[bubblesnout]

Over the last few weeks I've been writing this, my second add-on. SteamUI is a XBMC add-on which can launch your Steam games straight from XBMC.

Features:

• Download and cache metadata for your Steam games list allowing instant rendering of fanart, game icons and other data (description, release date, etc.)
  
• View filtered lists of games. Filter by category (single player, Steam achievements, etc.), genre, developer, publisher and Metacritic rating.
  
• Show details for purchased but non-installed games.
  
• Launch games straight from XBMC utilising a clean and simple custom loading screen which is much more appropriate for TV connected PCs.
  
• Use Big Picture mode Overlay which is more appropriate than the standard overlay for TV connected PCs.
  
• Start Steam in Big Picture mode from Add-on main menu (to allow for store access, downloading games etc.)
  
• Close/re-open XBMC when Steam is launched.
  
• Configuration to leave Steam running after game exit if desired (will be minimized).
  

IMPORTANT: Steam must have been run and logged in to at least once on the PC before using to ensure the PC is authenticated with Steam. Make sure your username and password are correct in Add-on settings, as an incorrect username or password may cause Steam to hang.

When you launch a game, your Windows taskbar is hidden to make sure the loading window can stay on top. If there is an issue starting the game or something causes the script to pause or crash, your taskbar may remain hidden. If this occurs the easiest thing to do is simply restart your PC. My apologies if this does happen, please post back and let me know so I can implement some better error checking.

There are a number of things I'd love to add to this in the future, some may be possible some may not:

• View screenshots and videos from games store page via context menu items.
  
• Initiate download of purchased games.
  
• Monitor progress of current Steam downloads.
  
• View and launch non-steam games
  
• Add non-steam games to Steam games list.
  
• Custom WindowXML to allow a completely custom games list interface more suitable than the current skins default.
  
• View/respond to Steam messages.
  
• Launch Steam Store via web browser in fullscreen mode with custom keymapping suitable for popular game controllers / remote controls to navigate.
  

I'm still quite new to add-on development so please post back any errors or troubles you have with this so I can make this as bug free as possible

Huge thanks to teeedubb as I got a lot of help from looking at his "Steam Launcher" add-on, especially with the AHK script to launch Steam which mine is based on. Big thanks also to malte as I learned a lot going through Rom Collection Browser.

Download link: https://db.tt/86emHZ0t

[bakito]

Just test it and.... Works quite well to launch big screen mode but it does not close the media player before maybe you could add this as an option ( like advance launcher does) ?all option seems great too.
BUT it seems to fetch game only in the folder of steam, and I have many different folder where my steam games are install ( in fact everyone but one) so it works for this one ( providing info etc...) real good but I can not access my other steam games
Here are my first test report hope it helps!
Anyway thx for your work, it seems it will be an excellent alternative to steam launcher ( which I use for now ) you just have to let your add on scan every directories where the games are install and that is it
Cheers! Hope to get some news!

[bubblesnout]

I'll be honest, I didn't even know you could split your Steam games out in to different folders! It should be easy to fix that, thanks for letting me know

Oh and if you have the exit xbmc option switched on then xbmc should definitely close but it waits until the loading screen is active so you don't see it happen. Either way I'll check it out and make sure it's working as expected.

[bakito]

you're very welcome !
by the way maybe you're add on could be even better than steam itself because when in big screen mode we could not choose the folder where we want to install the game, you could achieve this just with regular steam ( not big screen) ...if you manage to add this just get a job at valve! they need you !
cheers!

[bubblesnout]

Hah thank you, from what I hear working at Valve is quite an experience.

I've updated this now, same link as before. Only difference is that it will pick up all Steam Library locations that you have configured through steam in addition to your regular Steam/steamapps folder. Give this a try and you should see your other games show up.

