Noobs: first installation of Launchbox/BigBox - questions

[legolas119]

hi all,

i have bought the perpetual licence for Big Box and now i would like to install it. I have sole questions:

1) after the Launshbox installation, in order to activate big box licence it is only necessary to put the xml file in the launchbox installation folder?

2) after the installation/configuration of Launchbox/Big Box, when I will update it, which is the right procedure in order to don't lose all my settings and so on? 

3) My pc has a SDD (161Gb free on 232 total) and HDD (2.36TB free on 2.72 total). Do you think that it is better to install the emulator on the SDD even if i have emulators and roms/games in the HDD? Can i have better performance or it is the same thing? I would like to download extra for all the games that i will download for every emulator, but i don't need fullset, i will download ONLy games that i like (for example 60/100 roms for 8-16 but Nintendo/Sega consoles,  50 games for pc engine/turbo grafx, and so on). I only have the MAME fullset updated (but without chd files). What do you suggest?

4) i would like to buy a mini-ITX in order to connect it to my fullHD tv and play BigBox directly on tv. Do you think that i can control biugbox directly with my wireless pad, without using the keyboard/mouse? I would like to use keyboard/mouse only to run at the beginning the BiugBox icon, but after that i hope that i can do everything with pad. Is it possible?

5) which is a new and clear guide that i can follow? I found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNSP6VJpqM0   (by Eta Prime, released on june 2018) or this https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=gu7ODdyfEAc (by simply austin, but it is an old guide) or this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO7X0_Cgkgc&index=1&list=PL6pTDaHeAz-WMcNURVPU-1xLN_TVpT3FB ??

 

thank you!

[dragon57]

1. Yes.

2. Just let the software update when prompted. All your settings should carry foreword. I do recommend backing up your data folder from time to time since that is where all the settings are kept. If something causes some of your platform settings to go sideways, you can find backup files for them in the Backups directory.

3. You will see some performance gains by using the SSD because of the image cache used in LaunchBox. Just be aware the image and video resources can take up a large chunk of space where LaunchBox is installed. You can of course move the image and video directories wherever you want later if you want to reclaim the space.

4. Shouldn't be an issue as long as you have a controller seen by Windows.

5. What type of guide are you looking at specifically? The Unbroken Software YouTube channel has all the tutorials for the software. There is a Discord channel where you can usually find one of the moderators online as well.

[DOS76]

I just want to add one thing everyone should have a back up of their data folder and their license somewhere off of their OS drive in case it dies this way your settings are not lost forever the backup folder built in is great and can fix almost all your issues but it will not help you when your drive finally goes kaput.

[dragon57]

That is for sure. Google Drive is your friend! (or Dropbox, or any of the other cloud drive vendors)

[legolas119]

thank you guys

1) OK

2) ok, for sure i have another copy of my licence :)  Ok, i will periodically perform a backup of my DATA folder

3) yep, i think that extra files (images and video) could take a lot of space even if i don't collect full set and i don't collect ALL the emulators... In order to have better performance is it necessary that games and emulators are in the same installation folder of launchbox? I mean: if i install launchbox in my SSD, can i have emualtors and games in the HDD? or if I do this, i will not have better performance?

4) OK

5) Yes i know the offical Launchbox channel, really good, every emulator is explained. But i'm at the beginning so i'm looking for a guide that explain in general how launchbox/bigbox work. After that i will see the specific video for the emualtors that i need.  Can you suggest a video in particular that i can see in order to know how the frontend work?  I don't find the Discord channel...

[DOS76]

3 Yes you can definitely get solid performance with having your games and emulators on HDD In most cases I don't even keep LaunchBox itself on my SSD but on a mechanical drive.

[legolas119]

ok, i think that at the beginning i will install launchbox and all the gmaes, emulators and extra files in the same folder in the HDD drive. In this way I will can easily copy/paste my Launchbox folder from a pc to another (I'm planning to transfer my launchbox folder to my new mini-itx).

