angelobodetti Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 Does anyone know of a tool that would convert a Hyperspin xml to a LaunchBox xml? Im asking because I feel like my import process in LaunchBox misses a lot of games regardless of how I do it. I also see that LaunchBox doesn't have database support for certain platforms arcade like hbmame. If I import using MAME logic it will leave out all of the homebrew games (which is the point of HBMAME) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaysArcade Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 On 6/25/2017 at 2:48 AM, angelobodetti said: I also see that LaunchBox doesn't have database support for certain platforms arcade like hbmame. If I import using MAME logic it will leave out all of the homebrew games (which is the point of HBMAME) I assume this is because Launchbox utilizes this "One Ring to Rule Them All" approach for platforms like Arcade. This is a major shortcoming in my opinion and makes customization a pain for people like you and me that don't want all arcade games under one roof. HBMAME, AAE, etc (to name a few) are systems that need their own database entries. I know a few vocal people here that have Jason's ear want this stuff all automatic and narrowed down into broad categories like Arcade and then split up later if needed with custom playlists. I call this the "kill em all and let God sort em out later approach" I don't care for this approach for the exact reason you state with the HBMAME problem. I understand the concept of not wanting to use emulator names for platforms (MAME, DAPHNE, etc), but sometimes I believe they are necessary when certain systems are different enough to warrant them, especially as far as the database is concerend. Maybe things like this will change in the future and more options will be available to us instead of being forced to do this playlist for anything out of the norm routine. I would love for the database to not be dumbed down so much to force us down this path, but what do I know? Recently I made suggestions about various Pinball table emulators not all being categorized as one system since there are major differences between the emulators and the way they look and play. I was told "We don't want platforms split just because someone else in another community at one point said they should be." Umm, maybe its done that way because they've been doing it a long time and know its the best way to do it? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I'm really just complaining here and have no idea about the conversion tool. That would be cool though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaysArcade Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 (edited) But I am grateful for Launchbox and for what Jason is doing here. Also happy I can manually change this stuff if I need to, in case anyone cares. Just thought I would clarify since the tone of my speech was , well, a little negative. LOL Edited July 3, 2017 by JaysArcade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordmonkus Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 There is nothing preventing anyone from just importing anything they want into any platform they want and not have Launchbox try and scrape it. You could then just do what you would have to do with any other front end in terms of artwork which is to obtain it and drop it into its appropriate folder and as long as it is named correctly it will just work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaysArcade Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 That's a good point, and Launchbox does a great job of doing that. But wouldn't a big improvement be for LB to just scrape stuff properly to begin with? Why dumb down the database when it is so capable of handling a handful of systems that need a little more TLC? My big gripe is Pinball. Why would I ever bother scraping any pinball system from the database for Future Pinball, Visual Pinball, Pinball Arcade or Pinball FX2, (OK, that last is it's own app, but it does have tables that are seperately launchable), when I know that half the data scraped is going to be false or incomplete because everything is in a single Pinball database? Is the answer always going to be for the end user to just get their own properly named art and do it themselves, or are there improvements that could be made elsewhere? Why even have a database? Is the hope for someone to develop a plugin to scrape some other database for this stuff? I just don't understand the push-back on this. This is the main reason I don't contribute anything to the Pinball Database. Its not acceptable to me to work on something I believe to be incomplete. I do have people asking for my pinball assets all the time so I know there is a need for it. In my perfect imaginary frontend world, each system/emulator would be scraped and added separately. A choice would then be given to combine like systems - Arcade - Pinball, etc. It seems like Launchbox tries to do it the other way around and it just doesn't pull it off very well - in my own humble opinion of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordmonkus Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 39 minutes ago, JaysArcade said: But wouldn't a big improvement be for LB to just scrape stuff properly to begin with? The database is a constant work in progress and does work fine for the vast majority of stuff. It certainly isn't 100% perfect but it certainly is 95% or better as long as your games names are not completely jacked up. 41 minutes ago, JaysArcade said: Why dumb down the database when it is so capable of handling a handful of systems that need a little more TLC? No one is dumbing it down but it is a databse built (and still being built) from scratch due to problems with the previous database and reliability issues. The old database tied into thegamesdb.com but there were problems with it being online so the decision was made to build our own and like I said is a constant work in progress. Building a database is a very big job and volunteers are working on it every day. 45 minutes ago, JaysArcade said: I just don't understand the push-back on this. There is no push back. I am repeating myself here but the DB is a big job and is a work in progress. Feel free to contribute to it if you have the time and desire to help make it better. 46 minutes ago, JaysArcade said: This is the main reason I don't contribute anything to the Pinball Database. Its not acceptable to me to work on something I believe to be incomplete. I do have people asking for my pinball assets all the time so I know there is a need for it. This is where I do take issue though. You complain that the DB isn't complete but you find it unacceptable to work on helping to make it better when you have the assets yourself. 