Reading game metadata from script

[JimV]

Is it possible to programmatically read the metadata from a game?  I would like to set up a TOS 4 to 8 way restrictor (TOS GRS Switchable 4-to-8-Way Restrictor | Thunderstick Studios (bing.com)).  My thoughts were to set metadata on the game that is being launched and then read that metadata to determine which way the restrictor plate should be oriented.  The TOS 428 way system even has an application for RPI that does this and includes an editable list of games so that you can manage the list centrally.  If I can programmatically read the game metadata then I think I can get this to work.

 

Thank you!

Edited December 12, 2023 by JimV

[C-Beats]

You can either use an LB plugin to read the controller information on the game, or you can do what we did to populate that data and read the mame.xml file that MAME generates with the information you are requesting.

[JimV]

Thank you for the direction.  I've spent quite a bit of time perusing the LB plugins out there and don't see anything that could do this.  Are you aware of a plugin that I might be able to use or repurpose for this?  I suppose I could write a script that MAME launches to switch the restrictors based on the controller type supported by the game being launched but that will require scripting against MAME but I'd rather keep all of this logic within LB.

 

Any additional direction you can provide would be very much appreciated.  

[C-Beats]

Most plugins don't utilize the game controller data point as it's newer. @JoeViking245 has the most plugins around here. I don't know of any you could easily repurpose but making a plugin that reads the game's data on launch isn't too complicated (assuming you have any programming knowledge)