Rom import logic too stupid

[mnemonic]

If you import a PSX images like this: (Folder with with Gamename) which contains 01.mdf and 01.mds and 02.mdf and 02.mds What do you get? Four games! Please fix this. With kinde regards, mnemonic

[SentaiBrad]

mnemonic said If you import a PSX images like this: (Folder with with Gamename) which contains 01.mdf and 01.mds and 02.mdf and 02.mds What do you get? Four games! Please fix this. With kinde regards, mnemonic

There isn't a problem here. People choose how they want to name their files. There is no way we can expect to know every single method. When you import a rom, there is a Filter box. In here you enter the extension of the files you want to scan. In the case of PS1 images there could be several. For me, I ran several scans using different filters. First was *.iso, then was *.img. After I broke it down to the ones that used the very specific ones. mdf or mds will load fine depending on the emulator. To be careful though, choose the one that has all of the data which would be the image with several hundreds of mb vs a few mb. So just add *.mdf. There is even a check box to use the folder name for the imported roms name. Hope this helped.

[Jason Carr]

I see what you mean here, mnemonic. If the user specifies to use the game folder for the name, then it really should only add one game, even if there's multiple files in the folder. I'll add this to my to do list. Problem is, though, it still would have to guess which file to use.

[mnemonic]

There are two solutions that come to my mind for the launch-file selection problem: 1. Ask for the file to use (if possible at the end of the import, so selection can be done in one go and you don't have to monitor the import) I think windows explorer smb transfer work that way 2. Define a file scheme as a default. XMBC does this for series for example. You just can't name the files like you want you have to rename the files according the scheme defined by xmbc in order for the import to work. You might even combine the solutions by hirachy (first two, if something is detected that does not fit scheme then one) or by selector before import. With kind regards, mnemonic

[SentaiBrad]

mnemonic said There are two solutions that come to my mind for the launch-file selection problem: 1. Ask for the file to use (if possible at the end of the import, so selection can be done in one go and you don't have to monitor the import) I think windows explorer smb transfer work that way 2. Define a file scheme as a default. XMBC does this for series for example. You just can't name the files like you want you have to rename the files according the scheme defined by xmbc in order for the import to work. You might even combine the solutions by hirachy (first two, if something is detected that does not fit scheme then one) or by selector before import. With kind regards, mnemonic

For #2, you might be thinking of when it imports the Data from TheGamesDB. We can't really control their end unfortunately. We've expanded on the initial import rules before because they were a tad too strict. We've since gone back and tried to work around most grammar differences. So it should import most games data just fine, but It will still miss a lot. Jason wanted that initial scan to be strict because he wanted to make sure it didn't import the wrong data for a game. For example, if one of your games is Tetris, it shouldn't import Tetris 2 data, but it could. For #1, what do you mean ask for the file to use? When you select Import Roms, you define the filter so anything with that file extension is imported in to your library. Now, as for answering both, the Console should most likely reflect TheGamesDB method of naming the consoles otherwise you get a weird split naming. That's the only time I made sure the names were exactly the same, otherwise now with the less strict searching initially and the smarter parsing afterwards you should be able to hit search and find the game there. If after a little bit of editing it still doesn't pop up then TheGamesDB doesn't have it. That's another problem we have too is that the GamesDB is user driven, and there isn't remotely every game added yet.

[mnemonic]

@SentaiBrad I think we have a misunderstanding here. First my entry point for my ideas was Jasons post. I'm talking about cd-image import based on folders. So the filename that is searched on the db remains the foldername. The scheme I was refering to was for the inside the imported folder. Example O.k.: Gamename (folder) 01.mds 01.mdf Also allowed: Gamename (folder) Gamename01.mdf Gamename02.mds Not allowed: Gamename (folder) GamenameDISKONE.mdf GamenameDISKONE.mds So in the last case the program could ask at the end of the import run for everygame that does not math the pattern which file to use for the emulator. As you can see this has nothing to do with the gamedb since it's querry is based on the foldername which I'm not talking about. Also a solution would be putting all files of a folder in one zip. Problem with that is that a lot of emulators can't deal with ziped cd-images. Let alone multi-image zip files.

[SentaiBrad]

mnemonic said @SentaiBrad I think we have a misunderstanding here. First my entry point for my ideas was Jasons post. I'm talking about cd-image import based on folders. So the filename that is searched on the db remains the foldername. The scheme I was refering to was for the inside the imported folder. Example O.k.: Gamename (folder) 01.mds 01.mdf Also allowed: Gamename (folder) Gamename01.mdf Gamename02.mds Not allowed: Gamename (folder) GamenameDISKONE.mdf GamenameDISKONE.mds So in the last case the program could ask at the end of the import run for everygame that does not math the pattern which file to use for the emulator. As you can see this has nothing to do with the gamedb since it's querry is based on the foldername which I'm not talking about. Also a solution would be putting all files of a folder in one zip. Problem with that is that a lot of emulators can't deal with ziped cd-images. Let alone multi-image zip files.

