[BigBox Marquee and MAME dual Screen]

1 hour ago, 5thWolf said:

I set up dual monitor in MAME

However you set this up (in MAME or by manually editing mame.ini), when done and saved, make a copy of mame.ini and rename the copy to playch10.ini.  Then revert MAME back to a single monitor and save (mame.ini).

playch10 is the name of the source file for PlayChoice-10 (playch10.cpp)

If all goes well, when you play a PlayChoice-10 game, you should have the dual monitor setup as it will (should?) read playch10.ini via the order of precedence.  And every other game (non PlayChoice-10) should display normally (single monitor) reading just mame.ini.

 

To do this on a game-by-game basis, you can copy playch10.ini and name the copy the same name as the games ROM filename.  (punchout.ini)

punchout is probably not the best example as punchout is the name of a game ROM file AND a source file. But you get the idea.  

[BezelLauncher v1.0-beta-1]

 

Dec. 2, 2023   Depreciated.  Please see the official release here:

 

What is it?
Use this plugin to display bezels for emulators that don't natively support them.

What does it do?
It displays a bezel and resizes the emulator window to fit within the bezels transparent area.

What's required to make this plugin work?
LaunchBox v13.3 (or newer), the plugin file, bezel images and some minor setup.  (See Setting up)

Do I need to provide my own bezel images?
Yes. (See Setting up for where to place them)

Will it work with game specific bezels?
No. Only bezels on a platform basis will be displayed.

Will this work for every platform and emulator?
Only platforms using their Default Emulator can be used.  Platforms using RetroArch or MAME as their Default Emulator will be ignored.  

The emulators that have been tested so far all work. Some adjustments may be necessary. (see Emulator Settings)

Will this work with storefront games or Windows games?
No.

Why not just use RocketLauncher?
Have you ever tried setting up RL?

Can I use my existing RL bezel configuration files?
You can use the existing platform.png and platform.ini files from RL.  These files should be located under:
   /RocketLauncher/Media/Bezels/platform_name/_default/something.ini (and something.png) 
(See Setting up [step #3])

What are the .ini files for?
The .ini (configuration) files tell the plugin how to resize and move the emulator window to fit within the bezel.  (See .ini Files for more info and Testing for creating and saving them)

Can this plugin add shaders as well?
No.

 

Disclaimer

This works on my test PC.  I didn’t test it on my cab because I didn’t want to change my emulator settings to not use fullscreen (see Emulator Settings).  Outside of RetroArch and MAME, I don’t use bezels, so didn’t want to mess-up-a-good-thing.

This is a beta release and some refinements to the plugin may be needed to accommodate other setups. Depending on how well this works (or doesn’t work) and what (if any) changes need to be made (to work well outside of my test environment), this may later become an “official release”.  Until then, no guarantees, express or implied… blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

There is no risk. The plugin makes no changes to LaunchBox or your emulators.  If you decide this isn’t for you, simply undo any fullscreen changes you made and (with LB/BB not running) delete the BezelLauncher folder.

 

Special Thanks
Special thanks to @MadK9 for the idea, direction and help with testing!  Without him, I sure as hell would have never contemplated starting this project. 

Installing

With LaunchBox/BigBox not running...

1. Download the plugin .zip file
2. "Unblock" the file
   1. Right-click the file, select Properties, check the box "Unblock", click OK.
   2. Or just use 7-zip to open the file
3. Copy the contents (a folder called "BezelLauncher") into your \LaunchBox\Plugins\ folder
4. Start LaunchBox
    

Setting up

1. Start BezelLauncher Setup from the LaunchBox Tools menu, then click Close.
   1. This will create the \Plugins\BezelLauncher\Bezels\platform_name\ subfolders
2. Copy your bezel images into their respective platform_name subfolders.  
   1. Only 1 image file per platform subfolder.
   2. See Bezel Images for more information
3. (optional) If you have existing RL platform_name.ini files, copy those alongside the image files
4. Restart BezelLauncher Setup
5. Select a platform you wish to use
6. Check Disabled to enable it
   1. Click Test
   2. Adjust (Move/resize) the orange frame to fit within the view area of the bezel (See Testing)
   3. Click Save [to save the .ini file]
   4. Click Save on the main setup screen to add the platform to the list of Enabled platforms.
7. Repeat for other platforms you wish to add
8. You must click "Save" for each platform you've enabled
   

 

