details. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row4">
<td class="col0"> Reset To Default </td><td class="col1"> Resets all setting to the original default settings. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row5">
<td class="col0"> Interface Options </td><td class="col1"> Changes the settings for when MESSUI initially starts. </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row6">
<td class="col0"> Background Image </td><td class="col1"> Lets your pick an image to display as the background to the rom lists </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row7">
<td class="col0"> Language </td><td class="col1"> Lets you select an alternative language file if you have a problem understanding English. </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<h4><a name="help_menu1" id="help_menu1">Help Menu</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
Help and Readme Files
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Windows" [126961-130282] -->
<h2><a name="other_operating_systems1" id="other_operating_systems1">Other Operating Systems</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
There is no graphical user interface shipped with <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> on other OSes. You may be interested to use <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> in conjunction with some <a href="#frontends" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">frontend</a>, if you are really scared by command line programs.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Other Operating Systems" [130283-130527] -->
<h1><a name="video_options1" id="video_options1">Video Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts10" id="shortcuts10">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#overview2" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Overview</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#video_parameters" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Video Parameters</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#video_modes" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Video Modes</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#vertical_synchronization" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Vertical Synchronization</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#running_mess_in_a_window" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Running MESS in a Window</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#rotating_screen" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Rotating Screen</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#multiple_windows" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Multiple Windows</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#filters" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Filters</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#running_mess_in_full_screen" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Running MESS in Full Screen</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#artworks" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Artworks</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#stretching_and_scaling" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Stretching and Scaling</a> </td><td class="col3"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Video Options" [130528-131037] -->
<h2><a name="overview2" id="overview2">Overview</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Here we only analyze a few of the available video options for <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. A more detailed description of the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> video-related command line options and configuration options can be found at the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:usage" class="wikilink1" title="mess:usage">usage</a> and at the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> pages of this wiki, respectively.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Overview" [131038-131346] -->
<h2><a name="running_mess_in_a_window" id="running_mess_in_a_window">Running MESS in a Window</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To run <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> inside a window, you can use the command line option <code>-window</code>. Alternatively, you can set
</p>
<pre class="code">window 1</pre>
<p>
in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> or untick the Fullscreen settings in <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>.
</p>
<p>
Also, notice that you can force <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to start in a window which fills the screen by using the <code>-maximize</code> option.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Warning</strong>: for some reason <code>-maximize</code> does not work very well in (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> under MacOSX. If you are on a Mac and you select to run in a window, you should also add <code>-nomaximize</code>, or set
</p>
<pre class="code">maximize 0</pre>
<p>
in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Running MESS in a Window" [131347-131938] -->
<h2><a name="running_mess_in_full_screen" id="running_mess_in_full_screen">Running MESS in Full Screen</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To run <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> in full screen, you can use the command line option <code>-nowindow</code>. Alternatively, you can set
</p>
<pre class="code">window 0</pre>
<p>
in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> or tick the Fullscreen setting in <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Running MESS in Full Screen" [131939-132171] -->
<h2><a name="video_parameters" id="video_parameters">Video Parameters</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> let you
customize brightness, contrast and gamma parameters. You can change
these values in many different ways. They are present in the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>,
so you can tweak them before starting emulation. Alternatively, you can
modify them in real time by entering the Internal UI (press <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and selecting the <code>Slider Controls</code> menu (see also the <a href="#internal_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Internal UI</a> section).
