[Can't get Launchbox to start retroarch in windowed mode]

When editing RetroArch in LaunchBox, look at the Command-line Parameters in the Associated Platforms section.  Those will take precedence over the command-line parameters in the Details section.  Specifically, you're looking for -f

[IPAC exiting MAME]

1 hour ago, grimllock said:

My apologies for the delay, 

 

I just tested, and it only happens when I boot the game through big box. When launching in Mame or launch box it works fine

That tells me you have something mapped in BigBox to "Button 0 + Button 3".  (at least mine calls them "Button".  vs "Joy")  Look for Close the Active  Window under Controller Mappings.  Though if it were there, the same thing would happen in other emulators as well.  At least it's a starting point.

Note: BigBox and LaunchBox have separate controller mappings.  Also, 0 [zero] might not appear as 0.  It may be 1 [one] (or even something else).  i.e. Button 1.

[IPAC exiting MAME]

Does it do this when starting a game via stand-alone MAME (start MAME, start a game, press 0+3)?  That, vs. launching a game via LaunchBox.  

[AHK + Visual Pinball]

If all is set up correctly, you shouldn't need to have-to reload the ROM (F3).  If you find you need to [still] do that often, something [else] is not right.  Using the above command-line parameters should be all you need.

You can disable the pause screen by editing the emulator in LaunchBox (Tools - Manage - Emulators) and in the Pause Screen section, un-check Enable Game Pause Screen.  Or play it like a real pinball table and don't press pause.  

[Changing drive letter for game collections.]

There is the option to do it platform-by-platform.   Select a platform then select all games in that platform.  Then...

Tools - File Management - Change ROMs Folder Path for Selected Games...

 

But don't think it'll work if the ROMs (games) for the given platform are in separate subfolders

i.e. 
F:\Roms\my1stPlatform\gameA\rom.ext
F:\Roms\my1stPlatform\gameB\rom.ext

 

[pcsx2 with error during execution. Unknown parameter. - - fullscreen.]

Be sure to look in Associated Platforms and make sure you don't have --fullscreen in the Custom Command-line Parameters there either.

[Recording black screen while recording gameplay with BigBox.]

I've seen this happen when the window you're trying to record is full screen (vs windowed full screen).  I don't recall if OBS has that issue or if it was a different software I saw that in.

[Camputers Lynx Working]

33 minutes ago, Svantja521 said:

Hello, has anyone made any progress with Mame? My command line is:
 
lynx96k -ab load\"\"\n -autoboot_delay "2" -cass

It loads the tape, but unfortunately nothing happens after that.

 

Try pressing ScrollLock (to get into keyboard mode) then press F2 (to 'run' the tape).  Wait for the screeching to stop (when the tape has fully loaded).  You may need to press ScrollLock again to get back into Lynx keyboard mode to use it.

Not tested. But those are the typical steps to Run a cassette tape in MAME.

[Game pictures not showing and other questions]

1 hour ago, Vlahka said:

I've noticed some places talking about visual pinball.  I've played with this emulator years back but I dont see an option to add it from the emulator choices in launchbox.  Just quickly, is this a good emulator to use with launchbox or is there a different preferred one thats better suited to launchbox?  They're probably all the same but felt I should ask anyway.

Visual Pinball is proprietary as to running tables made for it.  From the immortal words of Highlander, "There can be only one."   There are other pinball emulators like Future Pinball and Pinball FX/FX2/FX3... if you prefer the 'eye candy'.  But no tables are interchangeable between different pinball emulators.

Any program you can run from the Windows command prompt can be ran from, and added to LaunchBox.  Visual Pinball included.  Probably what you've seen when adding a platform to LB is that it has some preconfigured settings to help with getting them setup.  Including download links to the emulators and filling in the default command line parameters for you.  It obviously can't include every possible emulator.  But it doesn't stop you from adding in your own.

Tools - Manage - Emulators - Add New Emulator    then just fill in the blanks.

