Gildahl

New version recently released (0.3.3.0) -- see original post for link. IMPORTANT: A clean install is required with this new version due to new features and substantial changes to many configuration items. See update.txt for details. Here's a short list of improvements. Added support for interface sound (see sound.txt). Overhauled list management. Added favorites, star ratings, and additional metadata. Tighter integration with LaunchBox making it simple to use LB as a content manager for arcadeEIP. Some graphical improvements.

Thanks! I just posted a major new revision of the software here (v.0.3.3.0). As for tutorials, you're best off starting with the documentation in the zip. In particular the readme and MAME quick-start in the root folder. For this particular project you'll also want to read the StreamDeck.txt file in the \Docs folder. I also added a sample configuration for C64 using WinVice SDL in there too (you must use the SDL2 version as the GTK3 version doesn't play nicely with arcadeEIP's overlay menus). I'll definitely be doing more tutorial videos, but in the meantime I'd be happy to answer any questions here, or by pm or email (address is in the readme). ...and thanks for the fastloader info.

Well I now have this fully working. As an 8-bit Atari computer enthusiast back in the day I never focused much on the C64, but have wanted to setup an emulator for it for a while, so this was just the excuse I needed to finally get this working. The C64 does have a fine collection of games. After getting WinVICE (SDL2 version) working nicely in arcadeEIP and integrated with LaunchBox, I added a C64 profile to my Stream Deck along with a couple of game-specific profiles (Spelunker and Donkey Kong to start). You can see this video for the results. If this is the sort of thing you had in mind, give it a try and let me know if you run into any issues.

I just tried adding a C64 emulator as a proof-of-concept, and the first one I tried seems to work well so far (WinVICE 3.6.1). Like me, you will probably need to use the SDL version since arcadeEIP requires emulators to support a "cooperative" windowed fullscreen mode so that the overlay menu will work properly. The GTK3 build doesn't seem to like having the focus taken away from it, but the SDL version has no such issue, so if this is the emulator you use (or can use), I can share more info about how I set it up. I will also be adding this information to the documentation for the next release version.

This should be doable with my arcadeEIP software. I haven't created a profile for C64 yet, but in theory it should work. This software integrates well with Launchbox (able to share its media files and metadata), and using its built-in support hot-strings can launch emulated games directly using Stream Deck. Since one Stream Deck button can be multifunction, you could, for example, have it simultaneously launch the game and switch to a game-specific profile with the mapped keys displayed (I'm currently plan to do something similar with Thayer's Quest on Daphne). But you can kind of get an idea of how this works from this video.

Another fairly substantial update. This one is focused on bringing full practical support for the Elgato Stream Deck to arcadeEIP. This has been done through the addition of hot strings, discrete menu control hotkeys, better stability to the direct-switch code, and updates to the documentation specific to configuring arcadeEIP to work with the Stream Deck. This includes both USB hardware versions (recommended) and mobile versions. tl;dr: If you want to be able to choose games without ever visiting an on-screen menu, this will do that. Here's a video demonstration. See the docs for more information on how to configure.

Just released: arcadeEIP v.0.3.2.0 beta (see original post at top for link). This is a fairly major update that adds support for multiple images types (including custom types) and display of history.xml/mameinfo.dat text on pause. Beyond this there are critical bug fixes (some long standing), some polishing activity on existing features, and the addition of hotstring support for direct-launch making integration with Stream Deck much easier. If you happen to have tried out this software previously, it is highly recommended to do a complete fresh install at this point, and let me know if you find any issues or have any suggestions. I've also added a new video for first time users that walks through the installation process documented in "MAME Quick Start.txt", which happens to also demonstrate some of the newest features.

It's not open source...at the moment. However, if you PM me, I can let you know how I'm currently handling the source code. [Edit] it is now available on GitHub, free for non-commercial use.

Seems like this could be a good bootstrapper for this, which would extend capability by enabling switching to a new random game every x minutes.

The arcadeEIP launcher that I just posted does exactly this if you launch your emulator using it. The file it creates is called runlast_native.bat.

