Utilities

Automations

• Autohotkey

Automate your applications. Maybe used for these games, that have trouble to get working in a cabinet (most wrappers seen to made in this utility)

• AutoIt

Powerful scripting application that can be used to write wrappers. Can compile compile scripts to executables.

• Joy2Key

Program to simulate keypresses from joystick inputs (useful for some emulators)

• XPAdder

Great software for keyboard and mouse emulation. (By Jonathan)

Generators

• Mame LCDGen

LCD text file generator for creating *.lcd files to send to a LCD attached to your PC's com port, typically used in a Mamecab in conjunction with Mamewah or other frontend. (By Silver)

• mng2avi

The mng2avi is a utility which converts MNG video files into AVI video files. It does this by first breaking down the MNG file into a series of pngs, then running a VirtualDub script to create the AVI file. Optionally, mng2avi can be used to create demo loop movies directly from MAME's MNG output. (By Buddabing)

• mng2avi

Another mng2avi program. (By Silver)

• ListGen

This utility, written by Buddabing, uses a free SQL engine (SQLite) to create an internal table from MAME's -listxml output that can be used to generate MAMEWah game lists. It also can be used to generate batch files for Buddabing's MAME Movie Maker. ListGen is a fast, open source way to filter game lists.

• ROMLister

A windows GUI based application that also uses MAME's xml output file to allow you to create custom filtered lists of games based on your input criteria. (# of buttons, joystick type, monitor orientation, etc) The program can create numerous output files, including XML, CSV, and batch files for quickly copying all of the target ROMs to your machine. Open source and freeware.

Label Layout Software

Johnny 5

Johnny5 is a label layout program, controls viewer, and artwork generator, written by Howard_Casto of the BYOAC community. You take your own background image and add where you want your labels to go, such as Up, Fire, etc. Johnny then takes information from controls.dat to populate the labels and creates a psudeo-interactive display from it. Optionally, Johnny can just save the display to a file via command-line. J5 can also display instruction cards, control panel images and supports the command.dat. Johnny also includes a GUI.

You can find full information about Johnny 5 controls viewer on at http://www.mameworld.net/tigerheli/johnny

• Johnny 5 home page

CPMaker

CPMaker is a label layout program, control panel layout program, controls viewer, and artwork generator, written by Buddabing. The CPMaker GUI, which was released in February 2006, allows the user to easily create his or her own control panel out of artwork pieces.

• CPMaker home page

CPViewer

CPViewer is a label layout program and controls viewer, created by John Crouse (aka jcrouse).

jcrouse says this about what CPViewer is:

"CPViewer is an add-on for Mame. More specifically for the front-end you use to launch your Mame games.

It uses a file called controls.ini (part of controls.dat) to lookup the controls for a particular game. 'It then displays them on the screen so you know what buttons and movements perform what actions in the game that is currently highlighted in your front-end.

Did you ever sit do to play a little and decide to try a new game? Then ask yourself, "What buttons do what?"

Well if the game has been documented in the controls.ini file, this won't happen again. Simply press a hotkey (one of your control panel buttons) and a graphic of your control panel will be displayed with all of the character movements or button assignments displayed so you know what buttons perform what actions. It's that simple."

• CPViewer home page

CPWizard

CPWizard is a control panel editor, control panel (controls.dat), game info (listinfo.xml/Catver.ini/nplayers.ini/HallOfFame.xml), game history (history.dat), mame info (mameinfo.dat), special moves (command.dat) and hiscore (story.dat) viewer. (By HeadKaze)

CPWizard is a CP editor and viewer with a graphics library designed to build a custom CP. It runs resident in the icon tray and can be invoked by pressing pause in Mame without the need for command line options. It can export CP as images or bezel artwork that can be toggled on or off inside Mame. It also supports emulators other than Mame.

• CPWizard Home Page

Misc Tools

• Daemon Tools

Program to create virtual drives (useful for mounting CD images) (Warning: Some copyprotections do not like this Utilitiy.

• MultiRes

Program to change the screen resolution (inc. from a commandline)

• PowerStrip

Program for setting custom resolutions. See Custom Windows Display Modes with * Soft-15khz

• MAME Resolution Tool

Tool for generating cfg files with resolutions to match real games. (By MinWah)

• AvRes

Another tool for generating cfg files with resolutions to match real games

• Soft-15k

A simple tool programming videocard drivers to support 15 Khz AND arcade resolutions. Supports ATI Catalyst, NVidia ForceWare, Matrox PowerDesk and various 3Dfx Voodoo3/4/5 drivers. (By SailorSat) Soft-15khz

• CabVol

Control volume with your spinner/trackball/joysticks/buttons. (By Ahofle)

• VolumeTray

This little utility lets me map a single button/control on my control panel for Volume up and down that works regardless of emulator.

• Mame Compiler 64

FE to help compiling Mame and applying diff patches. Supports Mame32/64/MameUI32/64. (By HeadKaze)

• XYNTService

This utility lets you start and stop any program as if it were a Windows System Service. This is especially useful for starting programs in the background even if you have Windows set up to boot directly into your Frontend.

• Instant Sheller

Hide Windows boot up screen, cursors, desktop and boot straight into a Front End. (By Tom Speirs)

See also

• Technical design software
• Graphics software