neil9000 Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Pacman56 said: @Jason Carr I should have mentioned in my previous post that a side effect of these problems is that I see "Play Mario Bros Version..." twice when you right click on the game title. In other words, you can't tell which version is which. However, this side effect should presumably however go away once the parsing of these roms with special characters is addressed. Actually I have that problem with mame also. Hard to tell what version I'm picking unless you know exactly what versions you have beforehand. Oooohh, just leveled up!! Edited February 11, 2017 by neil9000 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicalEgo Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 3 hours ago, neil9000 said: Actually I have that problem with mame also. Hard to tell what version I'm picking unless you know exactly what versions you have beforehand. Oooohh, just leveled up!! Grats! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerlinArcade Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 (edited) On Wednesday, February 08, 2017 at 6:56 PM, Jason Carr said: New beta is out; hopefully we're pretty close to the official release with this one. Manually combining and expanding games have been added; they're available via right-clicking on games in LaunchBox. A number of other bugs have been fixed as well, of course. Let me know how it goes everyone. Does it have an option that we can select that will make LB and BB auto update the ROMs dir like MAME does? With MAME, you just add a ROM to the ROM dir and when you open MAME, you can see that game in the Available list so no need to open up and setup MAME when you add or remove a ROM in your collection. It would be nice that LB and BB does the same thing. Updating the Game DB each day/week or at startup and when it updates the DB and see a new ROM file, it automatically download metadata and all so that we can see it right away in LB and BB and make it available to play. I mean if people have set it up like me and have 1 ROM dir per platform (Arcade, Atari2600, ColecoVision, etc) then LB already knows which platform this new added ROM will be loaded in LB/BB because I will have uploaded it inside the Arcade ROM dir and LB and BB will also know that for this platform, the MAME emulator is the one that should be associated with that new ROM. Basically, I would just plug in your USB thumb drive to my arcade cabinet, use the Tankstick trackball to copy the new ROM files into the right ROM directories and that's all, no need to plug in a keyboard or open up LB or MAME, they would auto update themselves. Edited February 11, 2017 by MerlinArcade 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil9000 Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 This is sort of available although its not automatic, you just go to tools/scan for added roms and launchbox will detect and download media for any new roms it finds. I'm not sure if it should be automatic though, most people just want to get at there games and not have to wait while launchbox updates and downloads media on a boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerlinArcade Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 (edited) 18 minutes ago, neil9000 said: This is sort of available although its not automatic, you just go to tools/scan for added roms and launchbox will detect and download media for any new roms it finds. Yeah I know the tools>>scan option exist but it's not automatic. You still have to open up LB and go there. I would like it that it does it WITHOUT opening LB or BB just like MAME does. Like I said above, I add a new ROM in my ROM dir and when I open MAME, it's already there in the game list and ready to play. So with this option checked, I wouldn't have to open up neither mame, LB nor BB to update the Game DB and just focus on adding or removing ROM files. I would install centiped.zip in the ROM>> Arcade ROMS folder and VOILA... it's done. If I open up MAME I will see Centipede in the game list, next, If I open up LB I will see Centipede in the game list with all the metadata downloaded automatically and when I open up BB, when I go in the Arcade platform, I will see Centipede in the game list ready to be played. I can always go back in LB for fine tuning if I want to but the ROMs metadata and emulator should be associated with the directory where you added that new ROM. For that option to work, in LB, you would need to associate ONCE: - A directory for each platform so that LB/BB knows where to place that new game in. - The emulator that is associated with that platform directory. When LB and BB know in which platform dir that new game has been added, it will know which platform to place this new game in BB and will also know which emulator it will need to use to play it. No more setting up, you just add and remove your ROM files and MAME, LB and BB does all the automatic updates for you totally seamlessly. Edited February 11, 2017 by MerlinArcade 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 I have roms in my folders that aren't in LB becasue I picked what to import and I certainly don't want it to add any of them automatically. How hard is it to run the scan really especially knowing you added new games you want add. One mans improvement is another mans hindrance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerlinArcade Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 (edited) 19 minutes ago, DOS76 said: How hard is it to run the scan really especially knowing you added new games you want add. One mans improvement is another mans hindrance In