SNES Center v0.25
(c) 2003-2004 Raver   - All rights reserved -
Release Date 09.12.2004


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TABLE OF CONTENTS (README.TXT)
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1. Introduction
2. System Requirements
3. Installation
4. Trouble shooting
5. Menu
6. Known bugs
7. Support and Other Information
8. Version History aka "What's New?"

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1.  INTRODUCTION
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SNES Center is a frontend for SNES9X and ZSNES - the famous SNES 
Emulators. With these, the screenshots I provide and my database
you can start your favourite Games far more easiely, search 
through your collection or sort them in many ways.

It uses the cowering GoodSNES Collection File, version 2.04 .
I'll update the database asap if the GoodSNES File changes.


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2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
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To install and run SNES Center, you need the following:

 - SNES_Center.zip -> any version
 - any kind of Windows PC
 - some ROMS (don't question me about these !)
 - some screenshots
 - SNES9X Version 1.41-1 or later
 - ZSNES for Windows 
 

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3. INSTALLATION
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Extract the zip File to any Directory you like.
You should have at least 3 or 4 Files then (depends on release) : 
		
		SNES_center.exe
		SNES_screens.dat
		options.dat (maybe)
		readme.txt

The executable is the main program, the SNES_screens.dat file is 
needed in order to run SNES Center, without this file it will 
shut down immediately! The options.dat is generated when using
the options menu and saving.

Just run the executable and go to Settings - Options. You can 
alter the path to SNES9X, ZSNES, your ROMS and screenshots there. 
Don't forget to save!


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4. TROUBLE SHOOTING 
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Please make sure that your ROMS are named EXACTLY as in GoodSNES,
are zipped or end with .smc, .fig or .smd and don't use subdirs,
otherwise SNES Center will not show them! If there are still no 
ROMS please check your settings, maybe the path to ROMS dir is 
wrong.

If a ROM will not load or if you encounter errors using Snes9X 
then try ZSNES instead and vice versa.

There are many bugs to find and many routines to rewrite. 
If you find any bug please use the forum on 
http://www.snescenter.de 

or write a mail to: 

raver@snescenter.de


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5.  MENU
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- SETTINGS Menu offers: OPTIONS, RESET, BACKGROUND and EXIT
  - OPTIONS here you can select the directory's where SNES Center
    searches for screenshots, ROMS, SNES9X and ZSNES and change 
    the Timer for screenshot flip 
  - RESET loads the list again, set the filters to ALL and clears 
    the search box
  - BACKGROUND choose your favourite from a view images for the 
    main program background
  - SHOW ROMS has three possible choices, show only Roms you have
    or show only Roms you don't have or simply show all Roms  
- EXIT : Just do it

- GENRE Menu is nothing I need to say much about, simply select
  the genre filter

- PLAYER : Choose Single Player or a variety of Multiplayer and
  filter all your roms to show only the choosen one

- REGION : Maybe you only want to see French ROMS? This is the
  Menu to filter ll the others out...

- HELP offers ABOUT and UPDATE?
  - UPDATE uses your internet connection to check my server if
    there are any updates you could download - YOU NEED TO BE
    CONENCTED TO THE INTERNET TO USE THIS FEATURE!
 
- ABOUT is, well, about SNES Center... 


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6. KNOWN BUGS / LIMITATIONS
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The timer is not correct at this point, so even if you change it
to 5 seconds under some circumstances the time could be longer.
For example: You click on any game, wait 4 seconds and then click
on another game. The timer doesn't realize it and starts counting.
This time the first screen would be shown for about 9 seconds.


Some games simply don't run if you click on SNES9X or ZSNES, I
can't do anything on that (yet) since it's a problem with the
emulators.
 

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7. SUPPORT AND OTHER INFORMATION
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More information about this product can be found on my website: 
http://www.snescenter.de

Please send an email to raver@snescenter.de with detailed 
problem description.  I'll try my best to reply to the sender as 
soon as possible.


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8. Version History
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v0.01 - 02.10.03 Programming started
showing not more than a Red X - no Image, and 2 Listboxes.
Menu Path added but without any function


v0.02 - 03.10.03 Second Day :-)
Added Path Options for ROMS and Screenshots, save and load
working


v0.03 - 04.10.03 Third Day :-)
Layout ready, correct screenshot shown but only one 
per game possible.


v0.04 - 5.10.03 A good one!
Added SNES Center Startup Screen, 2 Screens per ROM supported but
only one shown


v0.04b - 6.10.03 Jepiee!
ZSNES supported, you can now start a game by clicking on the 
START Button. ZSNES path is stored in Path Menu


