Lanching a game from playlist view

[dfsae313231]

Hello fellow Launchbox users.

I tried looking on the forum and on google but I could not find an answer to my question. I am running BigBox on a custom built Arcade Cab.

I only display in the root menu (Playlist view) 3 playlists:

- Arcade Classics: it has games ran with Mame, Supermodel, etc...

- Pinbal: it runs VP8,VP9,VPX

- Jukebox: this one has only one game -> retrobox

 

I would like to prevent having to browse Jukbox playlist and then have to run the single game (retrobox) I have, is there a way to run directly to a specific game from the playlists view?

[JoeViking245]

There's a plugin that will do [almost] exactly that. The problem is it was made to be used for Platforms.  I'm not sure if it can be adapted to accommodate Playlists.

 

[dfsae313231]

cool, thanks for sharing, at this point, I think it makes more sense to create platforms in Launchbox to only contains games I really want to show instead of displaying only playlists? what do you think?

I would like to display 3 systems only:

• Arcade: List of arcade games that I will run with Mame, Model 2, Naomi and so on

• Pinball: List of Pinball machine with VPX, VP9 and so on

• Jukebox: single "game" category that should directly launch into Retrobox

Now, I can do all these with HyperSpin and RocketLauncher, but I want to have it organized as well with Launchbox.

how do you think I should organize my lists? should I only import the games I want on my Platforms Lists ? or should I import my complete mame set then filter from LB? Notice that I want to have a list of approx 100 games (mame, model2, naomi) all in the same "category" and use different emulator specifying per game.

This is what people do for systems like VP, becouse we need several versions of VP (8,9,X) in order to play different table.

Right now I am displaying only playlists and I have 3 of them according to the list I shared above. everything is fine, but I cannot launch jukebox directly from the playlist view, this breaks my use case

[JoeViking245]

4 minutes ago, dfsae313231 said:

it makes more sense to create platforms in Launchbox to only contains games I really want to show instead of displaying only playlists? what do you think?

That's a personal preference. But that's how my cab's set up. I do have Playlist and Categories.  However, I never even look at them.  But that's just me.

To keep it at 3 like you're wanting to see in BigBox, you may want to stick with Playlists or even better, Platform Categories.  (Technically, that's what they are.)  But of course, either works.

How do you have your Platforms (the basis for all importing) setup?  On mine, for Arcade Machines I have for example, separate Platforms for Arcade (using MAME) and Sega Model 3 (using Supermodel).  For Pinball Platforms, I have FX2, FX3, Future Pinball and Visual Pinball.  For Visual Pinball, I only have 1 VP9 table (Riverboat Gambler). All the rest I've been able to find in VPX.  So there's just the 1 Platform for it.    Essentially separating them all by emulator (except VP).

If you've imported en masse, as an option you could "hide games" you don't want displayed in Big Box, then in Big Box 'don't show hidden games', and only show them in LaunchBox.

But again, for how you're wanting to see them in BB, Platform Categories seems to be the way to go.  I'll take a look at the plugin and see if it's possible to accommodate Playlists and/or Categories.  But don't hold your breath.   Until then, Press Select twice to launch your Jukebox. 

[dfsae313231]

2 hours ago, JoeViking245 said:

How do you have your Platforms (the basis for all importing) setup?  On mine, for Arcade Machines I have for example, separate Platforms for Arcade (using MAME) and Sega Model 3 (using Supermodel).  For Pinball Platforms, I have FX2, FX3, Future Pinball and Visual Pinball.  For Visual Pinball, I only have 1 VP9 table (Riverboat Gambler). All the rest I've been able to find in VPX.  So there's just the 1 Platform for it.    Essentially separating them all by emulator (except VP).

I am still getting confused around Platform and Platform Categories.

But I think I will rebuild my config and have 3 Platforms:

-Arcade: with all the roms I need (Mame, model 2, model 3, naomi) separate by emu

-Pinball: With all the tables, separate by emu

-Jukbex -> launches retrobox

 

what do you think?

 

I guess what I want to do is basically what you are doing for pinball.

do you use platform categories?

 

 

[JoeViking245]

1 hour ago, dfsae313231 said:

I am still getting confused around Platform and Platform Categories.

In hopes to not confuse matters more... Platform examples would be Arcade, Sega Model 3, Atari 2600, Nintendo 64, Gameboy Advance, Sony PSP, Pinball FX2, Visual Pinball (etc.).  

