9.8-beta-1 Released

[RULLUR]

Sometimes I think we need an easier way to merge some data within the community database. Like I know at times the same title may have a great Clear Logo or Background that doesn't appear on the other Platform version of it. Now I also kinda wish the Regional stuff was set to if it has a European or Japanese name that it doesn't automatically try call it the United States version of the game. I'm having to manually go back and fix things like this to where even I'm a bit confused on what to do about all the Japanese or European versions of things all the way when I submit them to the database when the title has a completely different name and everything.

For now I just save what comes from the Database and just manually Import them on the other Platform versions of a title

[wallmachine]

2 minutes ago, RULLUR said:

Sometimes I think we need an easier way to merge some data within the community database. Like I know at times the same title may have a great Clear Logo or Background that doesn't appear on the other Platform version of it. Now I also kinda wish the Regional stuff was set to if it has a European or Japanese name that it doesn't automatically try call it the United States version of the game. I'm having to manually go back and fix things like this to where even I'm a bit confused on what to do about all the Japanese or European versions of things all the way when I submit them to the database when the title has a completely different name and everything.

For now I just save what comes from the Database and just manually Import them on the other Platform versions of a title

Check my video below it allows you to get your different region names and original file name closely except for the '-' converts to a ':' which is good.
However the down side is you can never update your metadata to the latest on whats at the Games Database or it will rename everything you have imported and then you have to start again.

 

[RULLUR]

Well I know mostly EmuMovies has things really on point for the most when it comes to knowing a title from a different region by name which I really enjoy. I just hope the LaunchBox database will be just as accurate and with more stuff than EmuMovies too. I try when I can to help get more stuff in the database though, even if it's something I made from scratch that can't just be Googled about and all.

Edited April 18, 2019 by RULLUR

[guyverjay]

7 hours ago, Jason Carr said:

The only use case that you can't really do currently is if you want to hide a platform for some reason, but still use that platform's games in a playlist, or something of that nature.

This is precisely what I want to do lol

 

[JamesBond@ge]

I have no idea what is on the poll these days as I've been busy with my game collection, but can I make two requests for the future. I just want to get them out there because I'm like a little squeaky mouse in a hoard of big RocketLauncher cats:

1. Select a random game within BigBox.

2. Weblinks that can be added under "Additional Apps" for any game. Or somehow for that Weblink to be able to be entered into the "game details" and selectable in BigBox.

Just the little things in life.

Edited April 20, 2019 by JamesBond@ge

[RULLUR]

2 hours ago, JamesBond@ge said:

I have no idea what is on the poll these days as I've been busy with my game collection, but can I make two requests for the future. I just want to get them out there because I'm like a little squeaky mouse in a hoard of big RocketLauncher cats:

1. Select a random game within BigBox.

2. Weblinks that can be added under "Additional Apps" for any game. Or somehow for that Weblink to be able to be entered into the "game details" and selectable in BigBox.

Just the little things in life.

We got a Random Game command for LaunchBox and I guess as far as Random goes for BigBox is you hold a button for things to spin and land on something random, but I too would like to have a Random button on both or even have a way I can press a button on the controller. I hardly pay attention to the Polls too, but I know really need to get on to doing so though.

I thought I heard something of a way you can import a URL to open up as well. I think you Import it as None of the Above instead of a ROM though.

[Jason Carr]

On 4/20/2019 at 1:23 PM, JamesBond@ge said:

I have no idea what is on the poll these days as I've been busy with my game collection, but can I make two requests for the future. I just want to get them out there because I'm like a little squeaky mouse in a hoard of big RocketLauncher cats:

1. Select a random game within BigBox.

2. Weblinks that can be added under "Additional Apps" for any game. Or somehow for that Weblink to be able to be entered into the "game details" and selectable in BigBox.

Just the little things in life.

Per #2, I'm not exactly sure what you mean, but you can easily add web links as additional apps already.

[DOS76]

On 4/20/2019 at 4:23 PM, JamesBond@ge said:

2. Weblinks that can be added under "Additional Apps" for any game. Or somehow for that Weblink to be able to be entered into the "game details" and selectable in BigBox.

Well he asks for one or the other one is already possible as per Jason's reply the other is not currently possible

[maikolik]

Hi guys, great job! For me, the best front-end to manage emulators and roms, this only needs a bezel for emulators like pcsx2 or any other that does not use retroarch libretro, with this it is no longer necessary to use rocket launcher.

cheers...

Edited April 23, 2019 by maikolik
bad word

[eatkinola]

47 minutes ago, maikolik said:

...this only needs a bezel for emulators like pcsx2 or any other that does not use retroarch libretro, with this it is no longer necessary to use rocket launcher.

There's a plug-in for that. If you're interested or have questions please see and reply in this thread:

 

[Jason Carr]

Beta 5 is out now with the very beginnings of the pause screens. At this point it's really just a proof of concept, but simply getting the pause screen showing and hiding properly is the hardest part of this endeavor. Some important notes:

• The screen that is displayed currently is really just a placeholder that was carried over from the startup screens. I haven't yet put any work into what happens or what is available on the pause screen itself.
• In Big Box, there are several options for ways to pause and show the pause screens:
  • Options > Keyboard Mappings > Show Pause Screen
  • Options > Keyboard Automation > Show Pause Screen
  • Options > Controller Automation > Show Pause Screen
• If you bind a key to Show Pause Screen in Keyboard Mappings (without automation), then that key will of course no longer work for anything else while you're in games, so it's recommended not to bind a key that is regularly used.
• In LaunchBox, currently the only way to show the pause screen is by using controller automation. There's a new option for Show Pause Screen in that section of the Options window. Other methods will be coming for LaunchBox.
• I've primarily tested with Retroarch and MAME. It seems to work fairly well with both, but I still see an issue or two every once in a while. If you're testing with this beta, be prepared to potentially have to force close things, or even worse, force log out or reboot. Sometimes you won't have a mouse or just get a black screen if things go awry.

