stigzler

Hi all. I like my cab's home page to be the discovery center, but attract mode doesn't launch from there? Is there any setting to make sure it does?

Solved With the awesome-as-ever help of @JoeViking245, found a work-around. Posted here for posterity/others in the same boat. I had to move these two dll's to a location outside of the plugin's folder. So, I moved them to: [LaunchboxRoot]/ThirdParty/Gearbox I then had to update all of my DllImport statements to a new path relative to my Plugin's directory @ [LaunchboxRoot]/PLugins/Gearbox. E.g: [DllImport("../../ThirdParty/Gearbox/PacDrive32.dll", EntryPoint = "PacSetCallbacks", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)] private static extern void PacSetCallbacks32(USBDEVICE_ATTACHED_CALLBACK usbDeviceAttachedCallback, USBDEVICE_REMOVED_CALLBACK usbDeviceRemovedCallback); Thanks again, JoePluginKing!

Hi folks, I'm authoring some LED Controller functions into my swiss army knife plugin given LEDBlinky doesn't really cut the mustard for me. I have cloned Ben Baker's excellent PacDriveSDK from here: https://github.com/benbaker76/PacDriveSDK The repo works fine on my PC and I can use the cpp driver dlls () without any issue on the test applications. However, Launchbox doesn't seem to like them at all. I get the following errors during the Plugin Initialisation phase: I've tried just putting them in the plugins folder without my plugin files and I still get the same errors - implying it's Launchbox not liking the dlls rather than my plugin. I also couldn't get any other exception details, even after putting LB into debug mode (there were no logs in the log folder, maybe because once those exceptions are thrown, LB doesn't boot) I have emailed Ben Baker, but he may say it's a Launchbox issue - so hoping I don't get caught between a rock and a hard place on this one. My skills don't extend to cpp, so I have no idea what the compatibility issues are. Do hope someone can help or clarify what's happening here, as totally stuck with this one!

Fair points, Joe and pretty much where I've gone with it. There are some nasty edge cases that might happen (e.g. user 'swaps' the Names of two systems in LB which would be undetectable by my plugin where linked DO is via Platform Name) but that's the issue with plugin development: some things are beyond your control. Even 'multi-key' approaches are fallible, so it will have to do! Thanks for your input. 👍

Hey. Thanks for the reply, Joe. Yes - I had considered that, but the issue is if I create an associated data object linked via the LB Platform name, and then the user changes the platform name in LB that then breaks the link between the LB IPlatform and the data object. I was hoping that there was a unique (unchangeable) ID assigned at the point of creation of a new LB platform, but I'm thinking that this facility just isn't there? I've also had a look at Metadata/Platforms.xml and see no ID there either, so I'm thinking I'm going to have to do some convoluted design accommodating the possibility that the user changes the Platform name (and with no date created property, there's going to be no way to detect a platform name change, I think - so on running my plugin it'll either be a new platform created by the user or the user has changed the name). Not ideal, but I guess you have to work with what you've got. Any other ideas, Jo, just in case I'm missing something? Merry Chrimbo by the way.

Hi folks. Been working on a plugin for 2 years to do various things, but main feature being per game/platform controls layouts. However, just recently hit a major blocking point. It seems each IPlatform has no unique identifier? I had been working around it historically, but I now need to map data against each launchbox (lb) IPlatform and thus need a unique identifier on the lb platform to ensure these are mapped correctly. However, I can find no unique identifier on the data object. I have scoped this out in VS and via the api ref here: https://pluginapi.launchbox-app.com/html/092c865d-74b6-4a39-e6d9-cda1235d8355.htm I did try getting a hash via IPlatform.GetHashCode, but this produces different Hash on each lb run without any discernible changes to the IPlatform data object Also tried examining the GUID via Iplatform.GetType(), but this returns the guid of the data object type, not the instance. Frustratingly, I see IGame and IEmulator both have an Id field, but cannot leverage the latter to form a unique ID in my plugin as there appears to be no link to the ascribed emulator for a platform via `IPlatform[] platforms = PluginHelper.DataManager.GetAllPlatforms();` So onto trying to generate a unique ID: Sadly, there also seems to be no 'created date' (i.e. when the IPlatform data object was created) which I could have leveraged for a unique ID. I also considered using ScrapeAs, Name or other such variable, but these of course can change and contain duplicates. So, in short, is there any way to get or generate a unique ID for each IPlatform function?

Some helpful links to these well known resources. I'm still making progress on this, but like I said in the OP, it has indeed ended up as a 2 year long rabbit hole! Ok... maybe 2.5! There are no resources for games controls for other platforms, so this will be down to the LB community to trail blaze!!

I certainly feel in dev hell with it. 🤣

Quite. It took me a year to build my arcade machine in 2013. I've been working on showing game controls on it ever since! The missing and crucial link in emulation imho, although Ben Baker did an awesome job with CPWizard. It will happen before I die... 🤣

Funnily enough I've just moved onto working on this again. I'm afraid it's no small task to do the full system, but am currently working on just getting custom layouts working on a per platform basis, so you would, at least, be able to generate/display images for each platform (eg if on a cab, showing which cab buttons map to which controller buttons). There's a rather long winded vid here that shows you the prototype I built in action. Skip to the end to see controls in action. Will deffo need some help with this project when get it up and running, as there's a lot of stuff that needs doing to make it a community resource, beyond data entry of controls for all games, so may have to take you up on it 😜

Yeah. It started working later. The mapping mustn't be applied immediately.

