Claude Code and Launchbox is revolutionary for me

[DrEvil]

Just a quick question.  I have started working with the LB dB directly using Claude Code and it is amazing.  It can do almost anything as long as LB is not running at the time.  This all works natively in CC and LB with no need for any prep work, MCP , API, etc.  Have others been using this too?

[JoeViking245]

48 minutes ago, DrEvil said:

Just a quick question.  I have started working with the LB dB directly using Claude Code and it is amazing.  It can do almost anything as long as LB is not running at the time.  This all works natively in CC and LB with no need for any prep work, MCP , API, etc. 

If Claude was so smart, it would have told you how you can work with the local database while LaunchBox is running. Just sayin'. 

 

57 minutes ago, DrEvil said:

Have others been using this too?

Unless Claude is a Google or Bing search-result response, I've never used it. (I have a feeling it's its own thing though. No idea.)  But I have accessed, parsed and extracted data from the local database file while LaunchBox is running.  To clarify, I'm concurrently accessing the same physical file as LaunchBox.  aka, I'm not [needlessly] making a copy of the file to use.

[DrEvil]

Not if directly editing xml files in my experience

 

[DrEvil]

And Claude instructions/operations like: "create a launch script for all PS2 games that starts up the N: drive, waits, then launches and program this to a button on my Stream Deck", also load the optimized shader for each game remapping to my KK3 gamepad, blah blah."  etc, etc.  I was not aware you could do that directly via the dB, but good to know.

[JoeViking245]

3 minutes ago, DrEvil said:

I was not aware you could do that directly via the dB, but good to know.

Ahh... I think we're talking about 2 different things.

The database ("dB") as I know it is the actual local copy of the LaunchBox Games Database located here:  \LaunchBox\Metadata\LaunchBox.Metadata.db

I think what you're referring to is the datum for your LaunchBox collection located in the \LaunchBox\Data\ folder.

 

13 minutes ago, DrEvil said:

Not if directly editing xml files in my experience

And here, yes. We are definitely talking about 2 different things. 
Correct. you can't edit the xml files externally while LB is running [without using the API].  Well, you can. But LB will overwrite any changes you made to the xml's when it closes.

[DrEvil]

right thats why LB is closed for when I ask claude to: find all my games across platforms with no art and place them in a new playlist so I can run the LB art download.  Or other library management tasks that can be done natively in LB but are a lot easier using my voice with Claude Code.

 

Edited 2 hours ago by DrEvil

[DrEvil]

OK so here is where I am going.  Last year I built a poor app called "Control's Finder" that maps out all the controls for a platform onto whatever controller you use.  Opus did a poor job but I am confident Fable can do this.  In order for Fable to run the plugin live in your LB to basically "show me the controls for this game", Fable, or your chatbot, needs a live non-API-credit connection to your LB instance.  Thus you'll be running LB, there will be a little popup with mic where you can talk or type to your AI agent within LB to do things.  This would allow for the other little plugin to "go get a controller overlay for this game" in realtime, then display that controller map on your second screen or in the surround area of the game being played.

Anyway, I am rebuilding the controls_finder and maybe I will have something in a few days to submit as a trial plugin

[JoeViking245]

9 minutes ago, DrEvil said:

right thats why LB is closed for when I ask claude to: find all my games across platforms with no art and place them in a new playlist so I can run the LB art download.  Or other library management tasks that can be done natively in LB but are a lot easier using my voice with Claude Code.

I may be slow, but I get what you're saying now.  

[DrEvil]

So my original questions still stands: how are people using their AI personas with LB?

[DrEvil]

1 hour ago, JoeViking245 said:

If Claude was so smart, it would have told you how you can work with the local database while LaunchBox is running. Just sayin'. 

 

Unless Claude is a Google or Bing search-result response, I've never used it. (I have a feeling it's its own thing though. No idea.)  But I have accessed, parsed and extracted data from the local database file while LaunchBox is running.  To clarify, I'm concurrently accessing the same physical file as LaunchBox.  aka, I'm not [needlessly] making a copy of the file to use.

I am referring to Claude Code from Anthropic, Opus and Fable are 2 of their leading models