New GB version coming... feature requests, anyone?

[Jimbo]

Ok, on second glance at 7z.exe, it seems it can only list files in the current archive. If you want to list the files in a sub-archive, you have to first actually extract the parent archive in order to get access to the sub-archive...

Code: Select all

game.zip
    -> foo.zip  (have to extract game.zip to be able to list files in foo.zip)

This means that walking through the archives recursively for valid game-files/sub-archives could be quite time-consuming (lets say there is a large .iso file in there that 7z starts to extract).

This leads me to believe that it might be better to *not* auto-check for compatible files, but instead show an explorer-type window for the user to browse the archive and pick the game-file to run. As the user browses, clicking on an archive will extract it there and then and show the results as a "subfolder" of the archive. This means the user can walk up or down the main archive as he pleases to find the game-file to run, and avoid extracting large archives when they know they don't need to.

[K.C.]

Yep, that's true.
Extracting large archives before the user can make a choice will cause more trouble than help.
As long as the user can browse back to a higher folder or archive, there is no problem and your suggested way for browsing seems to be the best option.

[K.C.]

Another idea (not a must to include in the next beta, but probably in the official release):

A button or something else (maybe also in the new side bar) that displays a window with general information about the system used in the current database.
Information shown in this window could be:

• The name of the emulated system
• The name of the manufacturer
• When the system was in production (Year From and Year To)
• Hardware characteristics (Processor, clock speed, amount of memory, OS, supported peripherals)
• Text window for facts, comments, trivia, history. Text sould be displayed in a text box with scroll bar, so all information you want to publish would fit.
• One or more pictures of the emulated system
• A list of hyperlinks to related websites (for example site of manufaturer, site used as source for downloading roms, links to sites where you can download emulators for the emulated system)
• Maybe a second tab in this window that displays the credits for the current collection.
  It's now in a tab under help/about screen, it would be more easy to find with a General Info button in the main screen.

And another small one:
It's possible to hide the details section, but this also hides the little "related to..." icons.
Maybe there is space for them somewhere in the status bar?

[hardmanm]

Is a beta release near? Looking forward to trying it out.

[Jimbo]

Hi

Work has been a bit slow since Christmas, but it *is* progressing. I have to finish this new extraction/repack routine then tidy a few bits up before the next beta is ready.

[Underfly]

I like the added review bar, I can't wait until the next version is ready.

Heres a few suggestions

1. Multiple links in the More Info: category, at least 3, instead of 1.

2. Ability to add keywords to games for searching purposes. (eg sometimes I like to play western games or futuristic games but they fall under many genres.)

3. Support for animated GIFs for screenshots.

4. Sub-Folders used for zipping and re-zipping.

Anyway keep up the good work

[Jimbo]

1. Multiple links in the More Info: category, at least 3, instead of 1.

I'm not adding any more fields for this release, but you can add more links via Extras, which can be constantly visible if the sidebar is showing.

2. Ability to add keywords to games for searching purposes. (eg sometimes I like to play western games or futuristic games but they fall under many genres.)

Yes I like this idea (tagging), and its something I wanted to implement years ago, but never got round to it. Doubt it'll get into v1.3, but its a candidate for v1.4 for sure.

3. Support for animated GIFs for screenshots.

Animated GIFs aren't supported intrinsically in VB6, so this is not straightforward.

4. Sub-Folders used for zipping and re-zipping.

Will be ready for v1.3 (working on it now).

[Jimbo]

Big progress tonight. Over the past week Gemus's archive extraction routine has had a complete overhaul. You can now select any "runnable" file from an archive supported by 7-Zip, even within subfolders. I created an "archive browser" that pops up when there isn't a clear cut file to auto-choose from within the archive (you can also run it manually from the Game Selector to change the runnable file within the archive).

The upshot of it is that you can choose any file from any archive (as long as it matches the filetypes you specified for your emulators). Also, even if you have (for example) .ZIP as an "emulator compatible file type", you can still choose to select a sub-zip. This is different to current Gemus behaviour where it would always just choose the root zip file. This lets you have zips within zips, and choose to run the sub-zips (hope that makes sense).

Anyway, here's a screenshot for a test archive I created: -



I have the "archive re-packing" to do now (was: re-zipping), but that shouldn't take too long, as I have it worked out in my head and the unpacked folders are all setup just how I need them. Then you guys can pick the new beta apart.

[Underfly]

Just to note the version i'm using (1.3 beta (db v2.6) - 17 December 2009) doesn't seem to be accepting .png format screenshots

I go to the picture selector, and when I get to a .png, the preview window is blank and the OK button isn't selectable.



