JoeViking245

You shouldn't need a script to exit VPX. As your Default Command-line Parameter, use -minimized -exit -play Then make sure you don't have anything in your Running Script section for the emulator. Also check that your Application Path is pointing to the correct vpinballx.exe in case you have another install.

Maybe something in here will help.

Assuming you're using stand-alone MAME... Start MAME and check that you have HLSL turned on. You need this ON to see the slider for quadric distortion (see below). Go to Configure Options, Video Options, and set HLSL = On. Press Escape a couple time to get back to the main screen. Start a game, like Bubble Bobble (bublbobl). Once loaded, press Tab and select Slider Controls. Arrow down to Quadric Distortion Amount. Use left and right arrows to change it to how you like it. Write that number down because it won't [permanently] save anywhere. Exit the game and MAME. Next you need to save that number to an INI configuration file in MAMEs "ini" subfolder. Because of how MAMEs order of precedence works when loading configuration files, you want to put that number in the last INI file that loads. Which is the game specific INI file (#9 and 10 on the list) that you would need to create. In this case, "bublbobl.ini". You'd need to create that for every game you want the curvature. As an option, (a little less work) you can edit the Monitor type INI files (#6 on the list). vector.ini for vector monitors, raster.ini for CRT raster monitors. The 2 more common. These are located under ..MAME/ini/presets/. The value you want to change in those is distortion. Change "0.0" to the number you came up with earlier. Save and close the file(s). Play games.

If you're talking about wanting to rename your MAME's software list ROMs to their full name, I would recommend against it. Honestly, I think you'd spend more time renaming the ROMs than you would reimporting them. Then if you did rename them, you'd still need to reimport them, again. Even better, LaunchBox has a backup feature for all the Platforms you imported to and Playlists you've created. I'm not sure if it's on by default, so you may want to verify. Find it under Tools, Options, Data, Backups. To clarify, this ONLY backs up the "Data" folder under ../LaunchBox/. Not any of your ROMs or Emulators, images or videos. The Data folder holds your LB/BB settings and as stated, the Platforms and Playlists you've created. Then if something unfortunate were to happen and you "lose it", you can go to Tools, File Management, Restore Data Backup to recover your Platforms, etc. As I think about it, the Data folder is probably the most important thing you want to have backed up. (Re)downloading ROMs, emulators, images and videos is probably the easiest part. Setting up LaunchBox/BigBox with your platforms, playlists, keyboard/controller bindings and themes etc.... to-just-the-way-you-like-it is where a lot of the hands-on time consumption comes into play.

Glad RA and MAME are both working now. I've never heard of emulator_multicpu.exe. So look up how it works from the command line and check your parameters.

Start mame.exe go to General Settings go to Configure Folders go to ROMs go to Add Folder navigate to your "F:\Video Games\MAME 0.242 ROMs (non-merged)" folder press Tab press Escape twice double click on Save Settings press Esc, then press Esc again to exit MAME Try the Time Crisis script again. I'm not at my main PC now, but I believe with the rompath now set, your script can be shortened to ;if the script is in the same folder as mame.exe Run, mame.exe timecris ;if the script is NOT in the same folder as mame.exe Run, mame.exe timecris, "F:\LaunchBox\Emulators\MAME 0.242"

Put your "full/paths/to/whatever/folder/and/file/your/pointing/to" in quotes. You don't always need them, but it WILL save a lot of potential headaches. Run, "D:\Emulators\Retroarch\retroarch.exe" -f -L "D:\Emulators\Retroarch\cores\stella_libretro.dll" "D:\ROMs\Atari 2600\Adventure (1978) (Atari) [!].7z" "-f" is to open it full screen. If you don't need it, you can remove it. "-L" is to Load the core. You need it. Don't remove it. Run, mame.exe "D:\ROMs\Arcade\centiped.zip", "D:\Emulators\MAME" Here, after the last , (comma), we're putting in the working directory for MAME. This way we don't have to add another line for "SetWorkingDir" that will affect the entire script. LaunchBox doesn't accept command line parameters.

And then let us know if the plugin is still working (after being over 2 years old).

LaunchBox just downloads them for use with your emulator. From there, it's your emulator that uses the bezel files to make magic happen. Poor image crop on my part. But you get the idea. Also, the bezel (images on the sides of the 'playfield') shown may or may not be the one that gets downloaded. I got this one a l o n g time ago.

