The Papaw

Thanks for replying. Not using any IFTTT, most is all done local with Hubitat Hub. I am re-thinking all this before I start it. With all the recent rounds of buggyness with LB/RA and controllers, ya know? Currently I am starting DS4W before launching BB, so it is configured to use DS4W as well are the emulators I use. Maybe I should start over. LB is the root of the tree, so to speak, so I am thinking if I do it the current way, when I kill the DS4W process say to play PS3 games, when I exit a game, LB is going to be messed up. I am beginning to think it isn't going to work doing it system wide? Even if I re-do everything to not use DS4W, then call it say for Wii U, everytime I exit a game, LB will probably mess up. I might be stuck trying to do something on a game-by-game basis. Not sure how I would do that either..lol

I mainly use DS4 controllers most of the time and use DS4Windows with most of them. But there are times when I want to use the DS4 controllers on the PC without using DS4Windows. A few PC games that don't like DS4W and when playing PS3 games using RPCS3 emulator. I do a lot of home automation, and I can get a bit crazy with some of it. For example, I have a 55" 4K TV hanging on my bedroom wall over my gaming PC, If I am on working on the PC and decide I want to play games, I just say, "Alexa, let the games begin" (I actually have it done all local without Alexa or GH, but everyone knows how Alexa works). Through my routines and my HA toys, my lights will adjust, TV will switch to appropriate HDMI source, a couple programs will excecute on the PC to switch the primary display to the 4k, dim the monitor, etc. Start DS4W, and launch Bigbox (which will now be on the 4K) and it's ready to go. All I have to do is grab the controller from the charger on my way back from the coffee pot and it is ready for me to kick back and play. (yes, I know, LAZY) Ok, now to my question. Is there a way I can execute my batch file that closes/kills the DS4Windows process when I play any game in a particular system, say PS3. I know it can be done on a per game basis, but how about a entire system? I mainly need this for Play Station 1,2,3 emulation. Thanks in advance

Here is something I found and do every so often and reduces my images folder to almost half the size. When you add games and artwork is scraped, it's a crap shoot as to what format and size you are going to get. Might be jpg's, might be png's, etc.. And the image sizes??? They can be very tiny to HUGE in file size (both physical size and pixel size) . I use a program called FS-Image Editor (FS=FastStone I think). It's free and still updated regularly. It's suppose to be for photos but works with most all images. It allows you to re-size or convert images real easy. One at a time or batch, batch (whole folder at a time) is the key here. If you have a big collection, it will take a little time to do it the first time. I have almost 8tb of game data, so it took me a bit to figure it all out and do it the first time. Start with one system, say Atari 2600, use FS-Image Editor to navigate to where you have say your "Front" images. Decide on the size & format you would like them to be, The 2600 games came in a taller box, where most of our fronts/poster images come from. (I had tried finding the original sizes of the boxes/cases at one time and calculating the actual dimensions/pixels, but eventually gave up on it.) Anyways, so with the taller posters like the 2600 uses, I went with like 675x1000s and used jpg format. I let FS-Image Editor save them to a new temp folder, that way I could look at them before any changes were made in LB. Usually they look great, Every no and again, someone will upload an odd image and it may look funny stretched but can easily be replaced. After I look at the new ones, I delete what's in the "Front" folder in LB for that system and just cut-n-paste the new ones in. Done, never need to touch again, until new games are added. (FS-Image Editor is fast too, I think it took like 1 minute to resize and convert 24,000 images use in one of my mame folders) Most of the fanart (background) images are 1920x1080. I resize all of them to 960x560 using jpg format. I think I use something like 500x600 for the more square type covers, like PS2 or PS3 games. Depending on all the type of images you scrape in will be how much time it will take you to go through everything. You will be amazed how much you can decrease the size! And wow, does it look so much nicer! Something else I check is the videos that have been downloaded, I browse through them and just double check the file size. You might be amazed how many of them are pretty big. When I find one, I usually just do a simple search for the game with trailer in the search and find a smaller 1-2 minute trailer and replace it. I usually try to download webm video files when I can instead mp4 files as they are usually smaller in size. But in the end, it is always personal preference. On PC games, I usually search for them on Steam and I use IDM to download trailers there in webm format. And as always, make backups before replacing anything. I run LB on most of my at 4k and a couple @1080 and it looks amazing, clean and I think actually make LB/BB a teeny bit faster running. Maybe this will help ya out a bit, others too!

