using gameex to pass commands to old computer emulators

[keno411]

heres the issue. I just want to be able to play the games of the old computer systems, like the apple II or the acorn Archimedes, etc. don't ask me why lol. I have no interest in actually dealing with their emulated operating systems. I just want to pick the game in my user interface and just have it start automatically without having to remember the command lines for each system that start that systems games. however the Microsoft MSX is the only old comp with an emulator that has an autostart feature (that im aware of). so I can get that one to run by passing the - autostart command, but the others remain a mystery to me. I have a list of the command lines for the other systems, but I don't know how to pass those command lines correctly through the gameex interface. I have tried including them in the command line register as stuff like - CHAIN @ @ [romfile], CHAIN @ @ [romfile/romname], etc (using the @ symbol instead of the " symbol because on that particular system @ = ") I have also tried using the advanced emulator setup config and tried to pass the command using the register for "PRESS THESE KEYS after such and such seconds" and even though I allow plenty of seconds to elapse, it doesn't work and no automatic typing occurs inside the emulated OS. im out of options with what I know. any help? you can just give me a command line example for one system and tell me where to shove it and I can almost probably figure out the rest for myself

[Zorlon]

No idea what GameEx is, sounds like a front end to me

Kinda pointless though for the systems you want to emulate, including the MSX that does not just play carts but other media as well that use various ways of loading, however carts will auto load tapes will never auto load same goes for discs

Most of the systems you listed will not work properly with GameEx or any front end system because of the way they work, if the emulator in question does not have file association then no front end will be able to load discs tapes or anything else for that matter, front end like game Ex are ok with cart systems but systems that used disc or tape media this will not be too helpful if at all, commands like BLOAD"" ect can't be done via front end either

Computer systems that use MS Basic or other commend line operation within the OS emulated can't be executed extenally as a DOS based commend line that GameEx does (Just remembered what GameEx is I used to use it myself a long time ago, it's good for console emulators because they do have DOS commend line options or enough to load a rom externally or a drop rom on emulator function that would auto load the game, but most home computer based emulators don't have this due to the complex way they load software)

[keno411]

zorlon, yes its pointless. it only serves my sense of completion. and yeah gameex is a front end for mame and other emulators. im just calling it a gui, cuz that's what I call other things that serve the same purpose. like you would call a program that helps you pass commands to visual basic a graphical user interface. sorry for the confusion.

at any rate, im not exactly trying to pass an autostart command here, and I believe that gameex IS able to pass - tape and - disc commands because I can pass those commands through gameex and when the emulated OS shows up, the tape or disc file is loaded into the correct emulated slot (this gets a bit trickier when a game needs to have multiple tapes loaded in multiple slots to run, but that part is also not insurmountable). the problem is that, after the tape/disc/cart is loaded into the correct slot, the OS now needs a command line to tell it to run the tape/disc/cart that is in the loaded slot. this pretty much means that the front end must pass THAT particular command to the OS itself, not the emulator. so I was just wondering if anyone who has experience with gameex has had any success in this matter, but im willing to wager that most ppl in here who know what they are doing disdain ppl like me who use front ends lol

ok after you edited your reply, I kinda think we are more on the same page now. so...what about the feature that allows me to pass key presses instead of command lines? that's still going to the emulator instead of the OS isn't it? if so, what is that useful for?

[Zorlon]

None do you are stuck with using in system commands in the emulated systems

there are a few old computer systems that you can make autoexec.bat's for like PC98 but most of those old computer systems no there is nothing you can do about it, you will just have to go through the normal loaders or Basic load options like Load "" that I know can be hard to do on some systems because they use obscure keyboard pressed to get that or have obsc ure load commands like the MSX or the Amstrad

[keno411]

yeah, that's not the answer I wanted, but certainly the answer I was prepared for. thanks for your time man. I know youre a busy guy.

[keno411]

hey zorlon, as a sidebar that doesn't deserve its own thread: being that you are the emulator god here, and I sense that you have a certain affinity for the sega Saturn because of its advanced use of co-processors (the assumption being made because I have to read about it every time I go to dl Saturn ISOs ) .....I know that you probably have 100 requests that you haven't the time or attention to get to, so if I may, let me add another.... make us an Atari jaguar emulator that's worth a darn!

[Zorlon]

lol I don't program I don't even emulate that much nower days, well not on PC anyway

As it happens I own the Saturn and can play all the games on real hardware (well it can now I added a PAL/NTSC switch)

I like do Sega hardware but I also like Nintendo Atari and every other one out there lol, Sega does keep itself in my life though mostly via the Dreamcast

[keno411]

cool. well I really liked the little blurb screen that comes up and tells you about the sega Saturn. I enjoy reading bits of nominal info like that. kudos!