Installing/Adding PC Windows Games easily

[latin625]

H,  Is there any way to exit / escape the PC game like SFV by only pressing Esc?  Effectively closing the active window?

[SentaiBrad]

Controller Automation (a Premium feature) is what you're looking for, at least when using a controller. As for pressing 1 button to close the active window, AHK comes with LaunchBox and you can use that to do that. I would make it Shift + Esc or something though, as lots of games use Esc for completely normal operations. As for what script to use, I have no clue, I don't use AHK. There are plenty of threads on the forums about AHK scripts though. For Windows games, you'd need to launch AHK by it's self though as there is no AHK tab for games. There is a tab when you edit an emulator where you can paste scripts, but that doesn't work for Windows games.

[latin625]

I have an Xarcade tankstick and use Vjoy.  Can I use that to do what I want?  Any tutorials I can read or view?  Thanks!

[SentaiBrad]

There is a Controller Automation tutorial, but for your set up specifically, no. It's a bit older, but it still applies:

 

[Deejus679]

On 2/26/2017 at 3:17 PM, Lordmonkus said:

Not sure if this is a response you are looking for but what I do is have shortcut files to all my Windows games in a folder and this acts like a roms folder. I then drag those shortcut files in to Launchbox like any other roms for any other emulator. Then in the import process it will ask for an emulator just pick any emulator from your list, it doesn't matter which because it will get changed after, also pick the Windows platform.

Once your games are imported and scraped (which should go smoothly assuming your shortcut files are properly named) then select all the games, right click and pick edit. This will bring up the bulk edit wizard where you change the emulator for these games to none.

Now you have all your Windows games imported into Launchbox and they all have their metadata and images and load like any other shortcut file.

Hi Lordmonkus,
I know it's been been a while since you've written on this topic. I have recently imported my PopCap collection by importing files, filtering by .exe, selecting a random emulator and adding the games to LB. I then went back, did a mass edit and removed the associated emulator. I can launch the games in LB and see what media is available. However, when I go into BigBox, PopCap does not show up as a platform. Would you or anyone else happen to have any suggestions to get this to show up in BB?

[Lordmonkus]

What I wrote is now obsolete since Jason implemented a better way to import Windows exe files with the "None of the above option"

You can create your own platform called PopCap and it should show up in both Launchbox and BigBox. You will most likely have to scrape it as a Windows game though since I don't believe there is a PopCap specific category in the database.

[Deejus679]

8 hours ago, Lordmonkus said:

What I wrote is now obsolete since Jason implemented a better way to import Windows exe files with the "None of the above option"

You can create your own platform called PopCap and it should show up in both Launchbox and BigBox. You will most likely have to scrape it as a Windows game though since I don't believe there is a PopCap specific category in the database.

Thank you for your time and response.

Well, in looking at your example, I removed the games from the PopCap entry, and re-added them using the drag and drop method.
I then scraped the games as Windows per your suggestion.

In my LB setup, PopCap now has it's platform category as does Windows.  

In BB however, the Windows Games platform seems to have been overwritten by the PopCap platform.

Is there an easy way you can think of to have two separate categories in BigBox?

[Lordmonkus]

You can have your own custom platforms so yeah you can have your games in a PopCap platform and your other Windows games in the Windows platform.

So just import your PopCap games to the PopCap platform, or you can just select them in the Windows platform (if they are already there in LB) and then bulk edit them to change their platform.

[Deejus679]

Thank you again for your response.

I think that just about fixed it, this appears to be my only remaining problem:
In BigBox, the Windows platform now shows up twice; one for PC Games, one for PopCap.

I'm thinking that the solution has something to do with the image folder, but I'm sure you would know better.
Do you by chance have any idea of how I go about fixing this?

[Lordmonkus]

Can you show a screenshot of it ?

[Deejus679]

Absolutely:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2018 by Deejus679

[Lordmonkus]

Ok it looks like you got the same wheel logo art associated with your PopCap platform.

Try changing the art or use the "v" key while in BigBox to change the view to the text list instead of the clear logos and see if it shows as PopCap then, it should.

[Deejus679]

It did indeed, thank you.
Do you by chance know if there is an associated wheel logo's art folder I change so that it reflects the correct Art work in different views?

I answered my own question:
I just need to find a corresponding .png for PopCap I should be good to go.

Thanks again for all your help!

Edited May 2, 2018 by Deejus679

[Lordmonkus]

No problem, glad you got it sorted.

[Deejus679]

Last question, do you know if there is a way to modify the description? 
Because of they it was scraped, it's pulling Windows information.

[Lordmonkus]

In Launchbox go to Tools > Manage Platforms and then double click your PopCap platform, in there you can edit the details.

[Deejus679]

You're awesome, thank you. I may have questions at another time, but I'll leave you be.

This may sound like a dim whited  observation, but from what I gather "Moderator" implies that you are a member of staff. And if that it case, you and the rest of the LaunchBox team are absolutely fantastic!

I'm proud to say I'm a premium user.
Have a great night.

Edited May 2, 2018 by Deejus679

[Lordmonkus]

Lol, yeah technically I guess you could call me "staff" but I am just a volunteer moderator to make sure no spam stays around and everyone behaves but I like to help out with any questions I can.

[Lordmonkus]

Just now, tallpr24 said:

have you tried the bezel project?

i started a new project now using the bezel project.  Adding bezels to lots of my systems.

Odd thread for this post ?

[tallpr24]

1 minute ago, Lordmonkus said:

Odd thread for this post ?

yea, lol i responded to the wrong post, and deleted it right after, guess you read it before i deleted it.:)