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  1. Arcade64 No-Nag 0.248

    This is the no nag for Arcade64.
    Please only use this if you know about Arcade64 and how it works, there will be NO support for this no-nag. You also need to have setup Arcade 64 in advance as there are required files in the official release that are not added to this no-nag.
     
    If you are looking for Mame no-nag's then click here.
     

    106 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    0 comments

    Updated

  2. Sega Naomi, Naomi 2, Atomiswave, Hikaru, Gaelco game importer (for Demul)

    Import games for use with Demul (Sega * Emulator).
    Purpose:
    This purpose of this plugin is to import only the MAME machines that can be emulated in Demul. A sort of MAME machine ‘filtered’ importer to supplement LaunchBox’s Import Tool.
    Why:
    LaunchBox can already import these machines (games) for you using the built-in Tools - Import - MAME Arcade Full Set.  All you need to do is un-check the skip games unplayable in MAME checkbox.  The concern is this results in over 6000 additional entries imported (even more if you uncheck any other boxes and include clones).  And as in most cases, more is NOT always better.  Alternatively you can also simply drag-and-drop the roms into LaunchBox. Which is great when you already have them sorted out.
    Included Systems:
    The list of machines included for this plugin was generated by running the command “demule.exe –listroms” using Demul v0.7 (Apr 28, 2018).  The systems included are Naomi, Naomi 2, Atomiswave, Hikaru, Gaelco, Cave3rd (CV1000) and System SP.  (Sega Dreamcast, though emulated, is not included in the list. [It’s not a MAME machine])
    Naomi and Naomi 2 are each broken into 2 separate systems: Cartridge System (rom only) and GDROM (chd).
     
    What this plugin will do:
    Let you select some or all of the games in the selected system to import. Select games from just 1 or multiple systems.  (though may only be a good idea for Naomi/Naomi 2 Cartridge System (and GDROM System, respectively) because of the different command lines needed between systems**) Import selected games into an existing Platform or create a new one. When creating a new Platform, assigns “Scrape as” to “Arcade”. (useful when downloading metadata and media) Attempt to automatically detect/select your Demul emulator. (But you can select any of your existing emulators.) (optional) Copy roms to a new location for the games you’re importing. (optional) Only import games that have a corresponding rom in your selected Source folder. (i.e. If you selected 20 games and you only have the roms for 5 of those, only those 5 games will get imported. What this plugin won’t do:
    Add Demul as a new emulator. Make Demul work for you. Filter parent and clone roms. Add the required command line to the emulator (**see below). ‘Bulk’ import into separate Platforms. Add metadata and media to the imported games. If copying roms (optional), only the games main rom file is copied.  It will not look for nor copy any required BIOS, Device or chd files.  
    Installing the plugin:
    After downloading the zip file, ‘Unblock’ the zip file.
    (Right click, Properties, and click Unblock)

     
    - Now copy the "DemulImporter" folder from the zip file into your ..\LaunchBox\Plugins\  folder.
                          i.e.    D:\LaunchBox\Plugins\DemulImporter\
    Using the plugin:
    Click Tools and select Demul game Importer

     
    Select a system This will populate a list (in the middle) of all the games for that system. Select games By default, none of the games will be checked.  As you start ‘checking’ games, they will get added to the list of games to be imported (on the right).  Click again to remove them from the import list. Click Check All to add all games for the selected system to the import list. You guessed it, click Check None to uncheck all the boxes, removing them from the import list. At this point, you can select a different system and continue to add more games to the import list. Not recommended because of the different command line parameters needed for the different systems. (it'll make a mess when you go to ad them) Once you’re satisfies with your import list, click Next.
     
    Select a platform to import the games into You can select an existing platform from the dropdown list or click Add New Platform to create a new one.  Select an emulator The plugin will automatically try to detect your Demul emulator from the ones you have in LaunchBox.  If it isn’t already selected, look for it in the dropdown list.
     
    Select the folder where your roms are located (optional) If you wish to have your roms copied to a new location, type in (or better yet, Browse to) the folder [Source Folder] where they’re located. Select the folder where you want to tell LaunchBox the roms are located This is required to set each games Application Path. It’s also handy if you [optionally] choose to have your roms copied.
     
    Setup is done. It’s time to import.  You have 2 options:
    Select Copy AND Import if you wish to have your roms copied to a new location and then the games imported into LaunchBox. Select Import Only to just import the games into LaunchBox.
     
    If you have a curated set of roms for the system you’re importing for, you can check Import games that only exist in the ROMs Source Folder.  This is useful if, for example, you have a broken out set of roms just for Demul that consists of only the games you like.  When selecting the games to import, select a system (i.e. Naomi Cartridge System) and then click Check All.  You will need to add the Source Folder for where these rom are located (even if you don’t plan to copy them).  During the final Import process, the plugin compares the list of games to be imported to the roms located in the Source Folder.  If a game has a matching rom, it will be imported.  Otherwise it’ll be skipped.
    Of course, if your “broken out set of roms just for Demul” are also already broken down by System, save yourself time and just drag-and-drop them into LaunchBox. 
     
    When everything’s Complete, click Exit.

     
    NOTES:
    **Default Command-Line Parameters
    System      Command Line Parameter Naomi         -run=naomi -rom= System SP     -run=naomi -rom= Gaelco        -run=gaelco -rom= Atomiswave  -run=awave -rom= Hikaru        -run=hikaru -rom= Cave3rd       -run=cave3rd -rom= Once import is completed, simply select the newly imported games and click Tools, Download Metadata and Media....
    Information on getting these systems to run in Demul can be found here: https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/30622-sega-naomi-demul-in-launchbox/
     
    Disclaimer:
    I personally only have a few of these games on my cab. So I’m not very familiar with the systems mentioned here.  Also, I have no idea if Demul is even “the best” emulator for these systems.  I just knew Demul had a definitive list of games it can emulate, that list was easy to get and probably isn’t going to change (it hasn’t since 2018).  Which means I shouldn’t have to update the plugin (except for maybe fixing a programmer error here or there ).
     

    505 downloads

       (1 review)

    4 comments

    Updated

  3. Mount compressed cd images and play

    This script was born to resolve this issues:
    you want to save disk space you are a rom/iso collector that uses dat file to check your collection with rom manager tool. Actually you cannot find any DAT that support CHD files, so to save disk space you are forced to compress all your isos or cue/bin images in .zip or .7z format you want to play with compressed iso, bin/cue games without extract files you don't want specify cd image extension in command line, but only zip file extension. This script automatically will search for chd, iso, cue, bin (in this order) contained in compressed file. This script can use one of the following tools to mount compressed cd image files:
    WinArchiver => recommended tool with the best performance. It supports .zip, .7z and rar format. It is a commercial software with a trial period. Prismo File Mount => good tool, totally free, it supports only .zip files. Bad performance with large compressed file, so I don't recommended it for PS2, PS3, PS4 and Wii emulation Daemon Tools => really bad performance, it is free with lite version. It supports only .zip files. Futhermore the script supports these emulators:
    1) Retroarch with all cores
    Command line structure:
    ZipMountAndRun nameOfCoreOfRetroarchWithoutExtension zipfileWithExtension
    Real example for Dreamcast emulation:
    ZipMountAndRun flycast_libretro "4 Wheel Thunder (Europe) (En,Fr).zip"
    2) PCSX2 in standalone mode
    Command line structure:
    ZipMountAndRun pcsx2 zipfileWithExtension
    Real example for PS2 emulation:
    ZipMountAndRun pcsx2 "Ace Combat - Squadron Leader (Europe, Australia) (En,Fr,De,Es,It).zip"
    3) Dolphin in standalone mode
    Command line structure:
    ZipMountAndRun dolphin zipfileWithExtension
    Real example for Gamecube emulation:
    ZipMountAndRun dolphin "Casper - Spirit Dimensions (Europe) (En,Fr,De,Es,It).zip"
    4) Mednafen in standalone mode
    Command line structure:
    ZipMountAndRun mednafen zipfileWithExtension
    Real example for Saturn emulation:
    ZipMountAndRun mednafen "2Tax Gold (Japan).zip"
    How install the tool for mounting
    Search setup on google Download and install the tool Create a virtual drive and remember the letter that you should set in my script How to install my script in Launchbox
    1) Copy the downloaded file in Launchbox Emulators folder assuring that my script was saved inside own folder:
    LaunchBox root folder -> Emulators -> ZipMountAndRun -> ZipMountAndRun.cmd
    See the image below

    2) Set variables in my script for setting the tool for mounting files and its directory and the directories of emulators.
    Please open my script with a text editor and fill " Variables to set" section
    Variable name => Descrition
    mountTool => define the tool used for mounting. Value accepted are winarchiver, pfm, daemon
    daemonPath => path of Daemon Tools Lite, if you install it in default folder it is not necessary to change it
    winarchiverPath => path of WinArchiver, if you install it in default folder it is not necessary to change it
    letterForMounting => it is the letter used from virtual drive. This letter must be equals to virtual drive letter that you have created in previous phase.
    retroArchPath => retroarch path. if your retroarch folder is called "RetroArch" in your Emulators folder don't change the setting.
    pcsx2Path => PCSX2 path. if you have saved the PCSX2 emulator in RetroArch system folder then don't change the setting. If you have PCSX2 installed in the folder 
    LaunchBox root\Emulators\PCSX2 then you can change this variable to "..\PCSX2" (without quotes)
    dolphinPath => path for dolphin standalone emulator. if your dolphing folder is called "Dolphin" in your Emulators folder don't change the setting.
    mednafenPath => path for Mednafen standalone emulator. if your Mednafen folder is called "Mednafen" in your Emulators folder don't change the setting.
    All the paths that you can set can be absolute or relative. By default the paths of emulators in my script use relative paths.

