Unable to import .scummvm files for Retroarch scummvm core

[retroD999]

Hello!

I am in the process of updating my LB build and I have hit a snag with ScummVM games (using LB v13.18)

My old build was setup using the epicfail files and using Retroarch as the emulator.

These no longer work in my new setup, and I was not able to use the updated epicfail system with Retroarch (I did update it and looked at the info on the forum).
However I have learned that I can use .scummvm files instead. This works - I can launch a scummvm file in retroarch directly, or from Launchbox. using the scummvm file as the application path.

 

Now, the problem I am having is, when I import scummvm files in launchbox (via file drag and drop or the import roms menu command), it sets the file's folder path as the application path, instead of the actual file.
The folder path does not work and I need to manually edit the app path to point to the scummvm file instead.

Problem is, it is a large collection and I was hoping there was a more automated way of doing this.

 

I am unable to force LB to import scummvm files as file paths - it seems to uses the parent folder instead no matter what I do.
Is this the intended behaviour? Is there a workaround? I have been trying all sort of things but was not successful.

Using the retroarch core instead the scummvm.exe is important to me - I like its shaders and almost all my setup uses retroarch as the emulator, so I would like to keep using it if possible.

Anyone has had a similar issue or found a workaround?

[faeran]

4 minutes ago, retroD999 said:

Hello!

I am in the process of updating my LB build and I have hit a snag with ScummVM games (using LB v13.18)

My old build was setup using the epicfail files and using Retroarch as the emulator.

These no longer work in my new setup, and I was not able to use the updated epicfail system with Retroarch (I did update it and looked at the info on the forum).
However I have learned that I can use .scummvm files instead. This works - I can launch a scummvm file in retroarch directly, or from Launchbox. using the scummvm file as the application path.

 

Now, the problem I am having is, when I import scummvm files in launchbox (via file drag and drop or the import roms menu command), it sets the file's folder path as the application path, instead of the actual file.
The folder path does not work and I need to manually edit the app path to point to the scummvm file instead.

Problem is, it is a large collection and I was hoping there was a more automated way of doing this.

 

I am unable to force LB to import scummvm files as file paths - it seems to uses the parent folder instead no matter what I do.
Is this the intended behaviour? Is there a workaround? I have been trying all sort of things but was not successful.

Using the retroarch core instead the scummvm.exe is important to me - I like its shaders and almost all my setup uses retroarch as the emulator, so I would like to keep using it if possible.

Anyone has had a similar issue or found a workaround?

Hey @retroD999

This is intended behavior, in that all you need to do is drag/drop your ScummVM folder that holds all of your games, then it uses your game folders as the file path to pass along to the emulator.

We also built in a ScummVM downloader, which solves any headache with setting it up.

I just tested adding the ScummVM core to RetroArch and it seems to play games perfectly fine through the core as well. I set the ScummVM platform in its associated platform section and set the core.

Let me know if this isn't working for you and I can help you through the process.

 

[retroD999]

Thank you @faeran for the quick response!

So, is  the .scummvm files not the correct way to import these games?

If you don't use these files, how does the import handle when you have multiple scumm games in one folder? (I noticed a few games I have come up in scummvm with multiple versions because of the language, or some variation to run on a lower mem system)
I don't mind rebuilding the scumm setup - how do I go about it so I can run it via retroarch?

I know I can set retroarch and the scuymmvm core as the emulator on import, but what are the correct steps?
Do I simply import the root game folder and it will set it up correctly?
Do I not need to import the games in  the rertoarch core to populate its ini file?

[retroD999]

I have done a few more tests. I imported the folder that contains the game and had sort of mixed results:

• Bargon Attack (Amiga): (this was the game I was using for my previous tests)
  • When I launch it, it says the game it is not fully supported. I Click ok to run the game anyway, and I get the message that "game data was not found". I then clock OK and it goes to the scummvm games launcher
  • Game runs fine from retroarch
  • Game also runs fine from LB if I manually edit the game's app path and point it to the .scummvm file
• Bargon Attack (floppy DOS):
  • From LB, it runs fine, however, I know that folder has 3 game versions: DOS, DOS-German, Fanmade-Italian-DOS. I think it's running only one of the 3 variants and there is no option from LB to select to run any variants

The only way I can get these games to run as intended from LB is to manually add all their .scummvm file paths in launchbox, but that's not why we use launchbox

It feels like there should be a way to use the files I am importing rather than the folders, so you can run games correctly and use variants, but maybe there is a different way I am supposed to import these games?