Finally, at command line you can use the following options: <code>-brightness</code>, <code>-contrast</code> and <code>-gamma</code>.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="brightness" id="brightness">-brightness</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
This affects how bright will be all colors, black and white included,
during emulation. Notice that brightness parameter will affect also the
artwork, if present. You can choose any decimal value between 0.1 and
2.0 , 1.0 being the default one. If you increase this parameters you
will get a brighter screen.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="contrast" id="contrast">-contrast</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
This affects the amount of difference between black and white, used by
the screen. It only affects the emulated system, but not the Artwork or
the Internal UI menus. You can choose any decimal value between 0.1 and
2.0 , 1.0 being the default one. If you increase this parameter, you
will get a larger contrast between black and white.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="gamma" id="gamma">-gamma</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
This affects the difference of color values between black and white. It
only affects the emulated system, but not the Artwork or the Internal UI
menus. You can choose any decimal value between 0.1 and 3.0 , 1.0 being
the default one. If you increase this parameter, the middle value of a
color will move down, giving more bright levels than dark ones,
therefore increasing the overall brightness.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Video Parameters" [132172-133813] -->
<h2><a name="rotating_screen" id="rotating_screen">Rotating Screen</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> allows the
user to run emulation with a rotated and/or flipped screen. You can
select these rotation options in many different ways. They are present
in the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>, so you
can tweak them before starting emulation. Alternatively, you can modify
them in real time by entering the Internal UI (press <kbd>Tab</kbd>) and selecting the <code>Video Options</code> menu (see also the <a href="#internal_ui_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Internal UI</a> section).
Finally, at command line you can use the following options: <code>-ror</code>, <code>-rol</code>, <code>-flipx</code> and <code>-flipy</code>.
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="ror" id="ror">-ror</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
This option is used to rotate the game screen to the right (i.e. clockwise)
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="rol" id="rol">-rol</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
This option is used to rotate the game screen to the left (i.e. counterclockwise)
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="flipx" id="flipx">-flipx</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
This option is used to mirror the game screen horizontally
</p>
</div>
<h4><a name="flipy" id="flipy">-flipy</a></h4>
<div class="level4">
<p>
This option is used to mirror the game screen vertically
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Rotating Screen" [133814-134712] -->
<h2><a name="artworks" id="artworks">Artworks</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em>In progress</em>
<em>artwork options</em>
<em>-aspect</em>
<em>-resolution</em>
<em>-view</em>
<em>(also there are xxxxxN versions on Windows for separate screen settings!)</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Artworks" [134713-134887] -->
<h2><a name="video_modes" id="video_modes">Video Modes</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> allows you to choose also different video configurations, to improve compatibility with older video card. These settings are <acronym title="Operating System">OS</acronym>-depending.
</p>
<p>
If you are using <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> for Windows, you can select
</p>
<pre class="code">-video d3d
-video ddraw
-video gdi</pre>
<p>
D3D is the fastest setting, but it requires a Direct 3D 8+ compatible
graphics card. If your card is not compatible with latest Direct 3D, you
may want to try ddraw or gdi.
</p>
<p>
You can also select which version of Direct 3D libraries to use, by setting the <code>-d3dversion</code> options. You can only choose between 8 and 9 (corresponding to Direct 3D 8 and Direct 3D 9), 9 being the default.
</p>
<p>
If you are using (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you can select
</p>
<pre class="code">-video opengl
-video soft</pre>
<p>
OpenGL is the fastest setting, but it requires a OpenGL compatible
graphics card and drivers. Alternatively, you can choose the slower but
also more compatible soft rendering.
You can also select to use your own alternative GL library by setting
-gl_lib /path/to/libGL.so
and select which SDL video drivers to use, by setting the <code>-videodriver </code> option to “x11”, “directfb”, etc. or to “auto” which uses the SDL default.
</p>
<p>
In every operating system, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> also offers the option <code>-video none</code>
which doesn't output anything on screen. This is very useful for
benchmarking because it takes away any possible slowdown due to the
graphics card.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Video Modes" [134888-136260] -->
<h2><a name="multiple_windows" id="multiple_windows">Multiple Windows</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> also allows to open the emulation in multiple screens, by setting the <code>-numscreens</code>
option to an integer value greater than one. This will open multiple
screens for the emulation, each one configurable to its own resolution
etc.
At the moment, (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> only supports <code>-numscreen 1</code>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Multiple Windows" [136261-136585] -->
<h2><a name="stretching_and_scaling" id="stretching_and_scaling">Stretching and Scaling</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
You can force <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> to keep the aspect ratio of the emulated system despite any resizing of the window by using <code>-keepaspect </code>.