    3) Add ZipMountAndRun like emulators in Launchbox
    Click on Tools -> Manage -> Emulators
    Click Add button
    Insert "ZipMountAndRun" in emulator name textfield
    Select ZipMountAndRun in Emulators\ZipMountAndRun folder
    Copy other settings in image below


    4) Edit linked platform for ZipMountAndRun emulator
    Click on Tools -> Manage -> Emulators
    Select ZipMountAndRun and click on Edit button
    Select linked platform on the left bar
    Fill rows like image below including your preferred platforms

     
    I hope you can apprecciate my sharing and enjoy your games!!

    44 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    0 comments

    Updated

  4. Bulk Convert .cue/.bin (or files other than .bin) to .chd

    Bulk Convert .cue/.bin (or files other than .bin) to .chd
    Using MAME’s chdman.exe (“Compressed Hunks of Data (CHD) Manager”, included with MAME), this plugin will convert CD based game files to a single .chd file in your selected Platform.  Example:
    Before    Loom (USA).cue     Loom (USA).ccd     Loom (USA).img     Loom (USA).sub
    After       Loom (USA).chd
    Before    Arctic Thunder.cue     Arctic Thunder.bin
    After       Arctic Thunder.chd
     
    If you are looking to convert gdi or iso files (as well as cue) to CHD, see this plugin instead.
    Bulk Convert cue/gdi/iso files to CHD - Third-party Apps and Plugins - LaunchBox Community Forums (launchbox-app.com)
     
    Why convert?
     
    You end up with just a single file per game A CHD file is, well… compressed. Resulting in less storage space requirements Arctic Thunder.cue + .bin = 601MB    Arctic Thunder.chd = 466MB Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro = 684MB    CHD format = 318MB Because we can and it's easy to do
    Requirements
    This plugin file chdman.exe (included with MAME) Game rom-sets that include a .cue file. (Loom (USA).cue, Arctic Thunder.cue etc.)  
    What happens after converting?
    After successfully creating a CHD Image, the games application path will be changed to the new .chd file.
    Also, after the files have been converted you have the option to 
    Leave the old files in place (default) Move the old files to a separate [backup] folder Delete the old files
       
    Installing the plugin
    Download the plugin Unblock “cue2chd (v1.00).zip” by right clicking the file and checking “Unblock” and clicking “OK”. Open the zip file and copy the contents (1 folder containing 1 file) into /LaunchBox/Plugins/ i.e. G:/LaunchBox/Plugins/cue2chd/cue2chd.dll
     
    Using the plugin
    Start LaunchBox Select Tools, Convert cue to chd Select a Platform Click Convert (Optional) Check Delete old files when complete  This will permanently delete the old files (.cue, .bin, .img etc) after successfully converting them to .chd. Check Move old files when complete This will move the old files (.cue, .bin, .img etc) after successfully converting them to .chd to a folder you specify [for ‘backup’].
      If you do not select Delete or Move, all files will remain in their current location along with the newly created .chd file. 
     
     If you opt to delete the old files and later want/need to convert the CHD files back to .cue etc., you can use chdman.exe to "reverse the process".  The command line is:
    chdman.exe extractcd -i “file_name.chd” -o “file_name.cue”  
     
    Special thanks to @faeran for coming up with the idea for this plugin and his support and testing.
     As always, all comments and suggestions are welcome.

    2,531 downloads

       (5 reviews)

    61 comments

    Updated

  5. Bulk Convert cue/gdi/iso files to CHD

    Bulk Convert cue, gdi or iso ROMs to chd
    This plugin expands the capabilities of the existing Bulk Convert .cue to .chd plugin by adding the options to also convert gdi and iso formats to CHD.  (For cue/bin files, the process is the exact same between the 2 plugins.)
    Using MAME’s chdman.exe (“Compressed Hunks of Data (CHD) Manager”, included with MAME), this plugin will convert CD based game files to a single .chd file in your selected Platform.

    Why convert?
    •    You end up with just a single file per game
    •    A CHD file is, well… compressed. Resulting in less storage space requirements
    •    Most, if not all emulators now support .chd format
    •    chdman applies lossless compression so there should no noticeable difference in load time.

    Requirements
    This plugin file chdman.exe (included with MAME) ROM sets that are in a .cue, .gdi or .iso format
    What happens after converting?
    After successfully creating a CHD Image, the games application path in LaunchBox will be redirected to the new .chd file.
    Also, after the files have been converted you have the option to
    •    Leave the old files in place (default)
    •    Move the old files to a separate [backup] folder
    •    Delete the old files

    Installing the plugin
    1.    Download the plugin
    2.    Unblock “BulkConvert2CHD (v1.00).zip” by right clicking the file and checking “Unblock” and clicking “OK”.
                     
    3.    Open the zip file and copy the contents (1 folder containing 1 file) into /LaunchBox/Plugins/
                   ../LaunchBox/Plugins/BulkConvert2CHD/BulkConvert2CHD.dll

    Using the plugin
    1.    Start LaunchBox
    2.    Select Tools, Bulk Convert To CHD
    3.    Select a Platform
    4.    Select the file format you’re converting from
    5.    Click Convert
    6.    (Optional)
                   Check Delete old files when complete 
                          This will permanently delete the old files after successfully converting them to .chd.
                   Check Move old files when complete
                          This will move the old files after successfully converting them to .chd to the folder you specify.
     
    Troubleshooting:
    If you are getting errors while attempting to convert the files, make sure you are using chdman.exe that comes with the latest release of MAME.
    If you use multiple versions of MAME in LaunchBox, copy chdman,exe from your latest MAME release folder into the ../LaunchBox/Plugins/BulkConvert2CHD/ folder
     
     
    Special thanks to @faeran for the idea of the original Bulk Convert cue to chd.  Without that, I probably never would have made this.
     
    As always, all comments and suggestions are welcome.
     

    946 downloads

       (2 reviews)

    12 comments

    Submitted

  6. Arcade64 No-Nag

    This is the no nag for Arcade64.
    Please only use this if you know about Arcade64 and how it works, there will be NO support for this no-nag. You also need to have setup Arcade 64 in advance as there are required files in the official release that are not added to this no-nag.
     

    46 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    0 comments

    Updated

  7. Visual Pinball X – Top Scores (hiscore) Viewer

    View the Top Scores for your Visual Pinball X Tables (LaunchBox only)
    This plugin uses DNA Disturber’s PINemHi app to read a tables top scores that are stored in the nvram files created by VPinMAME.  PINemHi currently it supports 425 roms.
    (Oct. 8, 2021 Updated to v1.1.  See change log for details)
    Instead of scrolling through these (in game)
      
      
    See this (in LaunchBox)