Current Release: arcadeEIP latest release (v0.4.2.0 beta) arcadeEIP is a custom front-end and launcher I wrote for my arcade machine over a period of several years due to nothing else like it being available. The main reason for writing it was to reduce the amount of "friction" that conventional front ends can add to playing a game. Thus, rather than make a user *always* have to navigate a menu, choose a game, and wait for it to load, I wanted to make the arcade machine *always* immediately playable--more like the way a real arcade machine works--while still supporting game switching as desired. The answer to this was two-fold: First, make the operation "game-first" rather than "menu-first". Thus, in arcadeEIP there is always a live game running in its *native* attract mode while in standby, This game can be made to change periodically, but the key is that whatever game you see on the screen is always immediately playable by just dropping in a token and/or pressing the start button, just like real arcade machines. Second, when a user "exits" a game, rather than having to wait for the game to literally exit and then enter another menuing environment, a game selection menu is instead *immediately* shown as an overlay over the current game. When the user selects a new game from this menu, arcadeEIP then exits the current game and loads the new one in a single step, making the game switching experience more like changing channels than changing a DVD. In fact, one does not even need to use this menu to switch games since games can also be hot-switched directly by using an Elgato Streamdeck, dedicated control panel buttons, or even a phone. arcadeEIP can be used stand-alone; however, it also has integrated support for LaunchBox, enabling you to use LB as a scraper/content manager for its game lists, images, and metadata. You can also pair it with a conventional Front End like BigBox so that arcadeEIP's hot game switching, game-first standby, AND access to a conventional graphical front end can be integrated together to get the best of all worlds (that's actually the way I use it). A short overview of arcadeEIP's fuller list of features includes: Instant gameplay in standby. Hot game switching via an overlay menu or button device; A launcher for all your games in most emulators; Standard front end features including run before/after apps, support for loading custom control panel profiles, etc. Support for custom lists, metadata, favorites, and star-ratings; Support for manual entry of high scores and the taking of high score screenshots. Display of images such as control panel maps and mame history/mameinfo text on pause; Game startup and exit screens; Native support for multiple parallel versions of emulators such as MAME; Dynamic marquee monitor support with optional display of high scores on the marquee; A custom rules engine; Easy command line game launching. All coded in AHK 2.0 and published on GitHub for easy customizability.. Here is a video explaining how it can be integrated with LaunchBox/BigBox and showing a few of its features (note, however, that these videos are getting old and do not reflect the latest functionality. Please see the docs, and hopefully I'll have some time to updating these videos sometime in the near future). Updated 1/11/2022 (0.3.1.1): A small update including some bug fixes in BigBox support and an enhancement for high scores. See update.txt. Updated 1/13/2022 (0.3.1.2): Important update that adds support for images (like control maps) on pause, and a fix for missing icons in game menu. See update.txt. Updated 2/9/2022 (0.3.2.0): Major update with support for more information on pause, improved Elgato Stream Deck support, and critical bug fixes. Updated 2/16/2022 (0.3.2.1): Important update with full support for the Elgato Stream Deck. See the following video demonstration. Updated 5/17/2022 (0.3.3.0): Major update. Please do a full/from scratch install for this version since much has changed. See update.txt for details. Updated 7/4/2022 (0.3.3.1): Hotfix. Fixed discrete menu toggle keys ( = and - keys now work again ). Updated 2/16/2023 (0.3.3.2): Hotfix. A couple small bug fixes. Updated 2/28/2023 (0.3.3.3): Small feature update. Added discrete quit_key= setting for improved Stream Deck support. Updated 5/19/2023 (0.4.0.0): Ported AHK code from 1.1 to 2.0. Moved source and binary releases to GitHub. See GitHub link below for more information. Updated 5/24/2023 (0.4.0.1): Hotfix: Added missing icon files to ..\Resources\Icons needed for marking favorites and star ratings. Updated 7/11/2023 (0.4.0.2): Feature and Documentation update. Added volume normalization, game lock, better LEDBlinky support, bug/doc fixes. Updated 1/28/2024 (0.4.1.0): Major update with many bug and stability fixes, the additon of manual high score entry, better hot switching, many quality of life changes, etc. Updated 3/19/2024 (0.4.2.0): Major release. Stability fixes, XInput, Scorecard improvements, MAME pre-filtering, Favorites/Star-Ratings import Current Release: https://github.com/gildahl/arcadeEIP/release Documentation: https://github.com/gildahl/arcadeEIP/wiki Discussion: Here on the LaunchBox fourns, ArcadeControls.com, or GitHub discussions

I have the latest version of BigBox (12.6) on my arcade machine and am experiencing some serious issues with (1) theme music from a single game continuing on in the background, even after I've left that game's screen, (2) in some cases, clear logos on the game wheel become locked in place (though, curiously, I am still able to "turn" the wheel in an overlay layer); (3) black screens after a short while, and (3) the error below. Note that I can recreate one or more of these effects time after time after a fresh load of BB and without ever launching any games...basically, just by playing around in the menus, and using an ordinary keyboard. I'm using the CriticalZoneV2 Blue theme, but it seems to not be limited to that theme. I have also duplicated it using both VLC and Windows Media Player options. The cause seems to have the characteristics of a "button mashing" issue. For example, if I go all the way into the game launch screen of a game (the one with "Play" on it), I'll hear the theme music playing for the game as expected. If I then quickly mash the esc button many times to get back to the platform picker screen, then often (but not always) the theme music for that particular game will get locked such that it now plays continuously over every other sound. This is usually followed a short time later by either a black screen, the game wheel anomaly, or the error below. This was initially a very serious issue with my iPAC based control panel since this was happening constantly, even when avoiding deliberate mashing. However, after applying debounce to the profile, it is behaving much better. The thing is though, that this can still happen intermittently and with overexuberant users (i.e. kids), and I can duplicate this with an ordinary keyboard by deliberate button mashing...so there would still seem to be an internal issue here that should probably be investigated since not all users are calm adults and able to curb their mashing tendencies, hehe. [edit] ...and it looks like similar restrictions should be placed on the play button, as it appears that pressing it multiple times quickly will attempt to launch multiple instances of an app...which can cause issues with some games/emulators/apps that aren't single-instance protected. Here's the error: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. App: Big Box Version: 12.6 Type: System.NullReferenceException Site: Void RevertSpecification(System.Object, System.EventArgs) Source: BigBox at Unbroken.LaunchBox.Windows.BigBox.Controls.VideoControl.<>c__DisplayClass8_0.RevertSpecification(Object sender, EventArgs args) at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(Object source, RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean reRaised) at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEventImpl(DependencyObject sender, RoutedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(Object source, RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean reRaised) at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEventImpl(DependencyObject sender, RoutedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.BroadcastEventHelper.BroadcastEvent(DependencyObject root, RoutedEvent routedEvent) at System.Windows.BroadcastEventHelper.BroadcastLoadedEvent(Object root) at MS.Internal.LoadedOrUnloadedOperation.DoWork() at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.FireLoadedPendingCallbacks() at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.FireInvokeOnRenderCallbacks() at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.RenderMessageHandlerCore(Object resizedCompositionTarget) at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.RenderMessageHandler(Object resizedCompositionTarget) at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs) at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler) Recent Log: 9:33:51 AM Exception

