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JoeViking245

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Posts posted by JoeViking245

    Launchbox Crashing in 13.23 and 13.24

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    16 minutes ago, Gaming.Zone said:

    Here are a few key exceptions from my latest Debug.log that occur right before the crash:

    I'm not a LB developer and know only enough to be dangerous. :D

    But for the folks that are, using the Default theme will definitely help towards troubleshooting as will the other 2 "next" on your list.

     

    (back to me being dangerous)

    The (forgive the term) 'cherry picked' exceptions may not be as helpful as attaching the log file as some are better seen with their before's and after's.  But suppose is a starting point.  That said, don't start attaching a ton of different files because they're not really fun-reading. ;) 

    The #2 and #4 exceptions you show above I'm not sure would cause a crash.  That is, the font would (should) revert to something default and the image would (should) just show an empty space.  (all speculation)

    The #3 one (FileNotFoundException) is a pseudo false-positive.  It's an old Visual Studio compiler thing that always brings up that error unnecessarily.  Yeah, the file truly isn't there, but that stuff is a handled innately by other dependencies.  (this one I know for fact)

     

     

    53 minutes ago, Gaming.Zone said:

    it seems the crashes occur more frequently when navigating quickly through the UI

    All I can say about this is, slow down, take your time and enjoy the ride. Marvel at your collection and play some on them games. 😎

    Steam Achievements not showing up in Desktop Mode

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    24 minutes ago, AgentAquaM said:

    Any thoughts on where I can look next or is anyone aware of a fix that may already exist?

    First off, THANK YOU for the troubleshooting you did and the well detailed and formatted explanation!!!  It's refreshing to see. :) 

    Not being a part of the development team, a guess is that Big Box and LaunchBox (desktop mode) uses [similar but] different methods for obtaining the data displayed (or not displayed, as is the case for your LaunchBox [desktop mode]).

    You mentioned seeing "No Achievements", which indicates it's not (or at least shouldn't be) a theme issue.  It's "showing" them but saying you don't have any for that game.  (You mentioned trying multiple themes. I just tested with Default and the achievements appeared for games that have them.)

    Try forcing a scan for achievements for the specific platform.  Select the platform, the Tools < Achievements < Scan For Windows... (replace "Windows" with whatever your platform name is.)   Hoping that's different than your very first bulleted item. 😊

     

    One other troubleshoot/test would be to run the LB installer from your /Updates/ folder (e.g. D:/LaunchBox/Updates/LaunchBox-13.24-Setup.exe) and create a clean install (with no leftover xml files) into a new location (e.g. D:/LaunchBox Test/).  If you do this, before clicking the final Install button, check the path to make sure it didn't 'double up'.  e.g. D:/LaunchBox Test/LaunchBox/  (it's a thing "that happens")

    Then add your Steam games and check for Achievements to show in LaunchBox.

    Launchbox Crashing in 13.23 and 13.24

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    13 minutes ago, Gaming.Zone said:

    I’m currently using the Default Plus theme.

    Do you experience the same issues if using the Default theme?  That would be best for baseline testing. 

    e.g.

    • The AmbiguousMatchException is a theme related issue
    • missing theme image (Not Rated.png) may be theme related
      • Of the LB themes I do have installed, Ricewind is the only one that actually has that image in its /Images/Ratings/ folder.
      • BB themes "BannerBox" and "Neon Deluxe Arcade" have it their /Media/ subfolder
      • It's not to be found anywhere in [my] /LaunchBox/Images/ folder(s)

    RE: the transport connection exception, I too get a bit of those in the log(s).  But don't experience crashing.  For LB, I mostly use the Omni theme and sometimes Default.

    PS3 games not importing

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    51 minutes ago, loggin said:

    has the games.yml moved location as I've noticed I have 2, one in the apps root folder which hasn't updated since February 2025 and another current one now in the config folder

    I don't have a definitive answer for this, but I do see on my test PC the yml file is in RPCS3's root folder and on my cab it's in the config folder.  Since I can't even start RPCS3 on my [antique] test PC anymore (since a few years?), I can't test if it even works.

    That said (which probably didn't even need to be said), what happens if you delete (or rename games.yml  e.g. old_games.yml) located in the root folder?

