two Launchbox questions re metadata sync and dynamically-generating game marquees

[coliver33]

All,

Two questions for the group:

1) Are you all finding that the Launchbox metadata is buggy, to where using the "download metadata and media" pulldown option ends up pulling in the same files over and over again vs. keeping track of what it has imported?  (Leading to the need for a Clean Up?).  It's like it literally does not keep track of what it has already pulled down...

2) Is there any interesting hackery out there that would allow a background game marquee template to be stored for each game in the media library, but somehow in real time that marquee would be displayed with the existing clear logo asset superimposed?  I'm trying to avoid having to hard-wire create game marquees as the clear logos change over time.  Not sure if anyone has found a magic way of real-time merging the marquee and clear logo assets...

Thank you!

Chris

[C-Beats]

1) LaunchBox does a CRC check on the files you have vs the files you're about to grab and should never be grabbing the same exact CRC twice. That being said if just because the file hash is different doesn't mean two images are visually different which causes what a lot of people see. You generally see this if you scrape our database AND EmuMovies for the same content. You can enable the rough match checkbox in the wizard which checks if two images are visually the same to reduce the amount this happens but it does make the process take quite a bit longer.

[Retro808]

1 hour ago, coliver33 said:

2) Is there any interesting hackery out there that would allow a background game marquee template to be stored for each game in the media library, but somehow in real time that marquee would be displayed with the existing clear logo asset superimposed?  I'm trying to avoid having to hard-wire create game marquees as the clear logos change over time.  Not sure if anyone has found a magic way of real-time merging the marquee and clear logo assets...

Thank you!

Chris

Nothing "hackery" needed BB default theme already does this. You can also copy the PlatformMaqureeView.xaml and GameMarqueeView.xaml from the Default theme into any custom BB theme and it will work. 

Been a while since I looked at the code but I believe the Default theme's marquee view files is set to show a Marquee Video first then falls back to the Marquee Image if no video. Then I believe if no Marquee image it falls back to a background image and clear logo. 

[coliver33]

2 hours ago, C-Beats said:

1) LaunchBox does a CRC check on the files you have vs the files you're about to grab and should never be grabbing the same exact CRC twice. That being said if just because the file hash is different doesn't mean two images are visually different which causes what a lot of people see. You generally see this if you scrape our database AND EmuMovies for the same content. You can enable the rough match checkbox in the wizard which checks if two images are visually the same to reduce the amount this happens but it does make the process take quite a bit longer.

@C-BeatsThe problem I've having is strictly within the LB/BB database.  Emu will (after the first sync) come back with no added items the second time around (as hoped).  But the LB/BB db will re-download the exact same number of files each time I invoke it, creating duplicates.  Is there any way to "refresh" the metadata in case it's somehow getting glitched?

Edited May 1, 2023 by coliver33

[coliver33]

53 minutes ago, Retro808 said:

Nothing "hackery" needed BB default theme already does this. You can also copy the PlatformMaqureeView.xaml and GameMarqueeView.xaml from the Default theme into any custom BB theme and it will work. 

Been a while since I looked at the code but I believe the Default theme's marquee view files is set to show a Marquee Video first then falls back to the Marquee Image if no video. Then I believe if no Marquee image it falls back to a background image and clear logo. 

@Retro808 Let me be really specific (apologies): What I'm looking for is the ability to store a Marquee image that is a templated image with a space in the middle for the Clear Logo -- and then somehow have that Marquee image presented with the Clear Logo image automagically superimposed on top of that Marquee image.  (So instead of a stored, static Marquee with the game logo hard-baked into it -- I'm trying to see if there is a way to merge the two assets on the fly when viewing.)  This way, if the Clear Logo asset were to change over time, the marquee would automatically use the new Clear Logo without having to be statically re-created.). Hopefully this isn't clear as mud -- thank you!

Edited May 1, 2023 by coliver33

[C-Beats]

12 minutes ago, coliver33 said:

@C-BeatsThe problem I've having is strictly within the LB/BB database.  Emu will (after the first sync) come back with no added items the second time around (as hoped).  But the LB/BB db will re-download the exact same number of files each time I invoke it, creating duplicates.  Is there any way to "refresh" the metadata in case it's somehow getting glitched?