     
    If you’ve signed up on the PINemHi Leaderboard site, this plugin will also let you view your Personal Top 10 Scores (these scores are tracked separately from the Tables’ top scores) as well as the Best Top 10 Scores on the Leaderboard.  Signing up is free and you only need to provide a username.  No email address, proof of citizenship nor vaccinations required.  (See Top 10 Scores below)
    Requirements
    This plugin downloaded and setup (see Setting up the plugin below). PINemHi v3.3.1 (included with the plugin download) The emulator the table uses needs to point to “VPinballX.exe”.  This is needed to get the rom info for the table(s). Optional Requirements
    Sign up for PINemHi Leaderboards. (see Top 10 Scores below) Setting up the plugin
    Download and unblock the zip file. (right click the file, select properties and check the Unblock check box and click OK) Copy the VPXHiScores folder (from inside the zip) into your \LaunchBox\Plugins\ folder Edit the pinemhi.ini file (\LaunchBox\Plugins\VPXhiScores\PINemHi\pinemhi.ini) Under [paths] (10th line down), edit the path to the Visual Pinball (VP) “nvram” folder located inside your Visual Pinball installation.  (example) VP=D:\Emulators\Visual Pinball\VPinMAME\nvram\ The path MUST end with a slash!! (optional) Under [user] (line 25), type in your PINemHi Leaderboard name and code. (see Top 10 Scores below) Save and Close pinemhi.ini Using the plugin
    Start LaunchBox. Right click on one of your VPX tables and select View VPX Table HiScores. (see What to expect below) Click anywhere on the popup window and drag to move it. Click a button at the top of the window to view the different Top Scores. (see Top 10 Scores below) Click the red “X” to close. How it works
    To get the top scores for a table, we 1st need to know which VPinMAME rom it’s using.  To get this, the plugin uses VPinballX.exe to extract the table’s script.  It then searches the script for the name of the rom that table uses.  The rom name is then passed to pinemhi.exe which extracts the top scores from the nvram file associated with the rom.
    What to expect
    The 1st time you run the plugin for a given table, you will see the Visual Pinball editor window appear, then close. This is where it extracts the tables’ script. The script gets saved to the same folder as the VPX table, using the exact same name as the table but with a .vbs file extension.  Depending on the table, the .vbs file will be somewhere between 20 KB and 150 KB in size.
    The next time you go to view that tables’ top scores, the plugin will see the .vbs file and not extract it [again].  So you won’t see the VPX editor window unless you delete/move the tables’ .vbs file.
    Top 10 Scores
    To be able to view your Personal Top 10 and Best Top 10 scores, you need to sign up at http://pinemhi.com/hiscores.php.  This is where you’ll get your name and code to add to “pinemhi.ini “. (See note #4 under Setting up the plugin [above])
    You will also need to have PINemHi’s Rom Monitor (“pinemhi_rom_monitor.exe”) running.  This is a tiny executable that runs in the background and detects when a VPX table is loaded and then keeps track of your Personal top scores as well as downloads the Best Top 10 scores for that table. 
    Please read through “PINemHi LeaderBoard installation and config.txt” located in the plugin folder.
    (\LaunchBox\Plugins\VPXhiScores\PINemHi\ PINemHi LeaderBoard installation and config.txt) Some main points in the documentation (for use with this plugin):
    Setup your Visual Pinball (VP) path and user (name) and code. **Keys** Make note of which shortcut keys do which action. There are 5 different hotkeys.  Change them as necessary. Controller buttons are also supported. Run “pinemhi_rom_monitor.exe”. Other IMPORTANT notes: ****
    “…set the pinemhi_rom_monitor file to always execute with administrator rights.”  “The pinemhi_rom_monitor.exe was made with AHK (AutoHotkey). Microsoft Defender will frequently call AHK executables to be a virus/trojan  This is a false positive. Feel free to test it with other anti-virus programs There is an option in Microsoft Defender to allow the program to still be used (make an exception for that file)” ****For me, setting the Rom Monitor to run as Admin created issues.  As in it would not start.  I get the message “The requested operation requires elevation”.
    The fix (what worked for me):
    Follow step #1 in Setting up the plugin.  Specifically, unblock the zip file before extracting.  Do not set pinemhi_rom_monitor.exe to “Run this program as an Administrator”. With this, I would still get the UAC prompt when trying to run it from Windows Explorer.  However, when starting it from within LaunchBox. (See Starting/Stopping pinemhi_rom_monitor.exe below) it ran just fine.
    Results may vary. This is what happened on both my main PC and on my cab. There’s a good chance both computers are slightly wonky, and that indeed you DO need to run the Rom Manager with admin rights.  So if one way doesn’t work, try the other.
    Starting/Stopping pinemhi_rom_monitor.exe
    You can toggle the Rom Monitor On/Off from the Tools menu.  Depending on its state, you’ll see this:
     
    Or this:
     
    When you launch a Table with PINemHi Rom Monitor running, you’ll get a popup after the table loads showing your Top 10 Scores. Press “L” on your keyboard to have it go away (unless you changed “key=L” in the pinemhi.ini file).  This is a nice indicator that the Rom Monitor is running and that your Personal Top Score will be saved.
    PINemHi Leaderboard
    Along with Personal Top Scores, PINemHi Leaderboard has some other cool features not directly accessible through this plugin like daily, weekly and 5-minute challenges. (These are accessible using the shortcut keys mentioned above.) It tracks Player 1 scores [aka Personal Top 10 Scores] as well as Special Scores (i.e. 20 loops [Back To the Future] or 50 martians killed [Attack From Mars]).  You can add up to 9 friends and view each other’s top scores.  There are also a number of Badges that can be earned on various tables.
    Main Site:                       http://www.pinemhi.com/
    Leaderboard:                 http://pinemhi.com/hiscores.php
    VPForums discussion:  https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=44580
     
    Special thanks to DNA Disturber for creating PINemHi for the Visual Pinball community and allowing permission to use it here, making this plugin possible!!

    42 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    0 comments

    Updated

  8. Archive.org Collection Sync

    Easily download/sync any collection from archive.org to your local computer. Automatically scans for any existing files and checks MD5 checksums to make sure that all downloads are correct.
    To download, simply paste the archive.org URL into the top field, put the destination folder into the second, and click Start.
    To pause/abort a running download, simply close the window. To resume that download later, re-open the app, choose the same URL and folder, and then click Start. Existing files with the correct checksum will not be re-downloaded.


    Requires the .NET Framework 4.7.2. Licensed under the MIT License.
    Source code is available here: https://github.com/jasonunbrokensoftware/ArchiveOrgCollectionSync

    1,175 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    20 comments

    Updated

  9. The Definitive Audit "Tool"

    This is not exactly a tool, but can be easily used to extract an almost perfect 1G1R from their Romsets.
    To do that, just create a .txt file like the example one and rename it from .txt to .bat and execute it inside the ROMs folder.
    Note:  Only Official Released games are included in the lists. No Protos, Unlicensed, Demos, etc.
    Note 2: A lot of cells are linked to others, so better not modify them manually. You can navigate by pressing each System Name on the Index Tab, and go back to Index by pressing "Go to INDEX" button on the System Tab
    If any wrong game or any question, feel free to notify/ask me. 
    Hope it helps people to sort their rom collection.
     
     

    301 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    0 comments

    Updated

  10. N64 Save Converter Tools

    This is for anyone who backup N64 Save Files from Retail Cartridge, EverDrive Flash Cartridge, or Controller Pak and want to use it on N64 Emulator that only support SRM File. These tools also helps if you want to import N64 Save File from Emulator to Retail Cartridge, EverDrive Flash Cartridge, or Controller Pak.
    Convert EEP to SRM with Batch Script (Not Recommended)
    1) Place all EEP Save Files in the same directory where you extracted.
    2) Run "EEP to SRM.bat"
    This Batch Script will rename all EEP Save Files to SRM Save File Format.
    Convert EEP/MPK to SRM
    Drag EEP Save File or MPK Save File to "pj64tosrm_32bit.exe" or "pj64tosrm_64bit.exe"
    Only drag one file at a time.
    Convert SRA/FLA to SRM
    1) Run "ED64-Saveswap.exe" and select SRA Save File or FLA Save File.
    2) Leave everything as default and click on "- Convert file -"
    This will create another SRA/FLA Save File by swap a Save Data to be compatible with N64 Emulators that only reads SRM Save Files.
    3) Drag SRA Save File or FLA Save File to "pj64tosrm_32bit.exe" or "pj64tosrm_64bit.exe"
    Only drag one file at a time.
    Convert SRM to EEP with Batch Script (1KB/2KB Size only)
    If SRM Save File size is 290KB. Skip to "Convert SRM to EEP/MPK" instead.
    1) Place all SRM Save Files in the same directory where you extracted.
    2) Run "SRM to EEP.bat"
    This Batch Script will rename all SRM Save Files back to EEP Save File Format.
    Convert SRM to EEP/MPK
    Drag SRM Save File to "pj64tosrm_32bit.exe" or "pj64tosrm_64bit.exe"
    Only drag one file at a time.
    Convert SRM to SRA/FLA
    1) Drag SRM Save File to "pj64tosrm_32bit.exe" or "pj64tosrm_64bit.exe"
    Only drag one file at a time.
    2) Run "ED64-Saveswap.exe" and select SRA Save File or FLA Save File.
    3) Leave everything as default and click on "- Convert file -"
    This will create another SRA/FLA Save File by swap a Save Data back to original form to be compatible with N64 Retail Cartridge or EverDrive Flash Cart.
    Credits
    All credits goes to the people who made these Tools Software happened.
    ED64-Saveswap by saturnu
    pj64tosrm by Higor (heuripedes)

