BigBox Attract Mode - Configure for Sequential, not Random mode?

[paddyG]

Hi, I only have a small curated listed of about 20 games on my LB/BB setup, so with BB set for Attract Mode, it randomly seek out games to preview, which is nice.  But since I have such a small number of games, it seems to only "randomly" select the same two or three games to "attract", as I've observed from watching it for the past 4 or 5 hours.  Mostly it randomly selects the same game over and over and over before it moves on to a different game.  Is there a way to disable the "random" selection and change it to a sequential selection, so it just moves on to the next game below (or above) in the wheel?  I'm looking, but I don't see that feature. 

Surely for such an advanced (and expensive) program like this, this simple common-sense setting is hidden somewhere and I just haven't found it yet.  Would you please tell me where to find this setting?  Thanks!

[Retro808]

There is currently not a way as a LB setting to do this so it is not some hidden setting. An alternate method would be needed. Attract mode has not been updated much since its addition to BB as the 2 devs have focused on other major updates as well as features users have voted on in prior polls. 

[skizzosjt]

@paddyG it could be done with a script - this below will do the job. What you can do is have this script startup along with Big Box through the Startup Applications feature and then hit a hotkey (Shift + F12) to start the script, I've also assigned a hotkey (Alt + F12) to pause the script, and a hotkey (End) to terminate/stop the script. The pause hotkey is like a toggle button, so it will pause or resume. If you use the end hotkey the script will not start again until you close and then reopen Big Box. The script would continue to run while playing a game if you do not pause or end it first. So either pause or end the script prior to launching a game so you don't have random down key presses happen when you're gaming away!

 

+F12::                                  ;Shift + F12 hotkey to start script
Loop {
        Send {Down down}{Down up}       ;Send down arrow Key
        Sleep, 30000                    ;Wait 30 secs (change time to what you want)
}
!F12::Pause                             ;Alt + F12 hotkey to pause/resume script
End::ExitApp                            ;End hotkey to terminate script

 

Put this into a text file, then save as .ahk file extension.

Go into LaunchBox Tools > Options

Go to Startup Applications and add the .ahk file you just made as an application. I'd assume you would want it to just load when Big Box does so select that from the Start With? column drop down.

Lastly make sure you have an application assigned to .ahk files. Check this by simply trying to double click on the .ahk file you made. If a prompt pops up asking what application you want to use to open it, that means there is no association set yet and you need to do this here. Click on More Apps, then scroll to the bottom and click on Look for another app on this PC and navigate to \LaunchBox\ThirdParty\AutoHotkey and then select AutoHotkey.exe

[paddyG]

skizzosjt, thank you for the suggestion.  I like the way you think, very clever!  Technically, you did answer my question and found a solution to my post.  Unfortunately this would require too much user intervention to pause the script prior to gaming and then remember to resume it upon exiting the game.  I might just hire a dedicated person to stand next to the machine and hit the down joystick once every 30 seconds except when someone has entered the game. 

[skizzosjt]

On 7/2/2023 at 11:48 PM, paddyG said:

skizzosjt, thank you for the suggestion.  I like the way you think, very clever!  Technically, you did answer my question and found a solution to my post.  Unfortunately this would require too much user intervention to pause the script prior to gaming and then remember to resume it upon exiting the game.  I might just hire a dedicated person to stand next to the machine and hit the down joystick once every 30 seconds except when someone has entered the game. 

one additional line fixes that. now down key press is only sent if Big Box is the active window, this means essentially there is an automated pause occurring whenever Big Box is not the active window.

 

+F12::                                          ;Shift + F12 hotkey to start script
Loop {
	If (WinActive("ahk_exe BigBox.exe")) {  ;Checks if Big Box is active window
                Send {Down down}{Down up}	;Send down arrow Key
                Sleep, 30000                    ;Wait 30 secs (change time to what you want)
	}       
}
!F12::Pause                         		;Alt + F12 hotkey to pause/resume script
End::ExitApp                          		;End hotkey to terminate script

[paddyG]

Hmm, interesting.  Is there a way to implement the persistent AHK feature to cause virtual press of the !f12 key?  I'm currently using the following AHK to exit Retroarch games after 60000ms of inactivity using the Q key:

#Persistent
SetTimer, Check, 6000
return

SendMode Event

Check:
IfGreater, A_Timeidle, 60000
{
   SetKeyDelay, -1, 110
   Send {Q}
   Sleep, 1000
   Send {Escape}
}

You see where I am going with this?  Thanks skizzosjt!

[skizzosjt]

On 7/11/2023 at 9:29 AM, paddyG said:

Hmm, interesting.  Is there a way to implement the persistent AHK feature to cause virtual press of the !f12 key?  I'm currently using the following AHK to exit Retroarch games after 60000ms of inactivity using the Q key:

#Persistent
SetTimer, Check, 6000
return

SendMode Event

Check:
IfGreater, A_Timeidle, 60000
{
   SetKeyDelay, -1, 110
   Send {Q}
   Sleep, 1000
   Send {Escape}
}

You see where I am going with this?  Thanks skizzosjt!

I see what  you did with your script here, Neat concept and makes me aware I need to get more familiar with all the built in variables AHK offers like A_TimeIdle.

But I'm not really sure where you are going with this. If you want to send "!F12" (alt+F12) that can be done with using Send command like you did for Q and Escape or like I did with the down key. You'll have to explain more if I am off in left field