GameLaunchProxy Version 0.0.3.0 (Steam launch proxy, temporary font loading, and more)

[cammelspit]

@percybuttkins Ok, so as of yet, I haven't actually use the regular VBA or VBA-M with proxy yet. I prefer VBA-M over the RA core so I will try and test it out and see what I can find. If I recall, the regular VBA didn't like the overlay at all and with VBA-M I needed to use the DirextX renderer to get the overlay to work. The SC, at the time I last tested it, had issues with very old OpenGL implementations, specifically games that used very old versions of the API. I have seen that in the last six months or so, the VAST majority of those games that didn't work before, do work now.

When you say the Dolphin profile, do you mean the SC config? If you are using the Proxy rename function on a per game basis, then you will need to make a new config for each game because that is how steam keeps track. I use templates and I added it to my guide if you hadn't read the most recent version. This way, it only takes about 5-10 seconds to apply a basic, workable config to a new game and you can further refine this on a per-game basis. I like having RB set to be a turbo fire Z trigger for playing Goldeneye 64, for example. IF this was added the same way for, say, Zelda then it would essentially break the 'just like the GameCube collector's disc' config I use for that game. Alternatively, you can instead of using the platform and game name commands with Proxy, you could just replace that with -name "Dolphin" and it will behave as it Dolphin itself had been added. But then it gets complicated with action sets for multiple game configs and such. Kinda like what I was doing here. 

And to think this is what I would consider rudimentary compared to what I was using right before Proxy came and changed my life.

If what you mean is Dolphin itself then that is completely a different thing and implies you have not had a previous install of Dolphin with any controls mapped to Xinput devices. I also have made a guide in the steam community specifically referencing Dolphin. In a nutshell, once a game is started and you have confirmed the overlay is working, as in Xinput is being sent to Dolphin, you should just alt-enter to leave fullscreen and open the controller configuration dialog. As long as the overlay has been open once, Dolphin should see the SC and any of your binds just like it would with a 360 controller and you can configure to your heart's content from there. Since the GameCube also had dual stage triggers but did not have stick clicks at all, I would recommend binding the stick clicks for Xinput in Dolphin to the digital click of the GameCube triggers, from there, you bind LSC and RSC to the "full pull" action of the SC and you now magically have full Gamecube dual stage trigger working like it does on a real GameCube Controller. Like I said, if this is your issue there then I have an extensive guide explicitly regarding this exact scenario and how to bind it. 

 @Nielk1 IF you were to open Notepad via Steam, since the overlay obviously can't work with it, the default behavior is to simply keep using the desktop config. If you have this set to a Xinput config then it WILL still send the Xinput controls. This is one of 3-4 different workarounds for some problematic emulators like CEMU, for example. If you go into BPM and select controller options for that shortcut, you have a checkbox that says "allow desktop config" or some such. If you uncheck this, it will use the shortcuts custom config regardless of whether or not the overlay is working. You will just have to quit the game/app to change the control config since the overlay isn't working. In the event of a game that works with the overlay but does not have GamePad support, you can just use it with the KB/M config instead so that's not an issue typically.

[Nielk1]

So, if you have the overlay you can edit a game's controller settings mid game, but if you don't you have to fully close the game to edit them?  I'll put that on my list of things to look at trying to improve.  I think if I could make a function that allows for the SteamProxy to throw up a DirectX based dummy window it could hold the overlay for editing in game via switching to it.

As cammelspit indicated, using the RetroArch version of an emulator will work with the Steam Overlay for sure, as RetroArch uses an OGL renderer.  (Though RetroArch forces the emulator to render at it's native resolution and then upscales it itself, which might be sub-optimal in some cases.)  RetroArch actually has a bunch of modes in it, OGL, DirectX, and even Vulkan.  However, there doesn't appear to be a Steam Overlay for Vulkan yet.

[cammelspit]

@Nielk1 I actually exclusively use the Vulkan renderer for RA and the overlay works perfectly for me, maybe there is a difference between the desktop UI and BPM overlays?

The second I got my SC, I thought someone should make a transparent Fullscreen app for using the SC on things where the overlay is completely borked. UWP stuff comes to mind as the only real problem child we have left since M$ has seen fit to block pretty much everything but their own Xinput driver.

On a side note, I got a request from another friend trying to have Netflix added to his steam library and to have it not only open properly but show he is in a non-steam game Netflix. I got it working my using a BAT file and using Proxy to launch it but I think the moment Proxy closes steam thinks Netflix closed because it only lasts a few seconds before the 'playing Netflix' tag disappears. I promised him I would talk to you about it and see if there was anything you could do to help with that. I think this kinda goes hand in hand with UWP stuff too so it may be worth some investigation. I just figured you would be exactly the right person to ask about it. Being able to use the overlay with it would be absolutely amazing. Maybe another feature for Proxy? 

[percybuttkins]

Good one on mentioning the OpenGl requirement, I was able to get Visualboy Advance M working by checking on the opengl render in the options settings....Works like a charm now!

 

 

[cammelspit]

@percybuttkins That was probably it. I think the default was what? Surface? DDraw? Whatever, glad you got it sorted.

[Nielk1]

@cammelspit I had overlay issues with Vulkan, but I was doing a lot of odd things at the time.  I bet I can fix your friend's Netflix issue with just a better designed BAT file for them.

[percybuttkins]

I believe I may have found a bug?? When attempting to set the -name to a static value in parenthesis I am getting a force close every time. I change it back to %platform% etc works fine. I can statically assign -fallbackname without crashing. Is this working as intended?

