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patrickfx

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Posts posted by patrickfx

  1. I will be a little crual here.  But I'm a little , ok more then a little dessapointed about this pool.  2 reasons...

    1) Majority of questions is on launchbox, not on Big Box

    2) Majority of questions are more for TV players.  Not for Arcade Cabinet..., yes they can be used in a cabinet, but the root context of the polls are not for cabinet people.

     

  2. 1 hour ago, neil9000 said:

    Because themes available in the app have to be heavily tested to make sure they are stable and are not going to break the app or the navigation of it. We cant have buggy themes available directly that will break the navigation, or regularly crash Bigbox, that isn't good for anyone, so they are heavily tested, for days. Most theme makers do not care about this and just release their themes to the forums, as unzipping a file and moving it to a folder is pretty much the easiest thing you can do on a PC.

    i was (scare) and probably knew that will be the answer.  Which make some sense.  Can't be agaisnt that commitment.   

    But then...simplify the process.  Coze, at the end, people will anyway download it and try it.  Coze again, i have to be honest, dont be hurt personally please but that official one seem not to be move a lot.  

    When you said broken...is a X custom theme can brok another custom theme.  If not...no reason then.  Would be more convenient to have a kind of display flag that said...not certified...but keep us to use the GUI.

    Coze i<m probably not alone to use BIGBOX in an arcade cabinet...using the GUI is way my best choice.  Rather then go into windows...

     

    And BTW i personnaly build a custom theme and upload in the download section.  I look what required to make this certified...I found a lot not necessary for me.  I know, I know, this is where you will said...exactly, the main reason, if you dont need, maybe some need other views...which i do not agree...What i observ in certified one is this.  Let say a person build a custom theme and is main reason is wall , he will do the best on the wall views...then, just to be certified, he will do minimum required on other views.  At the end, this provide non egal quality on all views of the theme. 

  3. On 7/3/2020 at 10:58 AM, adamtoth said:

    Thanks. 

    Yes I know that I can't launch the ZIP files directly. I'm just trying to get Launchbox to recognize some files (ZIP, or TXT) so that the Import process has some games/files for which it can get metadata and images. Afterwards I can change the emulator/commandline settings to call my batch files or daphne directly.

    My post isn't about how to get the games to play from Launchbox, it's about how to get Launchbox to fetch correct metadata for the games. If I configure the platform to scrape for Arcade, it doesn't find all the games and gets some of the games incorrect.

    It was a lot of work, but I ended up doing the following:

     

    1. Create a new Platform called Daphne, and choose not to scrape as anything
    2. Start the import process against the ROM zip files in Daphne roms directory
    3. It will bring in all the files without any metadata into the Daphne platform, and the Name/Title of each game will be the zip file name
    4. (optional) Combine any alternate versions of games together if that's how you like them
    5. Edit each game individually, change the title to the correct game name, and click the Search for Metadata button.
    6. Find the Arcade version of the game from the list of games that appear in the dropdown and select it
    7. The metadata should be populated and it should be linked now to a launchbox db id.
    8. Click the Download Images/Media button at the bottom to get the images.
    9. (optional) In the platform field, it will now be "Arcade". If that's fine, leave it, or if you want the platform to be Daphne, change it back to Daphne.
    10. Change your application path/emulator settings to call Daphne with commandline parameters or to execute batch files, or go through RocketLauncher/Retroarch/your emulator of choice.

    With 17 games and a bunch of alternate versions, it took me a couple of hours to get it all straightened out. Now I'll have to try the Singe games with a similar process. It was mostly a manual import process, and I wish Launchbox had better support for importing the Daphne games straight away, recognizing clones/alternates and region variations.

     

    It work.  And this remind me to answer that this hobby is not always easy.  When friends ask me ... how easy it is to setup all this.  ....eeeeeeeee easy !!! yeah! lyer!

  4. That question is a question i never ask since 5 years but still dont catch the point.  

    Note : I myself build a custom theme and upload in here !  So, i'm not a complete NOOB

     

    So, my question is this.  When we are in BIGBOX, we have a good navigation menu where we can pick different custom theme.  That's all good, no need to manually load from internet...all from the bigbox GUI.

    Why not all are there ?  I do understand there is a FORM , and probably because some custom theme doesn't meet all the requirements.  But if that reason, why make this process more easy !!! Coze from a BIGBOX user point of view, it is like nothing move since years over here...which when look into forum-download, we see a lot of movement but hein! that required more time...

     

    Please some one try to explain me !