    262 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    0 comments

    Updated

  11. The Game Zone (Multiple BB Instances via AHK script)

    Allows you to Easily use multiple instances of Bigbox on each PC to improve speeds in navigation by splitting up platforms and running them from a single app. Also allows you to customize each instance to use different themes, platform videos, etc.. Includes a ReadMe in the folder
    I wrote this AHK script to make it easy to run multiple instances of Bigbox on the same PC.
    The reason I did this was I noticed my main LB/BB rig was getting so big that navigation was starting to slow down, especially in arcade using the newer themes. It was even worse on the older PC's thoughout he house. I got the idea that maybe if I split the platforms up into different copies of LB/BB I might get a smoother experience, especially on older PC's and it worked.
    The script can be easily changed and customized to your needs. It's simple to change the images, background, layout, number of instances, etc. with much more than Notepad++. It takes a little work to set things up, but works pretty well after your done.
    Just extract it and put the "The Game Zone" folder where you want. 
    Here is what you need do to Prepare: - this is most of the work
    1. Make a copy of your Launchbox folder before doing anything just as a backup in case you have a boo-boo and something gets messed up. That makes it easy to go back. I'd leave it alone until finished.

    2. If your game media, including roms, (images, videos, music, manuals) is within your Launchbox folder, you will need to move or make a copy of it all to a centralized location Outside the default Launchbox folder. This excludes your Platform Categories, Platforms, Playlists folders and startup videos. Mine is actually on a shared NAS folder. This keeps you from creating and having multiple copies of your roms and game media in a later step.

    3. Next, you need to edit the paths to each of them in the "Folders" section of Launchbox by right clicking on a platform, then Edit > Folders (tab) and navigate each of them to where you put the media OR edit the Platform xml (../Launchbox/Data/Platforms) files with Notepad++ so Launchbox uses the new centralized media locations. Notepad++ is faster and easier, but more chance of errors. 

    4. After your media is in a centralized location, you can delete it all from your default Launchbox folders.

    5. Next, make multiple copies of your edited Launchbox folder and rename them the following (only if you wish to use the script "As Is"):
    LB-Arcade
    LB-Retro
    LB-Modern
    by default the script uses your normal Launchbox instance for the Master system.

    6. Lastly, you will need to edit the AHK script to match the different path instances that you have chosen. Mine are as follows and what the script is using by default:
    D:\Gaming\Apps\LB-Arcade
    D:\Gaming\Apps\LB-Retro
    D:\Gaming\Apps\LB-Modern
    D:\Gaming\Apps\LaunchBox (master system with all platforms)
    After everything is all set up and working, you can play with modding to your taste and needs.
    TIPS:
    I do all my maintenance work in my master instance and use Syncthings to copy the appropriate platform xml files to the appropriate LB instances, that way I do the work once and the other instances are updated automatically. Yep, I'm lazy! There is a shortcut in the folder to drop on the desktop. You might have to fix the icon for it (copy of it in the "The Game Zone" folder), since my paths may be different than yours.
    I think that's it. This is my first AHK script and was fun learning about AHK. You can do much more with it than I imagined.
    Feel free to post questions, comments, suggestions and share what you come up with.
    -Enjoy

    44 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    0 comments

    Updated

  12. BigBox PlatformCategoryPlaylist Selector

    2022-03-23 10-33-23.mp4 A plugin for BigBox that makes it possible to have a playlist/platform carousel inside any game view/theme via simple .xaml edit of any game view. With this plugin you no longer have to leave the game view as you can select every playlist/platform from there!
    Installation:
    Globally: Put the BigBoxPCPSelector.dll file into Launchbox/Plugins folder.
    Per Theme: Put the BigBoxPCPSelector.dll file into Theme's Plugin folder.
    Theme's Game View files: Edit WallView/TextGame/HorizontalGame View's files by adding the plugin to the user control
    <UserControl Name="Canvas" ClipToBounds="True" xmlns:PD="clr-namespace:BigBoxPCPSelector.View;assembly=BigBoxPCPSelector" .... /> and after that add the Platform Selector somwhere between the <Canvas> tags as below. These are currently the values you have to give the plugin to work. (Stuff like Position adjustment will be added soon)
    <PD:PlatformSelector Panel.ZIndex="900" ItemFontSize="20" ItemFontWeight="Normal" ItemForegroundBrush="White" ItemBackgroundBrush="Transparent" SelectedFontSize="30" SelectedFontWeight="ExtraBold" SelectedForegroundBrush="Black" SelectedBackgroundBrush="Transparent"/> Controls:
    Esc: Activate Plugin Wheel
    Left/Right: Move carousel index
    Up: Switch between playlists and platforms
    Down: Deactivate Plugin Wheel
    Esc 2x: Escape Menu like default
    Enter: Confirm Playlist/Platform selection
    Contribute:
    Feel free to improve the plugin at https://github.com/Benuno/BigBoxPCPSelector! Any support is appreciated .
    Thanks to @Fry for the help/initial code structure!

    67 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    5 comments

    Submitted

  13. ServoSticker.zip

    ServoStick LauchBox plugin. With this plugin LaunchBox will switch between 4 way and 8 way modes automatically when the game starts and back when. the game is exited. Using the latest metadata the modes are created and selected for you. No need to fiddle with macros, ledblinky or emulator command lines. 
     
    For more details and support check the forum post
     

    71 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    2 comments

    Updated

  14. Create Playlists from MAME category ini files

    Create Playlists from MAME category ini files for your Arcade Platform.
    This plugin allows you to generate Playlists in LaunchBox from .ini files.  The same ones MAME uses in its UI to apply filters used to categorize viewing of your games.
    To be clear:
    This doesn't really expand much on the already available Arcade/MAME Playlist building feature in LaunchBox.   But if there's a rare instance you come across a MAME category ini file that has a 'pre-built' "filter" list and isn't already available in LB, well here you go.   Regardless, this was actually a just-for-fun, 'let's see if I can' type of thing.  And figured I'd just put it out here for whatever reason.
    ..now on with the show..
    Only games that actually exist in your Arcade Platform will be added to the created Playlist.  So say you choose “Control.ini” and Select “Joystick 8-way”, there are 6827 roms listed with that ‘filter’.  If your Arcade Platform only has 1007 of those 6827, only 1007 will be imported into the new Playlist.  
    Many of these files can be found at www.progettosnaps.net.  (Specifically here)  And several more at https://mameinfo.mameworld.info/ (Look for the “MAMEUI 0.2xx Category-, Version and Alltime inifiles” link).  There’s probably other sources available out there too.
    These files are typically (and should be) stored in the  ../MAME/ini/folders/  folder.
    Requirements:
    This plugin file.  Place it inside the ../LaunchBox/Plugins/  folder. Your MAME/Arcade Platform MUST be named “Arcade”.  v3.0 A valid .ini file (or set of files) to read from. (see possible sources above) (sample from “Controls.ini”)
    [FOLDER_SETTINGS] RootFolderIcon mame SubFolderIcon folder [ROOT_FOLDER] [Dial] 2mindril 720 720g 720gr1 ..... [Joystick 8-way] 10yard 10yard85 10yardj 1941 ..... How to use:
    First download and unzip the file.  Copy “Create Arcade Playlists.dll” to you LaunchBox/Plugins folder. Right click the file and select Properties. Check the box to “Unblock” (if present) then click OK.  Now start LaunchBox.
    In LaunchBox, select “Tools”, then “Arcade Playlists from ini” (near the very bottom). [not to confused with "Create Missing Arcade/MAME Playlists.."] When the plugin loads, it will attempt to automatically locate your ../ini/folders/  location and populate the “Available ini files” section.  If it wasn’t able to find it or you want to look in a different location, click “Browse” and navigate to the folder you want to use. Click on the ini file you want to use.  This will populate the “Available sections/filters”. If there are no ‘[Sections]’ below “[ROOT_FOLDER]”, that means there are only rom names listed, and those will be added to the “List of roms to add” area. Click on one the “Available sections/filters” you want to use.  This will add all the roms for that selection to the “List of roms to add” area. Select the Platform that has all your Arcade games.  If it's called "Arcade", it will be selected automatically.  (new v3.0) Click “Create Playlist” to create the playlist.  Click Exit or create more. (new look v3.0)

    Once Exited, select Playlist or Platform Category and expand Arcade to see the new Playlist.

