Startup Parameters

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Variables

Metropolis Launcher supports user-defined startup parameters with variables. Variables are always enclosed in percent-signs. It is strongly recommended that any variable containing paths is enclosed in double quotation marks,e.g. "%romfullpath%", else paths with spaces will not be entirely recognized.

 

The following variables are supported:

 

%emudir%

The directory of the emulator

%emuexe%

The executable's filename of the emulator

%emufullpath%

The full path to the emulator including the executable

%romdir%

The directory to the rom/disk image/cd image file

%romfile%

The filename of the rom/disk image/cd image file

%romfullpath%

The full path to the rom/disk image/cd image file including the file

%multivolume%

All the applicable parameters for multiple volumes, see below

%listfile%

Path to generated list file with .txt file extension.

%listfile.ext%

Path to generated list file with defined file extension (here: .ext).

 

Multi Volume Parameters

 

For some platforms you have to work with multiple volumes (i.e. disk images, cd images etc.) and want to provide them to the emulator for e.g. quick change of volumes.

 

In order to achieve this, you

- put the variable %multivolume% in the startup parameter (with or without any additional parameters if necessary)

- switch to the Multiple Volumes tab and provide for each Disc/Volume the appropriate Parameter including variables.

 

Important: In most cases you should provide a space character in front of each parameter section! Else consecutive parameters will be added together without a space between them.

 

When you start a game, Metropolis Launcher only uses the Discs/Volumes that the game provides as parameters.

 

Multi Volume Parameters - Examples

 

The following examples show you how to set up certain emulators for multiple volumes

 

Multi Volume Parameters for Vice C64 Emulator

 

Important: This is just an example and it would only support up to 4 diskettes. Some games also don't support more than one disk drive. Use List Files instead in order to use flip lists containing much more diskettes for a single disk drive.

 

The C64 Emulator of Vice (x64.exe) allows the following command line parameters for disk images (taken from the documentation in html/vice_3.html#SEC22):

 

-autostart IMAGE

    Autostart `IMAGE'

 

-8 NAME

-9 NAME

-10 NAME

-11 NAME

    Attach `NAME' as a disk image to device 8, 9, 10 or 11. 

 

if you provide -autostart, the image will be mounted in device 8, so we end up with the following set up:

 

1. Set the startup parameter to %multivolume%

 

2. Switch to the Multiple Volumes tab

 

3. Press the Add Button on the Multiple Volumes tab, select "Volume/Disc 01" in the Disc/Volume column and set the parameter to  -autostart "%romfullpath%"

 

4. Press the Add Button on the Multiple Volumes tab, select "Volume/Disc 02" in the Disc/Volume column and set the parameter to  -9 "%romfullpath%"

 

5. Press the Add Button on the Multiple Volumes tab, select "Volume/Disc 03" in the Disc/Volume column and set the parameter to  -10 "%romfullpath%"

 

6. Press the Add Button on the Multiple Volumes tab, select "Volume/Disc 04" in the Disc/Volume column and set the parameter to  -11 "%romfullpath%"

 

Important: don't forget the space in front of each parameter!

 

After following the steps, your Vice C64 emulator settings should look like this:

 

Emulator_Settings-Startup_Parameters-WinVice01

 

Emulator_Settings-Startup_Parameters-WinVice02

 

Multi Volume Parameters for FS-UAE

 

FS-UAE needs a kickstart rom location and supports a list of swappable floppy images. The command line arguments are the following:

 

--kickstart_file=PATHTOKICKSTART

 Provided Kickstart file

 

--floppy_drive_X=PATHTOIMAGE_X

 Mounted image in drive X

 

--floppy_image_Y=PATHTOIMAGE_Y

 Image Y in swappable image list

 

For this example we use one virtual floppy drive with the first disk inserted and a list of up to 8 swappable disk images. We will also provide the kickstart rom to the emulator.

 

1. Set the startup parameter to --kickstart_file="d:\Kickstarts\a500.rom" %multivolume%

 

2. Open the Multiple Volumes tab and press the Add Button 8 times

   Entries for Disk/Volume 01 - 08 will be created

 

3. Fill in the parameter entries as follows:

 

   Disc/Volume 01

--floppy_drive_0="%romfullpath%" --floppy_image_0="%romfullpath%"

   Disc/Volume 02

--floppy_image_1="%romfullpath%"

   Disc/Volume 03

--floppy_image_2="%romfullpath%"

   Disc/Volume 04

--floppy_image_3="%romfullpath%"

   Disc/Volume 05

--floppy_image_4="%romfullpath%"

   Disc/Volume 06

--floppy_image_5="%romfullpath%"

   Disc/Volume 07

--floppy_image_6="%romfullpath%"

   Disc/Volume 08

--floppy_image_7="%romfullpath%"

 

Important: Don't forget the space in front of each parameter!

 

After following the steps, your FS-UAE emulator settings should look like this:

 

Emulator_Settings-Startup_Parameters-FS-UAE01

 

Emulator_Settings-Startup_Parameters-FS-UAE02

 

List Files

 

In order to feed multiple roms/cd images/diskette images to an emulator, some emulators support text-based list files as startup parameter. Metropolis Launcher lets you define such lists with the List Generator. Furthermore Metropolis Launcher ships with the following list definitions:
 
- VICE emulator flip list for device 8
- Mednafen m3u list        Important: Metropolis Launcher generates m3u files with absolute paths. You need to set filesys.untrusted_fip_check 0 in your mednafen.cfg for it to work.
 
The generated list files can be used as startup parameter for the emulator by using the variable %listfile%, which provides a filepath with .txt file ending. A user-defined file ending can be achieved by providing the variable %listfile.ext% where ext is the extension (e.g. %listfile.m3u% generates a file with .m3u extension).