How are you downloading the images? Are you using the wizard in the Tools menu or via Edit game?

[C-Beats]

10 minutes ago, coliver33 said:

@Retro808 Let me be really specific (apologies): What I'm looking for is the ability to store a Marquee image that is a templated image with a space in the middle for the Clear Logo -- and then somehow have that Marquee image presented with the Clear Logo image automagically superimposed on top of that Marquee image.  (So instead of a stored, static Marquee with the game logo hard-baked into it -- I'm trying to see if there is a way to merge the two assets on the fly when viewing.)  This way, if the Clear Logo asset were to change over time, the marquee would automatically use the new Clear Logo without having to be statically re-created.). Hopefully this isn't clear as mud -- thank you!

You'd have to create a theme that does this, but yes it'd be entirely possible to do this via WPF and our theming system. Basically would take the default theme and remove the logic that hides the clear logo if the marquee image/video is visible.

[coliver33]

Last question for now @C-Beats (and THANK YOU): If I have, say, multiple Box Front images for a given game -- but I want to leverage a specific one for display, while keeping the others and not having to delete them -- how do I denote a specific image for use over the others of same type?  I don't want to have to delete the other versions, but it seems like the most recently downloaded asset by default is the one that is shown -- and I can't see how to change the ordering...

[C-Beats]

7 minutes ago, coliver33 said:

Last question for now @C-Beats (and THANK YOU): If I have, say, multiple Box Front images for a given game -- but I want to leverage a specific one for display, while keeping the others and not having to delete them -- how do I denote a specific image for use over the others of same type?  I don't want to have to delete the other versions, but it seems like the most recently downloaded asset by default is the one that is shown -- and I can't see how to change the ordering...

If all images are for the correct image type and region they are randomly drawn/selected. Typically for Box Front the one selected is then cached and then always used (or always used until the cache is rebuilt for that item). I believe there is a plugin on the forums that basically creates the cache item for you to allow what you're referring to, but there is no built in functionality for it.

[coliver33]

16 minutes ago, C-Beats said:

How are you downloading the images? Are you using the wizard in the Tools menu or via Edit game?

@C-BeatsUsing the Tools wizard (the one that automatically goes to your database and then to Emu).  The way I use it is: I'll highlight all the games under a given platform (select them all) -- and then I'll run the wizard against those that are selected.

[C-Beats]

7 minutes ago, coliver33 said:

@C-BeatsUsing the Tools wizard (the one that automatically goes to your database and then to Emu).  The way I use it is: I'll highlight all the games under a given platform (select them all) -- and then I'll run the wizard against those that are selected.

On the last page when you have 3 options to choose regarding what media to grab, which option are you choosing?

[coliver33]

2 minutes ago, C-Beats said:

On the last page when you have 3 options to choose regarding what media to grab, which option are you choosing?

@C-BeatsMiddle option -- the one that will append but not overwrite (the "recommended" option).  Btw I'd be curious to know if the wizard could somehow allow me to screen the content that is being pulled down before it actually hits my database -- so that I could (for example) choose to not download certain elements.

[coliver33]

@C-Beats  Let me know if you find a bug with the Wizard -- thank you!

[C-Beats]

Looks like we have some bad CRC information coming through in the metadata which is causing the behavior you're seeing. I've let the appropriate people know so they can get it taken care of.

[coliver33]

@C-Beats I figure this will make it into some kind of product update cycle?

[C-Beats]

15 hours ago, coliver33 said:

@C-Beats I figure this will make it into some kind of product update cycle?

No that was a web process we had to do on the website. I believe the process has been ran and so the problem should be resolved.

[coliver33]

@C-Beats just tested it - same problem still.  Every time I go into the wizard to update, it will download the same set of files each time.  Emu will keep track - but the LB database won’t.

[C-Beats]

Can you give me a few examples of which game and image type you are seeing this with?

[coliver33]

@C-Beats here is a video (you can pinch-zoom as you watch it) that shows the full behavior.  Let me know and thank you!

[coliver33]

Let me know and thank you!