    BigBox Freezing when trying to load games

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    Good customer service does not necessarily mean an immediate response.  Glad you thought to try and verify with a different theme as, once someone got around to reading/replying to this thread, would have been the 1st suggestion.

    Be sure to let the theme author know on the themes Support or Download page (which would be the 2nd recommendation, to ask the one who created it. ;)).

    Bulk Playlist Manager

    in Third-Party Applications and Plugins (Released)

    Posted

    Bulk Playlist Manager

    View File

    Features
    - Set auto-populate to False (single or bulk)
        - Existing games in playlist will remain
            But no new games will/can be added unless done manually
        - May help decrease LB loading time
        - Cannot be undone [via the plugin]

    - Delete playlist(s)
        - Permanently delete the selected playlist(s)

    - Delete all playlists that have zero games
        - Whether the playlist is auto-populated or is just there, if there are no games in it, permanently delete the playlist(s)

    - Single or Bulk add/remove parent platforms and/or categories
        - Select a playlist
        - Check and un-check parents to your hearts content, then click Save Parents to save the changes.
        - If selecting multiple playlists, clicking Save Parents will set the parents for all selected playlists to the ones checked.
            e.g. Selected playlist A had "Computers" checked and playlist B had "Consoles" checked, clicking Save Parents will set both playlists to be under "Computers" and "Consoles".

     

    Installing

    Download and extract the contents of the zip file to /LaunchBox/Plugins/

    e.g.  D:\LaunchBox\Plugins\BulkPlaylistManager\BulkPlaylistManager.dll

     

    Using

    You may 1st want to turn on Backups (under Tools < Options < Data < Backups), exit then restart LaunchBox (to create at least one backup) before proceeding.  

    Click Tools and select Bulk Playlist Manager

    Hopefully the layout is fairly intuitive.  You can mouse over the buttons for a little more detail.

     

    As always, all feedback, comments and suggestion are welcome.

     

    Screen Issue with 3DS on BigBox

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    46 minutes ago, G5Pokefan said:

    I thought i had needed to put commands in the Running script telling it to automatically start in fullscreen.  But its not even doing that.

    I think it is.  You said " it'll start at full screen at 1st but automatically go to the Citra small screen. ".  It sounds like Citra is Set for fullscreen already (the steps I mentioned to do), then the Running Script code "presses F11" to toggle it out of fullscreen.

    Remove or comment out those 4 lines, click OK to save and close, then launch a game and see if it's doing the same thing.

     

    If it's [now] starting fullscreen and staying that way, problem solved.

    If it's starting windowed and staying that way, exit the game and do steps shown above (without loading a game) and try again.

    Launchbox does not open

    in Noobs

    Posted

    3 hours ago, mustafa baspinar said:

    When I copy-protect the USB drive with the Launchbox folder, Launchbox doesn't work. However, when I remove the copy-protection from the USB drive, Launchbox works. How can I fix this?

    You kind of answered your own question.  When LaunchBox is running, it needs to read and write files within its folder structure.  With protection on, it can't write files.

    Screen Issue with 3DS on BigBox

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    7 hours ago, G5Pokefan said:

    Whenever I load up a game, it'll start at full screen at 1st but automatically go to the Citra small screen.

    Do you have anything in the Running script section of the emulator [in LaunchBox]?  You shouldn't need anything there if you...

    • Start citra-qt.exe
    • View [Menu] check Fullscreen
    • Exit

    Sounds like you may have both.  The Running Script with something along the lines of Send, {F11} AND Fullscreen checked in the View menu.

     

    7 hours ago, G5Pokefan said:

    I would have to go to view and hit fullscreen each time

    Pro Tip:  You can press F11 instead. ;) 

    Feature Request: Bulk Edit Wizard - Retroarch Core Selector

    in Features

    Posted

    1 hour ago, drtechnolust said:

    During a Bulk change when choosing an Emulator if Retroarch is selected is it possible to add Core selection as well.

    No.  Cores are only set on a per emulator basis. 

    To set them per game, you'd need to set the games' custom command-line override parameter(s) in its Emulation section.  And those can't be changed using the Bulk Edit Wizard either.

    However, you can use this plugin to bulk change the command lines [of the selected games].