I have a question: i have a Platinum subscription to Hypoerspin-fe and a Lifetime Subscription to Emumovies so i can download every files in HQ. Well, how can i downalod the HQ files (video, adn so on) for Launchbox? Is it able to automatically download HW video and HW extrafiles. Or is it necessary to download manually every file from the Hyperspin and Emumovies website...? I hope that i can download them automatically...

 

thanks

[DOS76]

You can download automatically through Emumovies but LB has nothing to do with HS media so that is something you would have to add on your own. There will be an option to add your EmuMovies user name and password while importing this will allow you to download the videos. I'm pretty sure that it may only be a premium LB feature though so if you don't have a license I don't think you can even use videos,

[neil9000]

1 minute ago, DOS76 said:

I'm pretty sure that it may only be a premium LB feature though so if you don't have a license I don't think you can even use videos,

Yep, you can grab them obviously, but they wont show in Launchbox unless you have purchased premium.

[DOS76]

I see from looking over the 1st post though that you do indeed have a license so shouldn't be an issue at all.

[legolas119]

correct, i have a permament big box licence. So, if i enter my emumovies username/password i will automatically download HQ video from emumovies website?

[neil9000]

9 minutes ago, legolas119 said:

correct, i have a permament big box licence. So, if i enter my emumovies username/password i will automatically download HQ video from emumovies website?

Correct, as long as your emumovies sub is premium also, the free version doesnt allow video downloading. 

[legolas119]

perfect.  So for video it's Ok, i will download automatically from emumovies directly from Launchbox the HQ quality.

And what about the others extra-files automatically downloaded from launchbox/bigbox? Which is the website uses by bigbox for extra-files? In any casei f I want to substitute them with hyperspin-fe extra files, i can do it

[DOS76]

I don't know what extra files would pertain to.

[legolas119]

i mean files like snapshot, artwork, cover, manuals, and so on. I want in addition the extra that you can see in this video, starting from minute 3:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TudTxTlI5SI&t=206s

 

Edited August 6, 2018 by legolas119

[neil9000]

Those are just video themes that you are looking at there and are available from emumovies. Everything else you mention is downloaded from our database or emumovies. When you import you can choose what media you want to download via a load of checkboxes.

[legolas119]

ah ok perfect!  I will download the video themes when i will import the games in Launchbox, good!

[legolas119]

hi 

 

i have a qustion about Dreamcast emulators.  My Dreamcast game folder contains 2 different games format: .cdi images and folder format (with .gdi file). Every .gdi format game has its won folder where there are the .gdi file and the others files. In this way:

https://s33.postimg.cc/savcsdlu7/Immagine.png

and for example this is the gdi folder of the 1st game of my list:

https://s33.postimg.cc/lkeviz8z3/Immagine2.png

Do you know if it is possible with launchbox and Dreamcast Emulators (like Demul or Redream) to automatically load in Launchbox/Bigbox both the games format .cdi and folder format? Or launchbox is only able to detect only one type of games image and so i have to convert every game in the same format?

thanks!

[neil9000]

20 minutes ago, legolas119 said:

hi 

 

i have a qustion about Dreamcast emulators.  My Dreamcast game folder contains 2 different games format: .cdi images and folder format (with .gdi file). Every .gdi format game has its won folder where there are the .gdi file and the others files. In this way:

https://s33.postimg.cc/savcsdlu7/Immagine.png

and for example this is the gdi folder of the 1st game of my list:

https://s33.postimg.cc/lkeviz8z3/Immagine2.png

Do you know if it is possible with launchbox and Dreamcast Emulators (like Demul or Redream) to automatically load in Launchbox/Bigbox both the games format .cdi and folder format? Or launchbox is only able to detect only one type of games image and so i have to convert every game in the same format?

thanks!

You can add both file types, first just high-lite the .cdi games and drag them into the launchbox window to start the import wizard and import everything. Then go back to the folder with all the game folders with .gdi games, and in the search bar in the top right of the explorer window type in *.gdi that will list all the gdi files, just high-lite them all and drag them onto the Launchbox screen again and import to dreamcast again.

[legolas119]

very good, thank you!