Maintenance
After adding/removing platforms or changing default emulators in LaunchBox

1. Run BezelLauncher Setup
2. Click Refresh
3. Continue with Setting up, step #5

 

Testing
To configure the placement of the emulator window within the bezel (Requires an existing bezel image):

1. Run BezelLauncher Setup
2. Select a platform
3. Enable it (if it's not already)
4. Click Test

Move and resize the frame

• Click [and hold] the left or right side of the frame to move it around
• Click [and hold] the bottom right corner to resize 
• Use the on-screen buttons to fine-tune the adjustments

The on-screen display will show information about the emulator window.
(You can click and drag the OSD to move it around as needed)

• x, y = upper left monitor-coordinates of the emulator window
• w, h = width and height of the emulator window
• x, y = lower right monitor-coordinates of the emulator window

•    If any of the values are red, they are off the screen
•    The OUTSIDE edge of the frame is the emulator window extents

After adjusting, click Save.  This will overwrite any existing configuration file.
 

Parameters
Depending on the emulator and the bezel, you may need to check 1 or more of the following parameters:

(h) hideStuff	Check this if you see the desktop behind bezel while the game is loading.  This adds a black background during the startup process.
(s) startupSleeper	“Hide stuff” for a little longer during startup (3 seconds)
(l) longerSleep	Same as above (4 seconds)
(g) hideGameStartup	Check this if LB Game Startup screen is showing behind the bezel at game startup

When selecting a platform, if the plugin detects an emulator that has been tested, “suggested” parameters will be shown.  Your mileage may vary.

 

Emulator Settings
For the plugin to move/resize the emulators’ window, you will need to disable fullscreen in the emulator(s).  This may be as easy as removing "-f" or "-fullscreen" from the Default Command-line Parameters (depending on the emulator).

Beyond that, of the emulators I've tested, the only one that needs to have its Default Command-line Parameters altered is SuperModel.  You will need to manually set the resolution.

1. Start BezelLauncher Setup
2. Select your Super Model 3 platform and Enable it
3. Click Test and after adjusting the frame to where you want it, make note of the W(idth) and H(eight) #'s shown in the OSD.
4. Save and Close.  (Be sure to click Save on the main Setup screen to save Enabled as well.)
5. Edit your SuperModel emulator (in LaunchBox) and set the Default Command-line Parameters to "-res=W,H"  (no quotes, no spaces and replacing W & H with the #'s noted above)
   1. Example:       -res=1420,1076
       

Bezel Images

Spoiler

When you run BezelLauncher Setup for the 1st time, the plugin creates subfolders for each of your eligible platforms. They are created in:       \LaunchBox\Plugins\BezelLauncher\Bezels\platform_name\

Place your bezel image in the \platform_name\ folder for each platform
  example:    \BezelLauncher\Bezels\Sony PSP\PSP_bezel.png

- The filenames can be anything you want. As long as it has a .png file extension.
- Only one image per platform subfolder.

 

.ini (configuration) Files

Spoiler

The .ini files contain the monitors' coordinates for placing the emulator window.
The Upper Left x,y coordinate and the Lower Right x,y coordinate

Example:
Upper Left X Coordinate=240
Upper Left Y Coordinate=100
Lower Right X Coordinate=1680
Lower Right Y Coordinate=1080

 

Folder Structure

Spoiler

D:\LaunchBox\Plugins\BezelLauncher\
            BezelLauncher.dll
            BLSetup.xml

D:\LaunchBox\Plugins\BezelLauncher\Bezels\
D:\LaunchBox\Plugins\BezelLauncher\Bezels\platform_name\
            anyFileName.ini
            anyOtherOrTheSameFileName.png

D:\LaunchBox\Plugins\BezelLauncher\Logs\
            log [date/time].txt        (Up to 5 files max)
            SetupLog [date/time].txt    (Up to 5 files max)

 

       BezelLauncher (v1.0-beta-1).zip   

 

Dec. 2, 2023   Depreciated.  Please see the official release here:  BezelLauncher - Official Release

 

As always, any thoughts, views, opinions, [constructive] criticism, comments and suggestions are welcome.

 

 

 

 

[funtech super a'can]

16 minutes ago, link182 said:

Hello solved for the rom I had to put everything on mame (mameui always started the same game) and for the rom I anyway insert -cart. Now everything works, you were very kind P.S. last thing you know apple pippin it's emulable with mame? thanks

Glad it's working for you now.