I am interested in test results for various emulators, so do let me know what emulators are working and what emulators aren't in your setups. Pause screens are proving to be even more difficult than startup and shutdown screens were, but I do believe that we can pull it off.

[GreenGriffon]

Nice work, thank you good sir.

I'll be testing after tomorrow. Tomorrow evening I get to go to the Marvel premiere of Avengers Endgame

[Charco]

Nice! I am going Thursday

[RULLUR]

Mortal Kombat 11 & a New LaunchBox Beta in the same day? NICE! Thanks @Jason Carr

[kmoney]

The proof of concept for the Pause screens is working fine for me thus far. I have only tried with Retroarch and MAME. Looking forward to seeing the progression!

[ed20910]

@Jason CarrSo far so good. Have tested with Mame, Retroarch (stella core), Dolphin, and Demul.  Can confirm pause screens do not play nicely with rocket launcher.  I figured they wouldn't since the startup/shutdown screens did not, but tested anyway.  Observations, all using Big Box:

MAME with arcade rom-pause loads fine but when unpaused, there is a 2-5 second time where you can see the MAME window trying to reload.  Game loads fine after this delay but takes away from the "immersion"

MAME with intellivision rom-delay that is there with an arcade rom is almost unnoticeable.  maybe half second delay of seeing the MAME window in the background. game returns to normal

Demul-running Atomiswave-launched game in full screen mode, pause works but when unpaused, game goes to windowed mode instead of back to full screen

Dolphin-no issues

Retroarch-no issues

I did run into issues that after using the pause menu a few times, it would require me to shut BB down to get the pause key to work again.  once i had to reboot the whole pc.

 

 

 

[Retro808]

RA and Mame working well.

Super Model 2 and Dolphin seem to have issues every so many times you go in an out of pause. For both I get returned to either a black screen or frozen image screen but can hear audio in the back.

Super Model 3 so far has worked fine. I have not seen the issue like in Model 2 and Dolphin.

[wallmachine]

Pause feature not working with launcher Game Loader not sure if In need to do anything else for it to pause

Notes:
- In LaunchBox have an option to not select an Emulator for these types of games as not required
- In LaunchBox have an option for a empty Value: in the Bulk Edit Wizard for the Emulator drop-down list
- In LaunchBox after using the Bulk Edit Wizard all games were stuck on selecting all and I had to go out of the platform then back in
- In BigBox pressing my 'pause' button F4 nothing happens
- In BigBox when ESC the game you can see briefly it screws with the theme then it reverts (probably because it rotated the orientation of the display)
- In BigBox when entering the game you can see the theme briefly hiding behind the fade
- In BigBox the startup screen fills half the screen then expands fully
- In BigBox the startup screen rotates its orientation if the game automatically rotated
 

 

Minimum Startup/Shutdown Screen Display Time: 1 Second

 

Minimum Startup/Shutdown Screen Display Time: 5 Seconds

 

Edited April 24, 2019 by wallmachine

[TheNewClassics]

Tried a couple emulators. My results were as follows:

MAME -> tried both controller automation and keyboard automation. The Pause screen comes up instantly when pressed. However, when exiting the Pause screen, there is an audio loop and stutter for around 5-7 seconds, and then MAME reloads. Also, when exiting MAME back to BB sometime after using the Pause feature, MAME will just exit to a black screen. It seems like it doesn't load something properly after the Pause screen is used.

RA --> works well. Able to go in and out of Pause screen without issue, and also able to exit with automation without any issues.

Dolphin --> loads Pause screen appropriately, however I have the same issue as I did with MAME when exiting the emulator back to BB. It just exits to a black screen, and I need to alt-tab over to the Launchbox Startup Screen for it to properly exit.

Cemu --> works well, no issues.

Mupen64plus --> works well, no issues. 

PCSX2 --> works well, no issues. 

Xenia --> works well, no issues.

Yuzu --> did not load the Pause screen properly, just hung. Had to restart my PC because I couldn't close out the Pause Screen process and everything hung. 

RPCS3 --> same issue as Yuzu.

Cxbx-Reloaded --> the Pause screen does load; however, you can hear the emulator audio in the background, and the controls still seem to be controlling the emulator.

I did not try Citra, but as it's very similar to Yuzu in many ways, I anticipate it will have the same problem. 

 

Definitely a big step. Thanks for a huge addition, can't wait to see it fleshed out.

Edited April 24, 2019 by TheNewClassics

[bundangdon]

11 hours ago, Jason Carr said:

Beta 5 is out now with the very beginnings of the pause screens. At this point it's really just a proof of concept, but simply getting the pause screen showing and hiding properly is the hardest part of this endeavor. Some important notes:

Great work! You're getting one step closer to making RocketLauncher become completely redundant, which is certainly a good thing For what it's worth, RocketLauncher is a very fine addition to LaunchBox but its lack of updates and some other nuances such as the need for modules make it somewhat frustrating. I tried out the new pause feature with retroarch and mame, and so far everything seems pretty good!