I have been getting for a few weeks now, sttarted with maybe to betas back

Thanks for replying @Retro808. Yes, just for an individual game, in the notes (description) field. Like "Requires 360 controller". How about in a custom fields, do they support it?

I have a game that I would like to make part of the description bold and red, is there a way to use html or BB code to do it? What I have tried hasn't worked.

@minimar: Question 1. Are you using controllers with or without DS4Ws? Question 2. Are you using Win 10 or something else? I would go into BB > options > Controller Mapping, check to see what is in the Exit field. If something is there, you might want to blank it out for testing. When I set my DS4 controllers up, I had to blank out most everything in there and start from scratch to use them. I have 2 of them working great. Also had them working with older version of DS4Ws but no longer using it at the moment. Oh yeah, make sure when you select a button to map that you hit <ESC> on the keyboard to default it back to NONE before going on to map the new button to what you wish

I would like to see some additions to the context menu system. Like when right clicking on a game in LB, have an additional item called something like Copy Game Info, and that option would branch out into a few more choices like: Game Name, Game Path, Game System, Emulator Used, etc... Make it work something like the existing "Image Group" does, but allow you to say right click on a game, the choose the new option that would allow you to copy the game name or path into the clipboard to past it somewhere else, like a web page, spreadsheet or text file. I would think this would be a pretty easy thing to do, but who knows?

Yes Sir, it works fine. Just the exit issue via controller. Yeah, you hit Esc on keyboard it exits right out of emulator back to BB.

@Jason Carr: I want to give you a big pat on the back and say thanks for all the headaches you have been going through. Also wanted to let you know, since updating to 10.6 beta-2 I have gotten multiple controllers working well, I have tested with x2-PS4 controllers with the following emulators running via LB/BB. (same great results using x2-360 wireless and MS dongle) RA v1.7.9 Dolphin (Beta-monthly) PPSSPP - Gold RPCS3 - updated couple days ago Cemu - v1.15.15b PCSX2 v1.5 - 3302 What I have checked so far, of course is playing games, as well as: volume +/-, pause/exit menus. Everything is running great so far except for PCSX2 not liking to exit with controller. BB is going to the exit screen, but when you select exit, it just return to the game and BB is no longer responds to the controller, you either have to ALT/TAB to BB or hit Esc on the keyboard to exit PCSX2, then BB is there and functions correctly. I know it has always been problematic in the past. Do you know of anything I can try to correct this? I have this for the Running AutoHotkey Script: ; This section closes PCSX2 when pressing Escape $Esc:: { Process, Close, {{{StartupEXE}}} } I have this for the Exit AutoHotkey Script: ; PCSX2 has an ugly exit process; this cleans it up visually Process, Close, {{{StartupEXE}}} Any thoughts or ideas from anyone would be appreciated.. FYI to others. I had ordered 4 Switch Pro Controllers from Amazon, they were not genuine, they would not pair to PC, just a heads up. I still have more testing, more emulators, going to re-connect my VR stuff and 2nd monitor and see how that all goes. Will post if issues

I think RA is focusing on the Android side right now more than the PC, I let it automatically update to 1.7.8 on my android devices and caused me nightmares on 3 shield devices. I had to delete everything concerning emulation on all of them and rebuild everything from scratch using 1.7.7, took me a couple days, was not happy. Also have had issues since 1.7.8 no longer seeing any of my mapped windows drives. Even done a net use script and it works, but only after PC is completely booted up, then run my script (batch file with RA see mapped drives. Of course everything else on the network see the mapped drives fine. I see they have 1.7.9 out now and I won't let anything update until I see how other folks are faring with it. I am a HUGE supporter of RA, but I am not sure whats going on with them at the moment??

Speaking for myself and my issue, the problems started in 10.? beta and continued through the 10.5 release, thus I would think it was in the appropriate location, ya know?