  5. Hello, curious also.  It is a very very very mysterious aspect that highscore subject is not talk that much also.

    For me, wont say name but some great new front-end tool leverage absolutely the community aspect of it, including the ability to put your score ... We all love to see and try beat some other...even at 50 :)

    So, launchbox have that tools, but they do not improve it.  I go last night into Gauntlet game to see the highscore, i was so surprise my name still top 3 in high score.  Cause I'm really not that good.  The only reason I can see, well, it is because people dont use that much.  Dot!

    What about you ?

    • Like 1
  6. Hello Faeran,  I may be not quit clear or something i do not catch.  Here I added screenshot to show the process I do.  At the end, as you can see, it create many category in the playlist and a lot too specific and have only one game.  In the example it is driving - firework.  When there is only one game.  I actually have more then 2000's games.  Would prefer a kind of split with 10 maximum category

     

    So, my point is how Launchbox has decide that XYZ game will fall into ABC category ? There is a metadata somewhere, for sure !  Maybe inside itself of the ROMS ?  I'm not a pro in that section

    Screenshot (5).png

    Screenshot (4).png

  7. Very very basic question.  How that autopopulate split the information?  Is it a core information on each mame game ?  I ask this because in my case must of my 2000 games are not categorise into a Playlist.  I have many category that only have 1 game after running it.  I use a old but stable for me mame.  Version.186

  8. Hello everyone,

       I observe that some very interesting custom theme not show on the available list thru Bigbox menu.  Including mine :)

    Is it because it does not meet all requirement like the fill of all wheels 1,2,3...etc ? Is there a kind of peer-review process ?

    Depending the complexity, i would like maybe to complete mine this year.  

     

     

  9. 4 hours ago, neil9000 said:

    Mame hi scores are available in the "Game Details" menu.

    image.thumb.png.9dd901b55bef3cd09841287e2f2b47a2.png

    image.thumb.png.cdea0e7f67e0f78b83dff329e5789391.png

    It is also possible to set a button to bring them up at any time.

    image.thumb.png.6772e3c6de61c63d68f3390b2e09880b.png

     

    D'ont make me wrong.  I could look like the guy who look for sky but I understand it is available thru detail.  I was thinking a step before, directly in the wheels pages to display it there.  

    I'm probably not the only one who desactivate this detail page.  Main reason it is almost unreadable thru a CRT TV, and in 99% of time, not use.  With bigbox in mind, we need to think outside of click - click - click menu 

    Or, I'm too picky :)

  10. In Launchbox 10.12, we see the introduction of MAME High score integration.  Which is great.

    But so far, I do not see any theme that simplify the use of it.

    By simplify I mean something with arcade cabinet in mind with bigbox.  It need to be easy, since we dont use mouse.  it need to be integrated into existing navigation.

    Note : I do make it work thru custom theme tools but that's was not quit good

  11. 16 hours ago, SkyHighGam3r said:

    I've got LaunchBox (BigBox) setup on my CRT TV running at 640x480. The default resizing works ok, but it's painfully clear that it's expecting a wider aspect ratio. Are there any themes made with this low, 4:3, resolution in mind?

    Hello SkyHighGam3r, what a name :)

    I did release this theme some month ago.  I do have a arcade cabinet with old CRT tv...not even sure it is 640 x 480 :) .  So I built this theme by increasing everything i can ... specially FONT and Wheel ...

    I also include the source code, so you can start from there...Up to you.  

    To be honest, i didn't found any of the theme with big test font.  Some can fit in 4:3 but then, all text , like description of the game are unreadable with old TV...

     

     

     

  12. Hello, so is this solution still working after couple of week ?  I have the same issue.  Well, just to make sure we talk about same thing...

    My situation : All MAME only lightgun working well with multiple screen.  But this is not the case with M2 emulator.  The calibration horozontal ratio is wrong, he calculate the position by adding main x resolution + x resolution marquee screen.

    The only solution found so far is to close my marquee when player those game.  And this laid to a second issue for me, since when i close marquee screen, because it is a special custom resolution., i need to recreate it.  But this is my main issue with nvidia old graphic card.

    So, first, is your fix work and are you in the same pattern issue as me ?

     

  13. On 5/10/2020 at 3:27 PM, Tackett1980 said:

    Thanks but I just think I’m done with it, it’s way too finicky and delicate to be useable.

    :) That give me courage...:) I feel your pain.  This hobby is not plug & play.

    BTW, having same issue.  2 lightgun, mame, m2 emulator , 2 screens and calibration is not working if i keep the second monitor up!

  14. 34 minutes ago, Mr. RetroLust said:

    @GCS2000 Not sure if it would help in this case but washed out screen problems can be fixed by setting your gpu setting from limited color space to full rgb 0-255.

