You have recovered a pack of roms, in which there are the roms and a subdirectory containing the images (downloaded_images for example), but there is no gamelist.xml

It is possible with ARRM to reconstitute the media TAGs of the gamelist.xml according to the images present on your support.

2 methods are possible:

• Retrieve images from empty TAG media when loading the gamelist. (Use this first)
• Recover images via 'Recompose Image' button

Video Tutorial

If you have checked ' Find missing images', when a gamelist.xml is loaded, if any Media Tags are empty, ARRM tries to find the missing media locally.

Here is how your directory containing the roms and the one containing your images can look

Roms folder:

Images subfolder: }

2 image name formats are possible depending on the “ image as rom ” checkbox in 'Scrap options':

<rom_file>can be equal to:

• <rom_file_name>
• <title_of_game>

In the example above the image format corresponds to the file name rom, so you should check the box ' image as Rom '

Check the name format of your images and check or not the ' image as Rom ' box

When searching for missing image ARRM searches for files based on their name:

• For screnshots , ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>-image
<rom_file>_screenshot
<rom_file>-screenshot
<rom_file>_screenscraper_screenshot_arrm
<rom_file>_screenscraper_screenshot_arrm_JAP
<rom_file>_screenscraper_screenshot_arrm_USA
<rom_file>_screenscraper_mix_arrm
<rom_file>_thegamesdb_screenshot_arrm
<rom_file>_custom_screenshot_arrm
<rom_file>_customnomix_screenshot_arrm
<rom_file>_customnomix_mix_arrm
<rom_file>-customnomix

• For boxart , ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>_boxart
<rom_file>-boxart
<rom_file>_screenscraper_boxart_arrm
<rom_file>_screenscraper_boxart_arrm_JAP
<rom_file>_screenscraper_boxart_arrm_USA
<rom_file>_thegamesdb_boxart_arrm
<rom_file>_custom_boxart_arrm
<rom_file>-thumb

• For wheel / marquee , ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>_marquee
<rom_file>_wheel
<rom_file>-wheel
<rom_file>_screenscraper_wheel_arrm
<rom_file>_screenscraper_wheel_arrm_JAP
<rom_file>_screenscraper_wheel_arrm_USA
<rom_file>_thegamesdb_wheel_arrm
<rom_file>_custom_wheel_arrm
<rom_file>-marquee

• For cartridges , ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>_cartridge
<rom_file>-cartridge
<rom_file>_screenscraper_cartridge_arrm
<rom_file>_screenscraper_cartridge_arrm_JAP
<rom_file>_screenscraper_cartridge_arrm_USA
<rom_file>_custom_cartridge_arrm

• For manual , ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>_ (us)
<rom_file>_ (fr)
<rom_file>_ (eu)
<rom_file>_ (wor)
<rom_file>_ (jp)
<rom_file>_ (sp)
<rom_file>-manual

• For video , ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>_screenscraper_video_arrm
<rom_file>-video

• For maps , ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>-map

• For fanart , ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>-fanart

• For titleshot , ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>-titleshot

• For boxback, ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>-boxback

• For mixes , ARRM searches for files in this order:

<rom_file>-mix
<rom_file>_screenscraper_mix_arrm
<rom_file>_mix_screenshot_arrm
<rom_file>_customnomix_mix_arrm
<rom_file>-customnomix

Video Tutorial

With the button 'Recompose Image' (voir 'Recompose image'), ARRM can recover the already scraped images that are present in the image folder ('downloaded_image' in general). is named differently, rename it with the name of the directory you have initialized in the application settings (see 'Image directory name' in the settings tab 'General Options'

Here is how your directory containing the roms and the one containing your images can look like

Roms folder:

Pictures subfolder:

You will notice in this case that the images have the same name as the Roms (only the extension differs)

Before continuing the example, we will specify how ARRM works:

Reminder about the local image search process

In its local image search process, ARRM looks for the following image formats:

Several formats are possible depending on the checkbox “image as rom” in ''Scrap options':

<rom_file> can be equal to:

• <name of_rom_file>
• <game_title>

When the scrape or the 'recompose image' can not find an image for the corresponding type (screenshot, boxart, wheel, cartridge), ARRM searches in the order indicated below the following images (the first found will be the one used) .