**************************
***** Holiday break ******
**************************


v0.05 - 18.10.03 complex problems
Switched from ZSNES to SNES9X due to problems with command line
options from ZSNES - took not too long to alter code but took
a long time to find the problem (not my code but ZSNES!)
About Menu added but not working yet.
Time Menu shows interval between startup and ingame screenshots
Switched language to English


v0.06 - 21.10.03 First Release
Zipped all neccessary files and added them on my page
Page constructed within about 3 hours, currently holds the 
downloads, forum and guestbook.


v0.061 - 21.10.03 Fixed Release
Released an old code - corrected now, you can change the time 
using the options menu - some minor other fixes


v0.065 - 22.10.03 more fixes...
DAMN - OK, i learnead a lot today - at least to TRIPLE CHECK
every single line. There were a few bugs i hadn't seen in 0.061.
- Well, i fxed the problem when you have only one screen - now 
  the "no image" screen is shown correctly
- The Dat file had an invalid entry, one of my .srm managed to 
  get in it. Deleted
- changed the "no image" screen - thanks for Jason Fu from 
  SNESNinux for that
- Cleaned up the layout, some things not neccessary for users 
  were shown in the old release, now they are hidden
- The bug when open and exit any menu for more than a few 
  times lead to an error is fixed
- Timer Interval is now saved (using Save Button in Path Menu)
- I provide a new options.dat with this release. You need to
  overwrite your own, otherwise SNES Center will NOT RUN
  correctly. You can change the path after that using the menu


v0.07 - 02.11.03 Many things change...
- Search Function added !!! But due to the amount of ROMS 
  sometimes slow (e.g. @ S...)
- optimized some routines, loading is a little bit faster now
- LOTS of bugfixes, especially counters 
- internal storing of data redone, thus makes adding of new 
  tables (e.g. Genre) much easier


v0.08 - 18.11.03 Filter ahoi!
- Added support for Keyboard, you can change items via arrow
  Keys
- made the screens bigger
- Added Genre and Player Information to the dat files
- Added Genre and Player Selection Menus, you can filter your 
  Games now (but i checked only the first few games, most
  are uncategorized)
- overall Speed increase is unbelievable! When filtering or 
  searching the results are shown with no delay!
- Changed background, I think you can read things better now
- Filesize is shown in the info Panel


v0.09 - 30.11.03
- You can choose ZSNES as an emulator, if a ROM will not load
  or if you encounter errors using Snes9X then try ZSNES instead
  and vice versa. 
- Path and Options are now located both in Options Menu
- even more speed optimizations


v0.1 - 01.02.04
- changed from GoodSNES 0.995 to 0.997, so you need the new
  .dat File and your ROMS need to be named as in 0.997 or
  SNES Center will NOT show them! If you dont have 0.997
  you can keep the old dat file - but I will not update it
- ROM Counter is counting correct now :-)
- added 4 Genres(Action RPG, Pinball, RPG 3D, Creative), removed 
  Slideshow and Demo (now all in Public Domain)
- Genre Filters are now sorted in alphabetical order
- Changed from JPG to PNG Images due to Quality/Size
- minor bugfixing (mostly regarding options file)
- added some screenshots and removed others, so you can either
  delete your screens folder and download them all at once 
  (screens 0.02 full) or keep your 0.01 and just grap the update
  but then you will have 22 useless screens on your drive
- you can now minimize SNES Center if you wish
- Weekly Famitsu NO.380 - Otona no Shikumi - Maboroshi no daichi 
  no Shikumi 1(J).zip is now supported


v0.2 - 14.03.04
- changed from GoodSNES 0.997 to 2.01
- added 'Region" to the Filter Menu, you can now filter for
  Europe, USA, Japan, German, French and Spain - and with all 
  combinations of Player and Genre
- Web Update Menu integrated, SNES Center will check if your 
  versions of Main Program and Games Database are up to date.
  Still somewhat buggy...
- Loading Progress Bar implemented 
- renamed Options to Settings and added the Background Sub-Menu
  where you can choose a different background image (1 of 4 atm)
- lots of new Screenshots with this release, complete 0-a with 
  350+ Games supportet
- Changed Genre V-Scroller to V-/H-Scroller, added Shooter
- internal optimizations, mostly faster image handling
- there was a bug within the Clear Button Function: fixed


v0.25 - 09.12.04
- changed from GoodSNES 2.01 to 2.04
- renamed Action RPG to Action Adventure, added Hybrid Genre
  to cover all the Genre Combination Games
- added "Showing" label, you can see how many games are in the
  actual list
- now SNES Center supports .zip, .smc, .smd and .fig as file
  extensions
- added SHOW Roms Menu, you can choose to show Roms available 
  to you, Roms you miss or all Roms


 