     
    Notes:
    This does not work with Additional Apps (mainly clones).
    This adds “Arcade” to the beginning of the selected section/filter for its “Unique Name:” (to maintain consistency).  The “Nested Name” will be the same as selected section/filter.
    The Playlist will be added to the “Arcade (Category)” of the Platform Categories list.
    If you click Create Playlist and you don’t have any existing games that match, an empty Playlist will not be created.
    If a Playlist of the same name already exists, either delete your existing Playlist or edit it and change the name.  It will not be overwritten nor modified.

    779 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    8 comments

    Updated

  15. How Long To Beat - Game Length Plugin

    About
    Plugin that scrapes information from HowLongToBeat.com and adds custom fields with game lengths information.
    I made this plugin to add length information for certain games, mostly rpgs. This adds 3 custom fields for Main Story, Main + Extra and Completionist length. You can configure which ones you want to add by editing the file HLTBPlugin.xml.
    Because there's no oficial API from HLTB, I had to parse the HTML, which means that as soon as they change something on the HTML this plugin probably will stop working...
    Install
    Extract files (dll + xml) to : Launchbox/Plugins/HLTBPlugin.
    Config (HLTBPlugin.xml)
    MainStoryLength: Enable/disable main story length update. Default: true. MainExtraLength: Enable/disable main story + extra length update. Default: true. CompletionistLength: Enable/disable completionist length update. Default: true. MainStoryFieldName: Change main story length custom field name. Default: Main Story Length MainExtraFieldName: Change main story + extra length custom field name. Default: Main + Extra Length CompletionistFieldName: Change completionist length custom field name. Default: Completionist Length Note: If you change the fields names it will not update the games that already have information, so you will end up with duplicated fields with different names and you will have to manually delete them (edit game -> custom fields tab). So config the first time and stick with that.
    Usage
    Access the option by right-click a game (only one game, no massive update yet). A window will popup with all the games found and you can choose which one correspond to your game. If there's no results you can manually change the search words (e.g. Metal Gear Ac!d will get no results but you can then change the search to Metal Gear Acid).
    You can use the "Arrange By" option to order the games by length. Lengths are shown with leading zeroes because is the only way to properly order the games since custom fields are strings and not integers.
    Tested on version 8.9. I think you need a premium license because custom fields are not supported in free license (not sure).

    I have no relation with HowLongToBeat.com, if you like their work please go and support them.
     
    Public Repository
    https://github.com/matiasponsml/HLTBPlugin
     

    1,394 downloads

       (5 reviews)

    25 comments

    Updated

  16. Marquesas HTTP Server

    Small Footprint HTTP Server Plugin for LaunchBox. 
    Example Uses
       * Display the current game marque full screen on a seperate system such as a tablet or smart phone.
       * View the current game manual on a seperate system such as a tablet, laptop, smart phone.
       * Retrieve LaunchBox and game information through a standard HTTP JSON API.
    Installation
       To install unzip and copy the MarquesasServer folder into your LaunchBox/Plugins folder.
       The server will begin running whenever LaunchBox is started. The first time you run 
       it with the plugin a Windows security dialog will pop up asking if you want to allow 
       it to connect to the network. You will need to select one of the two options presented, 
       the option "Private networks, such as my home or work network will suffice". Once in
       LaunchBox you will see a new "Marquesas Server Admin" option under the Tools menu to
       manage the server. The server can then be accessed from any computer, phone, or tablet
       located on (or with access to) the same network as the machine running LaunchBox/BigBox.

       Requires .NET Framework Version 4.8 from https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-framework/net48
       See the default index (LaunchBox->Tools->Marquesas Server Admin->Ellipses Button)
       for a comprehensive list of dynamically generated direct links and detailed information.
    Auto Refreshing Web Pages
       These pages (specifically the Marque page) were designed to be brought up on a separate
       computer such as an old tablet to display the marque of the game currently being played
       in BigBox. It is recommended that the page be loaded and then the browser set to full
       screen (kiosk) mode. In most browser on Windows you can toggle kiosk mode by hitting F11
       when in your browser. Each page will refresh automatically every few seconds to insure
       that the game being played will be reflected in the browser.
       
       Works via a standard HTTP interface allowing the retrieval of HTML pages for the current
       game. Any *ImagePath property can be retrieved from the IGame object
       (Unbroken.LaunchBox.Plugins.Data.IGame.*) by specifying /Image/ followed by the Image
       descriptor (the part preceeding ImagePath)
       * /Image/Back
       * /Image/Background
       * /Image/Box3D
       * /Image/Cart3D
       * /Image/CartBack
       * /Image/CartFront
       * /Image/ClearLogo
       * /Image/Front
       * /Image/Marque
       * /Image/PlatformClearLogo
       * /Image/Screenshot
       * /Manual
    JSON API for retrieving
       * /StateManager (Unbroken.LaunchBox.Plugins.PluginHelper.StateManager)
       * /StateManager/IsInGame
       * /StateManager/* (Unbroken.LaunchBox.Plugins.PluginHelper.StateManager.*)
       * /SelectedGames (Unbroken.LaunchBox.Plugins.Data.IGame)
       * /SelectedGames/* (Unbroken.LaunchBox.Plugins.Data.IGame.*)
          
    JSON API for retrieving raw binaries
       * /Binary/ScreenshotImage
       * /Binary/FrontImage
       * /Binary/MarqueeImage
       * /Binary/BackImage
       * /Binary/Box3DImage
       * /Binary/BackgroundImage
       * /Binary/Cart3DImage
       * /Binary/CartFrontImage
       * /Binary/CartBackImage
       * /Binary/ClearLogoImage
       * /Binary/PlatformClearLogoImage
       * /Binary/Application
       * /Binary/Configuration
       * /Binary/DosBoxConfiguration
       * /Binary/Manual
       * /Binary/Music
       * /Binary/ScummVmGameDataFolder
       * /Binary/Video
       * /Binary/ThemeVideo
    See the default index (LaunchBox->Tools->Marquesas Server Admin->Ellipses) for direct links and detailed information.
    Source: https://github.com/fpdavis/MarquesasServer
     

    107 downloads

       (2 reviews)

    6 comments

    Updated

  17. View MAME High scores in Game Details - A plugin for LaunchBox/BigBox

    View MAME High scores in Game Details - A plugin for LaunchBox/BigBox
    Use this plugin to see a games top 3 high scores in the Game Details.
     
    Features
    Shows high scores for most games in your Arcade platform in the Game Details. After playing a MAME Arcade game that saves its' high scores [and is supported by the included hi2txt program], this adds a Custom Field called "Hi-Scores" to the game.  It will store 1st, 2nd and 3rd place and appear in the Game Details when the game is selected.
     
    What's needed
    (3) files that are included in the downloaded zip file (the plugin) One file that is included in the Version 3.0 downloaded zip file MAME configured to save high scores Saved high score files (These are automatically generated by MAME [once configured to save them] in the "hi" and/or “nvram” subfolders of your MAME emulator)  
    What it won't do
    Show high scores for games using emulators other than MAME. MAME does not save high scores for all arcade machines, so not all games are supported by this plugin.  
    Contributors
    @jayjay and @JoeViking245
     
    A HUGE Special Thanks goes to GreatStone’s utility “hi2txt”.  This utility converts MAME’s high score files into a readable format which ultimately makes this plugin possible!!
    http://greatstone.free.fr/hi2txt/index.html

    Installation and setup instructions:
    Step 1: Installing the Plugin
    Step 2: Making sure MAME is set up to save high scores
     
    Installing the Plugin:
    Download the plugin, LB-BB_Hi_Scores_v1.0.zip, from the LaunchBox download section After you’ve downloaded the zip file, be sure to unblock it in Windows by right clicking it, selecting Properties, and clicking Unblock
    Open the zip file and extract/copy the "Hi_Scores" folder into ..\LaunchBox\Plugins            e.g  D:\LaunchBox\Plugins\
    If you have previously installed “MAME Hi-Score Display - A plugin for BigBox”, you will only to copy the “HiScoreCustomField.dll” file into that same folder.  Otherwise all 3 files are required.  (Only one file is required with version 3.0) The 2 plugins will not conflict with each other.
     
    Setting up MAME to save high scores:
    Using a recent official MAME release –
    By default, plugins are enabled in MAME.  You can verify this by looking at the “mame.ini” file located in the root MAME install folder. Open “mame.ini” and scroll down to (or press Control + F and search for) “Scripting Options”.   “plugins” should be set to 1.  If it’s 0 (zero), change it to 1.
    Next, open “plugin.ini” also located in MAME’s root directory and change “hiscore” to 1.
     
