Same emulator, multiple command lines.. possible currently? or possible feature request.

[Dybdal]

Sending up the bat signal for JoeViking.
Que the ominous batman animated series music as he descends from the buildings in the nightsky.

Is it possible in Launchbox to setup the same emulator multiple times under the same entry under Associated Platforms?
Or do you have to keep re-adding the same emulator multiple times to use different command lines?

The issue really stems from how computers (mainly) use multiple types of media (Carts/Cassettes & Disks) when you have a lot of them, your emulator list starts looking crowded and difficult to find what you need.

If this isn't possible, can we then please get this requested as a feature?

[JoeViking245]

43 minutes ago, Dybdal said:

Is it possible in Launchbox to setup the same emulator multiple times under the same entry under Associated Platforms?

If I'm following your question correctly, Yes.
You can have e.g. MAME (the name you gave it in LaunchBox) as an emulator and MAME-2 (the name you gave the 'other' one) also as an emulator, with both of them pointing to the exact same mame.exe file.  Those 2 "emulators" can also both have the same Associated Platform (e.g. Arcade).  But only one of those can be set as the default emulator for that platform.

 

52 minutes ago, Dybdal said:

The issue really stems from how computers (mainly) use multiple types of media (Carts/Cassettes & Disks) when you have a lot of them

So.... you want to have 2 (or more?) emulators in LB (e.g. MAME and MAME-2) because your Associated Platforms list is too long?

Or is the issue, you imported e.g. your carts and cassettes into the same Platform? Personally, I separated mine out.

 

 

1 hour ago, Dybdal said:

your emulator list starts looking crowded and difficult to find what you need.

When you say "emulator list starts looking crowded" are you saying here, you have a different emulator (e.g. MAME and MAME-2) for each platform?  I mean, I have a lengthy emulator list too because I don't use RetroArch for everything under-the-sun.

At the same time, my MAME emulator has a 'crowded' Associated Platforms section because of all it can emulate.  But TBH, I don't really play any of those. I set 'em to see that they can work, then just leave 'em there.

 

If I totally misunderstood what you're trying to convey, maybe add some specific examples. Also maybe some screen captures along with the narrative.  Pictures usually show the correct thing that words themselves get lost in Joe-translation.

[Dybdal]

I think you misunderstand.
The issue at hand is that there will have to be duplicates somewhere.
 

1. Duplicate Platform listings "like you showed "Atari 2600 cartridges" & "Atari 2600 cassettes" - Duplicates = In platforms list.
2. Duplicate Emulators "like i've done, "Classic99 - Carts" "Classic99 - Disk" "Classic99 - Cassettes" - Duplicates = in the emulator list.
3. Duplicate Asociated Platforms "instead of "Atari 2600 Cartridges" & "Atari 2600 cassettes" you would o two identical lines of "Atari 2600" but with different command lines - Duplicates = in the Asociated Platforms.

While 3 isn't easy to implement, i am sure is the right way to do it. (you just need a way to name each entry, maybe with a -> [DISK] at the end of the Associated Platform so the emulator shows up as "Name [DISK]" in the list.
Take a look at the VIC-20 discussion that's been going lately, that computer is notoriously confusing to use due to memory & cartridge maps that has to be set by the emulator, so you end up with a TON of different command lines to run games for it.
This causes bloat, in eighter the emulator list making it cumbersome to navigate or it causes bloat in the Platforms list and it causes un-nessesary friction for beginner end-users (As you can see in the VIC-20 thread)
If you can give them multiple emulator entries to "trail and error" though, that neatly side steps that issue.

Hope that explains it better, im really tired

[Dybdal]

Forgot to add that bloat in the emulator list, also makes adding an emulator tedious, as asking the end-user to do a step 5-7 times in a row to get desired functionality, isn't a very solution.

[Dybdal]

Very clean solution..... damn im tired.