8.8-beta-1 Released

[Jason Carr]

Alright, a whole lot of development went into this one. 8.8-beta-1 is released with the following:

- Improvement: All playlist features are now available for free users instead of only for premium users

- New Feature: Platform Categories, Platforms, and Playlists now have fully flexible nesting. Anything can be placed inside of anything else and nested multiple-levels deep in the Platform Categories view.

Please bear in mind that due to the massive changes, this beta is a bit more involved, so backups are recommended. Extensive testing would be appreciated.

Most things are ready to go for the nesting flexibility, but I do still plan to overhaul the right-click menu in the Platform Categories list in the LaunchBox side bar. As of current, it's a bit difficult to add new categories, playlists, and platforms. Currently, you can find an existing category or platform, and right-click on it and select Add to create a new one.

[neil9000]

Just got this when deleting a now empty platform category.

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

App:     LaunchBox
Version: 8.8-beta-1
Type:    System.NullReferenceException
Site:    System.String (<>c, Unbroken.LaunchBox.Plugins.Data.IPlatform)
Source:  Unbroken.LaunchBox

   at (<>c , IPlatform )
   at Unbroken.LaunchBox.Data.DataManager.<>c.<GetRootPlatformsCategoriesPlaylists>b__107_2(IPlatform p)
   at System.Linq.EnumerableSorter`2.ComputeKeys(TElement[] elements, Int32 count)
   at System.Linq.EnumerableSorter`1.Sort(TElement[] elements, Int32 count)
   at System.Linq.OrderedEnumerable`1.<GetEnumerator>d__1.MoveNext()
   at System.Collections.Generic.List`1..ctor(IEnumerable`1 collection)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.ToList[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at Unbroken.LaunchBox.Data.DataManager.GetRootPlatformsCategoriesPlaylists()
   at (DataManager , Boolean , Boolean , Boolean , Boolean , Boolean , Boolean , Boolean )
   at Unbroken.LaunchBox.Data.DataManager.GetAllPlatformCategoriesWithCounts(Boolean showHidden, Boolean showBroken, Boolean hideGamesMissingVideos, Boolean hideGamesMissingBoxFrontImage, Boolean hideGamesMissingScreenshotImage, Boolean hideGamesMissingClearLogoImage, Boolean hideGamesMissingBackgroundImage)
   at (DataManager , String , Boolean , Boolean , Boolean , Boolean , Boolean , Boolean , Boolean )
   at Unbroken.LaunchBox.Data.DataManager.GetFilterValuesWithCounts(String filterType, Boolean showHidden, Boolean showBroken, Boolean hideGamesMissingVideos, Boolean hideGamesMissingBoxFrontImage, Boolean hideGamesMissingScreenshotImage, Boolean hideGamesMissingClearLogoImage, Boolean hideGamesMissingBackgroundImage)
   at (<>c__DisplayClass62_0 , Object )
   at Unbroken.LaunchBox.Desktop.ViewModels.SideBarViewModel.<>c__DisplayClass62_0.<PopulateValues>b__0(Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx)
   at System.Threading.QueueUserWorkItemCallback.System.Threading.IThreadPoolWorkItem.ExecuteWorkItem()
   at System.Threading.ThreadPoolWorkQueue.Dispatch()

Recent Log:

   11:31:32 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:31:32 Music.Kill Start
   23:31:32 Music.Kill Finished
   23:31:32 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:31:32 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:31:53 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:31:53 Music.Kill Start
   23:31:53 Music.Kill Finished
   23:31:53 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:31:53 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:32:20 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:32:20 Music.Kill Start
   23:32:20 Music.Kill Finished
   23:32:20 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:32:20 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:32:34 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:32:34 Music.Kill Start
   23:32:34 Music.Kill Finished
   23:32:34 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:32:34 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:32:40 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:32:40 Music.Kill Start
   23:32:40 Music.Kill Finished
   23:32:40 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:32:40 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:32:57 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:32:57 Music.Kill Start
   23:32:57 Music.Kill Finished
   23:32:57 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:32:57 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:32:57 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:32:57 Music.Kill Start
   23:32:57 Music.Kill Finished
   23:32:57 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:32:57 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:33:11 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:33:11 Music.Kill Start
   23:33:11 Music.Kill Finished
   23:33:11 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:33:11 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:33:13 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:33:13 Music.Kill Start
   23:33:13 Music.Kill Finished
   23:33:13 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:33:13 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:33:27 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:33:27 Music.Kill Start
   23:33:27 Music.Kill Finished
   23:33:27 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:33:27 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:33:27 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:33:27 Music.Kill Start
   23:33:27 Music.Kill Finished
   23:33:27 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:33:27 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:33:41 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:33:41 Music.Kill Start
   23:33:41 Music.Kill Finished
   23:33:41 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:33:41 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:33:42 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:33:42 Music.Kill Start
   23:33:42 Music.Kill Finished
   23:33:42 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:33:42 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:33:58 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:33:58 Music.Kill Start
   23:33:58 Music.Kill Finished
   23:33:58 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:33:58 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:35:19 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:35:19 Music.Kill Start
   23:35:19 Music.Kill Finished
   23:35:19 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:35:19 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:35:33 PM Music.Prepare Start
   23:35:33 Music.Kill Start
   23:35:33 Music.Kill Finished
   23:35:33 Music.NotifyTrackList Start
   23:35:33 Music.NotifyTrackList Invoke WPF
   11:35:37 PM Exception