     

    BigBox and CPWizard Glitches

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    39 minutes ago, damageinc86 said:

    Ok thanks  I guess ill have to actually get in touch the program to see what that looks like.  Do you need a controls.dat or something for cpwizard to look at to populate the roms list with what the controls are? Then you superimpose your button setup to it? And then it always will put whatever the original say, "fire" button is, and put it on what you've designated as your fire button?

    You haven't even open it yet?  😒

    In the readme file that comes with it, there's a list of data files needed.  Pretty sure it comes with them, but the readme file has links for where to get them.  Depending on how you plan to use it (e.g. just exporting images vs. using it directly from within MAME) you may not need all that are listed. 

    The default layout will have buttons already there.  Add or remove to match your cab.  The default buttons correspond to MAMEs default buttons. e.g. Player-1 Button-1 is Ctrl. P1B2 is Alt. P1B3 is Space.  etc.  If you've changed them on your cab, you can reassign them in the app.  

    BigBox and CPWizard Glitches

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    19 hours ago, damageinc86 said:

    Hey Joe, was curious just how you use cpwizard to create a template of your own panel and have it "gray out" the unused buttons like you showed in your 1941 example?  Any chance you could do like a screen capture tutorial video of you using the program to do that?  

    Dang! That was done almost 5 years ago!  And don't think I've opened the app since then.

    I believe it comes with a few templates already.  For the background (green panel), I forget how exactly I made that (Photoshop or something).  You could probably take its default background and use [something like] Gimp to change the color to your liking.

    Should be able open the default template and then move the buttons around to match your cab. The greying out is automagical when you generate the images.

     

    From some OLD notes I have about generating the images: 

    Edit
	Options
		MAME Filters
		  check or uncheck Fileters accordingly
		  ***make sure Includes and Excludes fields are empty***

		MAME Paths
		  set the MAME exe path
	"OK"

View
	Preview
	  make sure you can see files listed
	Close

File
	Export - Batch
		Image
		Layout
		1024 x 768
		Draw Background
		Output Folder .....
	"GO!"
'and now we wait...'

     

    Loading a 2600 Starpath game with MAME

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    36 minutes ago, MBGeek said:

    However you have shown me that this is WAY to big of a pain in the ass to make work LOL.

    As for being a PITA, not really.  I mean the information's there. Plus I gave you the answer. ;) 

    For MAME, the ROMs are best found getting a MAME fullset.  In MAME's softlist (software list) set, each system is in its own folder. e.g. a2600 and a2600_cass.   

    For most MAMEs softlist's, it's just a matter of giving it the softlist name (a2600) and the ROM name.  That is, you can get away without having to state the media (-cart).  In this case, you're loading a cartridge and a cassette. So the media is required.

    There's one (or more) threads on this site that go over most every softlist system and the command line parameters for using [standalone] MAME.  And I think you can use the .a26 files with MAME.

    Regardless of which route you decide to go, always glad to help. As are many others here on the Forums.  But the ol' adage is, if MAME can emulate it, use it.  That said, there are some cores in RetroArch that can emulate certain systems just-as-well.  Except Arcade.  (My opinion... do NOT use RetroArch for Arcade!)

     

    36 minutes ago, MBGeek said:

    Again please don't think I am unappreciative, I am OVERWHELMINGLY appreciative, but sometimes the correct answer is not the answer your looking for

    Again, glad to help!  And "the correct answer" gives you a 100% working system (Atari 2600 with a cassette to cartridge converter) for all 13 games that you'll never need to look up anything more for it.  Plus, you now have the knowledge to apply towards future systems. 😎

    Loading a 2600 Starpath game with MAME

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    1 hour ago, MBGeek said:

    From a command prompt, the error I get is

    What are you entering at the command prompt?  (it'd be helpful to know where you're starting from)

     

    1 hour ago, MBGeek said:

    Now I get that the games came on tape and there is certainly a switch that is needed

    For consoles, the hash files come in super handy.

    For example, you found that scharger.zip is in with /a2600/.  And looking at /hash/a2600.xml you'll find scharger shows the part name to be "cart". (which coincides with all ROMs in /a2600/)

    Now grab a cassette.  e.g. The Official Frogger (offifrog.zip). This is found in /a2600_cass/.   Since you found it in /a2600-cass/, you know that the media is a cassette ("cass").  But is also found in the xml file.