    Not sure if we talk about same thing though.  But in my case...reverse the screen marquee make the picture look just as normal in sitting position.  I built a pinball also and see that effect with another screen monitors.  Like if company made those screen for a certain angle view.  Which can make a certain sense.  Usually when you use a screen...the screen is bellow your eye or centered.  Rarely the reverse like we need with a marquee 

  15. 11 hours ago, GCS2000 said:

    Fantastic thanks!

    BTW any chance you have some settings for the screen that might help it look better.  It just seems so washed out to me.  Granted it is above eye level so we are kinda looking up at it and these screens don't have the best viewing angle but it should be better than it is IMHO.  I have fiddled with brightness and contrast several times and just can't find a sweet spot.

    Thanks for your help.

    Greg

     

    Hello, I just buy this same screen month ago, so satisfy so far.  2 things bring my attention to this thread.

    This part about 'seem washed out' and 'don't have the best angle'. I observe but not explain it at all if you reverse the screen , the angle is way better.  

    Personally, i had to buy an another old but good video card cause i need to make a custom resolution and have a s-video output.  Not easy to find :)

  16. Hello, 

       I was to write a question in this forum to ask how far the ability to integrated high score in some page would be possible.

    Related to my general question first in this 

     

    Now that I see this thread, may I ask you...What I understand from this add-on is the ability to have score 1 to 3 integrated into game detail, which is good.

    Now my question and please consider a have new skills on programmation (well, not in this technology, more database developer)...Could it be possible to have in a separate LB, BB field ?

    Where then we could add it anywhere in any page ?  I'm pretty sure it was your first idea but probably more complicated and probably need LB, BB changes...is it ?

    Another related suggestion would be to a another field that have , let say, top 3 high score...another field, your high score...

     

    My final intention is to build a theme with a focus around High Score...your high score but also other hish score...A good way in my own opinion to make the play more challenging and fun.

     

     

  17. Hello everyone, 

       I like to focus my theme on high score.  My wish would be

    - Top 5 games with my high score in page 'TextFilterview'

    - My high score + top 3 high score from others in page 'TextGameView'

    - My High score + the high score from others in 'Wheelgameview' 

    I only see so far a way to display the object detail description where you can see the high score but mixed with a bunch of other game detail...

     

    Probably all my request is not possible right now without complex development and programmation, which i do not have the skills. 

    I'm using the excellent 'Community Theme Creator for Bigbox' right now.  

     

    So, my question could be around how far this is possible in your own opinion ?

    Should I request it thru the idea suggestion support ?

    Or should I ask the person under the 'Community Theme Creator for Bigbox'', maybe it is just a question of wrapping xaml arround this ?

     

    Thanks...i will go back to my toy and configure my new acquisition for my cab ...  2xlight gun :)

     

     

     

     

  18. 34 minutes ago, Retro808 said:

    Videos can be made to work but the performance in BigBox with everything else going on is not the best. It takes a plugin to get it working good, so it will maybe something the team adds when they are able to get marquee support updated. Personally I got rid of video marquees as it was just to much going on. 

    Oh! I see, make sense.  I will then concentrate back to more basic stuff :). I rebuild my software probably every 5 years...I'm in that now ... LB , BB is fantastic but i may say it is. up and running at 95% in 10 minutes...but the last 5 % will take you couple of days :)

     

  19. Arcade Cabinet Big Font

    View File

    Hello,  

       Here my first Big Box Theme release, mainly focusing on Big font, big wheel, big everything.  

    Typical use for Arcade Cabinet with CRT television.  But should work on any type or size.

    I have 2 types of vertical view for wheel.  One with image and the other with video selection.

    Image Vertical view for wheel are for sure more safe for slow CPU.  

    In my case I run a Core Duo only and normal video from emumovie are working fine.  

    The full theme video at the other hand are barely ok. 

    Note To use normal video rather theme video I just rename the folder of theme video to make sure BB don't find it and use normal video.

    Thanks to Thimolor, i started my theme base on LV-101

     

     

    View platform.jpg

     

    View platform2.jpg

     

    menu.jpg

     

    View Wheel.jpg

     

    image.png


     

    • Like 2
  20. On 10/5/2020 at 5:03 PM, Elhora said:

    ok, i'm stupid :) why am i trying to configure LB when i need something in BB.......... my brain needs some sleep.

    Well, to your defense.  I do the same brain logic.  To OUR defense, many many many time a setup in BB has to be done in LB.  All, playlist, emulator, platform and so on.  So, first reflex is to go and look into LB for it.

    Cheers

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