multi folders under one main

[Steveo]

Hi,

I'm trying to work out the correct way to organise one console in LaunchBox/Big Box.

I have one Atari 2600 collection, but the ROMs are already separated into four folders on my drive:

• Hacked Games
• Home Brew / Unlicensed Games
• Normal Released Games
• Prototype Games

What I want in LaunchBox/Big Box is:

Consoles

Atari 2600

Hacked Games Home Brew / Unlicensed Games Normal Released Games Prototype Games

Each of those four sections should then contain its respective games.

However, I need Atari 2600 to remain ONE actual platform. I previously imported the four folders as four separate platforms and nested them under an Atari 2600 category. It looked right in the LaunchBox tree, but Big Box/Discover then treated them as four separate Atari 2600 systems and displayed four Atari 2600 tiles.

Is there a proper way to have ONE Atari 2600 platform with these four groups nested underneath it, preferably automatically based on the four ROM folders?

I use LaunchBox/Big Box and want the structure to work correctly in both.

Thanks.

[JoeViking245]

4 hours ago, Steveo said:

Is there a proper way to have ONE Atari 2600 platform with these four groups nested underneath it, preferably automatically based on the four ROM folders?

Importing the 4 into separate platforms is one way to do it.

Another is to have them all in an Atari 2600 Platform and create 4 Playlists for each one (nested under the Platform, which is nested under the Consoles Category).

Console (category)
    Atari 2600 (platform)
        Hacked Games (playlist)
        Home Brew / Unlicensed Games (playlist)
        Normal Released Games (playlist)
        Prototype Games (playlist)

To do this "automatically"? Not so easy.  But since you have them already imported into separate platforms, you should be able to 'manipulate' them into the structure I show above.

e.g.

Create the playlists:

• Select all games (select one game and press Ctrl+A) in your Hacked Games platform.
• Right-click one game and select Add to Playlist - New Playlist...
  • Set Unique Name to "Atari 2600 Hacked Games"
  • Set Nested Name to "Hacked Games"
  • Click OK to save and close

Do the same for the other 3 (adjusting the Unique and Nested names).

Move the 4 platforms into "Atari 2600" Platform

• Select all games (select one game and press Ctrl+A) in your Hacked Games platform.
• Press Ctrl+E to start the Bulk Edit Wizard
• For the Field, select Platform
• For the Value, type in Atari 2600
• Click Next, Next, 
• Select Yes (to migrate media)
• Select No (to close the editor)

Do the same for the other 3.

Nest the playlists

Switch to Playlist view

• Select your "Atari 2600 Hacked Games" playlist
• Right-click it and select Edit
• In the Parents tab, check only Atari 2600 (Platform)
  
• Click OK to save and close

Do the same for the other 3.

 

You should now be good-to-go.  Switch back to Platform Category view and have a look.

This is just one way to do it, as there may be others.

 

You can read more about organizing you collection in this article:
Organizing Your Library: Platforms, Categories, Playlists, Favorites, and Filters - LaunchBox

[Steveo]

Thankyou so much for your help

[Steveo]

Hi this is great but i was wondering if there is a quicker way of doing this as I don't already have all my ROMs in launchbox I am currently adding them.

[JoeViking245]

1 hour ago, Steveo said:

Hi this is great but i was wondering if there is a quicker way of doing this as I don't already have all my ROMs in launchbox I am currently adding them.

I guess you did say you "previously" added them as separate platforms. I assumed there were still there.

Plan "B"

• Import all the Atari 2600 ROMs from the 4 folders into an "Atari 2600" platform
  • (depending on how they're named, you may need to check the box to allow duplicates)
• Switch to Playlists view
• Right-click a playlist and select New
  • Do the naming convention mentioned above for Hacked Games
  • In the Auto-Populate tab, check the box Auto-Populate....
    • For the Field, select Platform.  
    • Comparison, select Is Equal To
    • Value, type in "Atari 2600"
  • Tab to add a new field
    • For the Field, select Application/ROM Path.  
    • Comparison, select Contains
    • Value, type in "Hacked Games"
    • 
  • In the Parents tab
    • check only Atari 2600 (Platform)
• Repeat for the remaining 3. Changing the names and App Path Contains value