WootLauncher: Bezel Overlay & Pause Menu

[eatkinola]

Looks like I've figured out all the pieces needed to do this. It's too early for me to post the dll, but I will need some help testing especially for Win 8/10; I use 7. The plugin will be a simple dropin, with minimal-to-no config required. The plan is to facilitate overlays for emulators that do not support them, and also to have a pause menu to facilitate a universal way to save and load states, as well as to display game manuals. Ideally, it will also have fade screen on emu start and stop, but I've run into some snags with that. Any advice is welcome.

[Kondorito]

Ok, this is awesomely cool, and it is a bummer that it does not have more comments or exposure.

I would love to read any updates you have on this project (whether they are big or small).

Keep rocking @eatkinola!

[Rincewind]

Yes I can't believe I've missed this post.... This is really good news and a feature / plugin I would definitely use. Can't wait to see how it turns out, and how it gets intergrated. 

[MadK9]

With the fade screen, your plugin will need to know the status of the Emulator. The way RL does this is by matching the emu window title and what state it is at. Pulling apart any of the RL modules will give you what you need. 

[Zombeaver]

This sounds awesome dude. Would be happy to help test, though I'm on 7 as well.

[Lordmonkus]

I'd be willing to test the pause menu stuff, i'm not a bezels guy.

[eatkinola]

1 hour ago, MadK9 said:

With the fade screen, your plugin will need to know the status of the Emulator. The way RL does this is by matching the emu window title and what state it is at. Pulling apart any of the RL modules will give you what you need. 

Thanks for the tip. I'm able to get the emulator window (so far tested with RetroArch and Dolphin), and that's how I add the overlays for Dolphin and send commands to the emulators like pause, save, etc. I'll look into the RA stuff for emulator states.

2 minutes ago, Zombeaver said:

Would be happy to help test, though I'm on 7 as well.

Awesome, would certainly appreciate your testing it.

3 hours ago, Rincewind said:

Can't wait to see how it turns out

It's still at an early stage, but I think I do have the basic mechanisms worked out. Once I have something worth testing, I'll be sure to let y'all know. Please keep me posted if y'all think of any other suggestions.

[MadK9]

RocketLauncher's modules are pretty well documented as well, and laid out very well, so you can see the parts you need very quickly. And if ya need help testing im up for it, i spent a lot of time in RL, and would love to see thinned version come to LB as a plugin.

[Retro808]

@eatkinola I would not mind testing as well. I want to pay you back somehow for the custom field theme code you helped me out with. 

[Klopjero]

I'd like to test if that's okay

[eatkinola]

10 minutes ago, Klopjero said:

I'd like to test if that's okay

That'd be great, glad there is interest. I'll keep working on it and let y'all know when I have a version to test. I'll probably start a group message to share the DLL when it comes to that.

[zetec-s-joe]

A bezels plugin for LB/BB thats easy to use that can just place bezels over wherever would be great, i don't want to run RL, and being able to use bezels with REdream and Dolphin would be great!!

[ALIE]

This sounds amazing if it does these Rocketlauncher features out all the hassle and if @Jason Carr is planning on adding a fade in and out system as I have let myself been told ?. Then i could definitely see myself using these options instead. 

[eatkinola]

What do y'all think about BigBox launching multiple games at the same time? Personally I don't see the reason in doing so; it might only be confusing especially if you intend BigBox to run in "kiosk" mode. Having multiple games running at the same time will also make coding the plugin more complicated. It's probably doable, but I think it'd be better to have the plugin block attempts to launch a second game when another is already running.

[ALIE]

10 minutes ago, eatkinola said:

What do y'all think about BigBox launching multiple games at the same time? Personally I don't see the reason in doing so; it might only be confusing especially if you intend BigBox to run in "kiosk" mode. Having multiple games running at the same time will also make coding the plugin more complicated. It's probably doable, but I think it'd be better to have the plugin block attempts to launch a second game when another is already running.

Don't see the point in it honestly. 

So if not doing that makes it easier for you then I vote not doing it. 

[Rincewind]

No point that I can even think of 

[eatkinola]

1 hour ago, ALIE said:

Don't see the point in it honestly. 

So if not doing that makes it easier for you then I vote not doing it.

Yes I think it would be easier.

1 hour ago, Rincewind said:

No point that I can even think of

Thanks -- I didn't think so either, just wanted a quick sanity check.

[eatkinola]

Thoughts on what the launch and pause screens should look like?

Pause: Was thinking to keep it simple with Save, Load, Play/Resume, and Quit(Game) buttons; along with a current screenshot of the game and "Now Playing". I'll support multiple languages but will focus on English first.

[Rincewind]

Maybe at some point in the future it could have the manual / maps / walk throughs added if available

[eatkinola]

6 minutes ago, Rincewind said:

Maybe at some point in the future it could have the manual / maps / walk throughs added if available

Yes I forgot to mention a PDF manual viewer. I do plan to add that. I already have a viewer ready to go and will add that button to the pause menu.