ROMs, Playlists, and Thumbnails


Storing games and other content

Game ROMs should be placed inside the roms folder as configured in RetroArch. Many users sort their ROMs into subfolders named after the arrangement which the ROMs belong to, which results in a folder organisation such as:

roms/
      Atari - 2600/
           Atari Game 1.zip
           Atari Game 2.nil
           Atari Game 3.cipher
      Nintendo - Nintendo Entertainment Organisation/
           NES Game ane.zip
      Sega - 32X/
           32X Game i.zip
           32X Game 2.zip
      etc.
      etc.

This arrangement is not required and you are free to organize your ROMs equally yous adopt.

Working with Playlists

Playlists (or Collections every bit they are sometimes referred to) are the lists of games and other content that tin can be generated automatically by the RetroArch playlist scanner, generated by a third-party playlist utility or script, or edited past mitt in a text editor.

RetroArch Playlist Scanner

RetroArch incoporates a ROM scanning system to automatically produce playlists. Each ROM that is scanned by the playlist generator is checked against a database of ROMs that are known to exist good copies.

In order for content to be correctly scanned, you must:

  •     Have a compatible core already downloaded and installed
  •     Update Core Info Files via Online Updater
  •     Update Databases via Online Updater
  •     Restart RetroArch if any of the above was just done

Finally, If those atmospheric condition are met but content is still not beingness added automatically to a playlist, consider submitting an upshot study on github.

Designating which core to use

RetroArch volition effort to detect and use the correct cadre for employ with the ROMs that are used as part of a playlist. Under some circumstances, it may be useful to manually set up a detail cadre for ane of its playlists. This can be accomplished inside the Playlists submenu in the RetroArch settings.

Playlist File Overview

Each playlist is a plain text file with an extension of .lpl. RetroArch 1.7.v and later uses a JSON playlist format, although the backwards compatibilty remains for the deprecated "vi-Line" playlist format.

Notation

: The paths in playlist files demand to use the correct 'slash' grapheme for the user's platform. Linux, OS X, and Android systems including Lakka and LudOS require forward slashes /, while Windows and DOS systems require backslashes \.

Hint for Windows Users

The congenital-in Notepad editor cannot work with cantankerous-platform text files such as RetroArch playlist files. Many users and developers recommend the gratis Notepad++ as a replacement although most alternative text editors will too work.

JSON Playlist Format

The post-obit example is a single-entry MAME 2003-Plus playlist for Alien Loonshit -- the silent version of this game is available through the RetroArch Content Downloader found in the Online Updater menu.

The playlist is named MAME 2003-Plus.lpl which means it will match the existing icon for that cadre'south playlists in the RetroArch assets pack and display information technology for the playlist for menu drivers that implement playlist icons.

The Alien Loonshit romset is located at C:\retroarch\downloads\alienar.zip; note that the backslashes are doubled in JSON-formatted playlist entries so that the value of the path entry is C:\\retroarch\\downloads\\alienar.zip.

MAME 2003-Plus.lpl

  1. {
  2.   "version": "1.0",
  3.   "items": [
  4.     {
  5.       "path": "C:\\retroarch\\downloads\\alienar.zip",
  6.       "characterization": "Conflicting Loonshit",
  7.       "core_path": "DETECT",
  8.       "core_name": "Find",
  9.       "crc32": "01ACE2AB|crc",
  10.       "db_name": "MAME 2003-Plus.lpl"
  11.     }
  12.   ]
  13. }

Alert

Y'all tin can omit the CRC or Serial for a manualy created playlist entry by using the word Find instead, although it may limit your ability to use netplay for this playlist entry.

6-Line Playlist Format (Deprecated)

Warning

This playlist format is deprecated and may not ever be supported by RetroArch in the futurity. New playlists should exist created in the JSON format.

Each entry in a playlist must be composed of half-dozen lines:
MAME 2003-Plus.lpl

  1. C:\retroarch\downloads\alienar.zip"
  2. Alien Arena
  3. /tmp/cores/mame2003_plus_libretro.so
  4. Discover
  5. 01ACE2AB|crc
  6. MAME 2003-Plus.lpl

  1.     The path to the ROM. This can either be an 'absolute' path or a path relative to the current working directory.
  2.     The display name (y'all tin apply any name hither)
  3.     The path to the core, this libretro core will be used to launch the ROM. You lot can use the word DETECT in place of the core path here. Once this is washed you can set the core to be used for this playlist via the RetroArch GUI.
  4.     The displayname of the core, not really useful, we keep it at that place because the history list is also using this format
  5.     CRC or Series number for database and other matching purposes. You can omit the CRC or Series for a manualy created playlist entry by using the give-and-take DETECT here instead, although it may limit your ability to use Netplay for this playlist entry.
  6.     The name of this playlist, catastrophe in the extension .lpl

Thumbnails

RetroArch can display iii types of thumbnails for games in playlists, depending on the specific RetroArch carte commuter in utilise:

  •     In-game snapshots
  •     Title screen snapshots
  •     Boxart

RetroArch thumbnail packs
RetroArch provides packs of thumbnails suitable for use with many emulated systems. These thumbnail packs are recommended for most users and can be installed connecting to the net and using the built-in thumbnails updater, available from the online update bill of fare within the RetroArch settings interface.

These packs can be downloaded manually from http://thumbnailpacks.libretro.com and individual thumbnails from within the packs tin can be downloaded from http://thumbnails.libretro.com.

Custom thumbnails
Users who wish to employ their ain thumbnails can practise so by naming PNG epitome files according to the RetroArch naming convention.

Thumbnail paths and filenames

Thumbnails should exist stored in subfolders within the configured RetroArch thumbnails directory within a subfolder named exactly the same as the playlist, except without .lpl at the end. Example: If your playlist is named Atari - 2600.lpl, then your Atari 2600 root thumbnail folder should be chosen thumbnails/Atari - 2600/.

Within this root thumbnail folder called Atari - 2600, y'all should then create subfolders named Named_Boxarts, Named_Snaps, or Named_Titles for boxart/cover fine art, in-game snapshots, and title screens, respectively.

The thumbnail filename should exactly friction match the game'south championship as listed in the playlist with an of import exception. The post-obit characters in playlist titles must be replaced with _ in the corresponding thumbnail filename: &*/:`<>?\|

Example: If your content is named Q*bert's Qubes in the playlist, and so its thumbnails should be named Q_bert's Qubes.png and stored at these paths:

  1.      thumbnails/
  2.           Atari - 2600/
  3.                Named_Boxarts/
  4.                     Q_bert'due south Qubes.png
  5.                Named_Snaps/
  6.                     Q_bert's Qubes.png
  7.                Named_Titles/
  8.                     Q_bert's Qubes.png

Irresolute the displayed thumbnail type

Regardless of whether you lot download the RetroArch thumbnail packs or use your own custom thumbnails, you can utilize the RetroArch GUI to gear up which blazon of thumbnail to display. In order to modify this setting, get to Menu Settings, and change the Thumbnails pick to reverberate the type of thumbnail you wish to display.