I've just raised a bug ticket in the hope that someone on the LB staff can take a look at this. You can upvote it here: https://bitbucket.org/jasondavidcarr/launchbox/issues/9182/windows-volume-controls-disabled-by-bigbox

Given others have reported this historically and there's been no resolve, think I'll submit this as a bug and see if that fosters any solutions. I'm imagining now LB is staffed, there'd be someone on bugwatch, right?

Thanks Jo - yeah - already knew about the launch options - that's how I launched C:\Windows\System32\SndVol.exe and exlorer.exe. No dice. Yeah - it's not the winpac as all other buttons are working as mapped without launching the config app - I think the settings are stored in the WinPac itself? Thanks for trying, though.

Thanks for the reply. Shame such a necessary function was missed in design/testing.

Same problem here + have been chasing my tail all day on this one. Bit of a major oversight, really. Did you find a solution?

Hi folks. I'm looking for a way to preserve the normal windows volume controls whilst running BigBox as shell. I have WinPac set two shifted functions to vol-up and vol-down. If I run in windows shell and I press these keys, it turns the windows volume up and down (essentially acting as vol up/down keyboard buttons). However, if I run BigBox as shell, this no longer works. Also, if I plug in a keyboard with vol up/down buttons, these don't work either. Bit if a deal breaker really. Also tried a usb volume knob - works in windows, not with BigBox as shell. I can, of course WinPac to two other spare keys and map these to vol up/down in BigBox, but this only controls bigbox of course, not other emulators. I need to somehow start the relevant windows processes as "also launch" I read somewhere that starting explorer.exe triggers the win volume system, so tried the following batch script: start /min c:\ This does start up explorer, but still no win volume. 😔 Also tried running: C:\Windows\System32\SndVol.exe Still no dice. Have checked services.msc - "Windows Audio" is running. Is this a bit of a major oversight or am I missing something? UPDATES: Here's some of the additional things I've tried and results: Volume still not controlled by usb wheel/keys

Thanks. That'll do in lieu of any other options. 👍

Hi, I want back to be mapped to a key different than escape (Z). I also want to enable to Require Holding Back to Navigate to System Menu. However, it appears that only escape works when enabling this, not any otehr keys. What I've tried: 1. Mapping Back to Escape and Z. Only Escape works. 2. Removing Escape form the mapping and adding K. Neither K nor Z works and I can't access the System Menu. Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong?

I'm running BigBox on an Arcade Cab. Is there any way to stop the user navigating to the System Menu via 'back'? I know you can lock the user out from changes options, but I want to stop the user entering the system menu entirely. It kinda ruins the immersion. I realise that there will probably need to be some way of entering the system menu (not sure if all BigBox options can e set in Launchbox?), but that could be done via a specific key etc (eg. a shifted key). Back is just so integral to browsing that the user will accidently end up in the system menu at times. Thanks

It is, but stay tuned for a dedicated plugin...

Those results are really good. What a time to be alive where things can be rejuvenated like that. Wonder if I could put myself through AI?

Cheers fella. Likewise, if you're thinking about a new release and wanting to have the importer accommodate this, then drop me an IM on here rather than my cluttering up this thread! It may be worth planning more long term and proactively around general deployment strategy given the need to sync c64d and lb Xmls. It's already nagging away at the back of my brain, so I'll invariably have a play with it at some point!

No probs. Had the same thought, but didn't know how live the project was. My thoughts: FIles As long as launchbox hasn't added any files of its own to any directories that your project imports, likely best to clear any existing files before importing the new files. That will work as long as your releases contain all files necessary rather than a 'cumulative update' where you only include new or updated files. In the latter (think version control) you'd need to produce a full manifest of files/directories to import and any to delete. Best would probs be a hybrid as method one won't know if there are any root directories to delete. Thus would need a likely small manifest of these (if you want to be super tidy) Xmls You're right. A bit more tricky but not impossible. At the moment I just do some string/file manipulation to append yours to the end of existing as per your instructions. I did start to look at XML Element manipulation (comparing existing with potential import) but once realised I could just append text, changed tac quickly! It'll take a bit more research (the main issue was there was no sub element that could be treated as a unique id) but doubt it's impossible. Happy to collaborate. 👍

Found it. You'd forgotten to add this to 'Files To Import.txt': Data\\Playlists\\C64 Dreams Magazines - Zzap!64.xml Also, you'd omitted the '.xml' on the end of `Data\Playlists\C64 Dreams Magazines All Magazines` I've coded workarounds in my app. Problem was it iterates through Files To Import.txt and uses its contents to auto copy the files therein. Errors in this spill through to the import. Because of the suggestions that it was my importer, I did some extensive testing and updated it with detailed user feedback on the import process. I'm satisfied it's pretty solid. It checks every file copy and every xml insert. Outcome from vanilla: I also diff'd the launchbox Platforms.xml and Parents.xml pre and post insert. The Platforms one compares my launchbox diff post insert with the `Platforms XML Insert.txt` All done as directed: https://www.diffchecker.com/Z8wfFA49/ https://www.diffchecker.com/9GY8UW6N/ I'll update my original post with the new version.