Launchbox for Linux - Preliminary Discussion

[Jason Carr]

5 minutes ago, Chris Kant said:

i am only looking for fade in plus archive unpacking within the system for the emulators who cannot work directly with the zips rars and so... are those two features really that challenging? maybe instead of just having "game load" screen we will have something customised picture with the Button configuration of that pad (all in that picture)

Archive unpacking already exists in LaunchBox. Fade in really is that challenging, yes, as it has to be implemented separately for every single emulator, and the only solutions available for it on Windows are hacks. Even just showing an image while an emulator loads is tricky and would require emulator-specific code.

[damageinc86]

Maybe try to collaborate more with the RL team.  It could develop into a great working relationship. I actually haven't updated my modules in like 2 years, but update my emulators all the time. Everything still works great. Maybe I'm just lucky that the features still apply themselves well using modules that old on newer emulators.  Isnt it all just a bunch of script stuff in there?  It seems like a master Carr could take one look at any of the modules and go "oh yeah I see what you did there". ?

[damageinc86]

This all started because I mentioned RL in connection with a poll . Sorry I'll shut up now lol.

[DOS76]

People keep asking for RL features and they keep getting rebuffed but you guys keep asking can't you take the hint. I mean I don't want to put words in Jason's mouth but it seems apparent he doesn't want to add any code that is injected into the emulators. I don't want to be a dick to anyone but it just seems futile to me.

[Jason Carr]

Welp, here goes:

http://www.rlauncher.com/forum/showthread.php?5303-LaunchBox-Rocket-Launcher-Further-Integration&p=39686

[Lordmonkus]

I'm all for implementing the features of RL that make sense and isn't a royal pain in the ass to do.

[neil9000]

hmmm. Interesting.

 

[Mozza]

I gave up using RocketLauncher a long time ago and launch all of my games from BigBox through a script that I wrote myself.

The main thing that the script does is to fade in and fade out beautifully for any emulator. Simply by turning off the monitor just before launching an emulator, the effect is to fade out of BB and in to the emulator. I also do the same when the emulator process exits. If the delay is too long, the monitor/TV may display a message (some do, some don't).

@Jason Carr, I would recommend trying this out yourself. The only per emulator configuration parameter that would perfect this approach is the number of milliseconds to wait before turning the display back on again.

 

Here is my script fragment:

 

RunWait, display /power:off,, Hide

Run, nomousy.exe /f /h,, Hide

Sleep, 500

prevPath = %A_WorkingDir%

SplitPath, 1,, path

SetWorkingDir, %path%

Run, "%1%" %rom_path%%options%,, Hide, new_pid

SetWorkingDir, %prevPath%

Sleep, 500

RunWait, display /power:on,, Hide

Hotkey, Esc, doCloseApp

WinWaitClose, ahk_pid %new_pid%

Run, nomousy.exe,, Hide

RunWait, display /power:on,, Hide

ExitApp

 

doCloseApp:

RunWait, display /power:off,, Hide

Sleep, 500

WinClose, ahk_pid %new_pid%

return

[Jason Carr]

@Mozza Ha, well that's very interesting! I'm not sure if simply turning the screen off and on would really be good enough for most people, but that is certainly neat. Do you use that script as the emulator, or do you put it in the AutoHotkey fields?

[bundangdon]

3 hours ago, Jason Carr said:

Welp, here goes:

http://www.rlauncher.com/forum/showthread.php?5303-LaunchBox-Rocket-Launcher-Further-Integration&p=39686

I wonder how the rocketlauncher team will respond? But it's certainly a great idea/plan nonetheless  

[bbweiners]

3 hours ago, Mozza said:

I gave up using RocketLauncher a long time ago and launch all of my games from BigBox through a script that I wrote myself.

The main thing that the script does is to fade in and fade out beautifully for any emulator. Simply by turning off the monitor just before launching an emulator, the effect is to fade out of BB and in to the emulator. I also do the same when the emulator process exits. If the delay is too long, the monitor/TV may display a message (some do, some don't).

@Jason Carr, I would recommend trying this out yourself. The only per emulator configuration parameter that would perfect this approach is the number of milliseconds to wait before turning the display back on again.

