Game manual viewing

[birdneck]

Is this feature in for clicking on a game and in the drop down list you may open up the game's booklet?  If not, I suggest this gets added in to complete the beautiful to-be-released Launch Box, as I'm seeing it here.

[Lordmonkus]

Yes.

[birdneck]

Dear Lordmonkus:

Can you please show some more pics regarding the game manuals?  I'm not understanding that screenshot.  Also, what format does Launchbox support these manuals in?  PDF?  So in other words, we can have manuals for all the games we have?  More pics and info,  please!

[Lordmonkus]

7 minutes ago, birdneck said:

Can you please show some more pics regarding the game manuals?  I'm not understanding that screenshot.

I don't know what else to show you. The first pic is BigBox and the View Manual option is there when you press A on your controller. The 2nd picture is from Launchbox when you right click a game.

PDF is a supported format, not sure what others are. Manuals get places in your \LaunchBox\Manuals\"Platform Name" folder and named the same as your game name in Launchbox, like how other media files are.

[birdneck]

Ooh, you need BigBox to view game manuals.  ?  I see....  I wish they just combined BigBox with LaunchBox as one big program instead of two separate things. 

Thanks for the help.  I'm going to go now.

[Lordmonkus]

25 minutes ago, birdneck said:

Ooh, you need BigBox to view game manuals.

No, the 2nd screenshot I showed is from Launchbox. I simply showed you the 2 places to view manuals, for Launchbox and BigBox mode.

25 minutes ago, birdneck said:

I wish they just combined BigBox with LaunchBox as one big program instead of two separate things.

Launchbox is the desktop mode which is free for everyone and also the "management" mode where you set everything up. It just happens to be able to be used as a launcher as well. BigBox is the controller based UI which you can use from your couch or in an arcade cabinet, this is the mode that you pay for because this is how Jason makes money to work on this full time.

[Nicodemus]

I have a similar but different question on this topic. Is there an option to view the game manual from a pause screen or some way to view the manual or guide without quitting or exiting the game?

[Joniras]

@Nicodemus I would love to be able to do that too !!

[Drodrik]

On 11/2/2018 at 7:38 PM, Nicodemus said:

I have a similar but different question on this topic. Is there an option to view the game manual from a pause screen or some way to view the manual or guide without quitting or exiting the game?

yes with the last update is posible!!! 

[bran479]

Where do you guys find old PC game manuals?  Emu has you covered for consoles

[starfiretbt]

I like this site

https://www.gamesdatabase.org/

if submitting links is okay

[DOS76]

links are fine as long as the site doesn't host any copyrighted files.

[playab0yyy]

On 5/20/2019 at 11:14 PM, Drodrick said:

yes with the last update is posible!!! 

How?

[Retro808]

36 minutes ago, playab0yyy said:

How?

Just right click a game in LB and you will see the context menu item for View Manual. In BigBox there is an option to view manuals in the game detail screen. As well as the Pause Theme feature allows you to view manuals from there.

[playab0yyy]

20 minutes ago, Retro808 said:

Just right click a game in LB and you will see the context menu item for View Manual. In BigBox there is an option to view manuals in the game detail screen. As well as the Pause Theme feature allows you to view manuals from there.

Thanks, Retro808 , but my response was to Drodrick's response saying there was a way to view the manuals in-game. I know how to view the manuals within LB and BB. I'd like to know how to view them during gameplay.  When you said "Pause Theme", are you saying there's a pause feature that allows you to view them? I'm lost on that part because when I pause a game, there are no menus that pop up.

[Retro808]

34 minutes ago, playab0yyy said:

Thanks, Retro808 , but my response was to Drodrick's response saying there was a way to view the manuals in-game. I know how to view the manuals within LB and BB. I'd like to know how to view them during gameplay.  When you said "Pause Theme", are you saying there's a pause feature that allows you to view them? I'm lost on that part because when I pause a game, there are no menus that pop up.

Yes, that's what Drodrick's respones was eluding to. LB/BB Pause Theme feature allows you to pause a game and a menu gives you access to the manual. It is a premium feature so if you are on the free version that may be why you do not see it.

 

[playab0yyy]

Just now, Retro808 said:

Yes, that's what Drodrick's respones was eluding to. LB/BB Pause Theme feature allows you to pause a game and a menu gives you access to the manual. It is a premium feature so if you are on the free version that may be why you do not see it.

 

Ahhhh interesting!! Thanks! I did pay for the premium version. So it's a theme I'd have to use in order to have that pause menu? Or is it a setting available for every theme?

[Retro808]

1 minute ago, playab0yyy said:

Ahhhh interesting!! Thanks! I did pay for the premium version. So it's a theme I'd have to use in order to have that pause menu? Or is it a setting available for every theme?

You would need to activate pause themes. But all pause themes that are created have that menu option. There is a global setting in both LB and BB. Then you can also turn it on or off per emulator from the manage emulator options. Some emulators may need a setting tweak to get it to work properly.

 

 

 

[playab0yyy]

31 minutes ago, Retro808 said:

You would need to activate pause themes. But all pause themes that are created have that menu option. There is a global setting in both LB and BB. Then you can also turn it on or off per emulator from the manage emulator options. Some emulators may need a setting tweak to get it to work properly.

 

 

 

Whoooaaaa!!! I just tried it out and it's awesome!!! I'm surprised that's not on by default. One of those things I've wanted since day one of setting everything up but just assumed there was no such thing. This is great for accessing manuals on the fly. Thanks a ton!!!

[ItchyRobot]

Here is an example. It is how I have it set up for a handful of fighting games and games with convoluted controls that are hard to remember ... using a pause theme to show controls and the Manuals folder to house my moves list.

'Colorful' BigBox theme

'Game Controls' pause theme

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by ItchyRobot