Custom Configs and System Cores

[Buttonmasher]

So this has been driving me crazy for way too long.  All i want is for my various arcade systems to display their system specific overlays when running a rom.  I want my CPS1 one games to use the CPS1 overlay, the CPS2 games to use the CPS2 overlay, the Konami classics to use their Konami Classics overlay, etc.  Ill try to explain what I have done but maybe I am doing something wrong that is keeping this from working.  

I load up launchbox and click on manage emulators.  First off I do have an "Arcade" category that covers all of my games.  This is using the mame_libretro core.  My parameters for this Associated Platform are:

-L "cores\mame_libretro -c "config\mame_libretro.cfg"   with the default box checked.  This works all fine and great and I can use the MAME overlay and shaders with no problem.

When I create an Associated Platform Capcom Play System with the Default Command Line Parameters set to  -L "cores\fbalpha2012_cps1_libretro.dll" -c "config\fbalpha2012_cps1_libretro.cfg" with the Default Emulator box checked Launchbox continues to open Retroarch with the mame-libretro core.  This also happens no matter what order I change in the Default Emulator boxes between the mame core and the fbalpha 2012 cps1 core.  Also, I get the same outcome when I setup the CPS2 and CPS3 cores.  The only way I can get Retroarch to fire up if I select to play a cps1 game is if I change the Default Line Parameters for Arcade under the Associated Platform column in the Manage Emulators menu to the fb alpha parameters.  

Another thing that I find weird is that if I open retroarch, load up a core, and then load the config file for that core the application closes down.  Not sure if this is normal.

I would love any help, if possible.  I tried to include as much information as I could in this post to help further a solution.   

The only thing that I have not tried is deleting all of my games within Launchbox and then re-importing each platform individually and setting up their parameters, rather than importing them all as just a general Arcade category using one MAME core to run them all. 

 

[Lordmonkus]

I am by no means a custom config expert and I don't use overlays or bezels but if you can post a screen shot of your associated platforms window for Retroarch that might help out.

[Buttonmasher]

Here are pics of my core and config files as well.  From all the tutorials I have watched on how to get this setup, it is pretty straight forward.  I am wondering if it is something very minor that I am just missing.  Thanks for taking a look.

[Lordmonkus]

The first thing that stands out to me is your platform name Capcom Classics doesn't have an entry in the Associated Platforms. You do have Capcom Play System though so you should rename one of them to match the other.

I also notice your CPS III command line has no -c config switch so it's not loading anything other than the default config for your FBA core.

The Default Emulator check boxes are only there for import purposes, that check box does nothing beyond that.

Depending on your romset you shouldn't really use the separate 2012 cores, just the fbalpha core should be good unless you have an older rom set.

 

[SentaiBrad]

If you do rename platforms, don't forget to rename the Image, Music, Manual and Video folders from the old platform name to the new one.

If you are on a newer rom set like Monkus said, then you could just use playlists too. All of these games are in the MAME Rom Pack (split and non-merged only for LB purposes), and when you import them LaunchBox will create playlists for each of them. You can then bulk edit the playlist, but that will get messy when trying to run multiple emulators from the same platform. However, all of these do work in MAME, so unless you're using FBA for a specific reason, Playlists and just using MAME is an option as well.

[JamesBond@ge]

11 hours ago, Buttonmasher said:

Another thing that I find weird is that if I open retroarch, load up a core, and then load the config file for that core the application closes down.  Not sure if this is normal.

I can't be much help with the rest of your situation (even though I am an extensive RetroArch user with a million custom configs / bezels / shaders for a ton of systems EXCEPT Arcade lol). It took me a long while to figure out RetroArch but once things clicked, that was it.

Anyway, I did notice this in your quote above and this is something I've never done. In the RetroArch UI, I always load the config first, and then select the core. Infact I mostly use RetroArch v1.0.0.2 and this loads the core automatically with the config. I noticed that v1.5.0 doesn't do this for some reason. But regardless, even with v1.5.0 I still load the config first and then load the core.

I don't know if this is any help to you but I thought I'd get it out there anyway.

Edited May 22, 2017 by JamesBond@ge

[SentaiBrad]

The -c command being second is totally fine. That's how I've always had it. Core and Game Overrides are much better than they used to be though too, so Custom Configs are a little less important now.

[JamesBond@ge]

17 minutes ago, SentaiBrad said:

Core and Game Overrides are much better than they used to be though too

This is true. I started using 1.5.0 (alongside 1.0.0.2) for this feature, mainly for the N64, and the newish ParaLELL core.

This is way off topic Brad, so do forgive me, but have you got any thoughts on the ParaLELL Core for the N64?

[Lordmonkus]

Mupen64plus core right now is the best overall way to emulate the N64, it's using the GlideN64 plugin which as things currently sit is the best we got.

ParaLLEl, while it started off with promise it ran into some roadblocks. Saying anything beyond that would be well outside my knowledge, I can only repeat what I read from the devs about it.

[Buttonmasher]

3 hours ago, SentaiBrad said:

If you do rename platforms, don't forget to rename the Image, Music, Manual and Video folders from the old platform name to the new one.

If you are on a newer rom set like Monkus said, then you could just use playlists too. All of these games are in the MAME Rom Pack (split and non-merged only for LB purposes), and when you import them LaunchBox will create playlists for each of them. You can then bulk edit the playlist, but that will get messy when trying to run multiple emulators from the same platform. However, all of these do work in MAME, so unless you're using FBA for a specific reason, Playlists and just using MAME is an option as well.

I originally tried just using the MAME core for all of my games and then breaking up systems with just simply custom config files so that the specific overlay would be activated based on which game was being played.  The problem with this method is that it would only load the mame_libretro.cfg file that I had being used under Platform Arcade within Launchbox.  For example, my Arcade platforms parameter was using mame_libretro.cfg but CPS1 would be using mame_libretro_cps1.cfg.  Unfortunately, when I would load a CPS1 game it continues to load the mame_libretro.cfg.  This would also occur under any other game with a custom config file. All the games run great but having system specific overlays seems to be out of the question.  

[Buttonmasher]

11 hours ago, lordmonkus said:

The first thing that stands out to me is your platform name Capcom Classics doesn't have an entry in the Associated Platforms. You do have Capcom Play System though so you should rename one of them to match the other.

I also notice your CPS III command line has no -c config switch so it's not loading anything other than the default config for your FBA core.

The Default Emulator check boxes are only there for import purposes, that check box does nothing beyond that.

Depending on your romset you shouldn't really use the separate 2012 cores, just the fbalpha core should be good unless you have an older rom set.

 

I actually didnt notice the Capcom Classics until you said something, but I cannot imagine that would make a difference here.  CPS3 doesnt have a config file due to the fact that I just have been focusing on CPS1 and CPS2.  I will go back to using only the MAME cores since I am using a MAME romset, but I just cannot figure out why different Arcade systems, using one MAME romset, cannot load their own custom config files using even the MAME core.  The only thing I could think of is if I was to add system specific overlays as a per game config because configs per game seem to have no issue being created and running at all. 

[Lordmonkus]

It would make a difference in that anything in the Capcom Classics platform shouldn't even load since it has no platform associated with it in the list.

You may another emulator set for that platform though.