In full screen mode, this will make black borders to appear to
compensate your screen size vs. emulated screen size. If you turn this
off (with <code>-nokeepaspect</code>), the emulated screen will be stretched to fill the whole window/full screen.
</p>
<p>
Also you can decide to scale the system graphics before displaying it. This can be done by using the option <code>-prescale <n></code> with “n” an integer number (“1” is the defualt value)
</p>
<p>
(SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> also offers a few more scaling options, when in 'soft' video mode (see <a href="#video_modes" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Video Modes</a> section above). These can be selected by setting <code>-scalemode</code> to <code>async</code>, <code>yv12</code>, <code>yuy2</code>, <code>yv12x2</code>, <code>yuy2x2</code> or “none” (default value).
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Stretching and Scaling" [136586-137432] -->
<h2><a name="vertical_synchronization" id="vertical_synchronization">Vertical Synchronization</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you suffer from tearing or choppy scrolling, you can try to enable the <code>-waitvsync</code> option which will sync emulation to your monitor. This option works better in windowed mode.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Vertical Synchronization" [137433-137654] -->
<h2><a name="filters" id="filters">Filters</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> tries to
reproduce the original aspect of the emulated systems. Hence, no fancy
filters can be enabled. However, it offers a bilinear filter (active by
default) though the <code>-filter</code> option. Using this in conjunction with an <code>-effect</code>
mask, can produce a quite accurate representation of monitors and
television screens. You can turn the bilinear filter to off with <code>-nofilter</code>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Filters" [137655-138067] -->
<h1><a name="sound_options" id="sound_options">Sound Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts11" id="shortcuts11">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#overview3" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Overview</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#audio_modes" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Audio Modes</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#changing_volume" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Changing Volume</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#muting_mess" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Muting MESS</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#changing_samplerate" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Changing Samplerate</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#changing_latency" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Changing Latency</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Sound Options" [138068-138332] -->
<h2><a name="overview3" id="overview3">Overview</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Here we only analyze a few of the available sound options for <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. A more detailed description of the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> sound-related command line options and configuration options can be found at the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:usage" class="wikilink1" title="mess:usage">usage</a> and at the<a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> pages of this wiki, respectively.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Overview" [138333-138640] -->
<h2><a name="muting_mess" id="muting_mess">Muting MESS</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
You can easily deactivate sound in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> by using <code>-nosound</code> option. Notice that this option does not stop emulation of the sound hardware, it only mutes <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> output to your sound card.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Muting MESS" [138641-138854] -->
<h2><a name="audio_modes" id="audio_modes">Audio Modes</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
In (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> you can decide which SDL audio driver to use through the <code>-audiodriver</code> option. You can select “alsa”, “arts”, etc. or leave “auto” for SDL default driver.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Audio Modes" [138855-139052] -->
<h2><a name="changing_samplerate" id="changing_samplerate">Changing Samplerate</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
You can set the sound frequency used by <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> setting <code>-samplerate</code>
to your preferred value. The higher the number the better the sound
quality. However, sometimes this comes at expense of the performances on
older systems. Hence, you can set it to something lower than the
default 48000, e.g. to 11025, 22050 or 44100, and see if it better suits
your needs.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Changing Samplerate" [139053-139447] -->
<h2><a name="changing_volume" id="changing_volume">Changing Volume</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
You can change the volume, measured in db, of the sound emulation by using the <code>-volume</code>
option. This accepts an integer value (even a negative one!) which
represent the number of times the volume is doubled/halved. E.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -volume 3</pre>
<p>
will produce a volume which is doubled three times compared to the default.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe -volume -5</pre>
<p>
will give a volume which is halved five times compared to the default.
