FS-UAE Exporter to create a folder structure for import into Launchbox

[Zombeaver]

Frode got back with me this morning:

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Frode:

Confirmed, slave name is BackToTheFuturePart2.slave, Launcher expected BackToTheFuture2.slave (without Part)
Likewise, BackToTheFuturePart3.Slave vs BackToTheFutureIII.Slave
I'll need to check the archives the configs are generated from (Retroplay)
Also, fixed the error message so it gives more details: "Amiga Launch Task failed with Exception:
"Did not find the specified WHDLoad slave 'BackToTheFutureIII.Slave'. Check the WHDLoad arguments"
Problem found: the WHDLoad args were manually overridden in the online database long ago - probably to fix a problem where the slave in the archive (e.g. an older KillerGorilla install) did not match the name in the .info file
But now, when recreating variant configs from Retroplays reinstalls, the file list got corrected, but the overridden WHDLoad args did not.
So, I cleared the old whdload_args in the database and re-ran the importer for those archives. whdload_args should be correct now
This could very well have happened for other slaves as well (but should be quite rare). Maybe I'll have to create a program to verify all configs. Or if not, just let me know if there are rumors about other variants having the same problem.

Me:

Sweet! So just update the game database in the Launcher and it should work?

Frode:

Yes

Me:

Alright cool, I'll let you know if I run into any others. Thanks!

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I tested them out and Part III v1.3 seems to be working fine now. Part II v1.2 seems to have an issue but I don't think it has anything to do with FS-UAE, I think it's an issue with the WHDLoad version of the game itself. When you start it, it shows this:

It won't let me move the mouse unless I Alt at which point I can [EDIT: Based on some testing, this issue seems to be specific to FS-UAE 2.9.5dev]. You can then select "cancel" and it'll show this message:

The message will go away after a few seconds and then the game starts. Based on the WHDLoad bugtracker I think this might just be an issue with this game that's yet to be addressed. I brought it to Frode's attention though in case there's anything else that can be done.

[Zombeaver]

So after some more digging and some back and forth it would appear that the issue with Part 2 is the specific WHDLoad version that it's using (13.0) which is really old. 18.3 is the newest, and as of 18.2 (which is from 12/23/2015) it no longer requires a WHDLoad.key file, which is something you used to get when you paid/registered with WHDLoad. Prior to that point, you needed the key file otherwise it would come up with that message. You could still play the game, but it's basically a "nag" screen. Based on some random testing, it seems like everything I have in my library is using 18.2; this is the first case that I've run into of a WHDLoad version that's using an older version. I guess it's just never been updated. If you do have a WHDLoad.key, the screen doesn't appear, but there's not even a way to register with WHDLoad even if you wanted to at this point

[junk]

On 9/23/2016 at 3:27 AM, Zombeaver said:

I figured out how to fix the handful of games that have the "half color" bug. In WinUAE I just set up their configs with custom brightness settings but I couldn't figure out how to do this in FS-UAE. It turns out though that Frode actually made a shader for this specific issue called atari-color-fix.shader that fixes them. Evidently this is a problem that affected some Atari ST to Amiga conversions, thus the "atari-color-fix" name. According to the FS-UAE forum this shader is supposed to come with FS-UAE but mine did not; I'm not sure if it's because it's the portable version or if it was just removed in later releases. I was able to find it on github, however, and just created the file myself. I've attached it below. This just needs to go in your base FS-UAE folder and then you create a custom config for the game you want to use it on and in the Additional Configuration -> Custom Configuration section just add in shader = atari-color-fix.shader save your config and you're good to go.

atari-color-fix.shader

Turning this (which is using the built-in config):

Into this (using a custom config):

I also figured out how to fix Hostages so you don't just get murdered immediately, even when you don't get caught in the spotlight. The game runs at the wrong speed with the built-in config which uses A1200 and the graphics are basically out of sync from the internal speed (which makes the game impossible). The model just needs to be changed to A500+. In WinUAE you had to enable "cycle exact" in the settings.

With these fixes I'm no longer using WinUAE for any of my games so huzzah for that.

I'll try to get that video out this weekend.