 

Pippin?  You pick the oddest systems to emulate. lol

According to this site, it should [somewhat] work:  Pippin @mark - MAME machine (arcadeitalia.net)

Note that it uses CDROMs (.chd files) and requires a System ROM (pippin.zip) and a Device ROM (cuda.zip).

You'll need to search around on how to make that all work correctly as I've never tested it and (no offense) don't plan to.  

[Images missing when 3d boxes is set]

Try...  Click the hamburger menu, View, Media, Refresh All Images.

[funtech super a'can]

3 hours ago, link182 said:

start on launchbox them gives me an error message

Like..... what sort of message?

Do you have the games (ROMs) imported into LaunchBox?  In LaunchBox, when you edit your MAME emulator, under Associated Platforms, did you set the Default Command-line Parameter for that platform to just "supracan" (without quotes)?  Or did you put the full [test] parameters "supracan monopoly"?

 

 

[funtech super a'can]

On 6/1/2023 at 5:59 PM, link182 said:

Hi I wanted to know if someone had managed to emulate with mame the super a'can. I put the rom in the rom\supracan folder but do not start I know that does not need bios can you help me? Thank you

Because it's a MAME softList console, you need to add supracan to the default command-line parameter for that [Associated] platform.  (It will work without having to also add -cart.)

To test Monopoly from the command prompt, you'd simply type:    mame.exe supracan monopoly     And since you now know it works there, it'll work when launched from LaunchBox.

But of the 11 games available, only 5 are noted as working. So make sure to test with one of those 5.  

[Bypass Rom path verification before launch]

Nice find. Nice solution. Very creative!  

But can you elaborate on why you would even want to launch an emulator if the ROM file doesn't even exist?  (Future readers want to know )

 

Side note:

Since the emulators Title only needs to contain "mame" to skip the 'does ROM file exist' check, I might suggest just checking for that.  This would save on some unnecessary operations.  i.e., if the emulators Title is "Mame" or "MameUI" or "Test emu MAME", there's no need to rename it.

It's a minor thing and the way it's written, realistically has very little impact behind-the-scenes.  But in the grand scheme of things, every little bit helps.  

public void OnBeforeGameLaunching(IGame game, IAdditionalApplication app, IEmulator emulator)
{
    if (!File.Exists(game.ApplicationPath) && !emulator.Title.Contains("mame", StringComparison.InvariantCultureIgnoreCase))
    {
       emulator.Title = $"MAMEFAKE-{emulator.Title}";
    }
    //return;
}

 

 

[13.5 Install Permission]

The permission dialog would have been for DirectX.  Just re-run the installer for 13.5.  Just make sure you select the root folder of where your current installation is in.

i.e. If it's on the D drive, select D:\.  The installer will add the "LaunchBox" subfolder to the location.  Check that you don't accidentally install it into D:\LaunchBox\LaunchBox\.

[CEMU issues]

Do you have -g in the Default Command-line Parameters?

[Launch Commodore Max (vic10) from MAME]

As @spycat suggested, check "Remove quotes" and "Remove file extension and folder path".

Then in your Default Command-line Parameters under Associated Platforms, add -rompath %romlocation% at the beginning.

-rompath %romlocation% vic10 -cart

You may need to do this to the other associated platforms as well.

 

Or, instead of adding -rompath %romlocation%, add the path to your softlists [root] folder to "rompath" in mame.ini.  "F:\Roms\mame0253sl_64bit\roms" in your case.

Also, add the double-quotes at the beginning and end.

[BigBox Marquee / Screen issue]

I'm not sure if it's 'right' or even a 'fix', but I recall something about setting the 2 monitors [in Windows Settings] side-by-side. With the primary monitor on the left and the marquee on the right, and then both lined up across the top.

---------------------------      -----------------
|                              |     |       2        |
|             1               |      -----------------
|                              |  
---------------------------

 

[launch an app before the emulator for all games on a system]

You can't do it on a per-emulator basis.  But you can add an Additional App to multiple games all at once.  (vs. one game at a time)

 

[When enabling bezels in LaunchBox and Mame standalone, the image changes to dots/grainy image on the screen, need help to remove the dots]

It looks like maybe an applied filter or the bezel has an innate filter over its transparent area.  Looks like a vertical running-bond (like a sideways brick wall) pattern.  

