Auto Hotkey Scripts

[Jayinem]

This will hide the titlebar in Launchbox with Ctrl + Z, and then to unhide it just press Ctrl + Z again, so now you can hide unhide the menu like you can the sidebar. 

#SingleInstance Force
^z::
WinGetPos, X, Y, Width, Height, A
WinSet, Style, ^0xC00000, A
WinMove, A, , 0, -23, Width-0, Height+1120
WinMove, A, , 0, -23, Width-0, Height+1120
return

 

 

Edit: just thought about it, might only work if your resolution is 1920 x 1080. If you have 4k and want it to work let me know I'll see what I can do. Although it might work fine on it because you're only increasing the top a certain amount of pixels. 

 

Also  even when the text to the menu items are hidden, you can still click on them anyway.

Edited January 11 by Jayinem

[stonev]

Ok, this should be fairly simple but it's been driving me a bit insane: I've got the PC version of OutRun 2006 set up exactly as I want it. The only tweak I can't make within the game is to remap my "Start" button (1) to [Enter] and my "Coin" button (5) to [Escape]. Enter and Escape are the main ways to move around the OutRun menus.

So I set up a very simple AHK script:

1::Enter ; Start button
5::Escape ; Coin button

Works perfectly! I can now navigate the game using only my buttons.

The only problem is that when I exit the game, the AHK script (and the re-mapping) persists. I'd simply like for the script to exit when I exit the game.

So are there additional lines I can add to this script to accomplish this OR is there a generic "Kill AHK" script that I can add to my Additional Apps for this game (and other ones)? In the past, I've linked killing the script to the generic game exit button (Esc), but I'm not sure that will work here since Esc isn't the immediate "kill game" button like in RetroArch and Mame.

Any help would be appreciated!

[JoeViking245]

3 hours ago, stonev said:

The only problem is that when I exit the game, the AHK script (and the re-mapping) persists. I'd simply like for the script to exit when I exit the game.

This assumes the games exe file is "OR2006C2C.EXE" (adjust accordingly).  If it's being ran through Steam or TP, that's a completely different story.

Process,Wait,OR2006C2C.EXE 
WinWaitClose,ahk_exe OR2006C2C.EXE
ExitApp

1::Enter ; Start button
5::Escape ; Coin button

• Wait for the games exe process to be running
• Now wait for the games exe process to close/exit
  • While waiting:
    • Hotkeys "1" and "5" will be active
    • Actually, they'll be active as-soon-as the script is running.
      • So don't get jumpy pressing the "5" key.  
• Exit/close the script when the games exe process is no longer running

[stonev]

Well, @JoeViking245, you’ve saved me once again! Thank you, Internet friend, this worked perfectly.

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on a possible LB enhancement request to deal with this (admittedly solvable) problem: In the Additional Apps settings, could you have a checkbox option to close the additional app after the game stops running? Would that be something relatively easy for devs to implement? Would it even be worth it? Are there complexities in that process I’m not considering?

Again, thank you!

 

[JoeViking245]

Glad to hear it worked!

21 minutes ago, stonev said:

could you have a checkbox option to close the additional app after the game stops running?

Yes.

25 minutes ago, stonev said:

Would that be something relatively easy for devs to implement?

"Relatively" is relative. "Easy" is in the eye of the beholder.  That said, the process seemingly is actually pretty straight forward.  But it comes down to a cost/time benefit.

39 minutes ago, stonev said:

Are there complexities in that process I’m not considering?

The process to "close the Additional App" (that I can think of) actually "kills" the app.  So, it's not very graceful. But it most cases it won't 'hurt' anything.  Like killing an AHK script or DemulShooter.  (See caveats below)

43 minutes ago, stonev said:

Would it even be worth it?

That's a loaded question.   For "you"? Yes, of course.  For the developers to implement it?  Right now, today, this minute? A resounding No. 

1)  You have the tools available to do what you want.  Simple version: the script I just gave you. Less "simple": [You] taking a few extra steps and create an Additional App to close (kill?) the app After Game Exits.

2)  Goes back to the time/cost benefit.  The 'immediate' benefit is negated by item 1).

However, to submit a Feature Request is free for everyone.  Submit it. Share it. Enough people upvote it, the one-in-charge of time/cost management will happily tell their developer/programmer (who may mutter "they have the tools to deal with this already") to implement it. And wha la.

 

Request option "B":

Another [unavailable] feature option would be to have Running Scripts for games that don't use an emulator.  In the games Emulation section, if the Use an Emulator box is un-checked, have a field for Running Scripts (similar to what's in Emulators, and how they function).  

 

Caveats to auto closing after game exits:

The caveat to either of these is games that are ran via a launcher.  Notably TP and Steam (maybe the other storefronts too?).  The 'launcher' launches the actual game then closes itself.  You told LB how to start the game, and that's what LB monitors for "game exiting".  So with launchers, the "game" essentially starts and exits right away [as LB sees it].

Making this nearly all for naught.

 

1 hour ago, stonev said:

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts

Use the tools already available because they're there, they do work and they're "relatively easy to implement".    

[stonev]

Thank you for the really, really, thoughtful response @JoeViking245. I *knew* that this wasn’t a simple thing (otherwise it would have been implemented already), but it’s helpful for me (clearly not a dev) to get your perspective. I’ll keep thinking on it, but in the meantime, I’ll enjoy playing Outrun 2006 without having to pull out the keyboard!