Automatically managed Folder Memory Card - Public Test

[AdmiralCurtiss]

Feature has been merged. Thanks to everyone for testing!

http://buildbot.orphis.net/pcsx2/

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Hey, everyone!

I've been working on a PCSX2 feature I'd like everyone to check out. I've always found that the way PCSX2 handles Memory Cards was rather cumbersome, so I've made an implementation that treats memory card content as actual folders and files in the file system, rather than throwing it all into one big binary blob. You will be able to see every save file in your file browser and easily add or remove saves from the simulated memory card like you would in any other folder on your PC.

By having each save separate, it is also possible to automatically load memory card contents in a way so that games don't even see files from other games that aren't interesting to them. This means every game has full access to the simulated 8 MB of memory card storage, and should hopefully mean that you will never have to switch memory cards again.

You can download a compiled version, ready to test, here: [link removed]

To create a FolderMemoryCard, head to Config -> Memory Cards, hit the "Create..." button, and select "Folder" from the options. You can also convert an existing memory card to the other format by highlighting it and hitting the "Convert..." button.

If you want to use the automatic file management feature, make sure the "Automatically manage saves based on running game" checkbox at the bottom of the Memory Card Manager is ticked.

And that should already be everything to set up! You should be able to use the new memory card just like you would any other, just go in-game and save/load as usual.

Note that this is still experimental and has received relatively little testing apart from myself, so I cannot guarantee that everything will work correctly. Please report any issues you may find.


e: If you want to check out the source or compile it yourself, my branch is here.

[vsub]

I just tried few games that I know they have problems(some of them)with the card if certain conditions are not met and here are the results
Atelier Iris 2 - No Memory card but one second after that,pcsx2 detected the card
Atelier Iris 3 - Worked fine with saving and loading
Ar Tonelico 2 - Same as above
Dragon Quest 8 - Same as above
Final Fantasy 10 Int - doesn't detect my save...the name of the folder is BISLPS-25088FF090600
Kingdom Hearts 2 FM - I see the saves in the console but the game says that there is no memory card detected and when I try to load the card,pcsx2 just stays at the "checking memory card 1" screen.Sometimes it passes the first check and I can go to the "Load"(to choose a card from which to load a game)but it will either don't display any save or it will freeze likeI said above.
Sometimes I see this in the console
McdSlot 1: [Folder] [disabled]
McdSlot 2: [Folder] [disabled]
McdSlot 3: [Folder] [disabled]
McdSlot 4: [Folder] [disabled]
McdSlot 5: [Folder] [disabled]
McdSlot 6: [Folder] [disabled]
McdSlot 7: [Folder] [disabled]
This game is picky about the card...if you don't use 8mb card and if you don't have at least one save in the card,you woun't be able to save(even on the PS2...while I'm playing from my PS2HDD)
.Hack Vol 3 - No Porblems
Sonic Riders - Zero Gravity - worked fine
Start Ocean 3 - worked fine
Valkyrie Profile 2 - worked fine(I hope this game won't detect this as cheating)


That's it for now(I don't have any more time to test games)

[Blyss Sarania]

Ar tonelico 1 used to have issues with PCSX2 memcards (it would only keep the very latest save no matter which slot you chose so I may try it in a bit.

[Masheen]

This tool is black magic

[Bositman]

Making it sticky to get some attention

[ssakash]

do you think this will be merged ? https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/359#...-105348471

the commiter has summarized everything and finalized his commits. any words to him ?

I honestly don't know, I will look over it when i get home, put a build up for testing do it can be thoroughly tried, If it's fine, I'll push it

Refraction mentioned that he is looking into the commits, hopefully it will get merged.

[vsub]

FolderMemoryCards are optional and disabled by default.
Without manually changing settings, everything stays as it was. By default the memory card data still reads and writes to the big 8+MB .ps2 files, which I'm going to call "FileMemoryCard" for ease of description.

What happens when you fill the card? - Edit:I think I start to understand it but I'll wait for an answer
And I saw that my memory cards are copied to the new folder and every time I get some kind of error in the console about them(can't tell you what it is right now)but if I delete\remove them from the folder,pcsx2 is still able to load/save a save(even if I delete/remove all of my memory card from the memcards folder))

[Bositman]

He says there that you need to select memory card folder in the GUI for this new system to actually take effect, else PCSX2 just uses the old 8mb file method instead of the folder. You shouldn't even have any .ps2 memory card files if you're using this properly

[vsub]

Well this is what I did.
1.Extracted the archive and copied the inis and memcards folders from my main pcsx2 folder and started pcsx2(the options were already enabled)
2.In the memcards folder I have 4 cards and one archive...only the 64mb card is inserted to slot 1
3.I right click on the card and choose convert
4.After I choose a folder name and waited around 20 seconds(I have 20mb free space left on the card),a new folder was created and inside I find a copy of all what it was in the memcards folder(4 cards and 1 archive)and all of the saves in separated folders.


I don't remember the names of the other two but the cards I use are called 64mb.ps2 and 8mb.ps2
And yes,I thought that enabling the option act as a switch..."you will use the foldermemorycard or you will use the default filememorycard"

[AdmiralCurtiss]

The checkbox at the bottom is just for the automatic-per-game-file-management feature, which can be turned off. To use a FolderMemCard from a previously existing one you have to do it like this:



Here, we assume we want to convert the "64mb.ps2" file to a Folder. Highlight it and hit Convert.



Confirm this and wait a bit. (note to self I should change the warning, I've written that time estimation before some optimizations)



Now you'll have both your old "64mb.ps2" file and a new "64mb_converted.ps2" folder. Drag the new folder up into Slot 1, so it looks like this:



Now you'll be actually using the folder to save/load from/to.