stigzler

Not quite sure what you're saying, but the likely answer is yes.

Here's a video showing my prototype in action. It shows how you setup controls for cabs and gamepads, map them to emulators and how MAME mappings work. It's a bit long as it's a tutorial, but you could skip through to get an idea: I wrote it essentially as a prototype for the bigger project. I'm really deliberating over the best approach to authoring a specific tool. The ultimate goal will be to build and display game controls layouts for all games on all systems (including different modes within each game (eg. walking, flying, in menu etc) and maybe special moves sets for things like Tekken etc). The database would be community populated. I'd also like to future-proof it. Those of you who have been around in this hobby long enough know that things come and go, but well designed things last (like poonga's controls.ini/dat/xml for MAME) so that has me thinking about the best approach to giving it longevity. The other thing that would be desirable would be that any controls layout display software would also integrate any other game/system specific assets in an integrated fashion (as per the vid above) - so it would need to integrate seamlessly with any source software. The benefit Sir Poonga had with Controls.dat was that Mame had standardised names for mameroms (essentially, each mame game has a standardised unique reference). These don't exist of course for games more widely, of course. So what I'm considering is this. Games will have a new unique ID (I know, I know) for the Game Controls Database. However, each will also have a list of known roms gleaned from the excellent Screenscraper database, the Launchbox game ID if it has one and any other Front End ids. I would link with Launchbox as the main front end for its development and invite community development of the Games Controls Database. There would be a plugin for Launchbox which would communicate with the stand alone application, share data with it such as the rom filename, LaunchboxID, assets etc etc etc which could then construct controls displays on the fly from the game controls database. For those of you who don't know Screenscraper's work, check this link here. They basically catalogue all known roms for all games, alongside game descriptions and titles and numerous other metadata for regions etc. A truly great archiving effort: https://www.screenscraper.fr/gameinfos.php?gameid=19939&action=onglet&zone=gameinfosroms I'll give you an example of why this might be necessary in practice. I have the rom "100 Star (Europe).rar" in my Playstation collection. Launchbox does not scrape this correctly and thus does not give it a launchbox ID. However, if you search this on Screenscraper.fr, then it is identified as "Popstar Maker" Now, there's two things here. I could author the plugin to update Launchbox from Screenscraper to the new details (bonus!). But, also, I now know that the Launchbox ID for Popstar Maker (if I've pre-scraped the Screenscraper db). Thus, syncing two databases. There would be a piece of publicly available software for updating the Game Controls Database so it can be updated as new roms are discovered/released. It would be up to the community to version control this (insert inane laughter here) I don't know if that makes any sense. Essentially, I think it would be best to make any Game Controls database front-end agnostic whilst still offering the best outcomes to those who would contribute the most. Thus the intention to develop this first for Launchbox user via the Launchbox plugin which would interface with the stand-alone application. I'd welcome people's ideas

You're right. In all reality, it'd be building the default system, default system controller, default system controller controls and default system controller game functions (including game modes) databases from scratch. Thus the need for true community collaboration from the start. Eg. System: Sony PlayStation Controller: DualShock V1 Controls: Cross,Circle,Triangle,R3 (etc) Tekken 3: GameMode: Fight Control: Cross Function: Low kick GameMode: Menu Control: Cross Function: Select

Ah yeah. I wasn't really expecting much time/participation from them and tbh I'm more of a solo flier anyway. However, I am a believer in smart collaboration and for a bit of this at the start planning dovetailing of this into any future plans of theirs could benefit lunchbox largely (eg. I think there's some kind of controller function in lunchbox? Thus preserving ids etc). After all, it could be of commercial interest to them whilst I would be providing something potentially of value for nothing (not that I'm expecting anything for that, just making a point why a consideration of a post at this stage may be helpful). I'd do know how busy they are with dev and keeping the community happy, though. The barest minimum that would be helpful to me is a straight yes or no about whether they are planning on developing this themselves in the future, saving me a lot of work. Even if just via IM. However, also realise future feature releases may be super secret! I realising I'm writing cheques without any credit in the lb community ATM, so will post some vids of the prototype in action over the next couple of weeks when I get chance in between work. My other option is to make it stand alone and generic and to work off rom names alone using the screenscraper database ids as the standard game reference which would x ref rom names (which would also loose the launchbox systems and game standard by default). So many design choices! Thanks for the offer of beta testing. Always deffo needed and will take you up on it!

The prototype I've just written can do this. It leverages controls.dat, pulls from the default mame controls layouts, pulls from controls.dat and then generates all the mame game layouts (+ button colors if you want them). It can also do a bunch of other stuff like choosing which default group control you want to show (e.g. driving games can have paddle or spinner etc). The per-game controls is easily coded - can't remember exactly now, but mame store per-game configs in a folder - the app would jsut read from these for each game and remap controls - the ore code is already there. As above, I'll post some vids of it in action when I have more time. I'm keen to start developing something over the winter, but want to get it done properly - so would want to scope this out fully with the launchbox community first - e.g. futureproofing + integration (e.g. with the launchbox database).

