TeknoParrot Auto-Import Support

[Fursphere]

Teknoparrot support in launchbox has been getting much better (thank you!), but the auto-import feature still doesn't seem to work.   

The 'roms' for Teknoparrot are XML files to the 'emulator', and auto-populated in the /teknoparrot/userprofiles/ folder.    Add a game to TK, it makes a new XML file for that game.  

Launchbox should be able to see those XML files and treat them as a newly discovered game and auto add it to the platform.  

Before I open a bug (or feature request, although I think I've opened one before for this) - is this a limitation by design?   Is there some technical reason that LB ignores XML files for this platform? 

thanks, as always

[faeran]

On 1/7/2026 at 10:15 AM, Fursphere said:

Teknoparrot support in launchbox has been getting much better (thank you!), but the auto-import feature still doesn't seem to work.   

The 'roms' for Teknoparrot are XML files to the 'emulator', and auto-populated in the /teknoparrot/userprofiles/ folder.    Add a game to TK, it makes a new XML file for that game.  

Launchbox should be able to see those XML files and treat them as a newly discovered game and auto add it to the platform.  

Before I open a bug (or feature request, although I think I've opened one before for this) - is this a limitation by design?   Is there some technical reason that LB ignores XML files for this platform? 

thanks, as always

Well, let's look at it slightly differently. Remember that TeknoParrot is not a platform. The platform is Arcade, which has its own file parsing logic streams that have yet to make their way to our auto-import feature. This is why TeknoParrot, which requires a scrape as value of Arcade, won't work via the auto-import system right now. So, yes, it's currently a limitation by design.

I could see it being one of the easier ones to get working though, so it's never out of the question, where once a user has added a TeknoParrot emulator, we can deduce where the xml files should be and allow auto-imports for platforms that match or are close to the name TeknoParrot. As long as people don't drastically mis-spell or decide to name their platform something funky, it should, in theory, work. Although, the names of the xml files would also be super important to find a GamesDB match properly.

[Fursphere]

I always treat arcade platforms uniquely / individually.  

MAME = MAME

TeknoParrot = TeknoParrot. Naomi = Naomi, FBNeo = FBNeo 

(M2, SuperModel, DEMUL, Flycast, etc...)  (don't get me started on unique sit-down driving cabinet and lightgun configuration stuff)

Basically, follow the emulator (program) or romset.   Lumping everything in as "arcade" is a mess and simply not workable IMO.  Mainly because there is no good way to manage emulator = rom/game relationship when everything is lumped together as "arcade".   While the media set (scrape as) is generically  "arcade", getting all this working with different controllers, emulators, launch options, etc is far from generic.   Which is why I make them individual platforms.   Because platforms control the emulator relationship (without extensive tedious per-game work)

[Fursphere]

I would be interesting to know how many LB/BB users lump everything into the "arcade" platform vs. individually manage them in a similar fashion to how I have outlined above.

All the artwork for treating them as unique platforms exists, so I know I'm not the only one.

[C-Beats]

15 minutes ago, Fursphere said:

I would be interesting to know how many LB/BB users lump everything into the "arcade" platform vs. individually manage them in a similar fashion to how I have outlined above.

All the artwork for treating them as unique platforms exists, so I know I'm not the only one.

My guess would be those newer to the scene or that aren't real experienced with arcade emulation lump them. Those that have been around a while and understand the hardware differences (or set differences) probably then start going down the road of splitting some of them (especially ones that need an emulator that isn't MAME). That being said a LOT of users also still have no idea what each type of MAME set is and how they differ from another so many things like this we really have to straddle the line and play nice and work well for both camps in this scenario. Not saying there isn't room for improvement in the situation, but this is the type of thing we run up against with some of these features.

[Fursphere]

Just another observation.   Just did a fresh install of LB 13.25 on my desktop PC.  

In the "\LaunchBox\Images\Media Packs\Platform Clear Logos\Nostalgic Platform Clear Logos\Platforms"

There are platform logos included for:
Arcade, MAME, Naomi, Naomi 2, Model 1, Model 2, Model 3, Sammy AtomisWave, TeknoParrot, Taito Type X, and a bunch of others...   

So the to address the statement directly  "TeknoParrot is an Arcade Platform" - why does LB include media for it NOT being an Arcade Platform?  

 

[JoeViking245]

40 minutes ago, Fursphere said:

So the to address the statement directly  "TeknoParrot is an Arcade Platform" - why does LB include media for it NOT being an Arcade Platform?

As someone stated... "Lumping everything in as "arcade" is a mess and simply not workable IMO."  I agree.

I'd say the developers thought of that, and in turn thought about people like us (and I'd imagine themselves) who individually manage our "Arcade platforms".  vs. lumping everything into one large unruly, unmanageable Arcade platform.  You know, "keeping it real" and leaving technicalities aside.  

[faeran]

2 hours ago, Fursphere said:

Just another observation.   Just did a fresh install of LB 13.25 on my desktop PC.  

In the "\LaunchBox\Images\Media Packs\Platform Clear Logos\Nostalgic Platform Clear Logos\Platforms"

There are platform logos included for:
Arcade, MAME, Naomi, Naomi 2, Model 1, Model 2, Model 3, Sammy AtomisWave, TeknoParrot, Taito Type X, and a bunch of others...   

So the to address the statement directly  "TeknoParrot is an Arcade Platform" - why does LB include media for it NOT being an Arcade Platform?  

 

When I mentioned Arcade platform. It's less about lumping everything into an Arcade platform, and more about utilizing "Scrape As: Arcade" and the logic built behind that, which then attempted to answer your first question.

As far as Media Packs are concerned, that's just us thinking ahead so we are prepared with some default custom platform names for users.