LaunchBox 14.0.1 Beta Thread

[MysterNybble]

Hello everyone!

Our very first (ever?) 3-digit release deserves its own beta.

tl;dr: 14.0 was a great success, a few issues snuck in, this is a beta for a hotfix for many of them, please include logs and details when reporting issues, try to focus on the bugs listed below, and save general feedback, unrelated issues, or ideas for the next full release or use our feedback/bug report system.

It is intentionally bug-fix only as a tidying up of some of the issues that have been reported and discovered since 14.0 was released (just a week ago as of this post, whew!). It spans a variety of areas across both LaunchBox and Big Box. We are hoping for a short beta cycle for this hotfix so we can get these fixes out to the masses.

IMPORTANT! Please remember to include the following when providing your testing feedback:

• The program you are referring to that you have tested: LaunchBox or Big Box
• Your hardware specs and OS
• What you were doing in the app and how you were doing it
• Which theme you used
• The input you were using during your testing: controller, keyboard, or mouse
• List all community plugins that you have installed
• If you experience any crashes (LaunchBox or Big Box crashes to your desktop), we'll need the whole crash report, which includes Windows event logs (a lot of times it's multiple logs related to the same crash) and the mini memory dump that is stored in your Logs folder. The dumps may be large and include private data, so reach out if you want to share privately
• Your LaunchBox and/or Big Box debug logs

Your feedback will be especially valuable if you were experiencing the issue in 14.0 and confirm you are no longer seeing it in this beta, so please let us know what you see.

Here's what we could use your help testing:

Beta 1

• Storefront games: Repeatedly launch and exit storefront games from Big Box and LaunchBox, confirming the frontend returns without freezing or leaving the startup screen behind.
• Controller reliability: Rapidly tap and hold controls, reconnect controllers, and navigate Big Box Options, confirming there are no crashes, missed presses, repeated movement, or double activations. Please test both DirectInput and XInput devices if possible.
• Startup and pause screens: Repeatedly launch and exit games and open and close the pause screen, confirming each overlay disappears and keyboard and mouse input return normally.
• Big Box hybrid and 3D views: Change sorts, filters, searches, platforms, and categories, confirming the wheel, selected game, details, models, and game count remain synchronized.
• Big Box wall views and Jump To: Try a search with no matches and a descending Title sort, confirming the no-games message appears and Jump To lands on the correct game.
• Legacy theme videos: Browse games with videos using Old Default (Legacy) or other older themes, confirming the correct Game Details video loads and follows your video priorities.
• Startup with pending media: Restart LaunchBox with media work queued and change the Default Image Group, confirming startup no longer sticks at "Initializing process" and unavailable choices safely fall back to Boxes.
• Flip Box: Flip a box in the default Image Grid, then scroll, resize, or refresh images, confirming it flips correctly and does not unexpectedly return to the front.
• Add/Edit Application window: Open the window for applications, versions, documents, and links, confirming every option is visible or reachable by scrolling on smaller or scaled displays.
• Last Modified dates: Note a game's Last Modified value and select it while details load, confirming that viewing the game no longer changes the date.
• RetroAchievements: Check a recognized game with no published achievements, confirming it is no longer incorrectly marked as Mastered.
• TeknoParrot media: Download EmuMovies media for a dedicated TeknoParrot platform, confirming it now uses the Arcade_PC catalog without affecting regular Arcade or MAME platforms.

Full Changelog:

Beta 1

• Fixed: A deadlock that could freeze LaunchBox and exhaust threads after launching and closing several storefront games
• Fixed: DirectInput polling and maintenance races that could cause native crashes, missed short inputs, or repeated held inputs during Big Box Options navigation
• Fixed: A pause-screen activation race that could leave LaunchBox or Big Box unresponsive to keyboard and mouse input
• Fixed: An unexpected error window could appear behind the startup or pause screen when a fade did not finish in time, leaving LaunchBox and Big Box looking frozen
• Fixed: A startup state mismatch that could leave LaunchBox stuck at "Initializing process" when pending media work could not start; invalid saved image groups now fall back to Boxes
• Fixed: Legacy Game Details videos failed to load in Old Default (Legacy) and matching legacy LaunchBox themes
• Fixed: Big Box hybrid game wheel repopulation issues that could leave stale, mismatched, or blank 3D model slots after sorting, filtering, or switching platforms
• Fixed: Big Box wall searches and filters with no matches left an empty view without the no-games placeholder
• Fixed: The Big Box A-Z index jumped to the wrong location when Title sorting was descending; those sorts now use the Jump To list
• Fixed: The Add/Edit Application window did not always grow enough to show all options; constrained screens now provide scrolling
• Fixed: Selecting a game updated its Last Modified date while recalculating derived media or achievement metadata
• Fixed: Games with no achievements available on RetroAchievements could be incorrectly marked as Mastered because of invalid completion progress
• Fixed: Flip Box did not work in the default fast Image Grid and could revert to front artwork during scrolling or image refreshes
• Fixed: Dedicated TeknoParrot platforms used the general Arcade catalog instead of EmuMovies' Arcade_PC catalog for media downloads

Thanks for all of the help and detailed reports. We absolutely appreciate you and the help you provide in improving each release!