    If you have an older release of MAME, you may need to do the following steps.
    Go to this website: http://www.mameworld.info/highscore/download.htm and download a copy of the file hiscore.dat that corresponds to your version of MAME. The file (hiscoredat.zip) will need to be unzipped. Place the file hiscore.dat in your MAME/Plugins folder Open up your MAME.ini file in a text editor. In newer versions, this file will be in the same directory as the MAME.exe Press control + F and search for “Scripting Options” Next to the word Plugins, type “1” no quotes Next to the word Plugin, type “hiscore” no quotes It will look like this:
     
    How to use:
    Start LaunchBox or BigBox Go into the "Arcade" Platform Select a game, run it, then close it Now select a different game, then go back (poor man’s version to refresh the Game Details) If the game has saved high scores, they will now appear in that game’s Detail pane Depending on the BigBox theme you use, the amount of data shown in the Game Details may be limited.  So you might need to go into Options, Game Details and deselect some of the Details.
    Be sure that “Custom Fields” is checked.

    422 downloads

       (2 reviews)

    8 comments

    Updated

  18. Jay's Arcade - Animated Marquee Mod - for any theme

    For lack of a better place to put this, I guess I'll settle for this Third Party apps category since it doesn't really fit anywhere else.
    What is it: The Marquee Mod will add animated marquee support to your theme. I created this marquee style with the Community Theme Creator. Unfortunately it's not currently possible to use a Marquee created for one theme and use it in another unless you have all the source Community Theme Creator files from both the Marquee and theme you wish to patch. The files here will allow you to use the marquees I created for my Vertical Aspirations theme in any other theme. Everything you'll need is included in this one zip file. If you don't have a second monitor in use for marquees, this mod won't do you any good.
    Instructions: After downloading the zip file, right click the zip, select properties and check the unblock box and click ok.
    Open the zip and extract the folder onto your desktop or other directory you wish to work in.
    Inside the folder, run the Edit Game Marquee View.exe first. If you have autohotkey installed on your PC, you can alternatively run the Edit Game Marquee View.ahk
    When the search dialog opens, type "Marquee Views" without the quotes. Make sure you capitalize it and you type it plural with the s at the end.
    When the replace dialog opens, type the name of the theme you will be importing this into. Example: Unified Refried. Make sure you spell the name of the theme correctly and use CAPS where needed or this mod won't work.

    Next, run the Edit Platform Marquee View.exe. If you have autohotkey installed on your PC, you can alternatively run the Edit Platform Marquee View.ahk
    When the search dialog opens, type "Marquee Views" without the quotes. Make sure you capitalize and you type it plural with the s.
    When the replace dialog opens, type the name of the theme you will be importing this into. Example: Unified Refried. Make sure you spell the name of the theme correctly and use CAPS where needed or this mod won't work.

    To confirm the rename worked, open the views folder and open the GameMarqueeView.xaml file and the PlatformMarqueeView.xaml files in a text editor (they may have already opened automatically in the previous step). Verify at the top of the text in the author block that the new name is present there.
    An example (assuming you used Unified Refried in the replace field), the author block should look like...
    <!--
    COMMUNITY Theme Creator for BigBox - Version 2.3
    Theme:          Unified Refried
    Aspect Ratio:   Stretch
    Developed by:   Marquee Mod by Jay's Arcade
    Published:      Saturday 05, February 2022 @ 10:43 AM
    BigBox Version: 12.7-beta-4 or later
    -->

    Finish: If all looks well, close both files. Now, copy the Views, Media and Plugin folders into your theme. Open Bigbox and switch to the theme you added support to if it's not already selected.
    If something is not right, it's likely that something got misspelled. Delete the directory and re-extract from the zip and try again.
    Please report if you have any issues.
    Mascot files and animations in this mod were directly stolen from Faerans excellent RetroMags theme.
     
    How the marquee views work: The views are not too much different from the default marquee views that come with BigBox. They do offer better support however (in my humble opinion) for Platform Marquees since they defeat the ugly default Banners that come with Bigbox. They also have some animations that run on either side of the logo. The animations are subtle.
    Platform Marquees will have a default background image, a logo (pulled from your clear logos folder), and animated "mascot" images on either side of the logo.
    Games Marquees will use a video marquee if available. If a video is not available, it will use an arcade marquee image if available. If an arcade marquee image is not available, it will default to the platform marquee.
     
    Games View

    2022-01-08 19-05-17.mp4    
    Platform View

    2022-01-08 19-01-42.mp4    
    Options: Inside the Media folder there is a Platform Marquees folder that has a file named Platform Marquee Background.png. This is the file to change out if your prefer a different background.
    There are a limited number of mascots in the 2 mascots folders. Faeran's RetroMags theme has a ton of these images if you need to fill in some blank spots that this mod doesn't cover.
     
    How to remove: If you find you don't want to use this with your theme anymore, simply go into the theme folder and delete the GamesMarqueeView.xaml and the PlatformMarqueeView.xaml

    128 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    0 comments

    Submitted

  19. Create marquee images from Clear Logos (for use with Pixelcade™ LED Marquee displays)

    Create marquee images from Clear Logos (for use with Pixelcade™ LED Marquee displays)
    Pixelcade already provides numerous marquee images for many Platforms. But you may come across one or more that are missing.
    This plugin will create 128x32 marquee-resolution png images using your games existing Clear Logo and place them in your Pixelcade directory**, under the corresponding Platform folder.
     
    What’s needed:
    The plugin files Pixelcade software installed (including LEDBlinky)  [https://pixelcade.org] ffmpeg.exe (used to convert/create the marquee images) [https://ffmpeg.org] (included) (optional) An actual Pixelcade™ Marquee display  
    Installing:
    Download and unblock the plugin zip file (Right-click the zip file, select Properties and check UnBlock) Copy the contents of the zip file into your ../LaunchBox/Plugins/ folder i.e.  D:\LaunchBox\Plugins\PixelcadeMarquees\  
    Setting up the plugin:
    The default install location for Pixelcade is “C:\Program Files (x86)\Pixelcade”**.   If you installed it somewhere else, edit “pixSettings.xml” located in the Plugin folder. (Notepad can be used to edit it)  Change the path (line #3) to match your install location.  Save and close.
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <settings>      <pixCadePath>C:\Program Files (x86)\Pixelcade</pixCadePath> </settings>  
    **Note:
    If your Pixelcade installation is located under “C:\Program Files (x86)”, you will need to have Access Permission to be able to save the images there.  The plugin will check for permissions when launched.  If it doesn’t have the proper permission, images will be saved to the "Completed" subfolder.
    i.e.  D:\LaunchBox\Plugins\PixelcadeMarquees\Completed\
    You will then need to copy them manually when done.  The images will be saved to their own Platform subfolder as Pixelcade sees them.  (Pixelcade Platform naming conversions are taken from "console.csv" located in your Pixelcade directory.)   Example: if your Platform is called "Arcade", images will be saved in the folder "mame".
     
    Using the plugin:
    Start LaunchBox. Select one or more games. Right Click and select Generate Pixelcade Marquee Image Click Create Marquee  
    Game Title vs. ROM name:
    In most cases LaunchBox passes the games ROM name to LEDBlinky (which in turn passes it to Pixelcade).  But for certain games (namely Steam games [and others?]), LaunchBox will pass the games Title.  For these, you’ll want to check the box Use game Title for marquee image.
    If the games Title contains illegal characters (such as : [semicolon]), the image will not be created.
    When selecting multiple games, if you check Use game Title for marquee image and click Create Marquees, if the game Title contains illegal characters, a message will popup indicating that game will be skipped.  You can bypass these messages by checking Skip warnings about Titles with invalid characters.
     
     
    Special thanks to @megashub for coming up with the idea for this plugin and for figuring out how to manipulate and convert the images to make them suitable for Pixelcade™ displays.
     
    As always, questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome.

