11.3-beta-1 Released

[Retro808]

11 hours ago, Android16 said:

xmlns:coverFlow="clr-namespace:Unbroken.LaunchBox.Windows.Controls.CoverFlow;assembly=Unbroken.LaunchBox.Windows"
             xmlns:gif="clr-namespace:WpfAnimatedGif;assembly=Unbroken.LaunchBox.Windows"  
           
             xmlns:wpf="clr-namespace:Unbroken.LaunchBox.Wpf;assembly=Unbroken.LaunchBox.Wpf"
             xmlns:controls="clr-namespace:Unbroken.LaunchBox.Wpf.Controls;assembly=Unbroken.LaunchBox.Wpf"
           
             xmlns:wpf1="clr-namespace:Unbroken.LaunchBox.Windows;assembly=Unbroken.LaunchBox.Windows"
             xmlns:controls1="clr-namespace:Unbroken.LaunchBox.Windows.Controls;assembly=Unbroken.LaunchBox.Windows"

 

All of these have squiggly lines underlining them giving not found errors in xaml in default theme.

All controls under ao.bigbox.themer by eatkinola are saying does not exist in the namespace.

The above error happens when bb is starting up.

Default scrollable textblock control is also erroring out.

Under the default theme, alot of references are erroring out in visual studio which consist of bigbox, launchbox, unbroken, unbroken.launchbox, unbroke.launchbox.plugins, and unbroken.launchbox.windows.

 

grila's controls in his plugin are erroring out too. not in namespace.

No theme seems to be displaying correctly in vs2019. Usually if it's a plugin, it will actually say which in the error code.

Everything above 11.1 doesn't work for me (bigbox).

This is not anything new. This has occurred for quite a while in VS2017 and VS2019. Those errors can usually be corrected by fixing the broken/missing referrences. Just tested again and the Default theme would error. You can see the errors in the references. Correct for the missing .dll and the theme displays.

[Jason Carr]

Beta 4 is out now, with the goal of fixing as many theme-related issues as possible. For example, the Colorful theme should work properly now, and startup and pause themes should work as well (but there may be some outliers still).

There are still things in this thread that need addressed, but please let me know if you run into any theme-specific issues with this beta (and what theme it is as well as the error). Thanks again all!

 

[krofftsuperstar]

Having the "to run this application, you must install .Net Core." problem. I've tried several times to download the x86, x64 versions of .NET Core 3.1 and a few other variations (SDK, etc.) with no success: Whether I'm trying to launch LaunchBox or BigBox, I always get the same message that I must install .Net Core." Should I downgrade to the 11.2 beta, which ran great? Or hold out for a fix?  Thanks! 

[Retro808]

19 minutes ago, Jason Carr said:

Beta 4 is out now, with the goal of fixing as many theme-related issues as possible. For example, the Colorful theme should work properly now, and startup and pause themes should work as well (but there may be some outliers still).

There are still things in this thread that need addressed, but please let me know if you run into any theme-specific issues with this beta (and what theme it is as well as the error). Thanks again all!

 

So far with new beta no more issues with theme's and custom images if the folder is located within the theme's older structure.

Still have issues if the custom folder resides outside of a theme's folder. You did say some outliers remain, but I just wanted to mention.

[Jason Carr]

18 minutes ago, krofftsuperstar said:

Having the "to run this application, you must install .Net Core." problem. I've tried several times to download the x86, x64 versions of .NET Core 3.1 and a few other variations (SDK, etc.) with no success: Whether I'm trying to launch LaunchBox or BigBox, I always get the same message that I must install .Net Core." Should I downgrade to the 11.2 beta, which ran great? Or hold out for a fix?  Thanks! 

That's interesting. I assume the setup process does not prompt you to install .NET Core? I've seen this issue before, but only when files are missing from the LaunchBox\Core folder. Have you tried installing beta 4 to a new folder, separate from your current LaunchBox install?

10 minutes ago, Retro808 said:

So far with new beta no more issues with theme's and custom images if the folder is located within the theme's older structure.

Still have issues if the custom folder resides outside of a theme's folder. You did say some outliers remain, but I just wanted to mention.

Can you give me an example of a theme that does this? Themes that use a custom folder outside of the theme's folder unfortunately may need tweaked/upgraded for the new version when it comes out.