I'm really not sure what to say from here. I don't have a marquee but have setup dual monitors without issue. The only other idea I have is to check the rest of the settings in Windows. They should both be set to 100% and be 'extended'. Beyond that, I'm at a loss.

You'd be best off posting in BitBucket a Feature Request (if it isn't in there already). At the top of this page, click Help & Support, then click Request a Feature. Then add a link here to get others to vote on that feature request. If there's significant interest, the feature may get added to the next poll for the entire community to vote on. (Don't ask when the next poll will be as nobody really knows. They happen when they happen. ) In the meantime, you might look at using GameSave Managers' built in Scheduled Tasks Wizard and set it up there to have it done automatically for you. If you wanted to get a little more hands on, you could create a batch file that will start LaunchBox and then after it exits, run the command for GSM to do its backups. Another interim option is to add (import) GSM into LaunchBox. Put the exe in within an existing platform (kind of ugly) or create a new platform ("Utilities"?) and put it in there. This would give you direct access to its GUI for doing custom and/or full backups and restores.

I think "extra setup" is the key phrase here. (To iterate, what we're trying to accomplish here is to run (close, actually) an application After running/playing a Steam game that is loaded via its ID#.) Using the Additional App script technique works for you and will work for me and everyone else as well. Unchecking "Use an emulator..." and having the game point to "steam://rungameid/######". The key that makes it work is the WinWait line in the script. Plus, of course, having the Additional App checked to run Before the Main Application. However, that one script will only work for that one game because you have to tell WinWait specifically what to wait for. This is where the "extra setup" comes into play. You have to create a script specific to each game. But that's easy... copy the 1st script and change the game_name.exe on the WinWait line. Well, after you find out what the exe name is. Save the new (2nd) script then add an Additional App to your 2nd Steam game using this [2nd] saved script. Now do this for the rest of your Steams games that need to use JoyToKey. If you have 25 Steam games needing j2k, you now only have to do this 23 more times. If you only have 3 or 4 games that require J2K, this is the way to go. But I assume if [for whatever reason] you need to use JoyToKey for some Steams games, you need to use it for all. This is where (I feel) the "scenic route" is pretty, in nature. (pun intended ). * Create one script. Create one new emulator. Set it as the Default Emulator for your Steam games Platform. If only certain games require J2K, then the process will become a little more scenic. Don't set it as the Default Emulator. While holding Ctrl, click the games that require J2K. Click Edit to start the Bulk Edit Wizard. Set 'emulator' to the one-script emulator you created. Ideally, you'd not have to use J2K at all. Again, I don't use it myself and don't know the circumstances that it's required. *I'm not saying my 'emulator script' is pretty, by any means. If fact it can probably be considered a Hack. Which by definition, is ugly in itself. lol But it is one way to accomplish our desired goal. The per-game script is another. And setting the games to launch directly to the exe is yet another. But not ideal.

How did you setup the emulator in LaunchBox? Show a screenshot of the Details section.

Ya, what @skizzosjt said.