    111 downloads

       (5 reviews)

    5 comments

    Updated

  20. Inexpensive scrolling marquee

    First, I am not a developer, so I am sure this can be improved on.
    This is a way to get a scrolling marque for aprox $100 Canadian.
    I did a quick video of it working in attract mode;
    It uses the following hardware:
    Elegoo LYSB01H4ZDYCE-ELECTRNCSMEGA 2560 R3 Board ATmega2560 ATMEGA16U2 with USB Cable Compatible and Arduino - $20
    BTF-LIGHTING WS2812B RGB 5050SMD Individually Addressable Digital 8x32 256 Pixels 12.5in x 3.1in LED Matrix - $50
    Power options for panel, can use 5v from a PC power supply (red wire) or a power brick with 2 amps or more. This is based on just scrolling text, if you start doing graphics or lighting a lot of LEDs, get a real power supply,
    These were purchased off Amazon.ca. Read on the panel, as again, if you light a lot of LEDs it will draw a lot of power.
    I provided the code for the Arduino, That I want to give credit to Cyan Infinite, although I did edit the code some.
    see sketch.serial.text.ino
    Cyan Infinite | Scrolling text with flexible 32x8 RGB LED Matrix
    I started with a generic UNO, but it seemed a bit underpowered, so changed to a generic Mega board.
    Note, later when I built the Python code, I had an issue with 2 odd characters being displayed at the beginning of my scrolling text which I suspect was a communication setting for the com port, but not positive. That is why I used a substring command.
    I used pin 49 to send the data to the panel, as it was close to a ground. You need a data and a ground, and the pin you use must match the one identified in the code. If you use a UNO, the pin numbers are different range, I had used 6 then for example.
    You need to set the com port for your board. That can be done in a couple ways, one is Device Manager, Properties, Ports, USB Serial Device, Port Settings, Advanced. My code uses Com 3. You can adjust this, but will need to compile the Python then and not use the supplied exe.
    The python script will set the options in windows to match the Sketch settings (although I think I may have an error per my Note above)
    The send_com.py is the source code for send_com.exe.
    I tried to use the py file, but bigbox didn't like that. I actually started with a basic .bat file, but the popup window was messing things up. I'll paste that at the bottom for enquiring minds. The port settings may not match the sketch though, so if you use it, adjust it.
    If you want to use different port or port settings, you will need to recompile. Up to you where you put the send_com.exe, but note that windows antivirus deems it a security risk when you try running it, it will block it and remove the file, so you will need to exclude it, I found it easiest to create a subfolder and exclude the subfolder from scanning. SEE V 1.02 or newer, recommend use of the ZIP version and not the single file exe to avoid this issue. If you are concerned I am providing malicious code, read the .py file and compile it yourself. Not going to try to tutorial that, I'm a novice at best and there is lots of info on the web. For some reason windows antivirus does this with all py files compiled as a single file exe, at least ones compiled using pyinstaller.
    See the screenshot for the LaunchBox LEDBlinky settings. Browse to where you put the send_com.exe file, your path will not likely be same as mine.
    So there are a couple things I don't like about my solution. LaunchBox and BigBox don't seem to be coded exactly the same for what to send to LEDBlinky for parameters. I didn't test LaunchBox really. Think it is close though. It does not send the Platform name (MAME, Playstation, etc...) when scrolling the Platform wheel, or I couldn't figure it out. If you navigate to a Platform (like MAME) in BigBox, it will show the game followed by platform, If you move the Game wheel, it will update to the game. If you select the game, it will update to the game. BUT if you navigate up a level, I could not find any content sent. That would be ok going from Game Details to Game Wheel, but not so going from Game Wheel to Platforms. And this all uses the same level code of 8 (the first passed parameter). I would like to code around that sometime, but have a bunch of learning to do...
    Feel free to update this if you like. If you find it useful, excellent
     
    send_com.zip

    61 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    1 comment

    Updated

  21. Playtime Tracker Migration

    This Python script migrates playtime data from the Playtime Tracker plugin to a native LaunchBox playtime entry introduced in 12.5.
    Python 3 is required.
    To use, either launch the script from LaunchBox directory
    OR
    pass path to LaunchBox as the first argument, for example:
    python migrate_launchbox_playtime.py "C:\Programs\LaunchBox" WARNING: This script OVERWRITES playtime already specified in LaunchBox with playtime from Playtime Tracker (if present),
    so playtime counted by LaunchBox but not Playtime Tracker will be overwritten!
    However, games without a Playtime Tracker entry present at all will remain untouched.
     

    46 downloads

       (1 review)

    0 comments

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  22. Visual Pinball X VideoSnap Creator

    Visual Pinball X VideoSnap Creator (Playfield Recorder)
     
    Use this plugin to create videosnaps of the Visual Pinball X tables on your PC/Cab.
    This will record any VPX table at any orientation and from any monitor.
    Why record your own?
    There already exists a lot of video snaps of most every Visual Pinball Table. You can even find vertically oriented (portrait) ones for your pincab. The issue is they may not be recordings of the actual version of the table you use. Or you simply can’t find one for a particular Original. Or you just don’t like the one(s) you found.
    Features:
    This will automatically ‘find’ your table’s playfield view so there’s no need to set up which monitor to look at or set any scale, resolution or aspect ratio. Your VPX default monitor settings will be displayed for your reference.  (new v2.0) Record the backglass at the same time as the playfield. (optional) (new v2.0) Record the DMD (3rd screen) at the same time as the playfield. (optional) (new v2.0) Record the tables gameplay sounds along with the playfield video. (optional) (new v2.1) Add the tables Clear Logo to the end of the video. (optional) Included is an AutoHotkey script that the plugin uses to quickly bypass the VPinMAME window when loading a table. (Should reduce loading time by approximately 4 seconds per table)  (This also works well if added to your Running AutoHotkey Script tab for your VPX emulator ) Record durations can be set between 5 seconds and 3 minutes. If your playfield is in portrait mode, the saved output video can be rotated for proper viewing. (Options are 0º (default), 90º, 180º, -90º) You can set the video to record at 60 FPS  (Depreciated v2.1)  All video will be recorded at 30 FPS Videos are automatically saved to the default folder (/Plugins/VPXVideoCreator/CreatedVideos/) or you can change it to be placed directly into your /LaunchBox/Videos/Visual Pinball/ folder. Installing:
    Download and unblock the zip file. (right click the file, select properties and check the Unblock check box and click OK) Copy the VPXVideoCreator folder (from inside the zip) into your /LaunchBox/Plugins/ folder. If updating to 2.0, overwrite the existing file. Quick Start:
    Start LaunchBox (always a good place to start) Right click one of the tables in your Visual Pinball platform and select Create VPX video. Set how long you want your final recording to be. Click Capture Video. The default save location is in the plugins’ subfolder, “CreatedVideos”.
     
    Setting up to record audio: (new v2.0) (optional)
    You will need to register “audio_sniffer-x64.dll”** (included with the plugin) with Windows.  Basically what this does is makes all your audio output accessible in one place.  Think of it as a Frontend for all your audio output devices.  This “frontend” will be labeled “virtual-audio-capturer”.
    2 ways to register/unregister audio_sniffer are:
    The easy way: Run the included batch file (located in the plugins AudioSniffer subfolder).  You need to run this as administrator.  The batch file can also be used to unregister it.  Follow the prompts.

    Old school:  Open the command prompt [as administrator] in the “AudioSniffer” subfolder.
               To Register: type in then press enter:
    regsvr32 audio_sniffer-x64.dll.1            To Unregister: type in then press enter:
    regsvr32 /u audio_sniffer-x64.dll.1 **NOTE: The file is named "audio_sniffer-x64.dll.1" (with a “.1” at the end).  Otherwise LaunchBox will try to load it as a plugin, which will cause errors.  Source code for audio_sniffer can be found here:  https://github.com/rdp/virtual-audio-capture-grabber-device
     
