Author Topic: Updating DAT File?  (Read 3382 times)

Offline Ellimist

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Updating DAT File?
« on: September 14, 2022, 12:52:27 AM »
Hello,

This may be a stupid question but I am getting my feet under me in trying to understand how I might contribute to the project.

Can someone tell me why the Arcade DAT file (https://github.com/libretro/FBNeo/blob/master/dats/FinalBurn%20Neo%20(ClrMame%20Pro%20XML%2C%20Arcade%20only).dat) seems to lack a lot of available arcade ROMs? Example would be The First Funky Fighter  (funkyfig.zip)

Is this something I could contribute when I find ones that are missing? Or is there a specific reason they were left out?

Thank you!

Offline barbudreadmon

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Re: Updating DAT File?
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2022, 02:38:35 AM »
Adding support for 1 new machine emulating 1 or several games requires dozens/hundreds hours of work.
Except if you are a developper i don't see how you are gonna help us with that.

Offline Ellimist

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Re: Updating DAT File?
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2022, 09:28:21 AM »
Thank you for the response. Is there anywhere you can direct me to read Developer documentation so I can take some baby steps? I am reasonably proficient behind a compiler, but not very familiar with old retro code.

Offline barbudreadmon

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Re: Updating DAT File?
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2022, 09:14:19 AM »
There is no developper documentation, the best i can do is provide some example :
https://github.com/finalburnneo/FBNeo/commit/632f8cf12eb219ba6eb3336e31ad596ec9c93130

The BurnDriver struct at the end of the file links everything together :
- various structs to define inputs, romset content, dipswitches, ...
- various functions to init, exit, run a frame, draw to framebuffer, save state, ...

Note that this machine already had all of its components emulated (z80, ay8910, ...). If it didn't, we'd have to emulate the missing components first.
The code responsible for emulating components can be found at :
- https://github.com/finalburnneo/FBNeo/tree/master/src/cpu => cpu
- https://github.com/finalburnneo/FBNeo/tree/master/src/burn/snd => sound boards
- https://github.com/finalburnneo/FBNeo/tree/master/src/burn/devices => various other components