Suggestions for improving the automatic import tool in LB.

[OdinsPlayground]

Hey. As someone with a ton of systems, some being quite out there and different from your standard ROM folder, I have several suggestions of how the automatic import tool could be improved to accommodate setups like my and other more complex platforms. Mentioning specific features and platforms below that comes to mind:

1) Per-Platform Automatic Import. This would help implement the feature even if all platforms doesn't work perfectly. Instead of a all or nothing option as it is now.

2) .M3U priority.  Let the importer have an option to prioritize to only import the .m3u and ignore additional rom files in the same folder for multi disc games. An additional and optional step to this import improvement would be to automatically generate a .M3U for the games when a multi-disc game is detected. 

3) Ignore sub-folders. For certain consoles, like Nintendo Switch, I have Updates and DLC in Subfolders within the same platform. Sine they are all .NSP, they get detected as games and LB tries to import them as games. The option to ignore sub-folders would resolve this problem.

4) TechnoParrot.  Games are loaded through XML files in the "UserProfiles" folder in the roof of the emulator folder, but can belong to several different arcade platforms. It not only would need to be able to detect and determine which console the game belongs to, but also to add a launch option of "--profile=NAMEOFXML" for each game. 

5) FM Towns. It uses .Cue-files for the TSUGARU emulator. Would be good to prioritize the .cue and ignore other files in the same folder. 

6) ExoDOS, C64 Dreams, ExoWin3x and other repacks, listed as MS-DOS, Commodore C64 etc in LB. These are really complicated and can essentially be implemented through importing the XML to the platform folder. As these platforms wouldn't need much of auto-import, it would be good to be able to exclude them from the auto import. 

7) Classify Windows game into specific platform (3x, 95, 98, XP, Vista, etc) As an option it would be nice to automatically import Windows games to the era-specific Windows version it belongs to.

8) Use MAME import data for MAME Software consoles. Such as Casio Loopy, Casio PV-1000, Bally Astrocade, ColecoVision, Epoch Super Cassette Vision, TigerGame.com, etc that are found inside the properly named folder.

[sundogak]

2 hours ago, OdinsPlayground said:

Hey. As someone with a ton of systems, some being quite out there and different from your standard ROM folder, I have several suggestions of how the automatic import tool could be improved to accommodate setups like my and other more complex platforms. Mentioning specific features and platforms below that comes to mind:

1) Per-Platform Automatic Import. This would help implement the feature even if all platforms doesn't work perfectly. Instead of a all or nothing option as it is now.

2) .M3U priority.  Let the importer have an option to prioritize to only import the .m3u and ignore additional rom files in the same folder for multi disc games. An additional and optional step to this import improvement would be to automatically generate a .M3U for the games when a multi-disc game is detected. 

3) Ignore sub-folders. For certain consoles, like Nintendo Switch, I have Updates and DLC in Subfolders within the same platform. Sine they are all .NSP, they get detected as games and LB tries to import them as games. The option to ignore sub-folders would resolve this problem.

4) TechnoParrot.  Games are loaded through XML files in the "UserProfiles" folder in the roof of the emulator folder, but can belong to several different arcade platforms. It not only would need to be able to detect and determine which console the game belongs to, but also to add a launch option of "--profile=NAMEOFXML" for each game. 

5) FM Towns. It uses .Cue-files for the TSUGARU emulator. Would be good to prioritize the .cue and ignore other files in the same folder. 

6) ExoDOS, C64 Dreams, ExoWin3x and other repacks, listed as MS-DOS, Commodore C64 etc in LB. These are really complicated and can essentially be implemented through importing the XML to the platform folder. As these platforms wouldn't need much of auto-import, it would be good to be able to exclude them from the auto import. 

7) Classify Windows game into specific platform (3x, 95, 98, XP, Vista, etc) As an option it would be nice to automatically import Windows games to the era-specific Windows version it belongs to.

😎 Use MAME import data for MAME Software consoles. Such as Casio Loopy, Casio PV-1000, Bally Astrocade, ColecoVision, Epoch Super Cassette Vision, TigerGame.com, etc that are found inside the properly named folder.

There is a workaround to "exclude" certain platforms with auto import on.  Your points are valid, particularly #1 and for anyone who has Exo packs installed.   They were many of reasons I avoided turning auto import on as it messed too much up. However, during the 13.15 beta I wanted to test things so found this workaround.

You point any platform that you don't want to have auto import function to any empty directory (see critical note at end).  In my case I do not use the LB\Games directory so that is where I put the empty directories as LB generates them anyway.  Figure 1 shows how to turn off platforms for no import.  For simpler platforms where auto import works reliably then you point the Game platform directory to your roms location as normal (Figure 2). 

Example below:

Figure 1) anything in "Games" LB directory is empty and "off" as nothing to import [I don't put my roms in LB directory, where you place is immaterial as long as empty]. 

Figure 2) where you want auto import to work point to path of your roms directory like normal in platforms:

There are three special cases so far as of the new 13.15 release:

1. Vita3K emulation for Sony Vita should point to empty directory as LB pulls the games list from the emulator.  (applies to 13.15 forward). If you point to roms directory it will pull in tons of extra stuff plus the games it sees in Vita emulator.
2. PS3 emulation via RPCS3 is the same as Vita, point to empty directory as pulls data needed to import via emulator (applies to 13.15 forward). Similar issues as Vita if point to a directory with PS3 games.  Note they did fix the "sub folder" and app/updates issues in PS3 similar to Switch so suspect that should be something to see in future updates.
3. ScummVM which should point to game platform where scumm games are located as LB uses the path naming to figure out which ScummVM game is needed.

Lastly there is one important rule if you decide to do this way: you cannot use the scan for removed roms for any "dummy" platform locations or for all platforms as LB will delete your LB entries.

I would weigh in/pay attention during beta rounds as they seem to be working down the list of special cases like you mention in each update so having people test is critical.

[Sinfire]

If you are excluding systems and directories.. Does that not defeat the purpose of auto-importing?

How does the system handle directories that are on different volumes?

 

[MrDeKat]

On 7/4/2024 at 12:35 AM, OdinsPlayground said:

7) Classify Windows game into specific platform (3x, 95, 98, XP, Vista, etc) As an option it would be nice to automatically import Windows games to the era-specific Windows version it belongs to.

This is interesting although difficult because the same game works for several versions of Windows. I've been long time wanting to separate the Windows 9x games (95/98/ME) from the rest of Windows games, at least with a playlist. However, I haven't been able to find this information anywhere.

I take advantage of this to ask if anyone know any page or database where show the games that have been released for each version of Windows or at least that indicate the "requirements" of the games?

[sundogak]

2 hours ago, Sinfire said:

If you are excluding systems and directories.. Does that not defeat the purpose of auto-importing?

How does the system handle directories that are on different volumes?

 

Yes, that is the point. Not all emulator rom folders import correctly or have proper exclusions setup.  Unless you want to constantly sift through auto imported items that you have delete (and will have to do again when it auto imports again).  Most computer based systems such as Amiga, Pinball emulations (Visual Pinball) or if you are using ExoDos packs will cause headaches with auto import.  So rather than have NO auto import feature at all this at least allows to select which ones you want to use.  Prior, I left it off completely as it was too much an issue. The best way would be for LB to have an option per platform to toggle auto import but at moment it is not implemented.  Actually, the best way would be to give me the option to designate per platform which file extensions to import but suspect that would make things complicated code wise. 

As to the different volumes, doesn't matter as LB doesn't care as long as it is online when LB is launched. That applies for auto import and non-auto import feature directories. 

Edited July 6 by sundogak