</p>
<p>
You can modify the volume also in real time, by pressing <kbd>Tab</kbd> and entering the <code>Slider Controls</code> menu.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Changing Volume" [139448-140008] -->
<h2><a name="changing_latency" id="changing_latency">Changing Latency</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you get crackling sound in the emulated system, you can try to modify audio latency which sets how much buffering <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is allowed to do when emulating sound. The default value is <code>-audio_latency 2</code>
but you can try to increase it to reduce glitches or decrease it to
improve responsiveness. However, before fiddling with this option, check
first
</p>
<ol>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> that you are running emulation at 100% (i.e. your computer is fast enough for the system you are emulating)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> that the emulated system is expected to have NO sound issues</div>
</li>
</ol>
<p>
Quite often imperfect sound is due to lack of CPU power or issues in the emulation.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Changing Latency" [140009-140652] -->
<h1><a name="controller_options" id="controller_options">Controller Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts12" id="shortcuts12">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#supported_controllers" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Supported Controllers</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#automatically_enabling_specific_controllers" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Automatically Enabling Specific Controllers</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#keymaps" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Keymaps</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row1">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#using_joysticks_and_mice" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Using Joysticks and Mice</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#joymaps" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Joymaps</a> </td><td class="col2"> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="row2">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#multiple_input_devices" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Multiple Input Devices</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#analog_deadzone" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Analog Deadzone</a> </td><td class="col2"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Controller Options" [140653-141054] -->
<h2><a name="supported_controllers" id="supported_controllers">Supported Controllers</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em>This entry refers to controllers on the user system. For emulated
controllers, i.e. the controllers that were used in the emulated
machines, please refer to <a href="#emulated_controllers_consoles" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">this</a> entry and <a href="#other_emulated_controllers_computers" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">this</a> entry.</em>
<em>You may also want to read <a href="http://mess.redump.net/howto:mess:inputdevices" class="wikilink1" title="howto:mess:inputdevices">this page</a> for a general discussion about input devices.</em>
</p>
<p>
The simple fact is, if Windows supports your joystick or gamepad and it
has been set up properly in the Windows Control Panel, there shouldn't
be an issue with <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> supporting it.
If you haven't configured your controller, then open the <code>Start → Settings → Control Panel</code>
window. In Windows 2000 and XP you will have a system Controllers icon.
You'll have to refer to the Windows help file to configure your
controller, but make sure that the main controller is “Joystick 1”.
</p>
<p>
A similar situation holds true for (SDL)<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>: if the SDL libraries recognize your controllers, the emulator will recognize them as well!
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Supported Controllers" [141055-142090] -->
<h2><a name="using_joysticks_and_mice" id="using_joysticks_and_mice">Using Joysticks and Mice</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
Once you have a joystick, a mouse or a lightgun recognized by your operating system, you can use it in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
by simply activating it at start. This can be done in various ways. If
you are using messui.exe in Windows, you can activate Joystick, Mouse
and Lightgun from the correspondent Input settings. Alternatively, you
can use at command line the options <code>-joystick</code>, <code>-mouse</code> and <code>-lightgun</code>, or modify the corresponding configuration options in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a>.
</p>
<p>
Namely,
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> You can activate Joystick support adding the <code>-joystick</code> option at command line, or setting to “1” the joystick line in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> </div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> You can activate Mouse support adding the <code>-mouse</code> option at command line, or setting to “1” the mouse line in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> </div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> You can activate Lightgun support adding the <code>-lightgun</code> option at command line, or setting to “1” the lightgun line in <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:mess.ini" class="wikilink1" title="mess:mess.ini">mess.ini</a> </div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Once your controller has been activated, its inputs will be recognized
in both “Input (general)” menu and “Input (this System)” menu of the
Internal UI, and you will be able to remap emulated axis and keys to
your controller.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Using Joysticks and Mice" [142091-143306] -->
<h2><a name="multiple_input_devices" id="multiple_input_devices">Multiple Input Devices</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
In <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> you can separate inputs from multiple keyboards and mice, by using the options <code>-multikeyboard</code> and <code>-multimouse</code>
<em>In progress</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Multiple Input Devices" [143307-143485] -->
<h2><a name="automatically_enabling_specific_controllers" id="automatically_enabling_specific_controllers">Automatically Enabling Specific Controllers</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
In <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> there are
also options which allow to automatically enable keyboard, mouse or
joystick when a particular class of devices is used by emulated system.
