Retroarch wont load in launchbox

[sundogak]

The start and pause screens are in the tabs in edit platform.  Well, nothing sticks out as incorrect.  Since you said it works in RA outside LB, it is odd LB having issues.  Other than trying another PSX core (like the HW version) or another game (something with CUE, but that doesn't make sense if works outside LB). The other thing to try is to install a second "from scratch" Retroarch emulator in LB (Call it something like Retroarch Test) and see if something we cannot see (errant character in a name or something).  You don't do anything to your working Retroarch emulator in LB, you leave that as well as your RA install outside LB.  You just add another instance of Retroarch in LB and link to same exe and only point to the Sony PSX core. You can have multiple emulators for the same platform, when you right click a game you can select which emulator to run (or pick one as default). Then try running it with the "Retroarch Test" emulator and see if same problems. You could delete the main one in LB, but looks like you got quite a few things setup there so don't want to mess with that too much.  Sort of out of ideas from my end after that, sorry to say. 

Edited April 16, 2020 by sundogak

[cjbeames]

On 4/16/2020 at 6:36 PM, fromlostdays said:

Also make sure you're importing the cue files, not the Bin/Iso files. 

What are 'cue' files and where am I supposed to import them to? 

[sundogak]

CUE files are text files that are basically index pointers or maps of all the files imaged from the CD and tell the emulator how to run it.  Some CDs may only have one "binary" file so the CUE will only list that one file.  Others may have many files. Ultimately, the CUE file is what you "load" in LB since that tells the emulator how to launch the game and how the other files inter-relate. Basically, you treat the CUE files at the "ROM" from a LB view.  

A snip out of  CUE for a Sony PS1 game called Air Combat (which has 63 tracks or entries):

FILE "Air Combat (USA) (Track 01).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 01 MODE2/2352
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
FILE "Air Combat (USA) (Track 02).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 02 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Air Combat (USA) (Track 03).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 03 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00

The key thing is the CUE FILE entry must have the same name as what is in the folder for that game.  If for example the CUE and the binary files were obtained from different sources and/or someone went and renamed the binary files from what is in the CUE, the game won't launch. 

So in the above example, the game is going to look for a file in track one called and it will need to be in the same folder as the CUE file:

Air Combat (USA) (Track 01).bin

If the CUE is not correct file reference, the Binary got renamed (Say to "Air Combat Track 01"), or the CUE is not in folder with the other files, then the emulator won't know what to do and will not run the game. 

Assuming you have matched CUE and binary files then in LB you simply import the CUE files only (do not import binaries individually).  You do that by going to:

• Tools
• Import ROMs
• Next button
• Add Files
• Go to the platform folder with the games for that (say Sony PS1) and typically with games in their own folders (or it will be a mess)
• type in *.cue which will tell LB to find all files with a "CUE" in the extension.  Hit next and it will find them. 
• At some point you can check a box to use the file folder for the game name or the CUE file, depends on how your files are named on which you choose. 
• At last screen look at what LB is trying to import and make sure the names make sense. If not, go back and check settings.

[cjbeames]

16 hours ago, sundogak said:

CUE files are text files that are ...

I appreciate your detailed reply. Perhaps I should make more clear what my specific situation is since my ROMs won't have CUE files if they pertain only to CDs and the PSone.

Retroarch loads fine directly, as does the ROM I would like to play.

Launchbox loads nothing. Not even a blank screen.  

I've downloaded the core via Retroarch, I've even tried using the link within the emulator setup for Retroarch via Launchbox.  

My ROM is a Genesis game, which also works fine directly through Retroarch.

[neil9000]

19 minutes ago, cjbeames said:

I appreciate your detailed reply. Perhaps I should make more clear what my specific situation is since my ROMs won't have CUE files if they pertain only to CDs and the PSone.

Retroarch loads fine directly, as does the ROM I would like to play.

Launchbox loads nothing. Not even a blank screen.  

I've downloaded the core via Retroarch, I've even tried using the link within the emulator setup for Retroarch via Launchbox.  

My ROM is a Genesis game, which also works fine directly through Retroarch.

Have you told Launchbox which core to use in Tools/Manage Emulators/Retroarch/Associated platforms tab?

[cjbeames]

On 4/21/2020 at 11:45 AM, neil9000 said:

Have you told Launchbox which core to use in Tools/Manage Emulators/Retroarch/Associated platforms tab?

Yes?