 

The reason Visual Pinball isn't listed with preconfigured settings is because the full and proper setup is not an easy process to automate.  It's not difficult to do.  Just a pita to programmatically automate a proper installation.  There are 'extras' (though not required) that are necessary to have it work 'like you think it should work'.  Also, the emulator can require some manual setup depending on your system.  Lastly, the LB developers believe that "every" table has to be customized (individually) before they can even run.  This is only true in part.  But all these are a drawback when wanting to provide something usable out-of-the-box.

Bottom line, there are a lot of nuances to doing a complete and proper setup.  

That said, I have Visual Pinball (VPX) installed on my cab and running through LaunchBox, without issue.  If that is your goal, like ALL emulators, make sure things work to your liking BEFORE you bring it into LaunchBox.  By the way, VPX is my go-to when wanting to play anything on the cab. 😎

[Game pictures not showing and other questions]

1 hour ago, Vlahka said:

Do you know if theres any other emulator that plays it well like demul does for the sequel?

Getting a little off topic here.  But if Demul can play the sequel, chances are it can play the 1st one too.  I haven't tried either one. 

 

1 hour ago, Vlahka said:

My other question is about demul.  When I click for a game to launch, unlike with mame where the game automatically starts, demul just opens up as a window and I need to manually tell it to open the game.  Is there a setting I've missed or string of code I'm supposed to put somewhere to make it auto launch with the game in launchbox or demul itself.  And will this behaviour be similar to other emulators I tie in with launchbox.

Different emulators are going to have different, the same (or similar) or no command line parameters. Will depend on the specific emulator. 

Not that I mind helping, but I think it's time you go into research mode.  Try a Google search for LaunchBox Demul (keeping the search terms simple).  For this inquiry, I'd start with the YouTube results that are from Unbroken Software, LLC (aka: the people that brought you LaunchBox).   Next would be to only click results from the LaunchBox forums (depending on what it is you're searching for/about).

In the link I gave, there are tons of "videos to eat breakfast by".  You'll find how-to videos for setting, using and navigating LaunchBox/BigBox as well as a plethora of videos for installing emulators to use in LaunchBox. 

Once you've exhausted your research and get stuck on something specific, add a reply on that [related] forum thread (keeping things on the same topic) or start a new thread.  Probably don't post a question on a YouTube video page.  That'll get lost real fast.  

[Display game specific controls image on a separate monitor during gameplay (plugin - beta release)]

5 hours ago, PhantomFighter said:

Is this project still up and running? 

Not really.  It was more of a "just-because, proof-of-concept" thing.  There are a couple of other plugins out there that do the same thing, but better.

 

5 hours ago, PhantomFighter said:

would like a way to get the marquee to be on the same screen as the game, sitting above the lightsout bezel.  Is this possible please?

Pretty much anything's possible.  But I can only think of one person who would want to have a marquee displayed on the top portion of their monitor and the game displayed (albeit, squished) below that on the same monitor. 

Or maybe you're talking about somehow having the marquee floating in space above the game while using a VR headset?  That would actually make sense.  At least from all the sci-fi movies I've seen.  So it may be pushing the technology a bit.  But I'd have nofa king idea, as I've never even touched a VR headset.  You could try creating a new post requesting a plugin that does what you're wanting.

[Game pictures not showing and other questions]

45 minutes ago, Vlahka said:

Game runs pretty good although the sound is a little glitchy for some reason.

The sound is glitchy probably because the BIOS holds the emulation status of "preliminary".  Hence my comment "if it'll even run well".

Shikigami no Shiro II / The Castle of Shikigami II

 

Since this game uses Sega NAOMI GD-ROM, you might be able to run it[?] [better?] with Demul.