[Jabb3rJaw]

Only had a chance to test real quick so far. The first time I exited a PC game there was no notification the game was ending so I thought that was removed and the game exited clean. The next few pc games I exited all through the game itself showed the game closing screen so maybe the first was a fluke. I’ll try and run my cabinet tomorrow for any crashes. The wheel feels really smooth just the start up seems a little laggy and I noticed it on 14 as well.  The start up video is a tad laggy at first and my led blinky lights that change color are a bit laggy during this time but only during startup. LED blinky also now starts before the start up video begins to play. I’m running an i7 137k and Nvidia 3080 with 32 gb of ram. 

[JaredN]

Hi, team!

I haven't had time to thoroughly test this beta yet, but I'd like to make this quick request anyway.
I use background music with BB, and it stops playing when I open a manual.
Would it be possible to fix this so that only the sound from videos is muted, as I believe was the case before?
I’m not including any logs or other information because I think this issue is completely reproducible.
Thanks again for all your hard work and support!

Edited yesterday at 09:13 AM by JaredN

[AzgoRAth]

Hi guys. I tested the beta and can confirm the dinput bug is fixed. thanks.

[GotGroomedOnKik]

its kind of a really niche issue, but the ability to toggle inputs on and off from certain devices would be nice. 

i have a sim racing rig that is always on and connected to my pc, and after buying launchbox recently i noticed my  handbrake, pedals, and wheels cause random inputs to be triggered in launchbox.

its consistently repeatable and unfixable so far.  if i click even on an empty space in  launchbox window without unplugging my sim racing gear, the cursor will start moving around and going left and right infinitely over the, items at the top bar, its impossible to make a selection because it auto detects controller input and scrolls through the menus uncontrollably. im assuming it has to do with them being detected as joysticks in the launchbox app since they use axis inputs, but its REALLY annoying having to decide between a properly working launchbox app, and using my sim rig,  it would be nice to be able to use both at the same time. 

[Retrofrogg]

Sometimes Launchbox doesn't fully close. The screenshot shows the processes remaining. This is a minute after I closed the app and it did it's usual shutdown routine. This problem seems to occur randomly, maybe on average once every 6 shutdowns.

 

Edited 19 hours ago by Retrofrogg

[Drybonz]

36 minutes ago, Retrofrogg said:

Sometimes Launchbox doesn't fully close. The screenshot shows the processes remaining. This is a minute after I closed the app and it did it's usual shutdown routine. This problem seems to occur randomly, maybe on average once every 6 shutdowns.

It happens to me intermittently and has for quite a few development cycles.  I've basically accepted that it will probably never be fixed.

[MysterNybble]

1 hour ago, Retrofrogg said:

Sometimes Launchbox doesn't fully close. The screenshot shows the processes remaining. This is a minute after I closed the app and it did it's usual shutdown routine. This problem seems to occur randomly, maybe on average once every 6 shutdowns.

 

 

1 hour ago, Drybonz said:

It happens to me intermittently and has for quite a few development cycles.  I've basically accepted that it will probably never be fixed.

We are working on these sorts of things but often times we can't recreate it and fixing things blind doesn't always turn out for the best. The best thing you can do it, when you notice this send us a few details:

• What you last saw: i.e: during the shutdown screen which screen it was stuck on, or the shutdown screen went away but it's still there
• LaunchBox Debug Logs
• Memory dumps: Perhaps the most useful for the elusive ones is a memory dump.
  • From task manager you can right click on the exe and create memory dump which we can dive into to see what LaunchBox thinks it's working / why it might still be stuck.
  • You can ignore the media engine process, that one will shutdown when LaunchBox itself does.
  • LaunchBox has two processes running you might need to either identify the main one (memory usage is a strong indicator here) or just send us both
  • These files can be large (they usually compress well though) and may contain private data so treat accordingly. Uploading to cloud drive (google, dropbox, etc.) and emailing or DMing me the link works well.

I understand it is frustrating, but I really do want to fix these things for you and with enough or the right information usually I can :-P.