 

Here is my script fragment:

 

RunWait, display /power:off,, Hide

Run, nomousy.exe /f /h,, Hide

Sleep, 500

prevPath = %A_WorkingDir%

SplitPath, 1,, path

SetWorkingDir, %path%

Run, "%1%" %rom_path%%options%,, Hide, new_pid

SetWorkingDir, %prevPath%

Sleep, 500

RunWait, display /power:on,, Hide

Hotkey, Esc, doCloseApp

WinWaitClose, ahk_pid %new_pid%

Run, nomousy.exe,, Hide

RunWait, display /power:on,, Hide

ExitApp

 

doCloseApp:

RunWait, display /power:off,, Hide

Sleep, 500

WinClose, ahk_pid %new_pid%

return

I couldn't get it to work. I tried running it as an autohotkey script for Dolphin.

[dillabon]

I hope you can see the poll is flawed because it looks like jason got too excited about Linux feasibility and went a bit biased (didn't think thoroughly) when writing the poll.

Please allow me to explain.

It should clearly indicate a few things to get a fair poll:

1. Most people who would want it on Linux are thinking Bigbox. The difference should be clearly indicated in the poll.
2. Most of people who would want LB on Linux are Pi users and they want Bigbox. The feasibility of Bigbox running well AND optimal system requirements should be clearly mentioned.
3. People who have already bought LB are all Windows users. Sure, some may want it on Linux, but I highly doubt at the expense of losing your limited resources for feature updates. The poll should stress that by working on Linux, the Windows and overall feature update progression will be directly impacted and heavily slowed down than it already is.
4. Even with just a single linux developer hired from any crowdfudning, it will definitely take resources from the Windows division. This should also be mentioned.

And here are other problems with this poll:

1. Most people who voted just want their option open for Linux. People who voted "I want to buy this on Linux" does not equal instant sales when it's up. I have countless amount of friends who wants to buy BB at this current state (Windows), but they still haven't.
2. Most people who would want it on Linux are always searching for something like Bigbox (on the internet), while happy Windows users are probably just using it. The poll is highly exposed to more pro-Linux port users.

Yeah, so I'd actually go as far to say the poll is completely invalid for reasons above.

[alfredolvera]

8 hours ago, Jason Carr said:

Even just showing an image while an emulator loads is tricky and would require emulator-specific code.

Hey @Jason Carr , can you elaborate a little more on this issue? I'm very curious because (even though I'm not a developer) from my ignorant point of view you just had to replace the "Now Loading" box in BB with an image from the db? I even filled a request for this https://bitbucket.org/jasondavidcarr/launchbox/issues/3521/request-fan-art-or-screenshots-for-loading#comment-40921691

I don't care that much about the fade in-out when loading. Just replacing the plan "Now Loading" with some background fanart would make wonders for BB's eye-candy.

My 2 cents

Edited January 25, 2018 by alfredolvera

[Mozza]

7 hours ago, Jason Carr said:

@Mozza Ha, well that's very interesting! I'm not sure if simply turning the screen off and on would really be good enough for most people, but that is certainly neat. Do you use that script as the emulator, or do you put it in the AutoHotkey fields?

@Jason Carr I compile the script as a separate executable and use it as the emulator in LB. The first LB parameter for the script executable is the emulator. I'm happy to provide the whole script and display.exe for testing, if that helps?

@bbweiners I use this for Dolphin, what happens for you?

Edited January 25, 2018 by Mozza

[harryoke]

@Jason Carr looks like a very positive response from @brolly over at the RL forums. I think we all have a common goal which is to create the greatest emulation experience for the end user that is possible, we don't have ego's and work together for the benefit of our communities.

Im hoping for RL and ourselves to have a very productive relationship. 

Thanks for making the initial contact.

 

[DOS76]

lol definitely no egos in the emulation community right Byuu TwinAphex and Mudlord

[harryoke]

2 minutes ago, DOS76 said:

lol definitely no egos in the emulation community right Byuu TwinAphex and Mudlord

i was speaking from my personal experience , dont know them. 

[DOS76]

Byuu is the Higans dev and the other 2 work on RetroArch

[Charco]

5 hours ago, alfredolvera said:

I don't care that much about the fade in-out when loading. Just replacing the plan "Now Loading" with some background fanart would make wonders for BB's eye-candy.

My 2 cents

Yeah, Retropie does something similar to this and it's pretty cool. I'd like this in BB.

[bbweiners]

8 hours ago, Mozza said:

@Jason Carr I compile the script as a separate executable and use it as the emulator in LB. The first LB parameter for the script executable is the emulator. I'm happy to provide the whole script and display.exe for testing, if that helps?

@bbweiners I use this for Dolphin, what happens for you?

@Mozza I inserted a screenshot to show you the error message that I'm getting. I entered the text of your script into the emulator/autohotkey area.

 

Edited January 25, 2018 by bbweiners