Online Video Links 1.2.0.0

This plugin is now compatible with LaunchBox 10.15

this would be great if there was some way to download trailers to your system so they open as the default video. rather than navigating through the menu. just an idea.

I thought about this, and it wouldn't be too difficult to implement (at least for Youtube videos). But I initially developed this plugin for myself, and the point was to be able to link videos that are hosted online, without the need to download them and occupy a lot of space on the local drive. 

Tell me, have you used the plugin in its current form?

I might add this feature if enough people are interested. 

I just tried your plugin and can confirm that it's working perfectly on the last Launchbox version (11.7)

Unfortunately, 1 or 2 things are killing it for me...

 

I just made a simple copy/past of the link already scrapped on my game (video url on game properties) to your new online video link menu.

The possibility to change the start/end of the video linked is an awesome feature by the way !

I think that having to copy the video link manualy from one place to another is a bit annoying but wathever, it's not a big deal. I then start Bigbox, and no video, just the same hideous screenshot of the game as before. I try to came back to default theme, reset configuration to default, ...

Ok my bad, everything was written on your description: to see the video, you have to go on a submenu of the game and then you can start the video (with a splash as if it was starting the game). I can't exit the video with my pad, and have to press exit on the kb to have a window of vlc, then close it and coming back to bigbox. 

 

So, maybe I missed something, but

- On one side you can't use it for a large library of unknow games as you have to specify manualy all the video paths.

- On the other way, you can't have the video by default so if you want a "clean" bigbox (from my point of view ) you will have to download another splash video and you will probably never check the others videos in the submenu

 

What would be awesome is if it was possible to see the video as for the downloaded one (eventualy with a possibility to download it, or playing it online)

What would be even more awesome is if it was possible to reuse by default the informations of the video url !

 

Thanks anyway for your work ! 

@gzubsc Thanks for the feedback! Most of these are issues that I could fix. I always added videos manually as I was watching retro game reviews on some Youtube channels (e.g. SNESdrunk, strafefox, Game Sack) - that's actually how the need to add the start/end timestamps arised, as those channels usually have videos presenting "best of" lists so I would take the 1 or 2 minute video snippet as a quick review.

I'm just glad that someone else might find this useful, so here are some upgrades I can add:

1. I could implement a simpler copy/paste feature. For example, I could add a "Copy" link on the list item in the "Manage videos" form, which would copy the title, the video link, and the timestamps if any. Otherwise, would you have a different use case in mind?
2. Regarding how to see videos in BigBox - this was a limitation of the LaunchBox Pugin API at the time. One improvement I could add would be to show the video links directly in the main game menu instead of having them under "Additional Apps".
3. Regarding closing the VLC window: in LaunchBox/BigBox it is recommended that you set up a key combination on your gamepad for closing any game or app that you have launched - this can close the VLC window too. I have it set up so I can press Select + Start simultaneously on my gamepad for this.
4. So I am using the VLC distro that ships with LaunchBox for this, because when I developd the plugin I couldn't figure out a way to seamlessly integrate the videos into BigBox. Maybe I can find a better way now. After all, LaunchBox itself uses VLC but you can easily close the videos that are set up via the system.
5. Since GamesDB now includes a Youtube link, I could easily make use of this (if available in the game's metadata) and display it using my plugin.
6. I previously experimented with a search functionality so you can select multiple games at once and assign videos for them from Youtube. It was a bit fiddly but the main issue was that Youtube requires a client API key and it would have been too much hassle to ask users of the plugin to provide their own API keys. So I abandoned this feature and I don't think I'll come back to it.

Let me know if these sound good, and would allow you to have a better experience using Launchbox.

Have a great day!

Edited October 31, 2020 by SsjCosty

Wow, first of all, thanks for your answer ! I wasn't waiting for an upgrade of your plugin as you said in first place that it was made for yourself and it seems to do a great job for your purpose !

 

To answer point by point to your long list of features:

1. If I understand correctly, we could use this kind of link: https://youtu.be/923fVDDwaHo?t=57, so you will get a starting timestamp at 57s and a title "Chrono Cross Opening HD" ? If so, yes, great idea I think ?
2. Yes good idea, maybe with a tag [video] or or something like that. On the other hand, the down side of this feature should be that having a lot of video link on the menu would feel messy (in the case of many walkthrough video by exemple). Maybe add an option to choose between adding the video on the main menu or in a global submenu ? or many submenu ? It may be usefull if you want to have a critic, a let's play, a TAS, ...
3. OK, I hadn't any clue about this. I feel dumb ! I didn't search for it and tried by myself with antimicro/joy2key. I was so missing this feature on PC as I'm used to it on retropie/recalbox... wow
4. I have a 2s time for launching and exiting game, and the video is already started behind the starting screen. And then 2s to came back in Bigbox. I could remove those timer, but if you find a way to play the video without bigbox considering the launch of an external app, it will be cake and eat it !
5. Oh yeah ! It's a great feature If by default the video url of the metadata (or from gamedb) is present. On the main menu by default, with the possibility to add a timestamp. I think you are going somewhere here !!
6. I can't really see a case where I need the same video on a lot of games. Maybe you could add a possibilty to do an export/import feature, so you just have to complete a game then import it on another ? Just an idea though.

 

Many ideas just as they come:

- Download video and add the video link on media/video metadata of the game.

- Search video on youtube (or other) with keywords.

- add others video plateforms implementation like twitch or IGN (maybe it's already working, didn't tried to be honnest)

- add the possibility to add a shortcut to launch the "main" video (like the first one of the list)

 

I am not a developper myself, but I would be happy if I could be of any help (I am kind of used to software testing, if needed )

Oh ! and thanks for your mention of strafefox channel. Never heard of it. Lot of things to watch now !

Have a nice day ?

 

edit: I just checked your github page, I have to look at your "Bulk Genre Editor" plugin too ! I have a little bartop with genre category and find it very usefull, but my launchbox library is a mess !

Edited November 1, 2020 by gzubsc