With a Steam game, what's happening is as I described above. When you launch the via "steam://rungameid/248610", it opens steam THEN opens DoorKickers.exe. Also, what's happening with your script is it's ran BEFORE the main application (which is what you want) and the 1st thing it does is wait for DoorKickers to get closed (exited). Since at this point DoorKickers isn't even running, the script "is done waiting" and goes to the next line. Which is to shutdown/exit joytokey. You say "it doesn't seem to have any effect". Is it not even closing joytokey? Do you have a 2nd additional app (also set to run BEFORE) that's starting joy2key? I suppose you'd kind of have to. So, these 2 scripts [at this point] are butting heads. Easy fix, combine the 2 scripts. You'll want to (NEED to) add in a WinWait to wait for DoorKickers.exe to actually be running. THEN you can wait for it to close. Run, "D:\Utilities\JoyToKey\JoyToKey.exe" WinWait, ahk_exe DoorKickers.exe WinWaitClose ;WinClose, ahk_exe JoyToKey.exe **DOES NOT WORK WITH JoyToKey.exe** Process, Close, JoyToKey.exe The issue doing it this way is you need to create a different script for each game. Replacing DoorKickers.exe with the 'new' games [actual] executable. Which, beyond being tedious, isn't that big of a deal. EDIT: I am told (I've never used it myself) JoyToKey.exe is one of the few programs that require "extra force" when closing. WinClose will not work. You need to use: Process, Close, JoyToKey.exe Codes has been edited to reflect this change. Another option is to create a new "emulator" which is actually an AutoHotkey script used to launch your Steam games. It's a onetime setup and will work for all your Steam games that are launched via "steam://rungameid/xxxxxx". The script would look something like this: Run, "D:\Utilities\JoyToKey\JoyToKey.exe" ;**** Verify Path **** Run, "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe" -applaunch %1% ;**** Verify Path **** isRunning := "0" While (isRunning = "0") ; Wait until the game is launched RegRead, isRunning, HKCU\Software\Valve\Steam\Apps\%1%, Running Sleep, 500 While (isRunning = "1") ; Wait until the game is closed RegRead, isRunning, HKCU\Software\Valve\Steam\Apps\%1%, Running Sleep, 500 Process, Close, JoyToKey.exe In LaunchBox add a new emulator. Use (Browse.. to) AutoHotkey.exe that comes with LaunchBox as your Application Path, so you don't have to install it. (LaunchBox will convert it to a Relative Path, as shown.) Point to the script as your Default Command Line. ("Put this path in quotes.) Check BOTH boxes. Save. Set the Steam games you want to use JoyToKey with to use this emulator. If you want all your Steam games to use JoyToKey, when creating the "emulator", go to the Associated Platforms section, select "Windows" (or whatever you've named the Platform, default is "Windows") under Associated Platforms and check the box Default Emulator. Skip the above Edit Game all together.

The screen positions you show with the marquee on the right, and lined up on the top, is how you want them set in Windows. So that part's good. For troubleshooting, if you go to Options in BigBox and set marquee to None, does everything look as it should? As in, the TV is showing BigBox and the marquee shows nothing? I ask because in BB you have your Primary Screen set to "1" and in Windows, your TV is "2". I know what Windows "says" isn't always as we see it, hence the test. (Assuming that's all good...) Someone on Discord said they fixed their marquee issue by shutting down Windows, powering off and physically disconnecting the marquee from the computer, restarting the computer, and then reconnecting the marquee after Windows is all booted and turn it on. This might change "2" and "1" to "1" and "2" and you may need to move the marquee so it's positioned like you image above.

Thanks for the suggestions. This would be a duplicate effort of LaucnhBox's Update Metadata and Media tool option. You'll be using that tool anyway to at least get the games Notes, at which time will also add developer, release date and a whole lot more. You're talking about setting the platforms Scrape As value. This would be wonderful! Unfortunately, LaunchBox's default scrape-as values are not available through the API (unless I missed it somewhere). As in, there isn't an available list automatically generated to select from. To make this work, I would need to manually create a list of the currently 190+/- existing possibilities. Me (or someone) creating the list is not the problem. Updating the plugin every time new ones are added, is. I had thought about this early on in the project. But I was also trying to somewhat mirror what the built-in MAME Import Wizard does. As soon as I saw the Wizard didn't deal with clones [beyond the option of adding as Additional Apps to the Parent], I abandoned the thought. The option to add a Custom Field "Clone of" is not an unreasonable one. But this will only work when selecting Import clones separately. Additional Apps (when selecting Import clones as additional apps) don't have the option of Custom Field. Not sure if this helps any, release v4.05 puts any information found in ( parenthesis ) in the games Title into that games "Version" metadata. Generally indicating that game is a clone. However, it doesn't indicate what it's a clone of. If you wanted to make a playlist of parents only or clones only, you could filter it off of "Version" being empty or not. Unless of course the games Title has something in parenthesis that is actually part of the name and has nothing to do with versioning. 😊 Maybe if I had a real-life example(s) of how you'd use "Clone of" to create a Playlist, we can come up with something that would be practical to implement. Version 1.32 (March 4, 2020) - New Feature: If a newly imported game is tagged as not supported by MAME, it will be marked as "Broken". Will also check existing games in the Platform being imported to (in case MAME updated its' status) (Not applicable to clones when imported as additional apps)

Thank you! After 3 years, I have no plans of adding new features. But that's only because I haven't thought about it, and no one's suggested any recently. The original intent of the plugin was to simply provide a means of getting MAME's softlists into LaunchBox using their proper game titles and pointing LB to the ROMs. It has expanded beyond that to working with CHDs, accommodating ROM updating and even auditing your currently imports set. Maybe even some other stuff I've forgotten about. lol As with all my plugins, I am ALWAYS open to suggestions and ideas. I would like to hear what you have.