48 minutes ago, JaysArcade said: In my perfect imaginary frontend world, each system/emulator would be scraped and added separately. Yeah, and in everyones perfect front end world it would just be install and go with every single little thing done for you and even reads your mind for you so you don't have to push any buttons to launch a game right ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaysArcade Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 2 minutes ago, lordmonkus said: This is where I do take issue though. You complain that the DB isn't complete but you find it unacceptable to work on helping to make it better when you have the assets yourself. OK. So where do I upload my assets for the different versions of Attack on MARS? I have one for Future Pinball, one for Visual Pinball and one for Pinball Arcade. There is also an ultra version in Future Pinball. For the Future Pinball and Visual Pinball versions, where do I submit who the table authors are? How about original tables that duplicates of which are not found in either system? I brought this up before and once was told that those were very valid points and then the next time I brought it up I was told that the systems were all part of pinball and would in the future be scraped as one system. When I'm continually shot down on valid points.... yes. You can take all the issue with my suggestions you want. Why should I feel like I should contribute when my (very valid) issues have not been addressed. The database is awesome, but in my opinion is incomplete in the sense that there are not enough fields available for everything that needs to be in there. 19 minutes ago, lordmonkus said: Yeah, and in everyones perfect front end world it would just be install and go with every single little thing done for you and even reads your mind for you so you don't have to push any buttons to launch a game right ? No I am a PC not a MAC. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaysArcade Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 I just remebered that I created a ticket for database fixes in regards to Pinball related fields back in January. If anyone wants to have their voice added to having the Pinball database being looked at further, please consider voting on this ticket. I think crediting table authors is just as important as crediting theme creators, plugin creators and anybody else that puts their time into this stuff. Database engineers and Frontend creators included. Thanks to @Jason Carr and @Vlansix. https://bitbucket.org/jasondavidcarr/launchbox/issues/2287/request-for-additional-fields-for-pinball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damageinc86 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 I don't really get the gripe. I made a platform called "arcade Hacks" and just imported my hbmame games that I play into there. Then, since my emulator is rocketlauncher, the arcade hacks platform shows there, and I made the emulator in RL point to hbmame, and one point to mame under the alternate emulator. It's done and works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelobodetti Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 how many games did yiunimport and did yiubscrspe? Because LaunchBox removed all the hacked games and only imports the ones it knows (which are games that share a name with non hacked version) None of the home brews import if you scrape either. The other option is import without scraping and it will put everything into your collection. But as you know not all of the files are playable. That's why I love the Hyperspin xml. The xml already lists out the proper games you just point the front end at the massive folder of roms. Arcade is the category where this is important. LaunchBox makes weird decisions like the 4 player ninja turtles and not two. I get it, that's the parent rom, but everyone wants the 2 player version. Drag drop xml are awesome fir arcade stuff for these reasons and the standard naming convention. For consoles it sucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damageinc86 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Hmmm well I didn't scrape as, I just brought them in, and they launch just fine. I usually add my own artwork if I want it, for homebrew/hack stuff anyways. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klopjero Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 (edited) it's funny how often you see this type of topic propping up all along the launchbox forum. I understand that the hyperspin 1.0 database structure is limited, however it does contain information that can be usefull for Launchbox. in cases where the launchbox database is not familiar with a certain system and could help build it up. In my particular case, I have a platform/system called Doom. This system contains most if not all Cacowards ( a community award for the most awesome WADS and Mods) winners of the past 20? years. I let Launchbox scan the archive folder, and it adds them on a filename basis. This makes for horrible reading and it means that I will have to manually provide the proper title, release date and developer. the hyperspin database has this information. Spoiler <game name="astdelux" index="" image=""> <description>Asteroids Deluxe</description> <cloneof></cloneof> <crc></crc> <manufacturer>Atari</manufacturer> <year>1980</year> <genre>Shooter</genre> <rating>HSRS - GA (General Audience)</rating> <enabled>Yes</enabled> </game> I have this idea where you could feed the hyperspin XML to launchbox before you start scanning your archives, so it could use the information in the underlying elements to populate it's own database. For instance: Using the <description> element of the Hyperspin database to fill out it's own Title Element after it matched the filename of the archive to the <game name= *>attribute. Or maybe a plugin that let's you insert information that is present in the hyperspin database after initial import. Edited August 30, 2017 by Klopjero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damageinc86 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Yeah the HS databases have been worked on for a lot of different platforms already, and some custom platforms. In the off-chance someone already has a nice set for that, it would be nice to not have to manually rename everything. Seems reasonable to devise a method that read the few tags in an HS database and translate those into the appropriate launchbox fields on import. Maybe have a checkbox next to a file path box that you can point LB to the xml and then it will compare the two after it does the initial import And you can double check the names before clicking finish 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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