@neil9000Well, I was about to get into the BIOS and disable the onboard BT but you gave me an idea to try first and it fixed it, well sorta. Since I had everything removed/unplugged concerning input devices, I went into the control panel, removed everything that had to do with controllers. Rebooted machine, paired the PS4, started DS4W (any version) and wallah, all is working again. So it had to be something to do with windows and maybe the device ID or controller # Windows is assigning or something (don't know enough about it to say)??? So I plugged back in the generic 360 controller and guess what, it no longer works in LB/BB, which is fine. I am not sure if has something to do with the device ID's or not, but I am assuming it is something with how Win10 is saving each device and then LB/BB is then trying to use them, whether is be controller#, device id or what? I did a little reverse engineering, if I delete/remove everything again in the control panel. Plug in the dongle for the generic 360 before pairing the PS4, the generic 360 works in LB, but the PS4 will not, if I pair the PS4 before I introduce the generic 360, the PS4 controller works and the 360 won't in LB/BB (only after removing everything in the control panel first in both cases).....maybe this will help a bit for others and Jason. Try removing all controllers from windows control panel, reboot and then re-pairing them.

I tried as you asked, here is what happens: 1. Unplugged all dongles pertaining to input devices except for Logitech mouse/keyboard. 2. Plugged in PS4 using USB cable. PC recognizes and does its thing as you stated "Wireless Controller" (it was already doing that wireless), I let windows finish detecting. 3. Started DS4W (tried newest version first). Started BB. As you said, not configured correct, BB does see it as Wireless Controller (was doing that wireless, but no function at all in LB) (when it wasn't paired, LB would only show an option for 360 controller, but when paired, would show both) 4. It is working via USB, of course, as you stated not configured right. Okay, you can take a deep breath Jason, I think I have eliminated LB as the culprit. It may be something to do with this system specific. My main system is pretty new, the one I am having problems with, I just built it a few months back. It is a Z390 Taichi MB. Any ways, I took a mirror copy of my LB and put it on a Dell 7010 (it uses a BT dongle for BT, the Taichi BT is on the MB, not saying this is the issue, but is one of the differences (I have made sure the BT drivers are up-to-date on Taichi). The PS4 controller works just like it is suppose to on the Dell 7010 in LB using the mirror copy of files. I might see if I can disable to onboard BT in the BIOS and try the dongle along with a few other things....anyways, I think you can relax on this one my friend....

This controller thing has been a nightmare for many of us, but I know especially for Jason and any one working on it. I have tried to get a genuine PS4 controller to work for 2 days now using DS4W. I can't get LB or BB to recognize it period!!! I was originally running DS4W v1.4.94 (only version I can get the gyro would work in cemu and RPCS3, every time I tried to update it, I couldn't get the gyro to work). Things I have tried: Trying different version of DS4W from v1.4.52 all the way up to v1.5.8 deleting the InputBindings.xml in the LB data folder deleting and reinstalling the 360ce drivers Set up a blank copy of LB 10.1 I have a generic wireless chinese 360 controller with its own dongle, it works, I have a couple barely working official 360 controllers using the MS dongle, they work. I am about to give up on the PS4 controller. I had just ordered 4 Switch Pro controllers to try and replace everything I am using so they would have the gyro using BetterJoyForCemu...I am scared, scared, scared. Did I say I was scared? Of course every controller I have works as expected everywhere except in LB or BB....they work in the emulators, RA, everything. Did I mentioned I was scared? And added to that, I can take the exact same PS4 controller, pair it to my shield, run moonlight (course it uses it own controller stuff), it runs BB fines, now check this out, I take the same PS4 controller and pair it back to my PC, run DS4W v1.4.94, take my shield REMOTE or shield controller, navigate to moonlight, launch it, start BB (I have a shortcut to BB in moonlight) and as soon as I do, the PS4 controller PAIRED to the PC, will run BB, emulators, even the GYRO in Cemu works like I was playing on the PC. Of course it has the moonlight lag and all.... The Switch Pro controllers are suppose to be here tomorrow, maybe they will be okay, right guys???? Did I tell you I was scared?????? hahaha

@Jason Carr: I know you are being swamped with the controller issues, can you tell me what version of ds4w you are testing with?

I am running LB 10.5 with beta updates turn on, I get nothing about any betas to download. Also, has anyone gotten ds4windows to work with PS4 controller yet???