What do your settings look like under Options, General for Marquee Screen?

Read through here and see if anything helps shed some light. (having had custom command-line parameters per game seemed to be a common issue)

Glad it [almost] worked. I've never had the comical mouse pointer thing happen. Do you by chance have your connected TV's "Scale and layout" in the Windows Display Settings set to something ither than 100%?

@JoeViking245 Can you confirm you're seeing this update corrects the issues you brought up related to your plugin and data saving? Works perfectly! Thank you.

So you know, I'm the only one that I know of here on the forums that uses "Monitor Profile Switcher" for this purpose. It's a small simple program that does only what is needed and works perfectly. A lot of people like using Display Fusion. Probably because it has a lot of other "bells & whistles", it's frequently updated, and (just guessing) "if you have to pay for it, it must be good". The views and opinions expressed here are those solely if the author and in no way reflect those of management. 1st thing you'll need to do is to download Monitor Profile Switcher and then create/save the profiles for you monitor configurations. Their Wiki page also describes how to do this. Download the zip file, right click it and select Properties, check Unblock and click OK. Extract the files to somewhere convenient. i.e. F:\MonitorSwitcher\ Start MonitorSwitcherGUI.exe. This will show an icon on your task bar. Setup your monitors via Windows Display Settings with your PC as the Primary Monitor (I assume it's that way now). Click the icon and select Save Profile, New Profile, and name it something you'll remember. i.e. PC_Primary. Now in Display Setting, set your monitors so that the TV is the Primary Monitor (and any other adjustments you may need to make). Click the icon and select Save Profile, New Profile, and name it something you'll remember. i.e. TV_Primary. The 2 profiles you just created will be saved in C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\MonitorSwitcher\Profiles\ Now that you monitor settings are all screwed up for working from the PC, click the icon and select PC_Primary. You monitor settings will now be back to your "normal" settings. Click the MonitorSwitcherGUI icon and select Exit. Copy (or move) the 2 'profile' files ("PC_Primary.xml" and "TV_Primary.xml") from where they were saved to where you extracted the files above (F:\MonitorSwitcher\) 2nd thing, create a batch file. In your MonitorSwitcher folder, create a new batch file and name it something you'll remember. ("BigBoxOnTV.bat") The batch file will something like this: start /w "" "MonitorSwitcher.exe" -load:TV_Primary.xml start /w "" "F:\LaunchBox\Core\BigBox.exe" start "" "MonitorSwitcher.exe" -load:PC_Primary.xml On lines 1 and 3, change the file name (right after "-load:") to whatever you called them (if different than my example names). On line 2, change the path to where your LaunchBox is installed ("F:\LaunchBox"). But leave it pointing to "BigBox.exe" that is in the "Core" subfolder. If you have it point to BigBox.exe that's in LaunchBox's root folder ("F:\LaunchBox\BigBox.exe"), this batch file won't work as intended. Double click on "BigBoxOnTV.bat" and if all goes well, watch magic happen. Once this is all working as expected, to make the Command Prompt Window not show a 'popup' when you start the batch file, create a shortcut to batch file (in the same folder or somewhere else). Right click the shortcut and select Properties. Next to Run:, change it to Minimized and click OK. Now use the shortcut to start the batch file.

Did some more testing based on what @Headrush69 said. Setting the DIP switch to cocktail, then restarting/resetting the game does make P2 controls work as assigned. But if you're on a single upright monitor, the screen does go upside down for player 2.

At least for keyboard inputs... Even though (for some reason) MAME shows P1 and P2 in the Input Assignments, it's still an alternating controller game. Whereas Gauntlet can actually be played with 2-4 concurrent players. Your DK work around is to double up the P1 input assignments. The problem with that is, while P1 is playing, P2 [controller] can mess with P1. At least that's what my testing came up with... couldn't get P2 to have its own key assignments. I don't know if it's different using actual controllers (like Xbox controllers). Didn't test it.