JoeViking245 Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 GameBase database Importer View File GameBase database Importer Import games and metadata from GameBase database file(s) into LaunchBox. Based on information in your GameBase database file(s), this plugin will: Create a new Platform Add games to the new Platform Add game “Extras” as Additional Applications Add available information to each game: Metadata Title Release Date Genre Developer Play Mode Max Players Platform Publisher Favorite (check box) Media Game Manual Path Image Game Screenshot Launching Full Application Path to files If you’re not familiar with GameBase, you can check it out here: https://www.bu22.com Also check out their forums for more complete and updated databases. Installing the plugin Download the plugin Unblock “ImportGameBase.zip” by right clicking the file and checking “Unblock” and clicking “OK” Open the zip file and copy the folder (containing 3 files) into /LaunchBox/Plugins/ (For those who braved testing the beta release, delete that copy of the plugin first.) Using the plugin* Start LaunchBox Select Tools, Import GameBase Click Browse and navigate to your GameBase database folder and select the database file (i.e. “Amstrad CPC.mdb”) Click Convert to xml (may take a couple seconds) (Optional) rename the Platform to be added (Optional, but recommended) Select an emulator to use with the games being imported** Click Import to LB Once you’ve clicked Import, you’re stuck until it’s done importing! This will 1st import the games and Extras into the Platform then copy Screenshot images (if they exist) When importing, DO NOT attempt to multi-task in LaunchBox!! Just sit back and let it do its thing. Once it’s done, close the plugin window. * If you plan to use an emulator already setup in GameBase, setup the “GBLaunch” emulator in LaunchBox BEFORE running the plugin. (See Using GameBase Emulators below). Some kind of important stuff: You need to have your own GameBase database file(s), ROMs, images and manuals. You need to have your databases setup in GameBase BEFORE attempting to import. Namely setting up the Paths to the ROMs, Screenshots and Extras. To make use of the emulators through GameBase, those need to be already setup AND working. You can only import into a new Platform. The Platform will not be setup to “Scrape As...”, so you’ll need to set that yourself for when you use LaunchBox to import images***. If a database you plan to import into LaunchBox doesn’t work in GameBase, it WILL NOT magically work in LaunchBox. No files will be moved, copied (except Screenshots***) or altered in your existing GameBase installation folder(s). All games and Extras imported will point to their current location in your GameBase directory. **Setting up an emulator Since GameBase pretty much sets up the emulators for you through exhaustive scripts they’ve created, it makes sense to use those. This is easily done by using GBLauncher.exe (included with GameBase). However to access game ROMs that are located in game “Extras”, you’ll need to have GBLauncher2.exe. The other option is to setup and use your own emulator in LaunchBox. Example: RetroArch for SuperNESBase. Using GameBase Emulators You need to add 2 files to your GameBase root folder. GBLauncher2.exe and GBLaunch.ahk. Download and unzip GBLauncher2.exe and place it in your GameBase root folder. “Unblock” the file the same way as in step 2 - Installing the plugin. You can download it from here: http://www.gb64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5653. Copy (or move) GBLaunch.ahk (included with the plugin) into your GameBase root folder. In LaunchBox, 1. Click Tools, Manage, Emulators… 2. Click Add 3. Give it an Emulator Name: Example: GBLaunch (But can be any name you want) 4. In Application Path: Click Browse and navigate to /LaunchBox/ThirdParty/AutoHotkey/ and select AutoHotkey.exe 5. In Default Command-Line Parameters:, type in GBLaunch.ahk 6. Now go to Associated Platforms and select an existing Platform (i.e. Atari 2600). It doesn’t matter which one. But DO NOT check Default Emulator!! You can also just type in a name like “airplane”. It doesn’t matter, as long as something is in there. 7. Click OK to save and exit. When you run the plugin, check Use Existing Emulator. "GBLaunch" (or whatever you ended up naming it in step #3) will automatically be selected. Using your own Emulator(s) These do not necessarily need to be setup in LaunchBox prior to importing. If using emulators you already have setup in LaunchBox, in the plugin, check Use Existing Emulator and select it from the dropdown list. This will automatically assign the Associated Platform to that emulator and set it as the Default Emulator for this platform. In either case, you may need to edit the emulator and assign any Default Command-Line Parameters: and in the case of RetroArch, you will need to assign the Core and Extra Command-Line Parameters (if needed). ***GameBase Images The only game images this plugin will touch are game Screenshots. The available Screenshots will be copied into the Platforms’ "Screenshot - Gameplay" folder. Any other images (box art, flyers etc.) that a database may have will not be handled by this plugin in any way, shape or form. These other images are stored too inconsistently among the various databases with respect to the folders they reside in. To add other images from the database into LaunchBox, you’ll need to copy them from the respective database folder to the corresponding LaunchBox/Images folder. For example, Box – Front images (as LaunchBox sees them) would come from: Vic20_v03 \Extras\Cover\Cart Box\Front\ Amiga 2.3 \Extras\Cover Scans\[letter or number]\ SuperNESBase \Extras\Boxart - Front\[country]\[letter or number]\ …and copied into /LaunchBox/Images/platform_name/Box – Front/ (It’s recommended you close LaunchBox prior to copying the images) Disclaimer I don’t use GameBase myself. I only know how to get the database to Import into LaunchBox. So that part I know works. 