 

[MadK9]

Love the new feature Jason. Could i ask for a small change to have the Parent Tree collapsed rather than all open?

 

[eatkinola]

2 hours ago, Jason Carr said:

Platform Categories, Platforms, and Playlists now have fully flexible nesting.

Thanks, Jason. Any major changes to the plugin API to support this feature? I noticed some functions of my plugin library stopped working with the new beta, so I figure there must be changes to how the API works. Any new interfaces/methods, or perhaps just changes to the guts?

[ZeSystem]

Interested in how this will work with BigBox navigation.

[Lordmonkus]

@Jason Carr, not sure if this is planned or not but in case it isn't I hope it would be possible to display the list of games in the selected platform category along with the the sub folders at the top of the list with some sort of indicator showing they are sub folders. It shows like this in Launchbox mode but not in BigBox mode.

Here is a screencap that hopefully shows exactly what I am talking about.

Here it is in Launchbox mode for comparison.

[actioncomics]

Fairly new to Launchbox, can someone tell me what files are essential to backup?  or should i just backup everything?  Wanting to try out the beta.

[wallmachine]

change the way the search feature works, currently it jumps around a lot and does not flow correctly.
below is an example of a nice flowing search

 

Edited September 22, 2018 by wallmachine

[Lordmonkus]

Back up your Data folder, that is the most important along with your license file of course if you have a premium license.

[Lordmonkus]

1 minute ago, wallmachine said:

change the way the search feature works, currently it jumps around a lot and does flow correctly.
below is an example of a nice flowing search

 

Is this a new feature request or something that is an issue with the current beta ?

[wallmachine]

Just now, Lordmonkus said:

Is this a new feature request or something that is an issue with the current beta ?

its been an issue all along

[Lordmonkus]

Ok well this thread is specifically for the new beta, not for feature requests so please don't clutter it up with this stuff. We have the BitBucket page for requesting features.

[kmoney]

40 minutes ago, wallmachine said:

change the way the search feature works, currently it jumps around a lot and does not flow correctly.
below is an example of a nice flowing search

 

The video you are showing is for Hyperspin and not LaunchBox. You are on the wrong forum.

[wallmachine]

1 minute ago, kmoney said:

The video you are showing is for Hyperspin and not LaunchBox. You are on the wrong forum.

"below is an example of a nice flowing search"

[actioncomics]

Thanks LordMonkus

[bundangdon]

Oops! @Jason Carr I got the same error as @neil9000 after deleting a platform category. And even after I restored my (backup) data files and a reinstall of the latest update, the "platform category" section in LaunchBox is now empty and when I try to add anything to a platform category, I get the same error message?

Edited September 22, 2018 by bundangdon

[xmas]

Since this beta is mainly focusing on category trees, I'd like to suggest 2 things:

1. Bigger font for parent category + slight space to right for child category (slight push will help and too much would waste space considering other child categories) Please see attached for comparison.

2. Remembering ALL opened trees. (Currently, when you quit Lauchbox, it resets and closes all other trees except selected category group)

 

I apologize if this is request but I really thought it could help many other users and be relevant to current goal for version 8.8.

Thank you for an exciting update!!!

[xmas]

@bundangdon i was, too. I did quick work around by selecting "Platform" instead "platform category" and quit. Then, I reopened, changed to platform category and opened all trees. I think this is some kind of cache bug,

[bundangdon]

20 minutes ago, xmas said:

@bundangdon i was, too. I did quick work around by selecting "Platform" instead "platform category" and quit. Then, I reopened, changed to platform category and opened all trees. I think this is some kind of cache bug,

Thanks. I tried that and it does make launchbox functional again, but the platform categories are still missing and the program crashes when I select them

[bundangdon]

1 hour ago, Kovu1102 said:

never mind, it was jsut a glitch  restarted LB and all good ? i'll sync it to my cloud backup just in case

Not sure how you did that because after I created a playlist and try to put it in a sub-category, my platforms are all still missing with launchbox crashing everytime I touch the platforms section. I guess it will be fixed in the next beta though