Screenshot Search Order

<rom_file>-image
<rom_file>_screenshot
<rom_file>-screenshot
<rom_file>_screenscraper_screenshot_arrm
<rom_file>_screenscraper_screenshot_arrm_JAP
<rom_file>_screenscraper_screenshot_arrm_USA
<rom_file>_screenscraper_mix_arrm
<rom_file>_thegamesdb_screenshot_arrm
<rom_file>_custom_screenshot_arrm
<rom_file>_customnomix_screenshot_arrm
<rom_file>_customnomix_mix_arrm
<rom_file>-customnomix\

Boxart Search Order

<rom_file>_boxart
<rom_file>-boxart
<rom_file>_screenscraper_boxart_arrm
<rom_file>_screenscraper_boxart_arrm_JAP
<rom_file>_screenscraper_boxart_arrm_USA
<rom_file>_thegamesdb_boxart_arrm
<rom_file>_custom_boxart_arrm
<rom_file>-thumb

Wheels / Marquees / Titles Search Order

<rom_file>_marquee
<rom_file>_wheel
<rom_file>-wheel
<rom_file>_screenscraper_wheel_arrm
<rom_file>_screenscraper_wheel_arrm_JAP
<rom_file>_screenscraper_wheel_arrm_USA
<rom_file>_thegamesdb_wheel_arrm
<rom_file>_custom_wheel_arrm
<rom_file>-marquee

Cartridge Search Order

<rom_file>_cartridge
<rom_file>-cartridge
<rom_file>_screenscraper_cartridge_arrm
<rom_file>_screenscraper_cartridge_arrm_JAP
<rom_file>_screenscraper_cartridge_arrm_USA
<rom_file>_custom_cartridge_arrm

Videos Search Order

<rom_file>_screenscraper_video_arrm
<rom_file>-video

Map Search Order

<rom_file>-map

Fanart Search Order

<rom_file>-fanart

Titleshot Search Order

<rom_file>-titleshot

Mix Search Order

<rom_file>-mix
<rom_file>_screenscraper_mix_arrm
<rom_file>_mix_screenshot_arrm
<rom_file>_customnomix_mix_arrm
<rom_file>-customnomix

Manual Search Order

<rom_file>_(us)
<rom_file>_(fr)
<rom_file>_(eu)
<rom_file>_(wor)
<rom_file>_(jp)
<rom_file>_(sp)
<rom_file>-manual

Let's go back to our Example

Launch of ARRM

Choose in the Systems panel the Roms directory of your Recalbox / Batocera (usually \recalbox\share\roms)

Configuring ARRM Options via Tabs (General Options / Scrap Options / Images Options / Gamelist Options / Recalbox / Screenscraper)

In this case, in the General options tab of ARRM, do not activate the 4 images (via the button Extra Tag + Default image)

In the 'Scrap options' tab check the desired options (in this case I check: Image as rom (allows to have image file names as the rom file name)

In tab 'Scrap options' you tick in the part 'local images considered as' Mix (if the already recovered images are Mix, or screenshot if they are only screenshots)

In the 'Images Options' tab, choose the type of image (Screenshot or Mix). If 'Mix' is chosen, consider choosing a template (button chosen Mix model). In this case the image will be mixed in the template (Do only if the original image is a screenshot). If you want to keep the image as the original one, take 'Screenshots'.

Note:

If you have chosen in 'Images Options' format 'Mix' and if in 'Scrap options' you do not choose 'Mix' or 'Screenshot', for each image found, a Popup (see picture below) below) will ask you to indicate if the image found is already a mix or a screenshot.

In the Gamelist tab the options are normally near ticked (saves old gamelist etc …). I invite you nevertheless to click on the button 'Backup Gamelists' which makes it possible to save in a directory backup of each system the gamelist.xml of each system.

In the tab 'Recalbox / Batocera / screenscraper', enter your account 'Login screenscraper' if you have one (it is not necessary to have one to scraper, but if you have one you will be prioritized by the server) and the login and password of the recalbox / Batocera

Before handling, remember to click on 'Stop EmulationStation', if you work directly on a Recalbox / Batocera 'on'

After filling in the directory of Roms ( 1 ), the list of systems present must be displayed.

Tick ​​the desired system ( 2 ), in our case: 'amstradcpc' and click on 'DISPLAY' ( 3 ).

ARRM will display in the window the list of found Roms, and all related info. ( 1 )
In this example, you will find your Rom without any additional information.

Select all the Roms by clicking on the 'Select All' button ( 2 ) and Click on the 'Redo Image' button ( 3 ) located in the panel 'Possible actions on selected Roms'.

The search will launch on the highlighted Roms and will attempt to recover the previous images.

Once the scrap is done, just click on the 'SELECT ALL' button in the 'FILTERS' panel and then click on the button 'Create Gamelist.xml for the selected Roms'

Once the 'recompose image' is finished, you have your images in the database but not the text information. So we will retrieve this text information on the scrap servers (this operation is much faster than a full scrap). You have to tick in the tab 'images options': 'No picture, only texts', then re-select all the Roms, and start a scrapbook on Screenscraper by clicking on the button Screenscraper.

Once the scrap is done, just click on the 'SELECT ALL' button in the 'FILTERS' panel and then click on the button 'Create Gamelist.xml for the selected Roms' in order to save the contents of the Database in the gamelist ( link to images / text info etc …)

Then think about doing a 'reboot of the recalbox' via the 'Recalbox / screenscraper' tab to restart Emulationstation

Back to Various cases (practical cases)