 

[Retro808]

8 minutes ago, Jason Carr said:

Can you give me an example of a theme that does this? Themes that use a custom folder outside of the theme's folder unfortunately may need tweaked/upgraded for the new version when it comes out.

For example my Startups and Pause theme's as well as a custom marquee xaml I use a custom folder stored in the main \Launchbox\Images folder so I do not have to have multiple copies of those images in each theme. I just point the theme xaml or marquee xaml to a custom folder in the Launchbox Image folders. Below is the code used for marquee images similar to what I do for game controls:

        <TextBlock x:Name="MarqueeStatic"  Visibility="Collapsed">
            <TextBlock.Text>
                <MultiBinding StringFormat="{}pack://siteoforigin:,,,/Images/Marquees/Platforms/{0}.png">
                    <Binding Path="SelectedGame.Platform" />
                </MultiBinding>
            </TextBlock.Text>
        </TextBlock>

 

[krofftsuperstar]

7 minutes ago, Jason Carr said:

That's interesting. I assume the setup process does not prompt you to install .NET Core? I've seen this issue before, but only when files are missing from the LaunchBox\Core folder. Have you tried installing beta 4 to a new folder, separate from your current LaunchBox install?

I have not but will give it a go. It'll have to be this evening but I'll let you know how it goes. THANKS!

 

[neil9000]

 

6 minutes ago, Jason Carr said:

That's interesting. I assume the setup process does not prompt you to install .NET Core? I've seen this issue before, but only when files are missing from the LaunchBox\Core folder. Have you tried installing beta 4 to a new folder, separate from your current LaunchBox install?

If i recall, when i installed the latest beta (11.1 it prompted me to download something called .net core) thats fine, i did. I will say though, there was like four different things on the linked page. How many clicked the wrong one?

Anything that is absolutely needed for the app to work, should be included in the download/installer.

I understand that you want to keep the install as small as you can Jason, but maybe either have better instructions, or just include the needed files.

[krofftsuperstar]

9 minutes ago, Jason Carr said:

That's interesting. I assume the setup process does not prompt you to install .NET Core? I've seen this issue before, but only when files are missing from the LaunchBox\Core folder. Have you tried installing beta 4 to a new folder, separate from your current LaunchBox install?

Can you give me an example of a theme that does this? Themes that use a custom folder outside of the theme's folder unfortunately may need tweaked/upgraded for the new version when it comes out.

 

I'm running a strange hybrid: Neon Deluxe Arcade Final 12hr as my "main theme," and also for arcade and its many subcategories (Daphne, trackball, etc.). I'm using Unified Redux as the theme for most platforms (consoles, computers, handhelds). And Unified Refried for pinball. I've modified most of the themes for my arcade cabinet (images, mainly). But I'm running all of these themes as each theme; in other words, I don't have everything bundled in a custom folder.

And while I'm on the topic of themes, I have a small-ish collection of BigBox themes I can directly import to BigBox through BigBox and NOT through a manual download from the forum. Those themes I do import (download and install) from the forum, like Neon Deluxe Arcade, don't have a view option and, therefore, I can't use them on a per-platform basis. So Neon Deluxe HAS to be my main theme (not that I don't want it to be) because I cannot set it to a single platform, say, arcade. Is this the way it's supposed to be, or I am not doing something the way it needs to be done. Just wonderin'. THANKS.

 

 

[GreenGriffon]

3 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

 

If i recall, when i installed the latest beta (11.1 it prompted me to download something called .net core) thats fine, i did. I will say though, there was like four different things on the linked page. How many clicked the wrong one?

Anything that is absolutely needed for the app to work, should be included in the download/installer.

I understand that you want to keep the install as small as you can Jason, but maybe either have better instructions, or just include the needed files.

I'm going to have to agree with neil9000 on this one. I'm a tech professional, and it still wasn't apparent to me which .Net package on the page I needed to install.

The LB application should install whatever is needed for the user.

[krofftsuperstar]

6 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

 

If i recall, when i installed the latest beta (11.1 it prompted me to download something called .net core) thats fine, i did. I will say though, there was like four different things on the linked page. How many clicked the wrong one?

Anything that is absolutely needed for the app to work, should be included in the download/installer.

I understand that you want to keep the install as small as you can Jason, but maybe either have better instructions, or just include the needed files.

