The Papaw

I may have ran into a issue with 12.12.3. I was replacing some images in ..\Launchbox\Images\Playlists\name of playlist\Device (and Clearlogos). When I run Bigbox, I go into the settings and refresh the cached images, it isn't working if I leave the old re-named images in the folder. I have to delete everything in the folder but the image I want, then do the re-fresh. Maybe someone can try it on their end?

@JoeViking245 Dude, you are the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes it worked for me as as well BTW, I just want to say, you are so incredible finding solutions in LB/BB

I can't, that's the issue, no <ESC>, that's why I was asking how I might incorporate it in a theme. @Johnny T made a suggestion about a gesture software that might work, but not had a chance to install and look into it yet.

I got a project going on and not sure if I should ask here or in the general threads. (I asked in CTC thread and Dave said it was more of a control issue) I am doing a home remodel project. I got the brainy idea to build a retro (digital) touch screen jukebox in a false wall I will be building. I started out with a Raspberry Pi, but I wound up getting a really nice 22" All In One PC. Then I got even brainier and thought it might be cool to add some slot machines that work with touch screens. I found a few of the old IGT games (old Windows) that work well. And of course I installed LB/BB on it to run the slot games and thought I needed to create a cool theme for BB to kinda match everything else. It looks and runs great. Got BB working well with the touch screen and all (enabled mouse in the BB config) Here is my problem and I'm really hope ANYONE, can tell me how I might be able to do it: I have NO way to exit BB without plugging in a keyboard to hit <ESC> Is there any way I can add something to the theme I created in CTC, that when touched (would be like a mouse click), would exit BB. I thought about maybe adding something like a fake game that runs a AHK or bat file or something, but don't know how I could do it without it being on the wheels. Any ideas or suggestions?

I was thinking I would have to use a user source code in CTC somehow to accomplish it. That is what I thought you did., I just don't know the code. I kinda borrowed some of what you did in Retrofresh to accomplish it, if that's okay?

There is a setting in BB for videos to do a Horizontal Flip or Cube transition when navigating. It only flips one way though. I have seen themes that will flip an object two ways depending on the direction you navigate, even the default theme does it. How would I implement that into a theme I created in CTC that could still be edited in CTC? I don't see a simple way to accomplish this in CTC, thought maybe I could do a hybrid like @faeran did with Retrofresh with the notes in the horizontalgameview. All replies appreciated

The Game Zone (Multiple BB Instances via AHK script) View File Allows you to Easily use multiple instances of Bigbox on each PC to improve speeds in navigation by splitting up platforms and running them from a single app. Also allows you to customize each instance to use different themes, platform videos, etc.. Includes a ReadMe in the folder I wrote this AHK script to make it easy to run multiple instances of Bigbox on the same PC. The reason I did this was I noticed my main LB/BB rig was getting so big that navigation was starting to slow down, especially in arcade using the newer themes. It was even worse on the older PC's thoughout he house. I got the idea that maybe if I split the platforms up into different copies of LB/BB I might get a smoother experience, especially on older PC's and it worked. The script can be easily changed and customized to your needs. It's simple to change the images, background, layout, number of instances, etc. with much more than Notepad++. It takes a little work to set things up, but works pretty well after your done. Just extract it and put the "The Game Zone" folder where you want. Here is what you need do to Prepare: - this is most of the work 1. Make a copy of your Launchbox folder before doing anything just as a backup in case you have a boo-boo and something gets messed up. That makes it easy to go back. I'd leave it alone until finished. 2. If your game media, including roms, (images, videos, music, manuals) is within your Launchbox folder, you will need to move or make a copy of it all to a centralized location Outside the default Launchbox folder. This excludes your Platform Categories, Platforms, Playlists folders and startup videos. Mine is actually on a shared NAS folder. This keeps you from creating and having multiple copies of your roms and game media in a later step. 3. Next, you need to edit the paths to each of them in the "Folders" section of Launchbox by right clicking on a platform, then Edit > Folders (tab) and navigate each of them to where you put the media OR edit the Platform xml (../Launchbox/Data/Platforms) files with Notepad++ so Launchbox uses the new centralized media locations. Notepad++ is faster and easier, but more chance of errors. 4. After your media is in a centralized location, you can delete it all from your default Launchbox folders. 5. Next, make multiple copies of your edited Launchbox folder and rename them the following (only if you wish to use the script "As Is"): LB-Arcade LB-Retro LB-Modern by default the script uses your normal Launchbox instance for the Master system. 6. Lastly, you will need to edit the AHK script to match the different path instances that you have chosen. Mine are as follows and what the script is using by default: D:\Gaming\Apps\LB-Arcade D:\Gaming\Apps\LB-Retro D:\Gaming\Apps\LB-Modern D:\Gaming\Apps\LaunchBox (master system with all platforms) After everything is all set up and working, you can play with modding to your taste and needs. TIPS: I do all my maintenance work in my master instance and use Syncthings to copy the appropriate platform xml files to the appropriate LB instances, that way I do the work once and the other instances are updated automatically. Yep, I'm lazy! There is a shortcut in the folder to drop on the desktop. You might have to fix the icon for it (copy of it in the "The Game Zone" folder), since my paths may be different than yours. I think that's it. This is my first AHK script and was fun learning about AHK. You can do much more with it than I imagined. Feel free to post questions, comments, suggestions and share what you come up with. -Enjoy Submitter The Papaw Submitted 05/25/2022 Category Third-party Apps and Plugins  