You can obtain this effect by setting the command line options
</p>
<pre class="code">-paddle_device
-adstick_device
-pedal_device
-dial_device
-trackball_device
-lightgun_device
-positional_device
-mouse_device</pre>
<p>
to one of the allowed values “none”, “keyboard”, “mouse”, “lightgun”,
“joystick”. E.g. to map dial inputs to a joystick you can use
</p>
<pre class="code">-dial_device joystick</pre>
<p>
Notice that your settings would be ignored if, in this case, you have no joysticks connected to your computer.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Automatically Enabling Specific Controllers" [143486-144181] -->
<h2><a name="joymaps" id="joymaps">Joymaps</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
The <code>-joystick_map</code> option allows to control how joystick values map to digital joystick controls. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
accepts all joystick input from the system as analog data. For true
analog joysticks, this needs to be mapped down to the usual 4-way or
8-way digital joystick values. To do this, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
divides the analog range into a 9×9 grid. It then takes the joystick
axis position (for X and Y axes only), maps it to this grid, and then
looks up a translation from a joystick map. This parameter allows you to
specify the map. The default is 'auto', which means that a standard
8-way, 4-way, or 4-way diagonal map is selected automatically based on
the input port configuration of the current game.
Maps are defined as a string of numbers and characters. Since the grid
is 9×9, there are a total of 81 characters necessary to define a
complete map. Below is an example map for an 8-way joystick:
</p>
<pre class="code">777888999 Note that the numeric digits correspond to the keys
777888999 on a numeric keypad. So '7' maps to up+left, '4' maps
777888999 to left, '5' maps to neutral, etc. In addition to the
444555666 numeric values, you can specify the character 's',
444555666 which means "sticky". In this case, the value of the
444555666 map is the same as it was the last time a non-sticky
111222333 value was read.
111222333
111222333
</pre>
<p>
To specify the map for this option, you can specify a string of rows
separated by a ”.” (which indicates the end of a row), like so
</p>
<pre class="code">777888999.777888999.777888999.444555666.444555666.444555666.111222333.111222333.111222333
</pre>
<p>
However, this can be reduced using several shorthands supported by the
<map> parameter. If information about a row is missing, then it is
assumed that any missing data in columns 5-9 are left/right symmetric
with data in columns 0-4; and any missing data in colums 0-4 is
assumed
to be copies of the previous data. The same logic applies to missing
rows, except that up/down symmetry is assumed.
By using these
shorthands, the 81 character map can be simply specified by this 11
character string: <code>7778…4445</code>
Looking at the first row, <code>7778</code>
is only 4 characters long. The 5th entry can't use symmetry, so it is
assumed to be equal to the previous
character '8'. The 6th character is
left/right symmetric with the 4th character, giving an '8'. The 7th
character is left/right symmetric
with the 3rd character, giving a '9'
(which is '7' with left/right flipped). Eventually this gives the full <code>777888999</code>
string of the row.
The second and third rows are missing, so they are
assumed to be identical to the first row. The fourth row decodes
similarly to the
first row, producing <code>444555666</code>. The fifth
row is missing so it is assumed to be the same as the fourth.
The
remaining three rows are also missing, so they are assumed to be the
up/down mirrors of the first three rows, giving three final rows
of <code>111222333</code>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Joymaps" [144182-147155] -->
<h2><a name="analog_deadzone" id="analog_deadzone">Analog Deadzone</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> also allows to specify a joystick deadzone for analog inputs which do not center properly, by using the <code>-joystick_deadzone</code> option. Setting e.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">-joystick_deadzone 0.4</pre>
<p>
will produce a dead area (where no joystick movements are detected)
equal to 40% of the joystick movement. The value specified can vary
between 0.0 and 1.0
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Analog Deadzone" [147156-147524] -->
<h2><a name="keymaps" id="keymaps">Keymaps</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
SDL only, for non-US keyboards
<em>In progress</em>
</p>
<p>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Keymaps" [147525-147596] -->
<h1><a name="cheat_options" id="cheat_options">Cheat Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts13" id="shortcuts13">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#activate_cheats" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Activate Cheats</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#cheat_format" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Cheat Format</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Cheat Options" [147597-147716] -->
<h2><a name="activate_cheats" id="activate_cheats">Activate Cheats</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
You can activate cheats in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> by selecting them in <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym> or by using the <code>-cheat</code> option at command line. Unfortunately, cheats are currently not working in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> after <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> 0.127 cheat rewrite.
