[Angelscry]

I am still having difficulties with getting my emulators to launch using the launcher.sh script (linux version). Is there any way to modify the launcher addon so that the launcher.sh script is unneeded. If I run Mupen64plus by itself I get a full 60 fps. When I launch it from xbmc it drops to 30fps. There has to be a way to do this natively with the launcher program, rather than having to rely on scripts do do the middle work of closing and reopening xbmc.

What do you think Angelscry? Is that a possibility?

If you ask me to add an option into the launcher addon to close XBMC just after starting an emulator and then restart XBMC after exit the emulator, natively, it is not possible. If XBMC is closed, the launcher addon will be also closed, and so the launcher addon will cannot restart XBMC. The launcher addon is part of XBMC. The only way is effectively to used an external .sh script that will do all of this. But natively... I do not think so.... Maybe the solution will be to look closer to the launcher.sh script and improve it.

[kamikaze7100]

There is an option to desactivate into PCSX2 to exit the emulator using the ESC key.

That doesn't work, at loast not for the latest svn.

By the way, how do you setup the epsx emu?
I use the arguments -nogui -loadiso -fullscreen but all im getting is a error message that says (gamename).iso is not an exe file.

[Angelscry]

By the way, how do you setup the epsx emu?
I use the arguments -nogui -loadiso -fullscreen but all im getting is a error message that says (gamename).iso is not an exe file.

"-Fullscreen" is not a valid command line argument for epsxe. If you want to enable the fullscreen capability you will have to define it into video option of epsxe (with the exact resolution of your screen). My launcher.xml file for epsxe look like this :

Code:

    <launcher>
        <name>PlayStation</name>
        <application>/home/gwenael/.epsxe/epsxe</application>
        <args>-nogui -loadiso </args>
        <rompath>/mnt/multimedias/consoles/playstation/roms/</rompath>
        <thumbpath>/mnt/multimedias/consoles/playstation/covers/</thumbpath>
        <fanartpath>/mnt/multimedias/consoles/playstation/fanarts/</fanartpath>
        <romext>iso</romext>
        <platform>PlayStation</platform>
        <thumb>/mnt/multimedias/consoles/playstation/logo.png</thumb>
        <fanart>/mnt/multimedias/consoles/playstation/console.png</fanart>
        <genre></genre>
        <release></release>
        <publisher></publisher>
        <launcherplot></launcherplot>
        <wait>true</wait>
        <roms>
        </roms>
    </launcher>

[Nabil]

Where does your program scrape art/metadata from? I'm actually actively working on a database for games that uses TheTVDB API at it's core. Let me know if you're interested in using this.

I scrape from a couple sites for now but it's raw screen scraping, not very good i know but had a hard time finding an API.

that would be amazing, I can integrate that in no time at all . keep me posted please

[ghostelement]

I scrape from a couple sites for now but it's raw screen scraping, not very good i know but had a hard time finding an API.

that would be amazing, I can integrate that in no time at all . keep me posted please

I'd love for you to use my site as a scraping resource.

The address is http://thegamesdb.net/

The site is still in it's early stages, but we're making progress with it. Check out the code site for any changes and how to use the API. http://code.google.com/p/thegamesdb/

Let me know if you have any questions, or feel free to PM me... I don't want to hijack this thread. Thanks!

[Angelscry]

This is the last version of the launcher addon (v1.15b): plugin.program.launcher.zip

What's new :
- Add of the Get Thumb/Cover option for roms (only for roms actually). I want first to receive some positive feedback before to start adding this option for launchers.
- New option allows you to manually search (using name and game system information), display, select and download game covers, save them locally and automatically refresh the corresponding XBMC thumbnail cache.
- Display list of covers identified by world zone (principally US, Eu and JP)
- WARNING !!! Only works to replace existing thumbs. There is actually a bug if no thumbs already exist. I will fix it a soon as possible.



Please, give me all your feedback about this new option. It surely still has bug and could to be improved. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome. Next stages will be addition of this option for the stand-alone launchers, addition of a similar options for fanarts, and then automatic covers and fanarts scrapping when scanning new files.



For better experience use a skin which support thumbnails, fanarts and information display for programs addons.

[scalpel]

Will test it later THANKS. Alaska is the only full working skin with this plugins? Maybe somebody know is this skin support it too http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=82065

[Angelscry]

Will test it later THANKS. Alaska is the only full working skin with this plugins? Maybe somebody know is this skin support it too http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=82065

The Launcher addon plugin is actually working with most of all the skin (see my screenshot with Confluence). But most of the skins are not natively displaying all the programs metadata (text and images) that this plugin can manage.