😎 If you need any help getting GameBase setup with databases and emulators they use, or setting up your own emulator(s) in LaunchBox for use with the database ROMs, ask somewhere else. These go far beyond the scope of this plugin and my personal knowledgebase. Only a select few databases have been tested. So I imagine some refinements will need to be made to accommodate other databases. Accommodations considered will be in the form of ROMs that are listed as a games “Extras”. Examples: Extras using “WHDLoad” in Amiga 2.3. And “TAP” and “Cart” in Vic20_v03. Special Thanks Huge thanks goes to @dillonm for all your time and patience. Dillon was instrumental in teaching me how GameBase works and without hesitation, took time to do testing, retesting and testing once again. Without Dillon’s guidance, contributions and willingness to help, this plugin would still be sitting in beta collecting dust. Thanks Dillon!! As always, any and all comments and suggestions are welcomed. All reasonable requests (‘reasonable’ as determined by management) will be considered. Submitter JoeViking245 Submitted 03/11/2022 Category Third-party Apps and Plugins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xevious1974 Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 Dear, When I saw this post first time I understood nothing about it. I didn't know anything about GameBase neither and so I passed on. But I am returned here and explored it a bit and...WOW it's amazing!! On Gamebase I have found all the crack intro, I love them! So I started immediatly to setup all. Now I have my gamebase running, I dont know how I have done...but I have done it! Anyway now I am on LB side and I am missing the GBLaunch.ahk file. I have downloaded the file you have pointed to, but it is not inside, only GBlauncher2. Ok, maybe I am doing some errors but can you help me please? Thank you in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeViking245 Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 17 minutes ago, xevious1974 said: Now I have my gamebase running, Then you're 2 steps ahead of me. lol 17 minutes ago, xevious1974 said: I am missing the GBLaunch.ahk file. At the very top of this page you'll see "View File". Click that. On the page that it takes you to, on the right you'll see "Download this File". Click it. Once you have that downloaded, follow the steps for: On 3/11/2022 at 7:39 AM, JoeViking245 said: Installing the plugin and after that.. On 3/11/2022 at 7:39 AM, JoeViking245 said: Using the plugin* But I strongly recommend that you read the ENTIRE post first, BEFORE continuing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xevious1974 Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 Thank you!!! What a blind! I have not seen the first line to download file...ahhaha....sorryyyyy Yes, I have already read all, but I'll read it again to be sure! Thank you again! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xevious1974 Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 (edited) Hi again! And sorry to bother you... I have prepared all but...where is the importGamebase in tools options? Thank you! Nuova immagine bitmap.bmp Nuova immagine bitmap (2).bmp Nuova immagine bitmap (3).bmp Edited March 17, 2022 by xevious1974 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeViking245 Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 39 minutes ago, xevious1974 said: where is the importGamebase in tools options? It would have shown at the bottom in your image #3. But it's not. Looks like the reason is you unzipped the folder (your image #2) into the ThirdParty folder. If you by chance missed step #2, you can right click on each of the 3 files (shown in your image #2) individually and select Properties and check UnBlock there (if it's not unblocked already). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xevious1974 Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 😭 why I have inserted there the tool? I have read your post 5 times trying to understand what I was doing!! I am very worried about myself! 🤣 Thank you again! You too kind! Excuse me for the stupid question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeViking245 Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 1 minute ago, xevious1974 said: why I have inserted there the too You did this with LaunchBox closed. Correct? And then restarted LaunchBox. If it's still not showing after you've UnBlocked the files placed the folder (with files) in your "E:\LaunchBox\Plugins\ImportGameBase\" folder and restarted LaunchBox Make sure you have Enable Debug Logs checked. (Tools, Options, Debugging) Exit, then restart LaunchBox. Wait for it to completely load. See if it appears in the Tools dropdown menu. If not, Exit LaunchBox, go to your "E:\LaunchBox\Logs\ folder and attach the most recent Debug,,,.log file, here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xevious1974 Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 Yes, I did it while closed. Now it appears. I'll try to launch it when I'll go dinner, so I am sure that I dont touch pc 🤣 Thank you very much! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xevious1974 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Hi again! I have imported a database. It shows correctly in my launchbox. Maybe I have made another mistake the importer has set another path dir to my rom. I have changed it with the LB tool and now it works but I dont know because it set to my C:/user/dontremember instead the original path I'd like to import another set (amiga cracktro) but I am not sure if I have to do something to correct that It has neither moved image, or if it has copied them...I dont know where, but in this case, maybe it depends on imported database (C64 intro crack) that has been divided in a lot of different dir and the plugin maybe go mad doing that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeViking245 Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 2 hours ago, xevious1974 said: it set to my C:/user/dontremember instead the original path The importer sets the path to where you told GameBase the Game files are located. These paths you set are stored in the "Paths.ini" file located in your database's folder. Example: Can you share what your "Paths.ini" file looks like for the database you're having issues with? 3 hours ago, xevious1974 said: It has neither moved image, or if it has copied them See above. On 3/11/2022 at 7:39 AM, JoeViking245 said: The only game images this plugin will touch are game Screenshots. The available Screenshots will be copied into the Platforms’ "Screenshot - Gameplay" folder. The plugin gets the Game screenshot's base-path from your "Paths.ini" file under the heading "[Pictures]". Example: It then looks in the database under each game for the Element called "ScrnshotFilename", which will hold the rest of the path to the Game screenshot. In Amiga 2.3, the Game "Nightdawn" (in my sample database) shows ScrnshotFilename to be "N\Nightdawn.png" When importing Nightdawn, the plugin will look to see if the file actually exists. For this example, it will look for E:\Emulate\GameBase\Amiga 2.3\Screenshots\N\Nightdawn.png (which is "[Pictures]" and "ScrnshotFilename" combined) . If it does exist, it will copy it to /LaunchBox/Images/Amiga 2.3/Screenshot - Gameplay/Nightdawn.png. If the file doesn't exist, it does nothing. If you don't have the database setup in GameBase and/or the "[Pictures]" heading in "Paths.ini" is incorrect or blank, the image will not be found and nothing will be copied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xevious1974 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Thank you again for your reply! 6 hours ago, JoeViking245 said: Can you share what your "Paths.ini" file looks like for the database you're having issues with? Here it is: --------------------------- [Games] 1=C:\ 2=E:\Emulatori\GameBase\IntroBase64 V02\Intros 3= [Pictures] 1=C:\ 2=E:\Emulatori\GameBase\IntroBase64 V02\Intros 3= [Extras] 1= [Misc] Music=e:\Emulatori\GameBase\IntroBase64 V02\Music ------------------------- Before using the GB importer I tested if all was working, so I had all the Path correctly set but how you can see I have let the default Path inserted. I think that the plugin takes only the first one, under the header, how you have specified. Next time I'll delete it. So I think it is the same for the pictures. How you see I have imported the introbase64 v02 I want to import Amiga_demobase_version 3.... I bet I'll have more problems. But I'll do it slowly 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeViking245 Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 24 minutes ago, xevious1974 said: I think that the plugin takes only the first one You are correct. It looks specifically for "1=" under [Games], [Pictures] and [Extras] (which IntroBase64 doesn't have any "Extras"). You'd never have your files in the root C drive, so I'd say remove those and renumber (in the ini file). OR.... if all works accordingly, in GameBase itself, remove the ones that point to C:\. But it's probably way easier to just edit the ini file. [Games] 1=E:\Emulatori\GameBase\IntroBase64 V02\Intros 2= [Pictures] 1=E:\Emulatori\GameBase\IntroBase64 V02\Intros 2= [Extras] 1= [Misc] Music=e:\Emulatori\GameBase\IntroBase64 V02\Music And from the ones I've seen, it seems to want to end with a blank entry. As in "2=" (or as you see under [Extras], "1="). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xevious1974 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 (edited) How I was telling you, I have corrected the path using LB tool BUT intros are divided in different dir, depending of the initial letter of filename (a,b,c...) and the plugin import metadata changing name, so the file 2Lc becomes Two live Crew and I have changed all the "path rom" with initial number pointing to dir with numbers....so I missed a lot of roms that have changed names due to metadata. Maybe I should delete all the entry from LB and then reimport all I'll not copy the images...I prefer to MOVE them to the right folder manually. Gamebase'll not read them, but I am interested in LB Edited March 22, 2022 by xevious1974 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foleyjo Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 Thanks for this one. I've just been importing my c64 gamebase but came across a problem. It copied the screenshots ok but the screenshots are linked to the gamename and as lots of games have the same name I just had the same screenshot repeated. Would it be possible for it to be made to rename the screenshot to the filename when it copies it across? I've been messing about trying to come up with a way to get the covers displayed by renaming the filenames. I created a query on the database to extract the image filename and the game filename of the game the cover is linked to with a filter on the extras table so it only showed covers. I extracted it to a csv and then made a bat file to auto rename the images to the same as the filename without the extension. This allows me to have the correct covers for the correct games . It still got some bugs that I'm trying to figure out 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeViking245 Posted April 4, 2022 Author Share Posted April 4, 2022 (edited) 13 hours ago, foleyjo said: Would it be possible for it to be made to rename the screenshot to the filename when it copies it across? That makes total sense. Thank you!! I'm fairly positive that LB/BB will scan for images based on the games Title and/or ROM filename. This was quick and dirty and untested, but "on paper" it appears it should work. If you can prove me right (please?), I'll update the official release. This gives the option (a CheckBox) to "Use ROM name for images". (and maybe this should be default) Unblock and copy (replace the existing file with the one in this zip) as before then start LaunchBox and, if you'd be so kind, give it a try and let me know. Edited April 5, 2022 by JoeViking245 attached zip removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foleyjo Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Got an error message when it came to copying images which I have attached error.txt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeViking245 Posted April 5, 2022 Author Share Posted April 5, 2022 4 hours ago, foleyjo said: Got an error message when it came to copying images which I have attached I guess it was too quick and very dirty. 😊 Sorry about that. This should be better. ImportGameBase v1.0.2.7z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foleyjo Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 That works great. I tried it with the latest commodore 64 gamebase Games such as Aliens (us and uk versions) now show the correct screenshots. There is still some repetition of images but this is due to the games themselves using the same images or having slight variations due to the language differences. Thank you for making this quick change. I wish I could code as quick then maybe my bat file for importing the covers would work.🤔 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foleyjo Posted April 6, 2022 Share Posted April 6, 2022 I finally worked out how to get all the screenshots,coverart and music added to my C64 gamebase collection. I'm sharing it here as my steps may allow JoeViking to incorperate it into his app or if not others can use the steps once they have imported their C64 games into launchbox using the ImportGameBase plugin. I only did it with the C64 gamebase as the other mdb files I have won't open for me in the latest version of access. To import the box art I first opened the mdb file and created a new query. I saved as a text file removing the text qualifier and using | as the delimiter. Then I ran my convertboxart.bat file. This goes through each line of the text file, copying the image file, renaming it to the rom filename adding "-01" at the end, checks if the file already exists and if it does increments the end number by 1 until it doesn't find an existing file. Then it pastes the file into a new location Once all the files had been copied and renamed I just pasted them into my launchbox covers folder and then refreshed the images. Same process for the screenshots using the convertscreenshot.bat. This time it copys and renames the file and then before moving on to the next line of the text file it checks to see if there is another screenshot available with the same filename and adds the -01 at the end. ThenI moved the files into the launchbox screenshots folder Again sids were done using the convertmusic.bat. This time it doesn't need to search for more than one file. Once complete the files are copied to the launchbox music folder and the sids play automatically when viewing a game. The bat files need to be edited before use to point to the correct folder locations. I didn't use the launchbox folder for the destination as there were spaces in the folder names and it caused me problems. All the SQL commands I used are included in the sql commands.txt file. None of this would have been possible without JoeViking245s plugin which made it so I was able to get the collection imported with the correct names and filenames. convertscreenshot.bat convertboxart.bat convertmusic.bat sql commands.txt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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