Start game from Bix Box with certain config (Retroarch)

[moff]

Hi to all!

I'm interested in one important question.

Is there any solution to starting a game from Bix Box via Retroarch with certain config file?

I know that i can save config overrides for any core/game, but when it comes to thousands of games, it can take a very long time of your life to save each and every game config.

The problem is with my custom made arcade stick. 

In Retroarch there is some standard of buttons bind which is called "Retropad". Standart layot is:

Y X R1 L1

B A R2 L2

But when it comes to arcade games with such a layout of buttons, at this point there are many problems such as:

• Capcom games like Street Fighter which has two rows of 3x buttons (top is weak/medium/strong punch, bottom row is the same but for kick).

• Neo-Geo games commonly like to use A, B, C, D all on one row.

• Games with 1, 2, or 3 buttons (in a row) - usually Attack/Fire, or Attack + Jump, or Attack + Jump + Special (special move, special bomb, etc.).

All these binds do not work as they should, instead they are attached to default Retroarch layout (Retropad).

I would like to make several configs with button bindings for certain systems (not to save the configuration for each separate game, since the same mame core is used and I can not just keep core overrides).
Is it possible to start Retroarch with a command line or something else when launching a game through the Big Box so that when the game starts from a certain playlist (for example one for Capcom games, one for NeoGeo, one for Shmups, etc...) a certain configuration with a certain layout of the buttons is loaded?

For example if you can use default Retroarch.cfg with different buttons binds placed in various folders.

Thanks

and sorry for my English, it's not my native laguage

Edited November 12, 2017 by moff

[jayjay]

There maybe many better ways but I have set up a retroarch per system.

 

A retro arch for snes. Another retroarch for megadrive and so on.

 

Doing it that way should work for you want but like I said it might not be the best way. I do it that way because if anything breaks in retroarch it will only break the one system and I find its much easier to just do a clean start of retroarch instead of hunting down the issue.

[moff]

7 minutes ago, jayjay said:

There maybe many better ways but I have set up a retroarch per system.

 

A retro arch for snes. Another retroarch for megadrive and so on.

 

It's not a good idea, because you can save per core config file, or even a game.

Edited November 12, 2017 by moff

[jayjay]

Oh ok. Yeah everything about Launchbox is painful lol. Iv been sitting on 15000 games for a year and no where near getting everything sorted.

 

My knowledge of retroarch is limited, maybe someone else can help you out. But I dont think your going to find an easy way to do it.

 

You could set up 2 or more retroarches for the 1 system. Any game you come across that uses a previous configuration you already set up could be separated. But again a lot of work.

 

Sorry I cant help more, im out of my depth here so Im going to shut up lol.

 

 

[moff]

7 minutes ago, jayjay said:

You could set up 2 or more retroarches for the 1 system. Any game you come across that uses a previous configuration you already set up could be separated. But again a lot of work.

Sorry I cant help more, im out of my depth here so Im going to shut up lol.

Yes, it's alot of work, and i'm not sure it would be faster then save per game configs

No need to sorry, we are all here for that and gathered in this part of the forum - to explore what we are not very good at

The only thing that I immediately understood for myself when configuring the Retroarch from scratch is that you first need to disable "save on exit" function, so as not to worry in the future that something would break in Retroarch.

Edited November 12, 2017 by moff

[moff]

So, maybe i can put a request anywhere about this feature?

I have premium if it make sense

[Lordmonkus]

A request for what exactly ?

[moff]

10 minutes ago, Lordmonkus said:

A request for what exactly ?

About some kind of script, which will replace the retroarch.cfg file based on the selected platform

or it is impossible to do in Big Box?

[Lordmonkus]

I still don't get what you are asking for. You can have Retroarch load a custom config if you wanted it to, you can also have Retroarch use per core and per game configs if you want.

[moff]

13 minutes ago, Lordmonkus said:

I still don't get what you are asking for. You can have Retroarch load a custom config if you wanted it to, you can also have Retroarch use per core and per game configs if you want.

Did you read first post?

In general the problem is when you are using only one core for arcade you can't use various control binds for different schemes like capcom, neo geo, midway, etc

And saving 1000+ configs is painful

If we can point retroarch for individual config which can be Retroarch.cfg but with different binds for each system placed in several folders, and replace them each time a game of coresponding platform had chosen

well, it's a problem for arcade sticks only

I read the discussion of this problem on libretro forums, and there everything was reduced to the fact that it is more convenient to have a unified layout of the retropad(snes like), than to adjust to various configs

I thought it was possible somehow through the Big Box

sorry if I ask too much

Edited November 12, 2017 by moff

[Lordmonkus]

You can create custom configs and have them load using the -c "path\to\config" parameter in the Associated Platforms window of Retroarch in LB.

Here is an example command line I use for my Atari 800 platform using Retroarch:

-L "cores\atari800_libretro.dll" -c "config\Atari800.cfg"

The Atari800.cfg is located in the \config folder of my Retroarch install folder.

On a side note and may not be anything at all you mention using one core such as the Mame core for Genesis ? I assume you are just using that as an example and you don't actually do that because there is a GenesisGX which is better than Mame.

Also in the Mame core you can setup a default control scheme by pressing "Tab" and bringing up the Mame menu and then you can also do "per machine" configs using the "Tab" menu as well.

[moff]

You can create custom configs and have them load using the -c "path\to\config" parameter in the Associated Platforms window of Retroarch in LB.

It's not needed, because you can save core overrides in retroarch

6 minutes ago, Lordmonkus said:

On a side note and may not be anything at all you mention using one core such as the Mame core for Genesis ? I assume you are just using that as an example and you don't actually do that because there is a GenesisGX which is better than Mame.

I already edited my post, it was a mistake

6 minutes ago, Lordmonkus said:

Also in the Mame core you can setup a default control scheme by pressing "Tab" and bringing up the Mame menu and then you can also do "per machine" configs using the "Tab" menu as well.

and i didn't know about that, hope it will help

thanks

Edited November 12, 2017 by moff

[Lordmonkus]

Just now, moff said:

I already edited my post, it was a mistake

No problem, just thought it weird as an example

1 minute ago, moff said:

and i didn't know about that, hope it will help

Yup, in that "Tab" menu there is Input (General) and Input (This Machine). General is your default all around general purpose and This Machine is for that specific game.

[moff]

On 13.11.2017 at 12:57 AM, Lordmonkus said:

Yup, in that "Tab" menu there is Input (General) and Input (This Machine). General is your default all around general purpose and This Machine is for that specific game.

Tryed this feature. Ok it works, but how can i save that input for specific machines?

[Lordmonkus]

You will have to do it for each game and it should save it automatically.

[moff]

9 minutes ago, Lordmonkus said:

You will have to do it for each game and it should save it automatically.

And i can do it in retroarch and save per game config with different input binds

[Lordmonkus]

That too.

[moff]

14 minutes ago, Lordmonkus said:

That too.

And this is what i don't want to do for 500+ games because it's painful

[Lordmonkus]

There's no way around it unless you separate out your games into individual platforms that use the same control scheme. From there you would have to have Retroarch use a command line parameter to load a custom config for each of those platforms.

So you're either taking time to setup controls for each game or you're taking the time to separate individual games and for arcade games that can be just as (if not more) time consuming.

All I did was come up with a good basic config that works great for most every game and then as I came across games that required a bit of tweaking in the controls I just edited it quick and easily.

[moff]

I prefer to use default retroarch (retropad) layout, and than as you say will tweak most playable games.

Thanks again