[MysterNybble]

2 hours ago, GotGroomedOnKik said:

its kind of a really niche issue, but the ability to toggle inputs on and off from certain devices would be nice. 

i have a sim racing rig that is always on and connected to my pc, and after buying launchbox recently i noticed my  handbrake, pedals, and wheels cause random inputs to be triggered in launchbox.

its consistently repeatable and unfixable so far.  if i click even on an empty space in  launchbox window without unplugging my sim racing gear, the cursor will start moving around and going left and right infinitely over the, items at the top bar, its impossible to make a selection because it auto detects controller input and scrolls through the menus uncontrollably. im assuming it has to do with them being detected as joysticks in the launchbox app since they use axis inputs, but its REALLY annoying having to decide between a properly working launchbox app, and using my sim rig,  it would be nice to be able to use both at the same time. 

If you put LaunchBox into single controller mode, you can select the input you want, would that work? Inputs are riddled with oddities so if you need it to stay in All Controller mode I might need to work with you to identify what LaunchBox is seeing as far as 'controller input' to see why it's doing that.

[MysterNybble]

6 hours ago, AzgoRAth said:

Hi guys. I tested the beta and can confirm the dinput bug is fixed. thanks.

I just heard the zelda-opening-a-chest noise in my head, thank you for telling me this!

[MysterNybble]

20 hours ago, Jabb3rJaw said:

Only had a chance to test real quick so far. The first time I exited a PC game there was no notification the game was ending so I thought that was removed and the game exited clean. The next few pc games I exited all through the game itself showed the game closing screen so maybe the first was a fluke. I’ll try and run my cabinet tomorrow for any crashes. The wheel feels really smooth just the start up seems a little laggy and I noticed it on 14 as well.  The start up video is a tad laggy at first and my led blinky lights that change color are a bit laggy during this time but only during startup. LED blinky also now starts before the start up video begins to play. I’m running an i7 137k and Nvidia 3080 with 32 gb of ram. 

Was it the *same* game you played later? We are still working through challenges in detecting certain scripts/launchers so we think the game ended before it actually did (i.e. a pre-launcher launches the game and we don't see the game itself but only see the script or launcher). If the first game is consistent, let me know more about how that game is setup/what game it was if you could.

We are trying to improve startup video laggy stuff still but glad to hear that the wheel feels great now :).

 

[GotGroomedOnKik]

47 minutes ago, MysterNybble said:

If you put LaunchBox into single controller mode, you can select the input you want, would that work? Inputs are riddled with oddities so if you need it to stay in All Controller mode I might need to work with you to identify what LaunchBox is seeing as far as 'controller input' to see why it's doing that.

that might actually work, i will try this out in a couple hours when i get home. where would the setitng be located? 

i also tried getting the launchbox reader set up last night and i cant get the library to display the file icons for some reason. the library still shows the .cbz files but it doesnt show the thumbnail/cover of the file

[Drybonz]

2 hours ago, MysterNybble said:

We are working on these sorts of things but often times we can't recreate it and fixing things blind doesn't always turn out for the best. The best thing you can do it, when you notice this send us a few details:

Thank you... yes, I went through some troubleshooting on it with Faeran during a previous development cycle.  We weren't able to pin it down.

[MysterNybble]

5 hours ago, GotGroomedOnKik said:

that might actually work, i will try this out in a couple hours when i get home. where would the setitng be located? 

i also tried getting the launchbox reader set up last night and i cant get the library to display the file icons for some reason. the library still shows the .cbz files but it doesnt show the thumbnail/cover of the file

In LaunchBox -> Tools -> Options and search for controller :), there's a checkbox you can turn off and a drop down to select the input (it has to be on/connected when you get to this screen).

 

3 hours ago, Drybonz said:

Thank you... yes, I went through some troubleshooting on it with Faeran during a previous development cycle.  We weren't able to pin it down.

The memory dump analysis is a new trick in our bag of tricks, so if you get one, that could help

[Heartless1Riku]

Smaller bug but the way text snaps to game art just is not as clean and streamlined as it used to be in prior releases. Especially when two boxes with different sizing are in the same row the text will not be flush against any of them and layout settings can not fix it only works well when all boxes are the same size and orientation otherwise it distorts sizing between different box formats.

Not sure if it is possible but could lunchbox automatically place text flush against box art on its own again?  

13.19 LB All category (Text snaps close to bigger box and stays aligned with text of smaller box)

14.0 LB All Category (Text is not snapped close with small or big box)

13.19

14.0 (using override to make text closer to box to match 13.19 causes vertically oriented boxes to become tiny which can not be fixed with other settings)

Edited 8 hours ago by Heartless1Riku

[Rlad]

11 hours ago, GotGroomedOnKik said:

that might actually work, i will try this out in a couple hours when i get home. where would the setitng be located? 
 

Also turn this on if you have issues in Bigbox

[JoeViking245]

3 hours ago, Heartless1Riku said:

Not sure if it is possible but could lunchbox automatically place text flush against box art on its own again?  

Instead of putting the text against the box art, how about putting the box art against the text?