But that's more than I know about using filters.  If "filter" is even the correct word here.

[Updated and can no longer manually delete screenshot from game details]

27 minutes ago, kyzumi said:

I used to be able to right click a screenshot in the game details page and delete it but this option is no longer available? 

It's working with the Default Theme and v13.4-beta-4.  Are you using a different theme?  (I don't know if it's theme dependent or not)  Do you at least get the option to View Fullscreen when you right click on an image?

[Bigbox PCSX2 Exiting, Need to Alt+Tab]

1 hour ago, weimsd said:

For my mame arcade I added PS2 games that don't run as well in mame

Ya.  Don't do that.   Use PCSX2.

 

In PCSX2, make sure you have Confirm Shutdown un-checked (Settings - Interface).

In LaunchBox, edit your PCSX2 emulator (Tools, Manage, Emulators) and have "-nogui" (without quotes) in the Default Command-line Parameters.

[Additional Apps Variables]

2 hours ago, Dexll said:

I wonder if I can somehow spoof a NES platform into acting as a SNES platform if only by name. 

I swear NES was working for me yesterday.  But it's not working today.

However, I did find an apparent 'fix'.  (at least it's working for me, today)  Edit your emulator and change the Emulator Name: to "Get-Game MAME". Or "MAME Get-Game".  Or "Get-MAME-Game".  Or some variant that has the word "MAME" in it.  "ThisIsNotTheMAMEemulator" will also work.

[Any way to exit Pcsx2 qt?]

Just look at mine. I guess I have something similar in my running script.  To 'play nice' with PCSX2, you may want to change out that Process, Close

$Esc::
{
    WinClose, ahk_exe {{{StartupEXE}}}
}

Also, unless you always exit from the pause menu (uses the Exit Script), you'll want to put this in the Running Script section.  

[Additional Apps Variables]

Here's what I found... It works in some Platforms and not others.  Why? I have no idea.

For me it works in Arcade and in NES.  But it didn't work in SNES or Wii.

So you may want to test in a different platform, until you find one that doesn't express concern that the ROM file doesn't exist.  Then in that platform, do your full-blown testing with the proper batch file to see if it'll even work as you'd expect.  Once that all for-sure works, you can jump back to resolving the ROM file doesn't exist issue.  

[Any way to exit Pcsx2 qt?]

Do you have "-nogui" (without quotes and a single dash) for your command line parameters?

[MAME roms detected in LB even if they aren't present into my romset]

If you can find MAME category ini files for those playlists you want, you can create the playlists with this plugin.  In the plugin description, it describes where you can find some and also create-and-download them (read this comment) for importing.  You could also create them long-hand if you follow the ini formatting (though may be tedious).

 

[Two Emulator one Machine]

3 hours ago, slashguns04 said:

how to configure 2 emulators for a single console, for example I should emulate some games with the cxbx emulator and others with xemu.

You can add/set-up both emulators in LaunchBox and assign their Associated Platform to Xbox.  But only one of those can be the Default Emulator.  Then in LaunchBox, you can right-click a game, select Launch With and choose one or the other of those 2.

If say you set xemu as the Default Emulator and you have a specific game that you want to always launch with cxbx, you can edit that game and in the Emulation section, change the emulator to cxbx.

Likewise, you can select multiple games and use the bulk edit wizard to change them to use cxbx.

[Gamecube black screen]

When you open Dolphin by itself and start a game from there, does it do the same thing? Is the game "playing" such that you hear sound from it and just the game screen is black?  Or does it just show a black screen, until you exit the game?

[I need help to add hacked mame roms]

2 possible options for adding individual games are:

1. Drag and drop the ROM files onto the LaunchBox UI (follow the prompts)
2. Click Tools, Import, Manually Add Game (you'll need to do this for each game)

[Second monitor for marquee on LB - NOT Big Box]

1 hour ago, 5thWolf said:

So unless I miss read all the topics that came up after searching multi monitor, its all about adding plugins and 3rd monitor?

Correct. LaunchBox does not innately support marquee monitors.  aka, a second or even a 3rd monitor. And requires aa 3rd party app or plugin to do so.

[Launchbox keeps restoring previous ROM locations even after I change it.]

Try having LaunchBox change the paths for you.  Select all games in your Arcade Platform (click on one, then press Ctrl+A). 

Then click Tools, File Management, Change ROMs Folder Path for Selected Games and follow the prompts.