How to access the taskbar with a controller in Bigbox?

[mukor]

I use my DS4's touchpad as a mouse using DS4Windows so I was able to play games in MAMEUI and seemlessly switch to firefox/email/youtube etc with just the DS4 controller, yet with bigbox there is no way to access the taskbar it seems without exiting bigbox as the window is always focused (is that the right word?). Is there a way to switch Bigbox to unfocused or in a window so I click on it when I want to use it and when I want to browse the internet/watch a video I can do so without having to close Bigbox?

I can access the taskbar if I press the windows key on my keyboard yet this totally defeats the whole purpose for me using bigbox (as being optimised to use with just a controller) . The only way I can access the taskbar with a controler is to click select on a game to go to the options then select open folder/open image folder or open MAME then the taskbar appears. Is there an option to set Bigbox as not focused or can a button on my controller be set to toggle focused? Or to just access the task bar? Or run Bigbox in windowed mode?

[Lordmonkus]

Uncheck "Hide Taskbar" in Bigbox > Options > General

Another option if you want to do it is to create a platform and put shortcuts to programs such as your web browser and other programs you may want to use.

If you need further functional control over your computer with your controller you may want to look into something like the software "Controller Companion" available on Steam for a couple of bucks http://store.steampowered.com/app/367670/Controller_Companion/

[mukor]

Hide task bar is unchecked. It only seems to unhide the taskbar when I launch a game in windowed mode, the taskbar is not unhidden in the main bigbox interface when browsing through games etc.

How do I create a platform for shortcuts?

Isn't there just a simple way to make the bigbox unfocused/unfullscreen? For example there is a key in Kodi to toggle it. And like I say when I select a game it gives me the option to Open folder/Open Image Folder and when you do the task bar appears so it seems possible.

[Lordmonkus]

There are a couple of ways to create a platform and import windows programs to it but the simplest way to start is in desktop Launchbox mode simply go to Game at the top and then Add. This will bring up this window.In title type in the name you want the app to be called in Launchbox such as Web Browser. In the platform box type in the name of the browser type in what you want the platform to be called such as Windows Apps and the in the Application Path browse to the executable file or shortcut file for your web browser.

Now you will see that you have a platform on the left called Windows Apps (or whatever you want to call it) and a shortcut to your browser.

As for the rest of what you are asking that is outside the scope of Launchbox on it it's own since it is meant to be a game launcher and not a UI replacement for Windows but with some extra stuff like Controller Companion which I linked above you can massage it into that if you really wanted to.

[mukor]

I don't want it to be a UI replacement for windows, I just want to simply access the Windows taskbar without having to close the program like I can with every other single program and app on my computer.

Thanks for the tutorial but it seems crazy that such a simple thing as being able to access your taskbar is not possible. I think I will have to go back to just using the basic MAME UI as with that I can switch seemlessly between it and everything else on my computer with my DS4 controller's touchpad acting like a mouse using DS4Windows.

Here is a screenshot of me using normal MAME UI to launch games which also allows access to my taskbar at the bottom so I can run other apps/programs like Sky TV player as seen in the screenshot without having to close the MAME UI first.

^ This is what I want ^

I would use the standard launchbox mode as that runs in a window fine so allows access to my taskbar but the search function is terrible. You can't even search game by letter like you can in bigbox mode so it takes forever to scroll through 4000 games.

So disappointing as bigbox seems great appart from this big (for me at least) problem.

[SentaiBrad]

You could map Alt + Tab to a button combination on your controller. Otherwise, Big Box is designed to be a fullscreen application, similar to a game or Steam Big Picture mode.

[mukor]

Ok.

And to confirm there is no way in normal Launchbox mode to jump to a letter when searching for a game like in bigbox?

[Lordmonkus]

Not right now but this has been asked for and I believe (but not 100% certain) that there is a bitbucket request for it. Feel free to submit one if there isn't with the Issues/Requests link at the top of the site.

[mukor]

Ok lordmonkus. Thanks for your replies.