The Alaska.Revisted skin was the first skin to display those metadata because I have created a specific MOD for that. But things are actually changing (Native Alaska skin, Night skin, etc...).

[rausch101]

This is the last version of the launcher addon (v1.15b): plugin.program.launcher.zip

fantastic, i'll try this is out on you alaska revisted mod when I get home and report any bugs

[Robert de Clair]

is only me have a strange problem with launcher?
trying to add anything and i can select other source than my dvd drive or card reader.
plugin dont see my local hard disc partitions.
dharma b4 portable launched. win xp home sp3. launcher official from repo and current version 15b have same issue. skin pm3hd. lang polish (but removing lang gives same effect)
is it my stupidity, or beta problem?

[rausch101]

"All Star Tennis '99" and "A Bug's Life" (both N64 games) return only Playstation thumbs/covers (there are N64 covers on the gamefaqs website).

Aerofighter's Assault (N64) finds the cover fine, but gives a script error after selecting it.
EDIT: No jpg is saved in my roms directory where all the other jpgs are saved, but when I change the view a cover is displayed for this game.


Platoon (NES) returns only EU game covers, but there is a US one on the gamefaqs site.

"Pictionary: The Game of the Video Quick Draw" (NES) returns the correct game on info scrape, but returns "Bill and Ted's Excellent Video Game Adventure" for the thumb scrape.

"Overlord" (NES) thumb scrape returns on the PC versions of the covers, not NES.


Most games work great. I've tried getting a thumb before I have info - it gives an error - but then it finds the saves the thumb fine if I go back and get info first.

Also note that sometimes it takes a while after saving a thumb - I think this means that Launcher Plugin is continuing to download the other covers even after the user selects one.

This is all done using your Alaska Revisted MOD

Great work yet again!

[Angelscry]

is only me have a strange problem with launcher?
trying to add anything and i can select other source than my dvd drive or card reader.
plugin dont see my local hard disc partitions.
dharma b4 portable launched. win xp home sp3. launcher official from repo and current version 15b have same issue. skin pm3hd. lang polish (but removing lang gives same effect)
is it my stupidity, or beta problem?

I think it is a beta problem.

I have encounter the same problem as you. All was working great under Linux, but when I was testing the launcher under Windows it has only shows me my external hard drive as source. By unpluging my external drive, all was ok...

I have first thought that it was a problem with the launcher. So, I have try to change the default browsing folder (anything but not the root directory) and it was working. But each time I have reached the windows top directory, it always show me my external drive.

[Angelscry]

"All Star Tennis '99" and "A Bug's Life" (both N64 games) return only Playstation thumbs/covers (there are N64 covers on the gamefaqs website).

Aerofighter's Assault (N64) finds the cover fine, but gives a script error after selecting it.
EDIT: No jpg is saved in my roms directory where all the other jpgs are saved, but when I change the view a cover is displayed for this game.


Platoon (NES) returns only EU game covers, but there is a US one on the gamefaqs site.

"Pictionary: The Game of the Video Quick Draw" (NES) returns the correct game on info scrape, but returns "Bill and Ted's Excellent Video Game Adventure" for the thumb scrape.

"Overlord" (NES) thumb scrape returns on the PC versions of the covers, not NES.


Most games work great. I've tried getting a thumb before I have info - it gives an error - but then it finds the saves the thumb fine if I go back and get info first.

Also note that sometimes it takes a while after saving a thumb - I think this means that Launcher Plugin is continuing to download the other covers even after the user selects one.

This is all done using your Alaska Revisted MOD

Great work yet again!

Thank You for your feedback rausch101. I will try to fix all those problem during the week-end.

I think all the wrong covers reporting are due to some gamefaqs pages that are not well supported by my scrapping code. I will have to see the HTML code of those pages to fix it. I have also to check what happen if a game is not on the gamefaqs database (exceptions). "Pictionary: The Game of the Video Quick Draw" may be on of those one.

Other errors are due to a problem with the XBMC thumbnails cache. I know this one. But I will have to found another way to manage them. Not really easy.

Thank you again for your precious help.

[Angelscry]

This is a small fix of the launcher addon (v1.15b2): plugin.program.launcher.zip

What's new :
- May fix most of the Get Cover/thumbs script error messages.

[scalpel]

At now i can tell you its almost working, i downloaded thumbs and info but only for few roms, other thumb can't be founded, or some errors. Need more time to tests i will try to do it from beginning