Batch import binaries

Batch import scans one or more folders of ROM dumps and builds many collections at once — reading metadata from the file names, grouping related files, classifying each as original or modified, and creating the collections in memory or straight to disk. Open it from Collections › Import › Import Batch Binary; the window is reusable and you can also drag folders or files onto it.

Figure 1

The flow is always the same: set the scan scope, press Scan, review the grouped preview, then Import. The configuration sits in collapsible groups at the top; the preview fills the rest.

Scan scope

Add the folders to search with Add Folder (and Remove to drop one), and choose whether to recurse into subfolders. By default only binary dumps are considered; tick Scan all files to widen that, and optionally set size bounds (a minimum in KB and a maximum in MB) to skip obvious non-ROMs. Scan runs in the background and can be stopped at any time; matches stream into the preview as they are found.

Reading the file names

A ${placeholder} filename template pulls metadata out of each name — the same tokens used when exporting, so files you exported round-trip cleanly. Auto-detect missing fields from the catalog fills in the gaps (producer, model, ECU…) the template did not capture.

Grouping & classification

Files are gathered into planned collections either by file name (stem) or by detected identity. Each file is then classified and placed:

Original vs modified — Original markers and Modified markers (words found in the name) decide which files are the reference read and which are tunes, so each collection lands its versions correctly.
Sections — turn on Detect sections from the file extension, and set a default section name for files that do not indicate one.

The preview

The preview is a grouped, editable tree: each planned collection with the files under it. You can rename a collection, change a file’s role (original/modified) or section, and right-click to Include or Exclude a file. A status line shows the valid and invalid counts, and a footprint estimate shows how much memory the in-memory result would use.

Creating the collections

Pick an output mode:

Keep collections open in memory — opens the new collections in the app, up to a cap (with a warning threshold) so a huge scan cannot flood the workspace. Best when you will work on the results now.
Save to a folder as .mtxCol — writes each collection straight to disk and releases it, so it is uncapped. You set the output folder, a name template for the files, and a collision policy (add a number suffix, skip, or overwrite). Best for archiving a large library.

Tip — use memory mode for a handful of files you want to open and edit, and folder mode to convert a big archive of dumps into sealed .mtxCol files in one go (see file security).