[Game pictures not showing and other questions]

30 minutes ago, Vlahka said:

But theres a sequel to it that I've grabbed but everytime I try to get launchbox to notice it, it sees nothing.  I have the rom and the chd file in their own areas like the rest.  I'm not sure if maybe one of them is named wrong or something.  The chd file is named gdl-0021.chhd, and thats in a folder called Shikgam2.  The rom is named the same as the folder.  Is there something else I should be checking?

Does the game work when you launch it directly from MAME?  ALWAYS check that 1st.

As far as importing it into LB, Tools - Import - Manually Add Game.  Type in the name "Castle Shikigami 2" and search the database.   When found, you can look in the Alternate Names section and (if you want to) change the name as you want to see it in LaunchBox (select one if the options listed and click "Set Selected Name...").  In the Launching section, point directly to the ROM file.

 

To run the game (if it'll even run well) you'll also need the BIOS and 3 Device files.

NAOMIGD.ZIP    BIOS
MIE.ZIP    DEVICE
JVS13551.ZIP    DEVICE 
SEGADIMM.ZIP    DEVICE

[Game pictures not showing and other questions]

56 minutes ago, Vlahka said:

quite a few of these chd games are lightgun games.  Do I configure the controls in mame to use mouse for these or is there a different method?

Glad you got it working.  By default, your mouse (and arrow keys [ugh]) should work as [aiming] a light gun in MAME.

 

57 minutes ago, Vlahka said:

And this is a side question that I dont expect anything, I've seen online people using VR headsets to play lightgun games.  Are you familiar with this and how would I go about it?  As in is it something I'd look for in launchbox or a pc/mame setting thing?

I've never even seen in real life a VR headset.  Not even in a box, at the store.  Though I do have some red and blue lens 'glasses'. 

[Game pictures not showing and other questions]

50 minutes ago, Vlahka said:

I've changed it a few times.  First it was a zip file with the rom and chd files in them.  Then I had it going to a folder that had the chd file selected with the roms inside it too.

Don't combine the ROM and the CHD into 1 zip file.  Don't put the ROM and CHD inside the same folder.  Don't tell LaunchBox to launch the CHD file.  (You can, but then you'd have to change your MAME emulator settings in LaunchBox and it will screw up the rest of the [non-CHD] Arcade games)

 

Using Big Buck Hunter as an example: 

• In the folder that you have all your MAME Arcade ROMs (all the .zip files for the Arcade games you're using to launch from LaunchBox) there should a file named "bbh.zip" (the ROM file).  (this file is included with your MAME full set ROMs) 
• You also need to have in this folder "iteagle.zip" which is the BIOS file required for all the Big Buck Hunter series games. (this file is included with your MAME full set ROMs) 
• In this same folder, you should have placed the (sub)folder for the CHD.  This subfolder should be named "bbh" and contains the (one) file "bbh_v1.00.14.chd"
• Direct LaunchBox to the ROM file 

Make sure these are in place and try launching it again.  If it still doesn't work, please provide the following:

In LaunchBox,

1. Edit your MAME emulator and share a screenshot of the Default section.
2. Edit the game in question and share a screenshot of the Launching section.

[Game pictures not showing and other questions]

35 minutes ago, Vlahka said:

I noticed that I needed the rom files from the original game zip to be in the folder with the CHD file.  So I tested 1 game and once I did that Mame loaded the game.  But launchbox still wont.  I double checked the pathway and rescanned it.  Doesnt seem to like something.

What file is the game pointing to (in LaunchBox)?

[Game pictures not showing and other questions]

6 hours ago, Vlahka said:

ran a tools-rom search.  My first issue is it only picks up 21 of those.   The file names seem to be correct so I'm not sure whats happening, though I didnt check all of them.

When you placed them in the games directory, were they [about] 80 folders named after the 'short name' of the game(s)?   

Does the games directory contain the about 80 short_name.zip files associated with those CHD folders?  

 

6 hours ago, Vlahka said:

if I try to launch it nohting happens. 

Do they work when you try to launch it directly from within MAME?

[Is there a way to tell Launchbox to use a different .ini file for MAME?]

