Utilities

Input Mapping Software

• 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 custom 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)

List 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 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. (By Buddabing)

• 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. (By NOP)

• MultiMame

MultiMAME is a command line application which makes multiple emulators and/or subset of games look like a single emulator. (By Lilwolf)

Control Panel Software

Johnny 5

Johnny5 is a label layout program, controls viewer, and artwork generator. 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. (By Howard Casto)

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. 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. (By Buddabing)

• CPMaker home page

CPViewer

CPViewer is a label layout program and controls viewer.

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." (By John Crouse)

• 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.

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. (By HeadKaze)

• CPWizard Home Page

Video Tools

• MultiRes

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

• PowerStrip

Program for setting custom resolutions. See Custom display modes (Windows) - Powerstrip

• MAME Resolution Tool

Tool for generating cfg files with resolutions to match closest authentic resolution for games. (By MinWah)

• AvRes

Another tool for generating cfg files with resolutions to match closest authentic resolution for 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. See Soft-15khz. (By SailorSat)

• iRotate

iRotate uses the hardware rotation capabilities of the video card to rotate the screen.

LED Software

• LEDWiz SDK

LEDWiz SDK. (By RandyT / MikeQ / HeadKaze)

• PACDrive SDK

PACDrive SDK. (By HeadKaze)

• LuminAudio Engine™

LuminAudio Engine™ is a "light organ" application for the LED-Wiz and LED-Wiz+GP Lighting and output controllers. (By RandyT)

Front-End / Jukebox Plugins

• Mala LEDWiz Plugin

MaLa LEDWiz plugin (By Loadman & Edge)

• Emu-Wave Plugin

MaLa plugin that plays wav files (By Loadman)

• LEDBlinky w/ Animation Editor

Arcade LED Control software and Animation Editor (LWAX format). Supports LEDWiz and PACDrive. (By Arzoo)

• PluginLCD

GameEx plugin that supports LEDWiz, PACDrive, BetaBrite, BPP-440, CrystalFontz, PJRC, ProLite hardware devices. It also supports Speech and Sample event driven effects. (By HeadKaze)

• UltraStik Plugin

GameEx plugin for UltraStik 360 (By Oqqalz)

• UltraStik Mapper plugin

Mala plugin for UltraStik 360 (By FatFingers)

• Mala Plugins

Other Mala Plugins

• GameEx Plugins

Other GameEx Plugins

• JukePlugSys

Jukebox Plugin System. (By Unclet / Space Fractal / HeadKaze / Loadman)

Misc Tools

• Daemon Tools

Program to create virtual drives (useful for mounting CD images)

• 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 Mame 32/64 and MameUI 32/64. (By HeadKaze)

• Hiscore Diff's

Hiscore diff's for all MAME versions without hiscore support (107u2 - current). (By MKChamp)

• 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. (By Xiangyang Liu)

• Instant Sheller

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

• Mame Interop SDK

The MameInterop SDK is a collection of source code projects to help with writing applications that communicate with Mame using it's built in output system developed by the MAME Team. (By MAME Team / HeadKaze / Howard Casto)

See also

• Technical design software
• Graphics software