Yes, this was a partial set. Odd since all the other platforms I've imported roms for obtained correct titles. Since there doesn't appear to be a way to refresh the metadata (images yes, but apparently not names), I guess I'll have to delete and start over using the option you mention. Its kinda strange though that I'd need to choose an option for mame that expressly says that its for emulators other than mame, hehe.

I'll have to look at it more closely. I did scrape with "Arcade" and I have all the correct metadata (notes, images, etc.)...it's just the Titles that are incorrect. i.e. dkong instead of "Donkey Kong" for example.

So what is the right way? ...and how do I update the titles in situ without having to re-import everything?

After importing my mame games, the titles are named after the roms rather than the proper names of the games. Is there any way to update these names without manually editing?

Hi. I'm the developer of arcadeEIP, and if you're looking for a link, you can try this one. This is a (slow) work-in-progress and something that very well may work with Launchbox or run you can run it independently (I actually tested early versions with Big Box, though that's not my main front end). Keep in mind its meant for arcade machines and requires reading of the documentation. There is also a newer version I haven't packaged yet that supports marquee monitors...let me know if you're interested. The goal of the software is largely what you write in your first post. http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,165138.0.html

Can someone explain *exactly* when the "Exit AutoHotKey Script" is fired? For example, if I put a simple SoundBeep command in the "Running AutoHotKey Script" tab, I hear the beep whenever the emulator is started. However, if I put a SoundBeep command in the "Exit Autohotkey Script" tab, I haven't yet been able to hear the beep--even when using the Exit option within the Pause menu. This tab must have a purpose.

Just out of curiosity, have you tried filtering the voting by free vs. paid license users? Are the results similar?

That sounds like a reasonable approach. I should be able to give it a try tonight. Thanks.

Huh. Guess I'm a little disappointed. What I really need is a way to run a script on start of game and another on exit of game...and what would be even more enormously helpful, would be the ability to feed the name of the game rom to these as a parameter. Just wishful thinking?

I use Ultimarc WinIPac and Ultrasticks. I have profiles for BigBox, and a separate profile for vanilla MAME, and often for specific games. When I startup BB, I have an AHK script that loads the stick and cp profiles for BB then launches BB. This works. I put a script in the "Running" script window for MAME that loads my vanilla MAME stick and cp profiles. This works. I put a script in the "Exit" script window for MAME that reloads my BB profiles. My hope was that this would run when I exit a game. This does not work. That's basically where I am at the moment.

I'm new with LB/BB. In the emulator configuration, there are two tabs. One is for Running AHK script and another is for Exiting AHK script. I was assuming the first was executed when the emulator is started, and the second is executed when the emulator exists. Since it doesn't appear to be working that way for me, I was wondering if someone could explain how it really works (especially the Exit script). Thanks!

Well, guess I figured it out. Don't need the custom playlist after all--I just needed to restart LB to see that the custom field and all its values are inserted into the filter list automatically, so now I can easily filter by Emulator. Cool.

Ok, I tried this and it worked. I liked the product quite a bit, so I purchased a lifetime license. So I have an additional related question now. I created my "Arcade" platform list, which consists of a list of games using a mix of emulators (i.e. some using MAME_145, some using MAME_202, etc.), I would now like to be able to filter this list by emulator (say, if I wanted to do a bulk edit of the command line for Mame 202 games, or do a bulk migration of Mame 202 games to a future version of mame), but I don't see "Emulator" as a filtering option in the LaunchBox pull-down list. Perhaps I'm just missing it? A work-around is to add a custom field called "Emulator", always fill it in, and create an auto-populate playlist from it. That's fine, but its extra maintenance that I'd like to avoid if possible. Thanks!