Just a thought, is it worth trying to get these fixes implemented here?

http://openretro.org/database-editing

"Now follows documentation for keys you can specify values for. More keys will be added as necessary, so if a game has a requirement which can not be well specified with the existing keys, please contact game-database@fengestad.no."

 

[Zombeaver]

11 minutes ago, junk said:

Just a thought, is it worth trying to get these fixes implemented here?

http://openretro.org/database-editing

"Now follows documentation for keys you can specify values for. More keys will be added as necessary, so if a game has a requirement which can not be well specified with the existing keys, please contact game-database@fengestad.no."

 

I've already spoken with Frode about it and he said he was planning to make it apply via the configs automatically for the relevant games. It hasn't happened yet though.

[Cabirus]

Thanks for this great tool! I wonder, would it be possible to add some more options for choosing which games exactly to export? Say for example, I only want my WHDLoad-games exported (no ADFs or IPS), with a preference for german versions and AGA whereever possible.

BTW: The perfect solution would be as in the FS-UAE Arcade Frontend: After selecting a game, you can choose which version to start (different languages, AGA, different ADF-versions). Check it out, it's really ingenious. I don't know if such a solution could be integrated into Launchbox, though. Maybe by importing the FS-UAE database directly? What do you think, @Jason Carr?

Edited February 26, 2018 by Cabirus

[Cabirus]

Nevermind my previous post, I just realized that I can do that already by combining games on import and then using the "additional apps" function in BigBox. Thanks Jason, great work!

[Zombeaver]

Anything that shares the same name but is different based on content in brackets or parenthesis should actually do that automatically on import. You can combine them after the fact too, of course, but you shouldn't have to.

[Soulace]

Hi I am new to this. Can anyone give updated instructions perhaps in a PDF document about using FS-UAE 2.9.7 with Eirulans Exporter? So if I understand the basic differences after watching Zombeaver's great video and reading this forum is that FS-UAE Launcher can be used for both FS-UAE and FS-UAE UUID in LB? Surely a written document can be updated quicker than a video especially as things change here and there in both LB and FS-UAE? No disrespect to all of Zombeaver's hard work.

Edited March 21, 2018 by Soulace

[Zombeaver]

1 hour ago, Soulace said:

Hi I am new to this. Can anyone give updated instructions perhaps in a PDF document about using FS-UAE 2.9.7 with Eirulans Exporter? So if I understand the basic differences after watching Zombeaver's great video and reading this forum is that FS-UAE Launcher can be used for both FS-UAE and FS-UAE UUID in LB? Surely a written document can be updated quicker than a video especially as things change here and there in both LB and FS-UAE? No disrespect to all of Zombeaver's hard work.

Nothing's changed as far as the exporter is concerned. What's in the video is still correct. The normal Launcher can be used for both custom configs (FS-UAE in LB) and UUIDs (FS-UAE UUID in LB). They still have to be separate emulator entries because they require different checkboxes to be used in LB. The only thing that's changed is that the custom Launcher that Eirulan made to address the saving bug is no longer necessary as that bug has been patched - there's an annotation in that entire section of the video noting this.

The actual export/import process is completely unchanged from what's in the video.

1) Load up the exporter and direct it to the launcher.sqlite file in your FS-UAE\Data\Databases folder
2) Export your games into folders
3) Import those folders into LB
     -Indicate that they're Amiga games
     -Choose FS-UAE UUID as the emulator
     -Check the "use folder names" box in the wizard

If you're importing custom configs:

1) Go into the FS-UAE\Configurations folder, and drag the .fs-uae files into Launchbox
     -Indicate that they're Amiga games
     -Choose FS-UAE as the emulator
     -Do not check "use folder names" in the wizard

[Eirulan]

Hi,

I haven't been here for a long time, probably a year or so..? I think I haven't used emulation and/or launchbox almost as long.

Just wanted to leave a quick comment - glad to see this little tool is still used and a helpful addition to this community!

Cheers and have a good time, greetings from germany^^

 

[Soulace]

On 3/22/2018 at 1:07 AM, Zombeaver said:

Nothing's changed as far as the exporter is concerned. What's in the video is still correct. The normal Launcher can be used for both custom configs (FS-UAE in LB) and UUIDs (FS-UAE UUID in LB). They still have to be separate emulator entries because they require different checkboxes to be used in LB. The only thing that's changed is that the custom Launcher that Eirulan made to address the saving bug is no longer necessary as that bug has been patched - there's an annotation in that entire section of the video noting this.