    Now that you know the system, the required media and the respective ROMs, put them altogether. 

    mame.exe a2600 -cart scharger -cass offifrog

     

    Now you can add to your collection and play all 13 (2 of which are only partially supported and there's 38 if you include clones) games. :) 

    Editing the Default theme via Visual Studio

    in Big Box Custom Themes

    Posted

    You won't be able to load the sln.  That's just how it is.  Even if you manually added references, some just will not load (e.g. BigBox.dll).  As in, they're not loadable references from "the outside".

    Also, the themes don't Build like you would an app. So, the ones you only need are what's in the declarations of the xaml.  What you really need is just a way to be able to preview the xaml.

    The only way I've found is to comment out the lines that are erroring and then [temporally] replace them with a place holder (like an <Image>).  Another option (say, if starting from scratch) is to work with a blank xaml and add your grids and stackpanels etc. to appear how you want them.  This way you get a visual of the layout.  Then fill in some elements (e.g. Image or TextBlock) to fine tune any alignments, margins etc.  Lastly, put in the 'proper' elements.

    Neither of which are ideal.

     

    I agree that at least having "dummy pack" of the un-referenceable dlls (made referenceable) could be useful.  These 'dummy dll's' could merely contain object placeholders, enough to not throw errors "for the average Joe" trying to view the xamls. 

    Big Box Crashing in Version 13.23? Here’s What You Need to Know

    in News and Updates

    Posted

    26 minutes ago, Blackstar00 said:

    Im using Launchbox (not Big Box) 13.23 and keeps randoming crashing.
    Usually after exiting a game, launchbox locks up, then crashes without any error.
    Music from game titles in launchbox breaks up and skips.

    You might try updating to the latest beta release.

    Under Tools < Options < General < Updates, check Update to Beta Release.  Then select Menu < Help < Check for Updates...

    Missing Platform in the Game Database: Mega LD / Pioneer LaserActive

    in Contributions

    Posted

    1 hour ago, totoro said:

    I wanted to ask if there's any way to have this platform added to the database

    You can request adding a console not in the database on the Feedback site.  Requests posted here have the possibility of getting lost in space and time (unintentionally overlooked).  Requests added to Feedback get placed on "the list".

    Here's a direct link to the Database section of the feedback site.  Feedback - LaunchBox Games Database  

    filter all games by screen orientation: horizontal???

    in Playlists & Playlist Media

    Posted

    5 hours ago, launchretrogirl2562 said:

    it should be named horizont.ini 

    The file is just a MAME derived list of the machines (games) only (no configurations).  So can be named whatever_descriptive_name.ini.  This would get placed in /MAME/ini/folders/ then can be accessed in the MAME interface by selecting Custom Filter.

    Alternately, it can be used by something like the MAME (Custom) XML Importer plugin for importing just the games listed.

    Correction: can be used by something like the Create Playlists from MAME category ini files plugin for creating playlists from just the games listed.

    Or, one could just look through it to see all the ROM names for horizontally oriented machines.

    • Like 1

    Arrange game by Screen type?

    in Features

    Posted

    31 minutes ago, damageinc86 said:

    I can't get that website to export anything.  no pop-ups ever show up to save.  It just says "(# of games) games exported" and then goes back to the search page.  No idea where they were exported to lol.  

    Following the example steps above (changing Machine to Game), on the final click on Export, the site will gather the data then depending on your web browser, you will be asked to save the download or it will just start downloading.  The download is saved to wherever you save file downloads.  

    If you're still having issues, try a different browser.

    What does each folder/file do in the theme? Is there an instruction manual?

    in LaunchBox for Windows Custom Themes

    Posted

    LaunchBox themes are in /LaunchBox/LBThemes/ and Big Box themes are in /LaunchBox/Themes/.  

    Image and video placement in the respective themes are set in the xaml files located in the themes /Views/ folder.

    Though the themes for each interface are completely different, they will both utilize images and videos found in /LaunchBox/Images/ and /LaunchBox/Videos/.

    There's a pdf document in /LaunchBox/Themes/Documentation.pdf

    There's also documentation on this site: Big Box Theming - LaunchBox

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