I FOUND it Jason!!! I started by checking the individual platform.xml files looking for anything with Z:\ROMS in the path, nothing there. But when I looked in the Platforms.xml file. It was showing Z:\ROMS in many places. I made a copy of the file, did a search and replace in notepad++ and replaced all the Z:\ROMS with \\Zizzlezazzle\nas-1\ROMS and every is working perfect again. Your last reply got me pointed to it. Thank you much Jason, You're awesome!!!

I know my friend, I know. But if I have absolutely have everything to do with LB on the PC except for the roms, say for example Atari 2600, I open LB and the path to the roms is: \\Zizzlezazzle\nas-1\ROMS\Atari 2600 in the audit or xml file. I can right click on the system and choose edit and it immediately throws that error and crashes. I can then re-open LB, right click on the same system, and choose delete. It delets it without error. Then I can go right into import, choose the exact same path to the same folder on the NAS. It will import the games as it is suppose to. When finished, I can again right click on the newly created Atari 2600 system and it is fixed, goes right into the edit as it is suppose to. This is why I am confused. What part of this would LB be needing write permissions to the location of the rom files, is not everything by default saved within the primary LB directory (which on the internal drive of the pc) (I don't know anything about where game save states and all that are saved, I have never used them) I have no clue why it is throwing a write error period, simply by clicking on edit of a system, I would think it would only need to read the info until a change was made where it would need to then write something, but again, back into the LB directory, not on the NAS. And if I try to clean a system, should it not go look for the roms that are in the path, match to the xml file in LB then simply remove missing items from the xml file, again, why would it throw write errors using the NAS path, when all the files are on the PC (D:\Gaming\Apps\Launchbox\ to be exact.) I know you know tons more of this stuff than I. Let me ask you this. If I create a new system, leave everything default in LB (D:\Gaming\Apps\Launchbox\), except choose a path to roms on the NAS (\\Zizzlezazzle\nas-1\ROMS\New System), does LB ever write anything to the directory where the roms are???? Like I said, you know way more than I, It has me totally stumped. I really don't mind deleting and re-importing everything, well, suppose I don't have a choice right now...hahaha The error message is confusing to me, because why would the procedure(s) I am trying to do, be writing to a path where LB is not even stored, but I can delete a system, re-create it the exact same way and the problem is gone??? I know this is changing no permissions on the NAS or any of the rom files stored on it., Ya know. Again, thanks Jason for the replies, means a lot to all us users

I know this is a stupid question, but why would LB be trying to write to where the roms are stored? LB/BB, the themes, images, videos everything but roms are on the PC???? If it is trying to write to a folder on the NAS drive, what is it trying to write??? Especially trying to do a clean up???

I really don't know at this point to be honest, if it were permissions on the NAS I would think I might have issues with Nvidea Shields, but they are all fine using the same roms. Then I thought maybe it was the permissions in LB Data folder may have gotten messed up on the PC or at least the files within Data directory, since I can delete the a system, scan them back in and the work fine. When they are newly created, they work. I tried pulling the Data directory from a backup done a week ago, they have the same issue, maybe I can see how far my backups go and try checking that...

@Jason Carr: Thank you sir for the reply. I do think it is a permissions issue, I think it is some of the later windows updates causing a lot of issues for me. I took and renamed my LB directory, created a new directory (using old name) put a blank copy in in it of v10.1 and scanned in a couple systems using the same path and could edit, clean them fine, so I thought I would copy my data files, images, videos, etc into new directory, the problem returned. So it isn't the beta version. .What is strange is the same setup has been fine for over a year. The NAS is connected to the same router that it always has been and no changes made in it, so it has to be something in the windows updates. I also noticed RA is not seeing my mapped drives anymore, but I can run a "net use" command to map a drive and it will then see them only till I reboot. If I put a script or bat file to run the "net use" on boot (startup) it doesn't work for RA, only if I run it after system has booted up. Of course Windows see's them, but applications do not???? Even though the "net use" helps RA, it doesn't help LB. For now the only thing that seems to fix things is to delete every single system one at a time and scan them back in. If anyone has any ideas or thoughts, please do share....