Thanks for the answers. I'll have to check my settings as didn't get notified of them. @JoeViking245 - I think I saw this once. If memory serves - isn't this just standard mapping for all games - not game specific mappings? As for how far I'm willing to go - well I've kinda gone the whole hog on a prototype already over a number of years. Think CPWizard but extended and for all systems. It also allows for different game modes (think sets of button mapping for different modes of game controls - eg. on horseback, on foot, in menu). It's totally mappable to you rig control (e.g whether you have an arcade cab, or whether you use a controller) and also accommodates in game remaps and in-emulator per-game remaps. I kinda had to warp the space-time continuum to get it working, but it does somehow 🤷🤷 I dev'd it on another FE as wasn't using Launchbox at the time and needed an FE to feed the game info and artwork forward. Can post some vids once get it released. I have a funny feeling I should have given up about 6 years ago, but I won't rest until my cab has dynamic per-game controls being fed from a community driven database!! Which drives me back to my original question. I do have the means to author this and make it happen for the community. I would have preferred to have done this for the retro gaming community at large, but by god, why haven't we all agreed on a single standardised ID yet for all games, or indeed, systems? Human nature at work... Thus, I have to pitch my tent somewhere. I'm noticing Launchbox are hiring lots of new staff more recently, so it's getting bigger. I'm very happy to contribute, but I would rather know if the devs have this feature in mind for future development rather than spending two years doing something as a solo developer that a team of a few bring out a few months before I do at half the effort and for free! 🤣🤣 What's the best way to find that out?

Can I just check before I dive down a 2 year rabbit hole, has anyone written or are there plans by the devs to write a CPWizard style controls viewer for Launchbox?

Prolly too late - but did you read this via the Help: http://magoarcade.org/docs/doku.php?id=software:typextra:start#command_line That shows you how to do the command line

Hey - I wrote TypeXtra. I'm sure specifically how Lauchbox works, but you just need it to construct a command line from a set of 'ROMS' You create shortcuts for each game: http://magoarcade.org/docs/doku.php?id=software:typextra:start#shortcuts and then point your front end to it where it should treat shortcuts as roms. You can then setup TypeXtra as an 'emulator' and then send it a command line built from the 'romname' Sorry can't be more specific as don't use Launchbox, but sure someone here would know how to achieve this? Hope helps

Seek and ye shall find. Emuline might be a good place to start.

Sorry, but I can't. Not sure these are available anymore.

I'm the author. My original deployment contained an GameLoaderAllRH exe by mistake. Google detected it and flagged it. I've since removed the offending article, but google are being d***s about it - I just cant get them to acknowledge the new builds as safe. If you try downloading it in other browsers - you'll get no such indicator. Also, scan it with windows defender - no issues. It's just google being arrogant and annoying. If you want to check I'm kosha - just search over on byoac and GameEx forums - I aint no hacker!

Hi. Yes. Its developed a bit. Its essentially going to be a front end, but one that can also operate as an additional screens app too. Idea being other front ends can use it as just a controls viewer, say, via command line passing system and game. Its database is being built with launchbox in mind (all system ids correspond for instance). The trick is going to be matching the games in my db with those of LB. One that I would need to turn to the lb community for (essentially a mapping excercise). I wont post the project site here as that's poor form given its also a front end. Its fledgling in dev, looking for an alpha towards the end of the year.

That won't be happening as game controls need to be accessible to all (think MAME controls.dat) rather than front-end specific. However, I am designing it to be compatible with the all the major front ends so will be coming to you Launchbox guys for any standards - I've already gotten hold of Launchbox system names + parsed the games database. It'll be stand-alone cmd-line driven. I'm more of a hi-fi separates guy

Yep - that'd be right. Button combos planned for V2

You understand correctly - many hand make light work.

I'm migrating everything to a new server, so it'll be down for a couple of days. Yes - it can do all you want it to do. However, I'd strongly suggest you wait for the next version as it'll be less buggy and the whole emphasis is on crowd sourcing game controls. It'll be vastly better.

Just to let you know that I'll no longer be maintaining the original CPWizBiz, due to developing a completely new app. We're talking 6 months before beta, however.

@DrEvil Interesting. It'll certainly be possible on additional displays - I'v been considering having layouts in 'panels' - that is you could have a control and marquee panel sharing the same display. Not sure about the main screen, though - overlays to the emulator render would have to be on a per-emulator basis? Certainly animation will be possible on panels - I haven't got a pincab myself so don't know much about the LED animations that you see on them - are they just videos or a special file format? It'd make sense to also design it with pincabs in mind... As for testing - thanks for the offer! The alpha's gonna be some time, but I'll gladly add you to the list of project members if you're interested.. btw - love the sound of that setup! 4 displays, wot wot!

Hi all, Whilst I don't use launchbox - I admire its form and achievements! I'm currently re-designing an app of mine that shows game controls and other game-related assets (such as marquees and extended game info). Originally this was designed to run on multi-monitor setups. The redesign ideas include: Game controls with high granularity (e.g. different controllers for the same system) Online controls database - meaning it gets populated by users over time Fully on-the-fly layout generator from existing game assets possibly a pause-type menu for these assets (manuals etc) Integration of LED drivers It's basically going to be a stand alone 3rd party app to complement front ends. I'm keen to get it compatible with Launchbox (alongside other FEs) so would welcome any suggestions or ideas towards how to achieve this. One key consideration is getting the system names that Launchbox uses to construct a system names map for all of the front ends. Does this exist? Anywhoos - be interested in any views Cheers

Hi. I'm currently rewriting CPWizBiz which does exactly this on a controls per game basis. It'll also include the ability to show other game related media on other screens (dynamic marquee etc). It's quite a project to do properly, so gonna take about 6 months. As I don't use launchbox as my FE I'm interested in making links here to ensure compatibility (eg on naming conventions etc). Anyone interested in being the lb rep?

If your set doesn't have the right game.inf you can just point tx to the game folder manually. Via the folder icon beneath the game info.

awesome sauce

http://magoarcade.org/dokuwiki/MagoDokuWiki/doku.php?id=software:typextra:start#command_line I'll leave the launchbox crew to tell you how to construct the command line in LB, as I don't use it.

Blimey, alnyden. Where did you get a resizing display from for that price?