np, thought a AHK script would go in the AHK thread...deleted it, sorry 'bout that

Posted copy here for others to play with: The Game Zone.ahk

Here is want I wound up with (still tweaking). I had no idea you could do so much as easily as you can with AHK. Definitely will be using much more in the future. Thanks again Joe for the support The Menu: Showing a confirmation prompt:

I've got it all working pretty good now, doing artwork and layout. Will post screenshot when I get it done. Thanks for all the tips. I had done got on a roll before trying the program , will look at it later..

I'm making progress (one of the few youtube videos that is actually not affiliate crap yet.. ) and got one clickable, also found an old program to make AHK GUI's called SmartGUI. I might see what is does. Here's a copy of of it if you're interested in playing with it. smartgui.zip

I got some png's working in it, now I am trying to figure out how to make them clickable, something to do with a "A g-label such as gMySubroutine may be listed in the control's options. This would cause the MySubroutine label to be launched automatically whenever the user clicks the picture.". -quoted from autohotkey.com Just getting things going, and I will probably find different images and maybe change layout, maybe 2 x 2 square instead of single line, maybe get rid of the buttons once I figure out how to make the images clickable???? Here is what I got so far:

I've gotten busy and just getting back to playing with this. Been tinkering with AHK a bit this morning. Looking for a way to add an image to each menu now if you can, never tried before

Yes Sir, that is exactly what I am gonna be trying to do. I don't see a reason to use the /f switch as it LB appears to be closing well (at least with v12.12, I know these things may change with updates sometimes) Something I am not sure about is when LB/BB is opened, then closed, then re-opened again, it tends to run a bit slower if the PC isn't re-booted for some reason. Like maybe memory isn't cleared 100% from the previous run or something. Could be a windows thing, I really don't know. I think I can pull it off with bat or AHK I was wondering if something in Visual Studio or even something else might work and look better if you create it with a cool icon and make it an exe or something? Rather than having 5-10 script files. But never done anything with VS before. I assume you would use some type of invoke in it??

Thanks @neil9000 Here is what I am up too. My master Launchbox rig is getting pretty large and most themes are really dragging now on the slower PC's around the house. I am thinking about making multiple instances of LB on them, say one for just Arcade, another for the older platforms and maybe another for the more modern platforms, then creating a batch file or maybe some type of Windows app in virtual studio or something to run first, allowing the user to pick the one they want, then when they exit it, take them back to the app or bat file to change to a different one. Even thought about just creating one instance of LB to run first with only the different instances of LB and let it run the batch files to kill and re-open the different instance????