[bakito]

Well I give it a try and now your add on scan every games of mine !
Sadly, and it's not the fault of your work some stuff keep in the way...by exemple I try a ubisoft game and ...it does not quite well ( the fault is on ubi since it's shitty to begin with even with just steam) and for other games sometimes they ask for update or sign in ( i try different games to see what happen ) but I cannot see it because of the splash screen.Steam sometimes update some of my games without me knowing and then ask to accept the term of agreement once again... but I could not see it as it is hidden behind splash screen...
It's a shame and again not your fault at all, because when a game just launch without asking anything it's just perfect and a perfect fit for kody ( almost put "xbmc" here )... the info and genre work well... could not see my uninstall games thou...
anyway I don't know if you could find a way around this limitations ( of steam) but I'm sure it could be very useful to a gamer with his library up to date...I install to much game at the same time so the fault come to me also...
again thanks for your work
cheers!

[bubblesnout]

Yeah, that's something I'd love to be able to work around but it's going to be tough to find a way. The add-on definitely works best with games that are listed as full controller supported as they generally have no launcher and will go straight in to the game.

I'm not sure how I might be able to at least make this easier. Maybe simply mapping remote/gamepad buttons to mouse clicks so you can get through it without a keyboard/mouse. Still wouldn't be pretty, but it might make it a bit easier. Definitely open to suggestions!

Not sure why your uninstalled games aren't showing. What's your Steam username?

[bakito]

I made an ahk script once for tomb raider because of a launcher that needed to press "enter" but that was it...I'm no coder at all... maybe something that detect if steam is requesting something ( like "enter") and another script to push the right button, I don't know if it's doable nor a good idea
maybe just remove the splash screen ( "now launching" ) to let us see what steam ( in big screen mode ) is eventually requested... keep the add on exactly the same but the last black screen removed...or it may be emulate what steam is saying in its back... and redirect the button to steam...
I'm sorry that I could not help more...
cheers

[bubblesnout]

All valid ideas, if I can't figure it out then I'll hide the loading screen so that you can at least let it go through. An AHK script to push a button would be great, but each game could be different so it might be a bit hard to tell what it needs to do. I'll have a play with it anyway, you never know.

[bakito]

the problem is steam itself in fact, sometimes I buy a game that is supposed to be "full controller " friendly...and it's not...which is a pain in the ass because I only use the big screen mode...
courage!
cheers

[spyder]

Just tried this out yesterday, great work so far, the convenience of launching my steam games from 'kodi' with minimal work is awesome. I do have one non steam game(added to steam library) that it didn't scan, could be a naming issue though.

@bakito - Have you checked out glovepie?

[bubblesnout]

the problem is steam itself in fact, sometimes I buy a game that is supposed to be "full controller " friendly...and it's not...which is a pain in the ass because I only use the big screen mode...
courage!
cheers

Yeah it's definitely a pain with the way Steam works with some of these games, I don't see it changing though so I might as well try my best to work around it! Hopefully I'll have some time this weekend and might see if I can figure anything out.

Just tried this out yesterday, great work so far, the convenience of launching my steam games from 'kodi' with minimal work is awesome. I do have one non steam game(added to steam library) that it didn't scan, could be a naming issue though.

@bakito - Have you checked out glovepie?

Glad it's working pretty well for you Non-Steam games is something I would like to add, I don't think it will be too difficult to implement so look out for it soon. I didn't worry about it to start with because you can always use Advanced Launcher in XBMC to launch non-steam games, but I understand it would be nice to have everything in the same place.

[spyder]

I will look out for that feature.

[bakito]

Hello, I. Was wondering if it is possible to start the steam web browser directly from x...kody, like you allow us with your add on?
it would be great ! So we could web browse with our gamepad without having to launch steam!
Cheers!

[bubblesnout]

The Steam web browser is a part of the steam application so you can't launch it without launching steam first. An alternative would be to launch another browser in full screen using "Chrome Launcher" or something similar straight to the store page. I'd like to do something like that but it's not a main priority at this point. You could probably configure it with the Chrome Launcher add on yourself without too much trouble.

I've had a look at how non-steam games are treated and I've successfully extracted them into a list, so I can definitely list them out. I can get the path to the games exe out, so I can easily launch the game however if I do it that way the in game overlay won't be available. I can launch it via Steam but I need to know each non-steam games 'launchgameid', which doesn't appear to be accessible from a config file or anything. Hopefully this is stored somewhere else that I just need to locate.