</p>
<p>
More precisely, you can add cheat in xml format as system.xml but you
cannot currently add per game cheats as in previous versions. They
should be re-added soon.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Activate Cheats" [147717-148105] -->
<h2><a name="cheat_format" id="cheat_format">Cheat Format</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
When re-added, cheats will be in the new xml format <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> is using after 0.127. More info will come when support is added back.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Cheat Format" [148106-148259] -->
<h1><a name="save_options" id="save_options">Save Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts14" id="shortcuts14">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#nvram_of_the_emulated_hardware" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">NVRAM of the Emulated Hardware</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#mess_save_states" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">MESS Save States</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Save Options" [148260-148416] -->
<h2><a name="nvram_of_the_emulated_hardware" id="nvram_of_the_emulated_hardware">NVRAM of the Emulated Hardware</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
For system which had an internal backup system, or for carts which were able to save progresses in SRAM, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
offers the same feature by using .nv files inside the nvram/ directory.
These files contain the same data the original system (or cart) would
have saved.
</p>
<p>
SRAM support is not always perfectly supported. You can check <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo.dat</a> for more details about support in the various systems.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "NVRAM of the Emulated Hardware" [148417-148869] -->
<h2><a name="mess_save_states" id="mess_save_states">MESS Save States</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<pre class="code">-state
-autosave</pre>
<em>In progress</em>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "MESS Save States" [148870-148941] -->
<h1><a name="snapshot_options" id="snapshot_options">Snapshot Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts15" id="shortcuts15">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#save_a_snapshot" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Save a Snapshot</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#snapshot_naming_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Snapshot Naming Options</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Snapshot Options" [148942-149086] -->
<h2><a name="save_a_snapshot" id="save_a_snapshot">Save a Snapshot</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To save a snapshot (a.k.a. screenshot) of an emulated system in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, you simply have to press <kbd>F12</kbd> during emulation. The image will be saved in .png format in the snap/ directory.
The user can customize the resolution of the snapshot through the option <code>-snapsize</code> (either at command line or in mess.ini or in the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>).
Also, for games with an artwork, the user can decide if the artwork
must be included or not in the png. This can be chosen by using the
option <code>-snapview</code>. E.g. for pc1403 setting the default option
</p>
<pre class="code">-snapview internal</pre>
<p>
will produce a snapshot also including the artwork. Setting
</p>
<pre class="code">-snapview "Standard (4:3)"</pre>
<p>
will produce a snapshot without the artwork (only the digit display on a black background). The <code>-snapview</code> setting needed to exclude the artwork can be found in the <code>Video Options</code> menu of the Internal UI, since its name corresponds to the View Settings which turn off the artwork.
</p>
<p>
Remeber that, by default, the snapshot is saved with a progressive number into a subfolder named system/ (which <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> creates if there is none).
In other words, if you take a snap of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
running pce emulation, you will find a .png file as follows
“snap/pce/0000.png”
Following snapshots will be named in progressive order “0001.png”,
“0002.png” etc. However, the naming rules can be partially modified by
the user, as described in <a href="#snapshot_naming_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">next entry</a>.
