Is premium for me? Issues so far in free version

[lovemehate]

So I spent days setting up Retrobat, and found out its a hot mess adding my windows games, Mugen ect ect. ran into Launchbox , and I want to buy the bigbox mode, but I can't really find a lot of options that where easily accessible in retrobat, like: easy changing emulators for each game. (LB asks me each time to pick 1 emulator, so what if a game wont run on one, and better on another?) not to mention I have to find/install each emulator myself? (This was already set up in Retrobat).

It's fine, but I don't want to spend money on something that won't do what something free can do. 

also when importing whole folders? I adds all the videos, text files, and other crap that I don't want to see in the game list and I see no way to clean that up. 

if anyone can help clear this up for me, I'd be great as I'd love to finish a front end for all my Retro games, Pc games, Media (if possible) openBor, Mugen, windows apps like Netflix, hulu, netflix.

[Lordmonkus]

53 minutes ago, lovemehate said:

like: easy changing emulators for each game

This is easily done in LB, just edit the game and change the emulator for it.

53 minutes ago, lovemehate said:

not to mention I have to find/install each emulator myself? (This was already set up in Retrobat).

Well yeah, Retrobat is based off EmulationStation which is built off of Libretro and it's limited to the systems it emulates. You have far more emulator flexibility with emulator choices in LB. Also, LB now has an option to download and install Retroarch and all of its cores for you.

55 minutes ago, lovemehate said:

also when importing whole folders? I adds all the videos, text files, and other crap that I don't want to see in the game list and I see no way to clean that up.

Just import the file types you want to import, you don't want to just scan your folder, especially if you have all that extra crap in them instead of roms.

21 minutes ago, lovemehate said:

not to mention when importing the folders of roms? It adds all kinds of crap you don't need, then? It won't even scrap all the games, yet it did it perfectly in retrobat. Is there no way to add scrapers like screen scraper? So far this is much harder to use and they want money, there has to be something am missing.

Am trying to add all my dreamcast games, and it scraps the wrong file? when I try to play the one it scrapped it opens up the emulator, yet the other files in the list that are not scrapped start the game?

This makes no sense

As I said above, import the files you need to import, the emulators only run 1 file. For example if you import a CD based system game such as Sega CD or Playstation chances are your games are in cue + bin format (often multiple bin files) all you want to import is the cue file. This is why your Dreamcast games are trying to launch the incorrect file and failing.

[lovemehate]

Thanks for the reply, I think am just burnt out on setting everything up.

Its hard to tell how accessible the bigbox is. Cause I had a hell of a time matching the right Mame emulator with roms to work. and I don't see how to easily change it.

[Lordmonkus]

For Mame it's best to have a full set that you know the version of it and match the Mame emulator version to it. Up to date Mame sets are easier than ever to get now too.

44 minutes ago, lovemehate said:

Its hard to tell how accessible the bigbox is.

Not exactly sure what you mean here, Launchbox is free and easy to see if it meets your needs. You set everything up in Launchbox, Bigbox is just the fancy controller driven UI meant for use on the couch with your TV or in a cabinet.

[lovemehate]

51 minutes ago, Lordmonkus said:

For Mame it's best to have a full set that you know the version of it and match the Mame emulator version to it. Up to date Mame sets are easier than ever to get now too.

Not exactly sure what you mean here, Launchbox is free and easy to see if it meets your needs. You set everything up in Launchbox, Bigbox is just the fancy controller driven UI meant for use on the couch with your TV or in a cabinet.

Well I only have the free version, So far its been a mess changing any settings, In fact I have no idea how to make any game look decent cause there is no one button pull graphic options like there is in retrobat,

I would hope that option is in BigBox and its not free so I have no idea what its like.

[Retro808]

3 hours ago, lovemehate said:

Well I only have the free version, So far its been a mess changing any settings, In fact I have no idea how to make any game look decent cause there is no one button pull graphic options like there is in retrobat,

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Media wise it is pretty easy to get what you need.