Platform Category examples would be:

Arcade (consisting of Arcade and Sega Model 3 Platforms)

Consoles (consisting of Atari 2600 and Nintendo 64 Platforms)

Handhelds (consisting of Gameboy Advance and Sony PSP Platforms)

Pinball (consisting of Pinball FX2 and Visual Pinball Platforms)

 

I don't use Platform Categories because (again, this is just me) I prefer to see all the Platforms individually.

Let's say I have a desire to play Pinball, I know I want to play something in VPX.  So I scroll to "Visual Pinball", select it then select a table.

Whereas of I had them in categories, I'd scroll to "Pinball" and select it, then scroll to "Visual Pinball" and select it, then select a table.

 

This is just 1 man's opinion, but I really think what you want to do (what you're wanting to do) is import things into separate Platforms.  Like the examples above.  Then from there, you can create your Platform Categories, consolidating the various Platforms into a fewer number Categories.

[JoeViking245]

@dfsae313231 Here's a post that talks a little about combining Platforms. 

 

[dfsae313231]

All right, thanks for sharing, everything is clear to me now,

I think it makes sense for me to stick to platforms and create lists with all the games I would like to show on that system for Arcade I would like to have a unique list that combines all arcade systems(Mame, Model 2-3, Naomi and so on) since I will have let say just 2-3 games for model 2, I don't think it's worth having a dedicated section in BB.

OFC smenatically speaking having each platform in a dedicated section and grouped by category is what makes most sense, but it looks like I cannot list whole categories in BB, unless I am wrong.

If I have the "Arcade" Category with "Mame" and "Model 2, then I will have to keep two dedicated lists of games. Is there any way to list all the games in a platform category in BB? so that the lists are combined?

[JoeViking245]

2 hours ago, dfsae313231 said:

but it looks like I cannot list whole categories in BB, unless I am wrong.

Go into BigBox's System Menu and select View Platform Categories.

But you need to, in LaunchBox, when adding your Platforms to a Platform Category, is make sure "Root" is unchecked.  Otherwise in BigBox, you'll see the Arcade Platform and the Arcade Platform Category.

Make sure you're looking at the Platform, then right click, Edit

[dfsae313231]

Right, thanks,

I think is impossiblle thoug to have the platform categories to list all games, I still need to pick a platform inside. is there a way to display Arcade Category -> list all games in all platform underneath?

According to your instructions when I pick Arcade Category, I still need to pick Mame or Sega model 2 to display the list of games

[Retro808]

7 minutes ago, dfsae313231 said:

Right, thanks,

I think is impossiblle thoug to have the platform categories to list all games, I still need to pick a platform inside. is there a way to display Arcade Category -> list all games in all platform underneath?

According to your instructions when I pick Arcade Category, I still need to pick Mame or Sega model 2 to display the list of games

Not from a Category selection no. Platform Category is to list your various platforms. A "category" cannot have games in it. You could create an "Arcade All" playlist and then have that playlist show all games from all your arcade platforms.

[JoeViking245]

12 minutes ago, dfsae313231 said:

According to your instructions when I pick Arcade Category, I still need to pick Mame or Sega model 2 to display the list of games

Oh.  I didn't test it.  It just "looked good on paper". lol

Create a Playlist then as Retro808 suggests.  Then tell it to include the Platforms you want.

You have to manually type the Value. So make sure you spell it correctly.

Then in BigBox, choose View Playlists.

[dfsae313231]

thanks guys, now I am ableto display the titles as I want. too bad I cannot launch directly jukebox from the cateogory/playlist view

[JoeViking245]

2 hours ago, dfsae313231 said:

thanks guys, now I am ableto display the titles as I want. too bad I cannot launch directly jukebox from the cateogory/playlist view

Glad you got it displaying the way you want.

I looked at the code for the fore mentioned plugin, and to get it to work for Playlists and/or Platform Categories is beyond my means.  So your stuck pushing a button twice.

[dfsae313231]

yeah, not a big deal, I'm happy now with the setup, thanks for checking out and for helping me, much appreciated

[Gab Power]

Hello @dfsae313231, do mind sharing what is that Retrobox jukebox program you are using? I checked www.retrobox.tech but I don't think it's the right website and can't find anything else. 

I am always looking for better jukebox software for my arcade machine. Thanks!

[dfsae313231]

On 4/30/2022 at 7:40 PM, Gab Power said:

Hello @dfsae313231, do mind sharing what is that Retrobox jukebox program you are using? I checked www.retrobox.tech but I don't think it's the right website and can't find anything else. 

I am always looking for better jukebox software for my arcade machine. Thanks!

sorry for the late response, I was out of town, there you go sir: https://arcademy.fr/retro-jukebox.html