How does LaunchBox decide what media to use?

[SkyHighGam3r]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the file/folder structure here. Let me give you an example.

In my PlayStation list I have a game titled "1Xtreme". media download during import found everything without issue and downloaded what I needed.
Now, in the display list it is showing the Boxart with it's original release art - that is to say, the tall box with the title "ESPN Xtreme Games".
I would like it to display the revised art, a CD box with the title "1Xtreme" instead.

I right-clicked on the game and went to "view images" which took me to the LaunchBox media folders, and immediately I see "1Xtreme-01.png". This is the exact file I want to show over the game.
In a folder titled "North America" is "1Xtreme-01.jpg" which is the box-art being used that I don't want.

Now, I'm confused on a couple things here, as looking through the folders there are numerous games with several flat 2D Boxart images. Many .jpg, many .png. Many of them showup in that base media "Box - Front" folder, as well as again in region based folders. I'm very much used to HyperSpin, where my setup was 1 boxart with a matching name - and nothing else.

Maybe I'm using the downloader incorrectly, but is there a way to consolidate this media so I only have 1 version of each box-front image?
How do I tell LaunchBox, for each individual game, which box-front image I want it to use? There are tons of games using that god awful "greatest hits" label stuff, even though the regular art is available instead.

I'm playing around in the software, but I'm not seeing a place where I can use "Use this as default" or anything along those lines.

I appreciate any information you guys can give me, as I'm scratching my head while poking around.
 

[CriticalCid]

You should take a look at this thread to get a basic undestanding of valid file names within LaunchBox.

Besides that you should check the Region Priorities and Image Priorities in the LaunchBox options, you can find them in the Legacy section.

LaunchBox always downloads all media the database has for each game and shows them in order of your priorities. If multiple images fit the same criteria than LB will randomly cycle through them everytime you refresh the image cache, all other images which are ranked lower in your priorities will be ignored.

For example:

- In your LB settings you have set 'North America' at top of your region priorities and 'Box - Front' at the top of your Box Front Images priorites.

- As media you have in your 'Box - Front' folder two other folders with images, 'North America' and 'Europe'. In 'North America' you have the normal and greatest hits covers and in 'Europe' the PAL cover.

- Additionally you have another cover in your 'Fanart - Box - Front' folder.

In this case LB will only consider the two images in the 'Box - Front\North America' folder as covers and randomly decide which one of them both it will use. Unfortunately I'm not sure how LB prioritzes images that are not in any region folders, that's something you'll need to test.

Anyway, in case you never want the greatest hits cover to show up you have to manually delete it or move it into another folder.

 

The good news is: You can also use your media from HyperSpin as long as it's in .png or .jpg file format. Just copy your files into the right folders inside LB and you're good to go. What the right folders are is completely up to you based on your image priorites settings. You may also want to deselect the image types on your games imports for which you already have the media for. Or just delete the images inside the folders if you already have imported everything.

[Zombeaver]

10 minutes ago, CriticalCid said:

Unfortunately I'm not sure how LB prioritzes images that are not in any region folders, that's something you'll need to test.

It's randomized other than screenshots, which are displayed in numerical order. If you have multiple covers that are all just in Box - Front, it'll pick one at random on LB start or cache refresh.

[CriticalCid]

I know. I just wasn't sure if it will prioritize them over your region priorities if you also have images in the region folders.

[SkyHighGam3r]

4 hours ago, CriticalCid said:

The good news is: You can also use your media from HyperSpin

Your entire response was extremely helpful, thank you.
This, more than anything though, saved me so much time and work.
The fact I can, quite literally, have it both ways was enough to make me buy premium.
That's just amazing.

Thank you!