</p>
<p>
<em>TO DO: Better explain the views and stress that they are the same
ones used in the -view command and that they can be found by loading a
game, pressing tab, selecting video options and checking out the views
in the list. The view used can also be different from the one you've got
displayed.</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Save a Snapshot" [149087-150827] -->
<h2><a name="snapshot_naming_options" id="snapshot_naming_options">Snapshot Naming Options</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
To customize the way snapshots are saved in the snap/ folder, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> offers the option <code>-snapname</code>. As of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> 0.142, you can choose various combinations of the following templates
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <code>/</code> = path separator</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <code>%g</code> = system name</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <code>%i</code> = index</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <code>%d_XXXX</code> = device <code>XXXX</code> (<code>XXXX</code> being the brief name of a media device)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
As an example,
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe adam -snapname %g</pre>
<p>
will save your first Coleco Adam snap as “adam.png” inside the snap/
folder, and then it will overwrite it whenever you press again <kbd>F12</kbd>. On the other hand,
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe adam -snapname %g%i</pre>
<p>
will save snapshots in the snap/ directory with progressive names “adam0000.png”, “adam0001.png”, etc. The default setting is
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe adam -snapname %g/%i</pre>
<p>
which produces a subfolder named adam/ which will contain all snapshots,
and the snaps will be named as “0000.png”, “0001.png”, etc.
</p>
<p>
Moreover, starting from <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> 0.142, it is possible to use the <code>%d_XXXX</code> template to name snaps after the name of the software file mounted in the media device <code>XXXX</code>.
E.g. you can use ”-snapname %d_cart” to use the name of the game
mounted in the cartslot, or ”-snapname %d_flop2” to use the name of the
program mounted in the second floppy drive, or ”-snapname %d_hard1” to
use the name of the hard disk mounted in the first HD drive, etc.
Remember that you can find out which media device are supported by each
system by using the <code>-listmedia</code> option.
</p>
<p>
If you are loading by fullpath, e.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe nes -cart "Super Mario.nes" -snapname %d_cart</pre>
<p>
pressing <kbd>F12</kbd> will create a “Super Mario.png” file in the
snap/ directory. While if you are loading through software lists, then
its shortname will be used, e.g.
</p>
<pre class="code">mess.exe nes -cart smb -snapname %d_cart</pre>
<p>
will result in a “smb.png” file in the snap/ directory.
</p>
<p>
Of course, any combination of the <code>%d_xxxx</code> template with the old <code>/</code>, <code>%g</code> and <code>%i</code> templates is supported as well.
</p>
<p>
Notice that if you specify an invalid -snapname template, or if you specify an invalid device (like <code>%d_cass</code> for a system without tape support), or if you have no software mounted in the chosen media device, then <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> will revert to the default template <code>%g/%i</code>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Snapshot Naming Options" [150828-153060] -->
<h1><a name="recording_options" id="recording_options">Recording Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> offers various different recording options. You can record
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> video directly in .avi format</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> video in .mng format (basically, a sequence of .png files)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> audio in .wav format</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> inputs, to allow playback of great play</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Each different recording alternative is controlled by a specific option.
Recall that you can combine these options. E.g. you can first record a
great play as an .inp file, without any slowdown due to the ongoing
recording, and then use the playback function to record an .avi of the
play, which can be shared afterwards.
</p>
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts16" id="shortcuts16">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#recording_avi_movies" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Recording AVI Movies</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#recording_mng_movies" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Recording MNG Movies</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#recording_wav" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Recording WAV</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#recording_inputs" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Recording Inputs</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Recording Options" [153061-153842] -->
<h2><a name="recording_avi_movies" id="recording_avi_movies">Recording AVI Movies</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
You can record .avi movies of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulation by using the <code>-aviwrite</code>
option at command line. The resulting movie will be output in the
snapshot folder (snap/ by default) as <system>.avi. Notice that
the output is an uncompressed .avi file and can be very large (hundreds
of MBs for less than a minute of video, in some cases)!