a PC it's easy but in an arcade cabinet, it's a whole new game. You have to hook up a mouse and keyboard using a USB port on the side of the cabinet and then do your ROM dumping so if it would stop there it would be nice but now you have to open up LB and set it up. Anyway, it's just 1 checkbox regarding whether or not you want the scan to run on automatic and another dropdown menu to select how often do you want the automatic scan to be run (at startup, each day, each week, each month, etc...). Stuff that a programmer like Jason can add in 5 minutes with 1 hand between 2 toasts during his breakfast tomorrow. Edited February 11, 2017 by MerlinArcade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 (edited) If you have a PC you can use DropBox to sync your builds and all the configs on your PC would then go to the cab that was how Jason had his set up. I also have an Arcade cab and I have a mini Bluetooth keyboard connected to it so I can work on it when needed Edited February 11, 2017 by DOS76 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerlinArcade Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 (edited) 17 minutes ago, DOS76 said: If you have a PC you can use DropBox to sync your builds and all the configs on your PC would then go to the cab that was how Jason had his set up. To be honest, it's not for me but for future clients who will buy my arcade cabinet. The simpler I can make their life the better it will be. Software should not be done from and for nerds but to the average guy too. MAME figured it out, it scan for new games on its own and you don't have to setup or configure any settings everytime you load a new ROM file, it does that automatically for you. For nerds like you and I, settings is a piece of cake but for the average joe, if LB would do all this scanning on its own it would be a blessing because when I hear about Hyperspin, one thing that keeps coming back is the configuration nightmare and this one of the reason I went with LB so if you can have this feature that I talked about where LB would come with basic settings that you need to do first when you install it like telling which platform folder contains which games and which emulator run the games from this platform then that's it, the auto scan will do the rest from then on and that will simplify things SOOOOOOO MUCH because LB will become invisible and THAT will be a MAJOR feature for LB because it will be seen as the opposite of Hyperspin going from super complicated to doing almost nothing at all. You dump your ROMs in the right dir and VOILA, case close LB and MAME takes care of the rest for you. Edited February 11, 2017 by MerlinArcade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 Yeah because MAME is for the average person we have tons of people here who don't understand MAME shit I'm only scratching the surface of understanding it myself. Hey as long as there is a toggle to turn it off and it doesn't interfere with my setup I don't care what gets added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 Also real feature request that are tracked and accounted for should be put on the BitBucket page suggesting things on the forum it all just gets lost in the shuffle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rincewind Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 18 minutes ago, MerlinArcade said: To be honest, it's not for me but for future clients who will buy my arcade cabinet. I'm not sure how your future clients would have a working version of LaunchBox unless they have purchased and registered for it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil9000 Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Just now, Rincewind said: I'm not sure how your future clients would have a working version of LaunchBox unless they have purchased and registered for it? And had there own roms!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Carr Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 Hi guys, I appreciate the discussion here, but let's keep new features discussion outside of the beta testing threads (at least new features that don't apply to what's being worked on currently). @MerlinArcade That is a feature I've always wanted to add, but it isn't quite that simple, as sometimes adding games with media and everything else can take a significant amount of time, and there are a number of options available as well. I just put out beta 15 now guys; the last two betas were to add more details to the errors to try and catch that blasted music null reference bug. Thankfully I finally have it down to the method that disposes the previous music player and media that was last played. I have a possible fix in there as well, so we'll see how this one fares. Also, for what it's worth, @MerlinArcade's been doing his best to figure out how to do all this legally, and came to me early on to ask how to get a hold of legitimate licenses to LaunchBox, so no issues there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR9 Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Anyone who tries to sell roms & emulators to people for cash is wrong. Jason can't control it. This is the same thing as people on EBAY selling 1000 arcade games using Hyperspin which soon will be Launchbox for quick cash if not already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerlinArcade Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 (edited) 42 minutes ago, DR9 said: Anyone who tries to sell roms & emulators to people for cash is wrong. Jason can't control it. This is the same thing as people on EBAY selling 1000 arcade games using Hyperspin which soon will be Launchbox for quick cash if not already. First of all I don't sell ROMs nor MAME, I sell Arcade Cabinets. Second, as for MAME, I ask them personally on their forum if I can install MAME "FOR FREE" in my cabinets and this is what they replied... http://forum.mamedev.