Best method for adding links as Roms? - Bluestacks - AMIduOS, etc.

[JaysArcade]

So if I wanted to add links as ROMs (for instance, the android emulator Bluestacks will create a link to each game so it's accessible from Windows), how does everyone go about adding those? If I add a link as a ROM, Launchbox wants an emulator associated with it. All I really want to do is launch the link. I've been able to add the links in a round about sort of way and have them launch, but when editing the game details in Launchbox, Launchbox fusses that there is no emulator assigned. Doesn't seem to matter, the games will still launch. Just wondered if there is some other way I should be doing this or if it is a current limitation of how Launchbox is designed? When I did try adding Bluestacks as the emulator, Launchbox tries to open it first which doesn't seem to work.

Alternatively, I have been playing around with AMIduOS and it also creates links but they work differently than Bluestacks' links. If you try to launch a windows link that AMIduOS has created from anywhere other than clicking on the link itself, AMIduOS complains and throws an error because AMIduOS itself wants to be the launcher. I've found a way around this by creating a .bat file for each game using the shortcut in the link's properties, but this will be time consuming to create a .bat file for each game. I much prefer AMIduOS for emulating Android but I wonder if there is a better way to go about this or a better Android emulator I should try that works differently. One benefit of using the .bat files is I can add them as DOS games and Launchbox doesn't complain about not having an emulator associated with it.

Curious to know what everyone else is doing in this regard. 

[Lordmonkus]

I cannot comment on AMIuOS at all since I have zero experience with it.

But if all you want is just link files to launch you have 2 options.

Option A: Just import the .lnk files to the platform of choice. When it asks for an emulator just assign any random emulator you like, it doesn't matter which one. Then after all the .lnk files are imported go to the platform you just imported for, select all your games (Control + A), right click and edit. This will bring up the bulk edit window, select emulator from the field drop down menu and in the 2nd drop down menu just leave it blank. Finish out the bulk edit process and you are done. Your links will now have no emulator associated with them and they will just load.

Option B: Create a shortcut link to cmd.exe somewhere you like for your own personal preference. You are going to use this link file as an emulator in Launchbox. Right click the shortcut and go to properties, go to the shortcut tab and near the bottom you will see Run: and a dropdown menu to the right, from the dropdown menu select Minimized. Add a new emulator to Launchbox, call it whatever you like and point it to this shortcut file to cmd.exe that you just created. Now when you import your games and it asks for an emulator tell it to use this emulator.

Either way will work just fine with launching .lnk shortcuts.

[JaysArcade]

Thanks. The cmd.exe shortcut is a great idea. I'll give that a shot when I get a chance but I do have a question. And I would test this out right now if I had Launchbox available to me here at work. Does the minimized cmd.exe close when you exit the app, game, program, etc, that your shortcut is pointed to, or do I need a launch-after bat file to close the cmd.exe file? Something with a taskkill command in it? Or am I over thinking this and the cmd window shortcut doesn't actually get opened by Launchbox and is just being used as a placeholder?

I love that Launchbox gracefully launches the .lnk files regardless of being associated with an emulator or not. 

Thanks for your input.

[Lordmonkus]

The cmd box will close out after you close exit the game.

[JaysArcade]

Thanks! Now if you could just tell me how to write an AHK script to send ctrl+alt+t to AMIduOS every time it opens, that would be great. LOL Its really a good android emulator but it requires the controls to be turned on manually every time you open it with those keystrokes. Apparently it is designed that way so mapped keystrokes won't interfere with the keyboard so it can be used for typing. Go figure.

[Lordmonkus]

Sorry but that is beyond my level of expertise, there are others around here that are into the AHK stuff.

[JaysArcade]

@lordmonkus No problem and thank you. I can do an AHK script but not sure the proper method of waiting for the window to open to send the command. Maybe I'll post my half baked script later so someone with more knowledge can help me.