So you only want one disc image instead of Disc 1, Disc 2? Also, if you're not worried about TheGamesDB searches then the name is irrelevant. It can be called what ever. Maybe we do still have disconnect here. Say you do import a game with two discs. You setup the right filter like *.iso. Its pulled in both games. If the files have the game name, I would just let it use the game name. The option to use the folders name was important for games whose file name was different than the folders name, but the folder had the game name. All my Wii games for example were their internal codes like QVF9E, but the folder held the proper name. If you use the file names, assuming they have the game name included, then you could just put Disc 1 like GameName (Disc 1). Anything in the ( ) is ignored by LaunchBox. As far as choosing what file for the emulator, you set Filter options before the scan even takes place regardless of what naming convention you want use. So it will just pick the file extension and add the link to the Emulator. So even if you import a multi disc game, its still attached to the emulator, delete the second disc from the library if you don't want it there, or just launch from Disc 1. I am really trying to understand, but I don't think I am. What I think the problems could be... shouldn't be problems because LB already handles things fairly well. Sorry for not completely understanding.

[mnemonic]

No need to apologize. First, as you may recognized, I'm not a native english speaker. Additionally I have a distinct tendency to express myself complicated even in my mother tongue. Second, I have to admit I haven't seen/used the file selector field while importing roms. Sorry, my bad. But actually this field does not help enough to solve all the problems. It helps to narrow the file selection to one file type. i.e. *.mds .This is o.k. and helps if you have one type you want to import. Sadly at the heyday of the cd there were a plethora of backup-image types invented, and most of them are multi-file. Clone-cd for example generated 01.img, 01.ccd, 01.cue, 01.sub for one disc. So when using the file-selector I would have to use multiple runs for every image type. To get them all in one import run I would have to combine multiple entries like *.ccd, *.mds., *.cue. But it seems this syntax is not supported in the file selector field. Is there a valid syntax for multiple file type definitions or is this not supported? Regarding the multi-disk problem: Assume a game has 5 disks, wouldn't it be nice if lauchbox would only show one cover and asks you what disk to launch when clicked?

[SentaiBrad]

mnemonic said No need to apologize. First, as you may recognized, I'm not a native english speaker. Additionally I have a distinct tendency to express myself complicated even in my mother tongue. Second, I have to admit I haven't seen/used the file selector field while importing roms. Sorry, my bad. But actually this field does not help enough to solve all the problems. It helps to narrow the file selection to one file type. i.e. *.mds .This is o.k. and helps if you have one type you want to import. Sadly at the heyday of the cd there were a plethora of backup-image types invented, and most of them are multi-file. Clone-cd for example generated 01.img, 01.ccd, 01.cue, 01.sub for one disc. So when using the file-selector I would have to use multiple runs for every image type. To get them all in one import run I would have to combine multiple entries like *.ccd, *.mds., *.cue. But it seems this syntax is not supported in the file selector field. Is there a valid syntax for multiple file type definitions or is this not supported? Regarding the multi-disk problem: Assume a game has 5 disks, wouldn't it be nice if lauchbox would only show one cover and asks you what disk to launch when clicked?

Yea, for now you have to do multiple imports with the right filter settings. Jason knows that its been requested to add multiple filters per import, but there are a lot of things for him to do, and he's one person. Also, yea, there are way to damn many Disc formats. As far as Multi discs go, its kind of pointless for LaunchBox to ask you what disc to load. You can have multiple entries of the same game. For example, Final Fantasy IX. I scanned for TheGamesDB, got all of the images etc, but I renamed them afterwards with Disc 1, Disc 2, Disc 3 and Disc 4 afterwards. It sucks, but it works without more features needing to be written. That said, I don't think LaunchBox draws from one set of images. Like for FF9, I am fairly certain there are 4 entries in the Images folder with the same images downloaded multiple times. I do think there should be better multi disc back-end handling, but I am not so certain that would be one I like (Picking the disc on one entry). Ultimately it would be nice to give everyone a plethora of options, however its unfeasible.

[mnemonic]

It's not pointless to ask for the disk. The goal should be to keep the list (number of covers) small in order to maintain clarity. With a disc selector shown uppon clicking you have saved space but you can still open all disks. The backend-problems of this are not so wild since hd/sdd space got cheap. How about this: In my experience cd-images are not swapped often. In most cases they are swaped with a certain state of game progress. Therefore instead of selecting the image to boot everytime you start the game the image could be selected in the game properties with the first image as default. With kinde regards, mnemonic