Music Platform

[Jabb3rJaw]

Please forgive me for the all questions as I’m moving over from Hyperspin. On my hyperspin wheel I made a music wheel and I’m that wheel I made sub wheels of an app called Album player and then 2 other wheels of YouTube music and Spotify. I can make a music platform but how to I get just an exe to show when I click on the music wheel? Then is it possible to launch YouTube music and Spotify under that platform?

[Jabb3rJaw]

There’s no way launch an .exe from under a platform? I’m really wanted a Music wheel then when I click on the music wheel I’d like to launch an exe. 

[JoeViking245]

You should be able to drag and drop the exe onto the main LaunchBox window.  This will start the import wizard.  Once it's imported, edit the 'game'.  Go to its Emulation section and make sure 'Use Emulator' is unchecked.  Save and close that window.  Double click the 'game' and your exe should start.

For hyperlinks (such as a YT video), [somewhere] in the 'hamburger' menu is "Add new game".  In the launching section for this 'game', paste the hyperlink.  Again, make sure Use Emulator is unchecked.  Save and close.  When launching this, it will open in your default web browser.

I don't know anything about Spotify. But hopefully you can deduce something from the above.

[Rlad]

Edit: nvm, i was thinking you were trying to get from platform category and skipping platform.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Rlad

[Jabb3rJaw]

Thanks for the help guys! I’m making progress. First I will start with my music program and get the running. I have a platform called music with the exe listed as a game. I can launch it in Launchbox however in Bigbox my platform wheel isn’t showing up at all on the main wheel?

[JoeViking245]

1 hour ago, mrmikey73 said:

in Bigbox my platform wheel isn’t showing up at all on the main wheel?

Is your default View in BigBox set to View Platforms?  (vs Platform Categories or Playlists)

[Jabb3rJaw]

Yes I have it set to platforms but it’s still not showing up but I’m Launchbox it does show under platform category 

[JoeViking245]

1 hour ago, mrmikey73 said:

Yes I have it set to platforms but it’s still not showing up but I’m Launchbox it does show under platform category 

2 options:

1. Change the view in BigBox to Platform Categories.
2. Right-click "music" (in LaunchBox, on the left panel) and select Edit.  Go to the Parents tab and check the Root box.

This example will show the Platform I edited in Platform View.  If I'm in Platform Category View, it will also show it inside (under) the "Arcade" category.

At least I'm pretty sure that's how it works. I personally don't mess with categories (nor playlists). But if nothing else, you can experiment from here.

[Jabb3rJaw]

You are right if I do platform category I do see it. Just curious why I can’t see it in just platform view? I have the root box checked so it’s in my root platform and shows in Launchbox just not Bigbox. I’m surprised there isn’t a jukebox or music platform already. Sometimes when people are over I just have the music playing. 

[JoeViking245]

55 minutes ago, mrmikey73 said:

I’m surprised there isn’t a jukebox or music platform already.

You can create a platform by any name you want.  When you import (mp3's, YT hyperlinks, whatever), you're asked what platform you're importing to.  The default list is merely a starting point.  They don't coincidentally belong to 'gaming' systems (and the sort).  Afterall, that's what LaunchBox/BigBox was created for.

Quote

to support both modern PC games and emulated console platforms. LaunchBox aims to be the one-stop shop for gaming on your computer, for both modern and historical games.

But you're not tied to them.  Just type what you want to call it.  "Music". "Movies". Comics".  Whatever.  Just have fun!

[C-Beats]

17 hours ago, mrmikey73 said:

You are right if I do platform category I do see it. Just curious why I can’t see it in just platform view? I have the root box checked so it’s in my root platform and shows in Launchbox just not Bigbox. I’m surprised there isn’t a jukebox or music platform already. Sometimes when people are over I just have the music playing. 

I'd verify on the first page of the Edit Platform window you don't have that platform hidden in Big Box platforms view.

[Jabb3rJaw]

9 hours ago, C-Beats said:

I'd verify on the first page of the Edit Platform window you don't have that platform hidden in Big Box platforms view.

Thanks C-Beats. I'm really confused as you can see in the pictures I have a music platform and the hide in bigbox isn't checked? 

[C-Beats]

@Jabb3rJaw I'd verify you don't have any auto-hide features enabled in Big Box like "Hide Games Missing Box Front" that may be making it so all the "games" in that platform are hidden.

[Jabb3rJaw]

Just want to say thanks to C Beats and Joeviking! With your help I was able to get everything set up. Spotify and YouTube music need alt+f4 to close nicely. Is there a way to link the 2 exe’s to send alt+f4 as escape key? I see you can on the emulator section but don’t see the option for the games themselves. Super happy though with this! 