1. During new import of roms the Import Wizard has screens that pop-up to allow you to pick and choose media you want to download from the LB database. If you have LB license and EmuMovies there are screens for downloading directly from them as well in the import wizard. 

2. After import you can always re-scrape media by selecting a single game or multiple games and using the Media/Metadata importer. After you selected the games simply poit your mouse to >Tools >Download >Update Media and Metadata for Selected Games.

BigBox uses all media you downloaded from setting up games in LB. BB comes with a Default theme, but if you want different looks you have to download different themes. There are a selection made available to download directly inside the BB UI or you can download more options from the forums.

[neil9000]

3 hours ago, lovemehate said:

Well I only have the free version, So far its been a mess changing any settings, In fact I have no idea how to make any game look decent cause there is no one button pull graphic options like there is in retrobat,

I would hope that option is in BigBox and its not free so I have no idea what its like.

Launchbox has its own database and scraper, it will pull images and metadata when you import your roms, as long as you correctly name the platform (or set the correct "scrape as" if using a non standard system name) and your roms are not horrendously named. You can also add that metadata and artwork after the fact anytime you like by going to tools/download/update metadata/media to update every game in your library.

Or just highlight all games in a platform with CTRL-A and heading to the same tools/downloads/update metadata and media for selected games wizard to just search and grab metadata and images for that system.

As for individual games, simply right click the game and head to edit/edit metadata/media, there are various functions here including changing the emulator like you previously asked about, as well as a media download section.

The emulation tab in this menu is where you can change the emulator.

The design ethos's of Launchbox is ease of use and flexibility which is does very well, but you are coming from retrobat, which like all the systems setup based from emulationstation like batocera, recalbox etc, those are actually completely setup for you, and because of that, quite restrictive in what you can change. Launchbox is fully customizable, and to be honest is a Windows desktop program, so is going to be very different to the locked down controller driven frontends you are used too. I'm not knocking those frontends either, i personally also have a mini PC setup with batocera, and i think it's great for what it is, but Launchbox is far far more flexible.

 

 

[Knowcontrol]

Here is a link to the Unbroken Software YouTube channel playlist (153 videos) for Launchbox tutorials:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6pTDaHeAz-WMcNURVPU-1xLN_TVpT3FB

BigBox custom theme tutorials:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6pTDaHeAz-X8yNgOD3DPxUf1gaB2FLzb

 

[Lordmonkus]

7 hours ago, lovemehate said:

In fact I have no idea how to make any game look decent cause there is no one button pull graphic options like there is in retrobat,

I would hope that option is in BigBox and its not free so I have no idea what its like.

LB / BB has nothing to do with your emulator settings, you set all of those settings in the emulator itself.

[lovemehate]

thanks for all the help so far am checking all the replies out now, so far my biggest issue is just setting up every single emulator again. Mainly ps1 , cause am used to the front end of retrobat, where i can just open a menu and change it there, all emulators for the same rom, or settings

15 hours ago, Lordmonkus said:

For Mame it's best to have a full set that you know the version of it and match the Mame emulator version to it. Up to date Mame sets are easier than ever to get now too.

Not exactly sure what you mean here, Launchbox is free and easy to see if it meets your needs. You set everything up in Launchbox, Bigbox is just the fancy controller driven UI meant for use on the couch with your TV or in a cabinet.

Well I only have the free version, So far its been a mess changing any settings, In fact I have no idea how to make any game look decent cause there is no one button pull graphic options like there is in retrobat,

I would hope that option is in BigBox and its not free so I have no idea what its like.

[Lordmonkus]

The option is not a part of LB or BB, it's in the emulators but if you use Retroarch you can set up all the options and settings you like and change them as necessary using the built in Quick Menu which functions much like how Retrobat would.

LB / BB does not control or setup emulators, it just uses them to launch your games, you have to set up your emulators outside of LB / BB.

Not sure how many more times I need to say it.