    Using the plugin:
    Set Delay:
    This is the delay time between clicking Capture Video and the video actually starting to record. Set to bypass (in the recording) the VPX editor loading the table. Default is 12 seconds. Options are from 5 to 30 seconds.
    Record Duration:
    Set to how long you want your video snaps to be. Default is 30 seconds. Options are from 5 to 180 seconds (3 minutes).
    Video Rotation:
    If you play on a rotated monitor (or TV), you will want to set this to the direction your monitor/TV is rotated. Default is 0º. Options are 0º, 90º, 180º and -90º.
    Include Audio: (new v2.0)
    Check this box to include the tables playfield sounds with the recording (needs to be configured).
    Record Backglass: (new v2.0)
    Check this box to record the Backglass at the same time as recording the Playfield.  This will be saved to a separate file that is saved in the “/VPXVideoCreator/CreatedVideos/Backglass/” folder.  
    The backglass is typically on a 2nd monitor, but (if setup) will get recorded separately no matter which monitor it’s on (single or otherwise).  The file will be saved as [the-games_Title]_BG.mp4
    Record DMD: (new v2.0)
    Check this box to record the Dot Matrix Display (DMD) at the same time as recording the Playfield.  This will be saved to a separate file that is saved in the “/VPXVideoCreator/CreatedVideos/Backglass/” folder alongside the backglass video.
    The DMD is typically on a 3nd monitor, but (if setup) will get recorded separately no matter which monitor it’s on (single or otherwise). The file will be saved as [the-games_Title]_DMD.mp4
    Add Clear Logo to the end of the video: (new v2.1)
    Check this box to add the tables Clear Logo (if one exists) to the end of the video.  The logo will fade in as the video fades out during the last 2 seconds of the recording.  This feature is automatically disabled if no Clear Logo for that table exists.
    60 FPS  Option removed (v2.1)
    Experimental. Check this box to record at 60 frames per second. Default is 30 FPS (un-checked).  Depending on your video card (and probably some other factors too), this may or may not even be worthwhile.
    Change Save Location:
    The default save location is in /LaunchBox/Plugins/VPXVideoCreator/CreatedVideos/.  The video filename will be saved as the ‘games’ Title in LaunchBox with .mp4 file extension. You can save them anywhere you want.
    Reset to Default:
    This will reset the Save Location, Delay, Duration and Rotation to their default values.
    Save Settings:
    This will save the Save Location, Delay, Duration and Rotation values you set and will load these next time you run the plugin.
    Save settings before video capture
    This is checked by default and will save any changes made when you click Capture Video and before launching VPX.
    Capture Video:
    This will launch the table you selected to open the plugin with. At the same time, the AutoHotkey script “vpxBypassPinMAME.ahk” will start. This runs in the background and waits for the VPinMAME popup window to appear and then ‘hits the spacebar’ to make it go away (sooner). The script will exit after it see the popup, or 15 seconds. Whichever comes first.
    After the amount of Delay time has passed, recording will begin and will continue for the set Duration. When done, VPX closes and the video gets converted.
    The video is saved to “_tempVideo.mkv” (in the CreatedVideos subfolder) and then gets converted to an mp4 file. After conversion, _tempVideo.mkv will be deleted.
    Keep temp video when done:
    By default, “_tempVideo.mkv” will be deleted after the video has been converted. If you want to see what the video looks like before converting, check this box. After your video is complete, go to the CreatedVideos folder to view it. Note: this file gets overwritten each time you click Create Video if you have the checkbox checked.
    View Saved Video
    Click this to view the converted video. This is the video file shown in Saved Video Location.
    VPX Playfield
    This shows the default playfield monitor settings you have setup for your Visual Pinball installation. These get read from your Registry settings:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Visual Pinball\VP10\Player\Display
    The Monitor # listed may not be the same as what your Windows Display Settings says. So if it’s “wrong”, ignore it. The Image Scale (W and H) shown will be correct.
    If the VPX display settings cannot be retrieved from the registry, monitor #1’s information will be displayed with an asterisk (*) after the monitor number.  (Monitor #: 1*)
     
    Some notes:
    When you click Capture Video, probably don’t click anything else until recording is complete. However once the table is loaded, feel free to drop in a coin, hit start and play until ‘your time is up’. Just don’t click on another window.
    Backglass and DMD recordings only work with B2S Backglass Server (which is what most of them are).  PinUPPlayer windows are not supported.
    Designed for LaunchBox v11.3 and higher.
    Special Thanks!
    Special thanks to gtxjoe’s PBX Recorder on VPForums and Carny_Priest’s post on GameEx Forum for paving the way to figuring out an excellent approach to creating your own Visual Pinball table videosnaps.
    Huge thanks to @sundogak for convincing me (though it didn't take much once I saw it in action) and showing me how to add video fade and attaching Clear Logos to the videos.  Also for all the testing done and invaluable insight! 
     
    Future releases and enhancements:
    If there’s enough interest in this plugin (as in, it’s actually useful and would get used), I will look at adding:
    Option to record the table’s audio in with the video. (added v2.0) Ability to select multiple tables for ‘bulk recording’. Record backglass videos??? (added v2.0) Any REASONABLE request.  
    As always, any and all feedback is welcome!

    158 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    17 comments

    Updated

  23. Mame 0.238 No-Nag

    NOTE: This does NOT interfere with the Leader boards at all.
    **This removes the nag screen that informs you if a rom doesn't work correctly, or if at all, if you use this no nag, then please do NOT go to the mame support site with issues with games, please only use if you understand that there will be no help from anyone at mamedev as you are using a modified version of mame.
    mame.exe - Normal Mame with Nags removed. For Version 0.238 (Note mame no longer carries the 64 in its exe name changed by Devs in 0.229)
    It's advisable to download the full 0.238 official pack and install it, then just overwrite the exe with the replacement, this covers any changes the mame devs may have made to the support files.
    After you have done this, make sure you copy the folders artwork, ctrlr, cheat, hlsl, ini, folders and the ini files from the root of your original mame folder, and move/copy them to the new install.  
    make sure in the mame.ini file you have  the following set.
    Skip_gameinfo  1

    194 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    6 comments

    Submitted

  24. EmuStation2LaunchBox.bat

    EmuStation2LaunchBox moves emulation station roms/images (from a pi image saved to drive) into LaunchBox folders.
    Then by using a pre-filled platforms.xml file, you can import the lot into LaunchBox with one command.

    I've set up most of the front ends over the years and usually automate it. There are loads of pi images available, just grab one, use a tool to extract to your hard drive and run this.

    88 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    0 comments

    Updated

  25. MAME Hi-Score Display - A plugin for BigBox

    MAME Hi-Score Display - A plugin for BigBox
    Use this plugin to view a games high scores from BigBox’s Game Menu.
    Features
    Creates a menu item called “View Hi-Scores” that allows you to display high scores for most games in your Arcade platform directly in BigBox. What's needed
    (3) files that are included in the downloaded zip file (the plugin) Version 3.0 - One file that is included in the downloaded zip file (the plugin) 2 lines of text added to the "TextGamesView.xaml" file for your current BigBox Theme MAME configured to save high scores Saved high score files (These are automatically generated by MAME once it’s configured to save them in the "hi" and/or “nvram” subfolders of your MAME emulator) What it won't do
    Show high scores for games using emulators other than MAME. Show high scores for games in LaunchBox. MAME is not built to save high scores the same way (or at all) for all arcade machines, so not all games are supported by this plugin Contributors
    @jayjay – The one who came up with the idea and did all the hard stuff.
    @JoeViking245 – The one who helped with all the easy stuff.
    @fromlostdays – The one who made these instructions easier to follow. 
    A HUGE Special Thanks goes to GreatStone’s utility “hi2txt”.  This utility converts MAME’s high score files into a readable format which ultimately makes this plugin possible!!
    http://greatstone.free.fr/hi2txt/index.html
     
    Installation and setup instructions:
    Step 1: Installing the Plugin
    Step 2: Editing your BigBox Theme to add support for the Plugin
    Step 3: Making sure MAME is set up to save high scores
     
    Installing the Plugin:
    Download the plugin, Mame_Hi_Scores_v1.0.zip, Mame_Hi_Scores_v3.0.zip from the LaunchBox download section After you’ve downloaded the zip file, be sure to unblock it in Windows by right clicking it, selecting Properties, and clicking Unblock Open the zip file and extract/copy the "Hi_Scores" folder into ..\LaunchBox\Plugins  
    Editing Your BigBox Theme to add support for the Plugin:
    You just need to add two lines of text, each in a specific place, in one of the theme’s .xaml files so that your theme can display the Hi -Scores. This should work for all themes.
    Go to the "Views" folder of the theme you are using and find the file "TextGamesView.xaml". e.g.  D:\LaunchBox\Themes\my_current_theme\Views\TextGamesView.xaml Right click on "TextGamesView.xaml" and select Edit
    Insert the following line after the last existing "xmlns" entry located near the top of the file: xmlns:hsc="clr-namespace:Mame_Hi_Scores;assembly=Mame_Hi_Scores"    It will look similar to this:
    Now scroll all the way down to the bottom of the document. Insert the following line* just above the text "</Canvas>": <hsc:Hi_Scores Height="{Binding Source={x:Static SystemParameters.PrimaryScreenHeight}}" Width="{Binding Source={x:Static SystemParameters.PrimaryScreenWidth}}" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/> *NOTE: The word “canvas” may show up multiple times in the document. You’re looking for the last instance of it, at the very bottom of the text just above </UserControl>. Also note that the indentation of the line doesn’t matter. The above is one single line of text, so be sure and copy and paste the entire line. Depending on your text editor, it may ‘wrap around’ and look like two lines, which is not a problem. 
     It will look similar to this:
    Save and close TextGamesView.xaml .  
    Setting up MAME to save high scores:
    Using a recent official MAME release –
     
    If you have an older release of MAME, you may need to do the following steps instead.
       
    Congrats! You’re all setup! Now that you’ve setup the plugin, why not give it a try?
    How to use:
    Start BigBox Go into the "Arcade" Platform Select a game Near the bottom of the Menu (if the selected game has a high score file saved) you'll see "View Local Hi-Scores"  Select "View Local Hi-Scores" to see your high scores for that game!

    359 downloads

       (0 reviews)

    15 comments

    Updated


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