 

[JoeViking245]

Glad you got it set up to your liking.  Now for some finishing touches...

 

1 hour ago, Jabb3rJaw said:

Is there a way to link the 2 exe’s to send alt+f4 as escape key?

You can add an Additional App to the 'game' (exe).  But you'll need to do it separately for each exe.

 

Create a new text file.  in it, add

$Esc::
{
  WinClose ahk_exe spotify.exe
  ExitApp
}

Change "spotify.exe" to the actual name of the 'games' exe filename!

Save the file as 'something' (like "ExitSpotify") . Change the file extension to .ahk (just make sure it's not saved by Windows as .ahk.txt).   ExitSpotify.ahk

Place this file somewhere where you won't lose it.  

Edit your 'game'.  Go to Additional Apps.  Add Application...

Give the app a name.

Click Browse and browse to ..\LaunchBox\ThirdParty\AutoHotkey\ and select AutoHotkey.exe and click Open.

In the Application Command-Line Parameters box, type the "full\path\to\your\ExitSpotify.ahk" (including surrounding quotes).

Check the box Automatically Run Before Main Application.

Click OK to save and close. (Click OK again)

Repeat the process for whatever you're using to launch YouTube (or any other 'game' that doesn't use an emulator).

 

 

Now, if you have your exe open, and for some reason you switch to something else, and for whatever reason the 'something else' needs to have Escape pressed, doing so will close your exe.  So don't do that. 

 

[Jabb3rJaw]

31 minutes ago, JoeViking245 said:

Glad you got it set up to your liking.  Now for some finishing touches...

 

You can add an Additional App to the 'game' (exe).  But you'll need to do it separately for each exe.

 

Create a new text file.  in it, add

$Esc::
{
  WinClose ahk_exe spotify.exe
  ExitApp
}

Change "spotify.exe" to the actual name of the 'games' exe filename!

Save the file as 'something' (like "ExitSpotify") . Change the file extension to .ahk (just make sure it's not saved by Windows as .ahk.txt).   ExitSpotify.ahk

Place this file somewhere where you won't lose it.  

Edit your 'game'.  Go to Additional Apps.  Add Application...

Give the app a name.

Click Browse and browse to ..\LaunchBox\ThirdParty\AutoHotkey\ and select AutoHotkey.exe and click Open.

In the Application Command-Line Parameters box, type the "full\path\to\your\ExitSpotify.ahk" (including surrounding quotes).

Check the box Automatically Run Before Main Application.

Click OK to save and close. (Click OK again)

Repeat the process for whatever you're using to launch YouTube (or any other 'game' that doesn't use an emulator).

 

 

Now, if you have your exe open, and for some reason you switch to something else, and for whatever reason the 'something else' needs to have Escape pressed, doing so will close your exe.  So don't do that. 

 

Thanks for this!! I will work on this tomorrow but with your detailed explanation hopefully I should be good! 

[Jabb3rJaw]

On 10/10/2023 at 7:41 PM, JoeViking245 said:

Glad you got it set up to your liking.  Now for some finishing touches...

 

You can add an Additional App to the 'game' (exe).  But you'll need to do it separately for each exe.

 

Create a new text file.  in it, add

$Esc::
{
  WinClose ahk_exe spotify.exe
  ExitApp
}

Change "spotify.exe" to the actual name of the 'games' exe filename!

Save the file as 'something' (like "ExitSpotify") . Change the file extension to .ahk (just make sure it's not saved by Windows as .ahk.txt).   ExitSpotify.ahk

Place this file somewhere where you won't lose it.  

Edit your 'game'.  Go to Additional Apps.  Add Application...

Give the app a name.

Click Browse and browse to ..\LaunchBox\ThirdParty\AutoHotkey\ and select AutoHotkey.exe and click Open.

In the Application Command-Line Parameters box, type the "full\path\to\your\ExitSpotify.ahk" (including surrounding quotes).

Check the box Automatically Run Before Main Application.

Click OK to save and close. (Click OK again)

Repeat the process for whatever you're using to launch YouTube (or any other 'game' that doesn't use an emulator).

 

 

Now, if you have your exe open, and for some reason you switch to something else, and for whatever reason the 'something else' needs to have Escape pressed, doing so will close your exe.  So don't do that. 

 

This worked great for Spotify!! With YouTube Music it doesn't work and I think its because when exiting there's a pop up that shows up that you have to click on to leave. Also I have to use Chrome.exe as my additional app then run Youtube music in the command line as the profile. Everything works great otherwise!! Also to exit YouTube Music fullscreen you  have to hit escape so that could be interfering as well.