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=175 Third, I contacted Jason by PM right after buying his LB because I believe his front end is the best and the simplest to use and configure especially for my future clients who are in their late 40s and early 50s and are not all computer experts like us here therefore my demand to ask Jason for this feature in a future upgrade. Fourth, why don't you mind your own business and keep your opinions to yourself as to the business I have with Jason and my clients. Sorry Jason for posting the request in the wrong forum. I'm fairly new here so don't know exactly where to ask for things. Merlin Edited February 12, 2017 by MerlinArcade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerlinArcade Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, Jason Carr said: That is a feature I've always wanted to add, but it isn't quite that simple, as sometimes adding games with media and everything else can take a significant amount of time, and there are a number of options available as well. Think of what I posted above. Hyperpsin is a nightmare to configure but your LB is super easy. This auto update feature would make it even more user friendly. If you can somehow save in a DB which ROM dir and which platform and which emulator is associated with each game then all you have to do is add a cron job to the mix to load the scan option every day or at startup. LB will know that if I dump a new ROM in this folder then LB will associate it with this platform (ex: Arcade) and this emulator (ex: MAME) so no need to go through the import procedure every time. You set it ONCE and then LB will know from then on that all the ROMs you add in this folder should have the same setup as the first ROMs that you did at the beginning. No more setup to do, it would be like "freakin Front End Heaven". People would only have to worry about which folder to dump their ROMs and LB and MAME will do the automatic update. Wow! Of course those who don't like this feature could always turn it off but I think people would grow on it. Anyway you are the pro here and it's your software. It was Just a suggestion. Edited February 12, 2017 by MerlinArcade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR9 Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 24 minutes ago, MerlinArcade said: First of all I don't sell ROMs nor MAME, I sell Arcade Cabinets. Second, as for MAME, I ask them personally on their forum if I can install MAME "FOR FREE" in my cabinets and this is what they replied... http://forum.mamedev.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=175 Third, I contacted Jason by PM right after buying his LB because I believe his front end is the best and the simplest to use and configure especially for my future clients who are in their late 40s and early 50s and are not all computer experts like us here therefore my demand to ask Jason for this feature in a future upgrade. Fourth, why don't you mind your own business and keep your opinions to yourself as to the business I have with Jason and my clients. Sorry Jason for posting the request in the wrong forum. I'm fairly new here so don't know exactly where to ask for things. Merlin You brought this into the thread by saying "clients". As someone who see a post in a beta thread about clients just makes me thinks "reseller, cash money" and I said my opinion. I'm sure any logical person would think this, not like you disclosed all this beforehand and I read it somewhere thereby know your "plans". I again said in board terms roms/emulators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Carr Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 Again guys, back on topic please. I don't see that kind of discussion as productive. @MerlinArcade You might be on to something with the cron job thing; truthfully I hadn't thought of that. Let's discuss it in a different thread though if you want to continue the discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerlinArcade Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 28 minutes ago, Jason Carr said: Again guys, back on topic please. I don't see that kind of discussion as productive. @MerlinArcade You might be on to something with the cron job thing; truthfully I hadn't thought of that. Let's discuss it in a different thread though if you want to continue the discussion. Sure just point the right thread and I will post in it. This being said, I just know basic programming stuff so only you know which functions are activated when we go in LB's Tools menu and then click on "Scan for added Roms" so whatever program is loaded there would be the one that the cron job activates each day if we turn this "Auto Update Roms" feature. The cron job would be the easy part. The hard part will be to have some sort of checkbox when we load our first ROMs something that says "Remember this setup for all the future Roms added to this folder". The 1st rom would have to go through the ROM import process as we know it but once this is done for let's say "Centipede" and that we have associated this ROM with the Arcade Platform and the MAME emulator, then all the other ROMs added in this ROM dir will be updated automatically and associated with the Arcade Platform and the MAME emulator. Follow me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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