10 hours ago, Wormburner_bogey said:

This is what's in my cntrl folder.  I tried changing the line in the mame.ini to xarcade.  But that didn't work.  Was throwing darts on that one 😂

Those are MAME example (yet functional for their intended purpose) config files.  That dart might have hit the board, but it didn't stick and is laying on the ground, in shame.   Remove that.

 

How the controls were mapped (in the old MAME) depends on the encoder being used and the mode that it's in (keyboard input or XInput).  Though with either mode, you'd still have, at minimum, the Player 1 controls working (P1 coin, P1 start and the buttons and joy).  But you indicate that none of the controls work.

 

Two options: 

1. Ask your friend very nicely - "I screwed up my MAME installation and had to reinstall it and now none of the buttons or controls work. How do I fix it?"
2. Map them yourself.  Start MAME. Select "General Settings".  Select "Input Assignments".  Select "Player 1 Controls".  Start mapping, then do the same for players 2 - 4.  Just do the 4  movements, the buttons that player has and their coin and start.

 

Though with a proper encoder, you really shouldn't to remap any of them.  The defaults should just work.

 

Now, if you know what changes you made to the 'old' MAME which screwed it up in the 1st place, just undo all those and use it.  Then slowly start redoing those one-by-one until it breaks again.  Then undo the last one.

[Game pictures not showing and other questions]

This goes back to my 2nd post.  'Why is the playlist showing duplicates?' and 'Is it actually the same game, or from 2 separate platforms?'

In the end, you need to remove the duplicates from the platform they originate from.

[Is there a way to tell Launchbox to use a different .ini file for MAME?]

9 hours ago, Wormburner_bogey said:

everything seems to be back to normal.  Expect for the controls....none of those seem to be mapped anymore......Is there simply a file I need to move from the old mame folder to fix that?

You might get lucky and be able to copy /cfg/default.cfg

 

If that doesn't work, look in the old "mame.ini" file and scroll down to the section "CORE INPUT OPTIONS".  On the line just below that starting with "ctrlr", is there anything after that?

Example:

If yours has something on that line (this one has "XBox360" ), look in the /ctrlr/ subfolder for a file with that name.cfg.  (i.e. "Xbox360.cfg").  Copy (don't move) that file to your new MAME /ctrlr/ folder.  In you new MAME, edit mame.ini and add whatever was on that 'ctrlr' line.  save and close.

If your new MAME doesn't have a mame.ini file, start (the new) mame.exe.  Double click "General Settings".  Double click "Save Settings".  Press Escape 2 time to close MAME.

BTW, nice looking cab!

[Mame: game not recognizing keyboard keys when launched from LB]

2 hours ago, ksherfinski said:

Sorry about the double post....totally unintentional.

No worries.  Does launching Centipede and manually changing the input settings fix matters?

[Mame: game not recognizing keyboard keys when launched from LB]

Please don't post the same question multiple times.  I responded to your original post.

[Mame: game not recognizing keyboard keys when launched from LB]

Quote

update: (1) physical keyboard works as expected whether going through LB or Mame.

(2) changing "-keyboardprovider dinput" to "-keyboardprovider raw" solves the key issue, but doesn't trigger a "pause", like it does when set to "dinput"

 

I can live without using pause screens for a specific game, but am still interested in a workaround, if anyone has run into this.

Launch Centipede, press Tab, select Input Settings, then Input Assignments.  From there, set (reset) the Player 1 Start, Coin 1 and Coin 2.

Alternately, delete /cfg/centiped.cfg  This most likely is holding remaps to the key inputs.

[Controller Nightmares]

Can you share the resulting text file from  mame -v > test.txt?

Drag and drop the file onto your reply (vs copy and paste the whole dern thing.  )

[Mame: game not recognizing keyboard keys when launched from LB]

Can you share a screenshot of your MAME emulator Details section from LaunchBox.  (Tools, Manage, Emulators...)