</p>
<p>
Also .avi recording is influenced by <code>-snapsize</code> and <code>-snapview</code> options
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Recording AVI Movies" [153843-154286] -->
<h2><a name="recording_mng_movies" id="recording_mng_movies">Recording MNG Movies</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
You can record .mng movies of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulation by using the <code>-mngwrite</code>
option at command line. The resulting movie will be output in the
snapshot folder (snap/ by default) as <system>.mng. Notice that
.mng files do not have audio. Hence, you may want to use this option in
combination with the audio recording <code>-wavwrite</code>
</p>
<p>
Also, .mng recording is influenced by <code>-snapsize</code> and <code>-snapview</code> options, hence take a look to the <a href="#snapshot_options" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Snapshot Options</a> section of this Manual.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Recording MNG Movies" [154287-154815] -->
<h2><a name="recording_wav" id="recording_wav">Recording WAV</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
You can record a .wav file of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulation by using the <code>-wavwrite</code> option at command line. The resulting audio recording will be output in the same directory as <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> as <system>.wav.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Recording WAV" [154816-155032] -->
<h2><a name="recording_inputs" id="recording_inputs">Recording Inputs</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
You can record a .inp file of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulation by using the <code>-record</code>
option at command line, followed by a <name>.inp parameter. The
resulting .inp recording will be output in inp/ directory as
<name>.inp. You can replay the .inp file by using the <code>-playback</code> option, followed by the <name>.inp parameter of the .inp file you want to playback.
</p>
<p>
<em> TO DO: verify which snap options influence .avi and .mng recording</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Recording Inputs" [155033-155485] -->
<h1><a name="system_specific_options" id="system_specific_options">System Specific Options</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
<p>
Please refer to sysinfo.dat or to the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/sysinfo" class="wikilink1" title="sysinfo">sysinfo</a> section of the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> Wiki to find instructions on how to use various media devices in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulated systems.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "System Specific Options" [155486-155685] -->
<h1><a name="mess_tools" id="mess_tools">MESS Tools</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts17" id="shortcuts17">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#chdman" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">chdman</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#casstool" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">casstool</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#imgtool" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">imgtool</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#wimgtool" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">wimgtool</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "MESS Tools" [155686-155824] -->
<h2><a name="chdman" id="chdman">chdman</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "chdman" [155825-155861] -->
<h2><a name="casstool" id="casstool">casstool</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "casstool" [155862-155900] -->
<h2><a name="imgtool" id="imgtool">imgtool</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "imgtool" [155901-155938] -->
<h2><a name="wimgtool" id="wimgtool">wimgtool</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
<em> In progress</em>
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "wimgtool" [155939-155978] -->
<h1><a name="mess_error_messages" id="mess_error_messages">MESS Error Messages</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<h5><a name="shortcuts18" id="shortcuts18">Shortcuts</a></h5>
<div class="level5">
<table class="inline">
<tbody><tr class="row0">
<td class="col0"> <a href="#missing_files" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Missing Files</a> </td><td class="col1"> <a href="#software_not_found" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Software Not Found</a> </td><td class="col2"> <a href="#device_not_found" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Device Not Found</a> </td><td class="col3"> <a href="#wrong_system_name" title="mess:howto ↵" class="wikilink1">Wrong System Name</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "MESS Error Messages" [155979-156196] -->
<h2><a name="missing_files" id="missing_files">Missing Files</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you receive a
</p>
<pre class="code"><file> NOT FOUND
ERROR: required files are missing, the system cannot be run.</pre>
<p>
message, you need to find the files which are missing.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Missing Files" [156197-156381] -->
<h2><a name="software_not_found" id="software_not_found">Software Not Found</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you receive a
</p>
<pre class="code">Device Cartslot load () failed: File not found</pre>
<p>
message, or a
</p>
<pre class="code">Device Floppy Disk load () failed: File not found</pre>
<p>
message, or a similar one, you need to check if you gave the right path for the software.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Software Not Found" [156382-156637] -->
<h2><a name="device_not_found" id="device_not_found">Device Not Found</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you receive a
</p>
<pre class="code">Error: unknown option: -carts</pre>
<p>
message, you need to check which device options you have used vs. which device options are supported by the system (using <code>-listmedia</code>)
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Device Not Found" [156638-156856] -->
<h2><a name="wrong_system_name" id="wrong_system_name">Wrong System Name</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
<p>
If you receive a
</p>
<pre class="code">"<system>" approximately matches the following
supported systems (best match first):</pre>
<p>
message, you need to check what is the correct name of the system you want to run.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Wrong System Name" [156857-] -->
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