Im attempting to launch based off a system name like "NES" so that the steam controller only has to assign a profile once instead of every time you launch a new game. 

[Nielk1]

@percybuttkins

No that should be working.  Can you post a log from the attempt?  Is it throwing any message boxes up or just closing?

[percybuttkins]

cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6    Start
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6    Version 0.0.3.1
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6    Raw Command Line    "C:\Users\HTPC\Downloads\0.0.3.1\GameLaunchProxy.exe" -steam -name "NES" -fallbackname "%platformname%" -proxy "C:\emus\Nestopia\nestopia.exe" "C:\Users\HTPC\Documents\LaunchBox\Games\Nintendo Entertainment System\The Adventures of Dino Riki.nes"
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6    Possible Name Matches:
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6        Adventures of Dino Riki    Nintendo Entertainment System    Games\NES\The Adventures of Dino Riki.nes    The Adventures of Dino Riki.nes    
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6        Adventures of Dino Riki    Nintendo Entertainment System    Games\NES\The Adventures of Dino Riki.nes    The Adventures of Dino Riki.nes    
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6    -fallbackname Contains %gamename% or %platformname%
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6    New -fallbackname    Nintendo Entertainment System
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6    Looking for steam shortcut
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6    Shotcuts must path to "C:\Users\HTPC\Downloads\0.0.3.1\SteamProxy.exe"
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6    Search Patterns:
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6        NES    
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6        SteamProxy    <rename>
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6        Nintendo Entertainment System    
91c6e46f-cedd-4e7c-9952-1bfcbc89c9b6        SteamProxy

 

Dead ends there, change it back to %gamename% %platform and works just fine. Does display the gamelaunch proxy has stopped working box. 

Edited September 14, 2016 by percybuttkins

[cammelspit]

@Nielk1 Doesn't that look eerily similar to what it logged when we did that little shortcut test? I smell a related issue because I can't tell the difference, tho you prolly can.

[percybuttkins]

Well, I think the issue before may have been because steam wasnt loaded for some reason....this, I know it was loaded.

 

[Nielk1]

I need to debug the shortcut selection logic.  I'll do that after work in about 5 hours.

[Nielk1]

@percybuttkins I can't replicate your issue locally.  I've tried direct names without issue with the renaming logic disabled.  I've passed in names I had shortcuts for and names I didn't.  When it couldn't find a shortcut it fell back to SteamProxy, when even SteamProxy was missing it threw a nice error message box.

The thing about "%platformname%" and "%gamename%" is that they are handled well before your crash there.  Additionally, the user input is updated via replacement if it contains either of those keywords, after the replacements are done there's no logical difference between having or not having those keywords.  My only thought is that perhaps it's choking on your shortcuts.vdf file for some reason.  You might need to pass me that file from Steam if you don't mind.

[percybuttkins]

Heres my .vdf.....I updated version and am still getting that force close with this log and the Gameproxy has stopped working box. I updated my version and relinked the emulator through the commands....Not sure why this isnt going through.

shortcuts.vdf

GameLaunchProxy.log

[Nielk1]

@percybuttkins

I've downloaded your files.  I'm a bit busy at the moment to go through the debugger to confirm, but looking at your logs now that you are on the latest version (which logs a few more details) I am pretty positive it's an issue with my shortcuts.vdf reading code.  I'll reply again when I can get away from my work and computer issues to fix this.  I wanted to be sure I let you know I got your files though and that I have a lead on the probable cause that I just need to confirm.

(My computer keeps randomly shutting down if anyone's wondering what my computer troubles are.)

[percybuttkins]

Thank you, its not currently working for me because of the force close, but hopefully its just a bug that can be taken care of....I've been going crazy trying to figure out if its user error or not. Everything seems the same as before.....thanks again for your work on this. When I had it working it was great! 

[Nielk1]

@percybuttkins

So, it wasn't the VDF file, hilariously enough.
I think I fixed it anyway.
I also added logic to write the Exception to the log if it happens again.

I've also updated the data scan and UI to be compatible with LaunchBox's new database format.  It should work properly for both LaunchBox.xml and the new Data folder.  Note that when using the new Data folder the "Scrape LaunchBox" button will allow you to scrape the entire library with a left click or a specific platform with a right click.  This is useful if you need to update the name cache for just one platform.

The new version is numbered 0.0.4.0 given the scope of changes for LaunchBox.  It can be downloaded from the github release page.

BTW, you can load the existing *.json files from the program's folder with the new version.  If the data format changes it *should* load them anyway and just drop the parts it doesn't understand.  You will want to re-apply the LaunchBox Library setting if your copy is using the new library Data folder.  If you are not using that version yet, please let me know if the program has any issue using the old library.

[percybuttkins]

I'm not sure what you did but it's working well now. I even was able to get desmume working which wouldn't before. 

 

I'll be testing this quite a bit during the week, working at few 12's for the next couple 

Thanks! 

[Nielk1]

As a side note, I am now having issues with the 7z dll I indicated to utilize with the tool.  If the library scanner is not looking inside zips like it is supposed to (the name system is being confused by archives that LaunchBox is extracting) try changing the 7z DLL setting in GameLaunchProxy to the 7z.dll that comes with LaunchBox.  Also, I know the browse button on that field is a bit fiddly, I have fixed that for 0.0.4.1 but am not going to push out a new version for 1 little button acting odd.

Edited September 25, 2016 by Nielk1

[percybuttkins]

Hey Nielk, still unable to rename to a static name. Heres the log....its kinda funny....just says something is very wrong!

GameLaunchProxy.log