Edited Tuesday at 09:11 PM by retroD999

[retroD999]

Ok I have figured out a workaround!

For anyone that may have a similar situation as mine, I will try and post a step to step visual guide tomorrow as it's quite late and really need to get some sleep...

But in a nutshell this is what I have done:

• Created a custom temporary platform and set the scraping as something not ScummVM (I used commodore amiga)
• imported my .scummvm files in this temp platform, but turned off all the scraping - I just needed the game files to be created in LB and did not want them to be scraped as amiga games!
• Used the bulk edit wizard to change the platform of the imported games to ScummVM (this can only be done if you have at least 1 dummy game under the ScummVM platform, otherwise the ScummVM platform will not appear)
• Once I had my games under the ScummVM platform, I deleted the dummy game and scraped my new games in one go by using the "Update Metadata and Media for Selected Games..." tool

Worked perfectly, but it would be nice to have a checkbox in the LB options somewhere to turn off this new ScummVM import feature so this workaround is no longer needed  

[retroD999]

Here is a guide with pictures - may help others that have a similar setup to mine
This worked for me for importing ".scummvm" files in Launchbox 13.18.
I think this should work also for other setups, like the epicfail system, but I have not tested that. You should try 1 game first and see if its properly setup before mass importing your whole library!
(If admins feel there are too many images feel free to remove)

Make sure have at least one game under the scummvm category - I just imported a dummy folder which will be removed at the end of this setup:

 

From the tools menu Manage>Platforms. Add a new platform, and call it something different than the default platforms, like "TMP_Scumm"
Set "Scrape As" to something other than scummvm. I used "Commodore Amiga" in my case

 

Next, drag your files or the folder containing your files into Launchbox. Import as "Rom Files"

 

In the import wizard, select the new temporary platform and scraping as "Commodore Amiga", just make sure it's not ScummVM.
Set your emulator as you normally would. In my case I like to use Retroarch with the scummvm core.

 

Next, this is IMPORTANT, make sure you are not downloading metadata or images for these games (or they will be scraped incorrectly).
We only want to create the game entries for now, we'll do the scraping later

 

You should set the custom options the way you normally like, but this is what I use for  this setup.
If everything went well, you will eventually get to the "Ready to Import" screen with the list of your games and the correct paths to the files you want to import

 

Let it do it's thing, and you should eventually get see the games imported under your temporary platform
Games will have no media associated, but that's what we want for now

 

Now, select all your imported games (CTRL+A), right mouse click, and select "Open Bulk Edit Wizard"
Select "Platform" as the field you wish to update, and "ScummVM" for the value. This will move all your imported games under the ScummVM platform, but the paths of the imported files will be maintained!
If asked about migrating your media, say no. Not sure why it asks since we did not scrape or add media, but better to leave that alone.

 

Almost done. When prompted, select that you would not like to make more changes

 

You should see the ScummVM category appear with the new games you imported. The temp category should have disappeared as it should be empty
Remember to delete your dummy game file!

 

Now we just need to scrape the games.
Select all (CTRL+A)  and from the top menu, go to Tools>Download>Update Metadata and Media for Selected Items
The options should be familiar to you, make sure you want to download and replace all existing metadata and media.
In my opinion this is safest in case some incorrect metadata was set on the first import under teh temp category

 

This may take a few minutes if you have a large selection of games to scrape, but you should have everything scraped and setup ready for playing by the end of it

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:26 PM by retroD999

[faeran]

23 hours ago, retroD999 said:

Thank you @faeran for the quick response!

So, is  the .scummvm files not the correct way to import these games?

If you don't use these files, how does the import handle when you have multiple scumm games in one folder? (I noticed a few games I have come up in scummvm with multiple versions because of the language, or some variation to run on a lower mem system)
I don't mind rebuilding the scumm setup - how do I go about it so I can run it via retroarch?

I know I can set retroarch and the scuymmvm core as the emulator on import, but what are the correct steps?
Do I simply import the root game folder and it will set it up correctly?
Do I not need to import the games in  the rertoarch core to populate its ini file?

Looked into it a bit more and yes, you are right. The reason you were seeing what you were seeing with Bargon Attach because our current system uses their auto-play feature which then simply choosing the first game version on the list and plays that. That particular game has some unplayable game in that slot.

We'll definitely be taking a crack at shoring that up for standalone ScummVM in a future update.

As far as RetroArch core is concerned, we'll also get in the ability to import the core specific scummvm files without the need to using a dummy platform first in the next update like you did in your workaround.

[retroD999]

@faeran thank you, that sounds great!