The actual export/import process is completely unchanged from what's in the video.

1) Load up the exporter and direct it to the launcher.sqlite file in your FS-UAE\Data\Databases folder
2) Export your games into folders
3) Import those folders into LB
     -Indicate that they're Amiga games
     -Choose FS-UAE UUID as the emulator
     -Check the "use folder names" box in the wizard

If you're importing custom configs:

1) Go into the FS-UAE\Configurations folder, and drag the .fs-uae files into Launchbox
     -Indicate that they're Amiga games
     -Choose FS-UAE as the emulator
     -Do not check "use folder names" in the wizard

Still no luck. THe exporter process was fine - pointed at sqlite in FSUAE database area and gave it a target - it generated the UUID from the .lha's and gave msg can import into LB. Added the newly generated UUIDS as roms in LB and pointed it as Amiga/FS-UAE UUID pointing to fs-uae executable (as opposed to the original Eriulan launcher) and no images d/l etc imported only the importing of the roms - thus no pics/art n LB, then when any instance of a game is clicked, quick flash and error msg said something like "Amiga Task Error .....S: xxxxx.lha cannot be found"  Do I have to create an instance for each original lha in FS-UAE? I was under the impression that a single manually created Default config with A1200/8mg fastram etc handled most of the games and that only other problematic games were saved with a specific config in FSUAE.

[Zombeaver]

Again, nothing's changed from the video. Follow the video/what I posted above, and it'll work. 1) Create an account with for OpenRetro 2) import your games into FS-UAE, 2) export them as UUID with the exporter, 3) import those UUIDs, using FS-UAE UUID as the emulator, tell it to use folder names in the wizard. If it's not working, you haven't done something. What you have and haven't done I don't know because I can't make much sense out of half your post. You have to make sure you're using the right checkboxes in the emulator entry as well (which are shown in the video).

You have to create custom configs for games that aren't imported into your FS-UAE game list. This is shown in the video.

[Zombeaver]

Here's a quick video of the entire process from beginning to end:

 

[Soulace]

On ‎24‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 3:01 PM, Zombeaver said:

Here's a quick video of the entire process from beginning to end:

 

Hi Zombeaver - all good - have tested with few games. Thank you for taking time to clarify in the video above. I laughed when you were doing the mouse infinity movements during the import process.

[Zombeaver]

7 hours ago, Soulace said:

Hi Zombeaver - all good - have tested with few games. Thank you for taking time to clarify in the video above.

Good deal! Happy to help!

7 hours ago, Soulace said:

I laughed when you were doing the mouse infinity movements during the import process.

Haha. It's a habit lol

[orphen92]

Hi thanks this awesome Post. I have a little problem with FSUAE, for multiplayer game. My pad for player 2 is never recognize. Can you explain to me what is the step for that ?
its for cd32 games like battletoads
Thanks you for your help

 

[vital74]

Hi, I I'm trying to launch my amiga games via LB and rocket launcher with the uuid technique, (thanks for the app btw), and I'm wondering if there is a way to use rocketlauncher, what settings in RL should I change to make it work? it doesn't seem to like the fact that the uuid files have no file extensions and are in seperate folders.

did someone manage to make it work?

[drittz78]

Sorry if i have missed the reason this is all needed as I have watched the video a few times so thanks for creating it.  Why do I need to do the export I just imported my games normally and they worked (the 3-4 I tried).  Does this config tell Launchbox what game needs what config?

Going off that I scrapped my games and did the whole export and then imported the folders the export created.  I just pointed them to the normal FS-UAE.exe is this ok or do i need to still create the UUID entry.

Any help on this is much appreciated.  

[Zombeaver]

The UUIDs tell FS-UAE the specific config to use for the specific game, as opposed to just throwing something at FS-UAE and hoping for the best.

[drittz78]

48 minutes ago, Zombeaver said:

The UUIDs tell FS-UAE the specific config to use for the specific game, as opposed to just throwing something at FS-UAE and hoping for the best.

Cheers for the reply.  Thought that was the case.  Also thanks for the video as it was really helpful.