That's exactly it for me! It was working fine through Betas 1 and 2, and then it stopped. Now Im wondering if I installed the wrong core. 

 

[Jason Carr]

6 minutes ago, Retro808 said:

For example my Startups and Pause theme's as well as a custom marquee xaml I use a custom folder stored in the main \Launchbox\Images folder so I do not have to have multiple copies of those images in each theme. I just point the theme xaml or marquee xaml to a custom folder in the Launchbox Image folders. Below is the code used for marquee images similar to what I do for game controls:

        <TextBlock x:Name="MarqueeStatic"  Visibility="Collapsed">
            <TextBlock.Text>
                <MultiBinding StringFormat="{}pack://siteoforigin:,,,/Images/Marquees/Platforms/{0}.png">
                    <Binding Path="SelectedGame.Platform" />
                </MultiBinding>
            </TextBlock.Text>
        </TextBlock>

 

The problem with this code is that siteoforigin unfortunately now refers to the LaunchBox\Core folder, so it no longer works properly. However, I believe if you replace "pack://siteoforigin:,,," with "LAUNCHBOX_ROOT_FOLDER", it should work. Any themes that do this will most likely need changed/upgraded for 11.3, but I don't think it's a very common thing for themes to do.

[Jason Carr]

9 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

 

If i recall, when i installed the latest beta (11.1 it prompted me to download something called .net core) thats fine, i did. I will say though, there was like four different things on the linked page. How many clicked the wrong one?

Anything that is absolutely needed for the app to work, should be included in the download/installer.

I understand that you want to keep the install as small as you can Jason, but maybe either have better instructions, or just include the needed files.

It already is included.

[Jason Carr]

5 minutes ago, GreenGriffon said:

I'm going to have to agree with neil9000 on this one. I'm a tech professional, and it still wasn't apparent to me which .Net package on the page I needed to install.

The LB application should install whatever is needed for the user.

It already does. The new setups prompt you to download and install .NET Core if it's not installed. I would not release an official version with missing dependencies.

[Jason Carr]

5 minutes ago, krofftsuperstar said:

That's exactly it for me! It was working fine through Betas 1 and 2, and then it stopped. Now Im wondering if I installed the wrong core. 

 

If the setup isn't prompting you to install .NET Core, then I would think you have it installed correctly, unless something got oddly corrupted.

[Jason Carr]

9 minutes ago, krofftsuperstar said:

I'm running a strange hybrid: Neon Deluxe Arcade Final 12hr as my "main theme," and also for arcade and its many subcategories (Daphne, trackball, etc.). I'm using Unified Redux as the theme for most platforms (consoles, computers, handhelds). And Unified Refried for pinball. I've modified most of the themes for my arcade cabinet (images, mainly). But I'm running all of these themes as each theme; in other words, I don't have everything bundled in a custom folder.

And while I'm on the topic of themes, I have a small-ish collection of BigBox themes I can directly import to BigBox through BigBox and NOT through a manual download from the forum. Those themes I do import (download and install) from the forum, like Neon Deluxe Arcade, don't have a view option and, therefore, I can't use them on a per-platform basis. So Neon Deluxe HAS to be my main theme (not that I don't want it to be) because I cannot set it to a single platform, say, arcade. Is this the way it's supposed to be, or I am not doing something the way it needs to be done. Just wonderin'. THANKS.

You can create button or key bindings to Switch View and/or Switch Theme which will allow you to switch the view and theme regardless.

[Retro808]

7 minutes ago, Jason Carr said:

The problem with this code is that siteoforigin unfortunately now refers to the LaunchBox\Core folder, so it no longer works properly. However, I believe if you replace "pack://siteoforigin:,,," with "LAUNCHBOX_ROOT_FOLDER", it should work. Any themes that do this will most likely need changed/upgraded for 11.3, but I don't think it's a very common thing for themes to do.

Ah like we would do with custom Fonts also.

Just tested one theme and it works perfect. Thanks Jason now time to update the rest of the files with the LAUNCHBOX_ROOT_FOLDER change.

[neil9000]

11 minutes ago, Jason Carr said:

It already is included.

OK, since when?

 

[Jason Carr]

4 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

OK, since when?

Beta 2 I believe.

[neil9000]

10 minutes ago, Jason Carr said:

Beta 2 I believe.

OK.