Anyway can't wait to help test the next upcoming beta release, with the new archive extraction routine, this should next open up endless possiblities.

[K.C.]

Strange. I did set up a small test database with the same version (1.3 Beta, 2009/12/17) and don't have any problem with it.
.PNG files are selectable and screenshots are displayed both in the Picture Selector and in the games list.
Problems may possibly be caused by:

• Something in the .PNG file that's unsupported by Gamebase's picture extraction/display routine.
  Try to open the .PNG file in Paint and save it under another name.
• Something in the format of the filename that's invalid.
  Try to rename the .PNG file to Picture.Png

I hope that one of these options work, because it's working for me, so it's not likely that is's a bug in the Gamebase program.

[Jimbo]

Yep. what K.C. said. That part of the code hasn't changed since it was introduced by Brataccas in v1.2.

[Jimbo]

New Beta:
http://www.leesti.com/gbv13b20100209.zip

Sorry its taken so long! This has quite a lot of new stuff, so I'm expecting bugs (especially the GEMUS changes as it's been totally reworked). I didn't get everything done that was requested, but a good chunk of it made it.

== NEW FEATURES ==
- You can now stick .wav files in your database's /Splash folder. GB will play a random one as it displays the splash screen
- Can now set the default Picture sizes per database
- Added new fields: Artist, Developer, License, Rarity, Original, Playable, TitleScreen, Info WebLink, Version WebLink, CloneOf, Review Rating
- Views can finally show more than 2 columns!
- Added new Default View: <All Games Excluding Clones> to complement the new CloneOf field
- Can now hide/show/re-order fields in the details tabs (tabs themselves will be hidden if no fields are shown on them)
- Added 2 new 'Extras' types: URL (opens extra in default web browser), and MUSIC (uses the configured Music Players)
- Added new Sidebar, showing all "launchable" items such as game file, music file, weblinks and extras
- New "Import Personal Info..." feature under Tools menu. You can import personal data (favourites, highscore, difficulty, rating, times/last played etc) from another (e.g. previous) database
- Can now edit the FirstLoadGemusAsk and FirstLoadMessage from the GBToolbox (right-click the mdb file and select "First Load Message...")
- RomLister Export - Now you can export GB databases and run them in a variety of popular arcade cabinet frontends
- New App: GBLauncher.exe - runs games using GEMUS silently via command line
GEMUS:
- Archive unpack/repack routines completely reworked employing 7-Zip command line utility to do all the hard work.
- Can now unpack the following archives (thanks to 7-Zip): .7Z, .ZIP, .GZ, .GZIP, .TGZ, .BZ2, .BZIP2, .TBZ2, .TBZ, .TAR, .LZMA, .RAR, .CAB, .ARJ, .Z, .TAZ, .ISO, .LHA, .LZH
- Can now repack the following archives (with/without sub-archives) (thanks to 7-Zip): .7Z .ZIP .GZ .GZIP .TGZ .BZ2 .BZIP2 .TBZ2 .TBZ .TAR
- Dropped legacy support for .LNX and ZipCoded files (C64)
- Now keeping the folder structure intact when extracting archives
- Can now use environment vars in key=value pairs (values only). E.g. foo=%emupath%
- Can now use empty values in key=value pairs and Set_* functions
- Added following environment vars: %dbdriveletter%, %storedgames(x)%, %storedpictures(x)%, %storedextras(x)%, %storedmusic%, %storedphotos% (see updated docs)
- Introduced global key=value pairs, and key=value sets for grouping related key=value pairs (see updated docs)
- New script function Run_Emulator_Send_Keys() added to enable sending of keystrokes to the emulator after is has been launched (see updated docs)
- Can now specify the location of the "GBGame" folder

== CHANGES ==
- Split Options window into "frontend" options and "per database" options
- Removed the "File Not Found or not PSID" message on the Music details tab
- Now saves/retrieves last-browsed picture path in the Picture Selector (when adding games, or when current game has no picture file assigned)
- Changed tab 3 in About screen to the loaded database's name, instead of "GameBase"
- Increased field sizes to 255 chars for: Cracker, Difficulty, Language, Musician (+Nick, +Grp), Programmer, Publisher, Genre, ParentGenre, Comment, Version Comment
- Yes/No fields are now Yes/No/Unknown for the following fields: Loading Screen, High Score Saver, Included Docs, True Drive Emu
- Various UI tweaks to account for new fields (and field sizes), and 7-Zip integration
- Removed CRC checkbox on "Verify Available Files" as it is currently unused
- Picture Selector is now resizable, plus added refresh buttons
- Game Selector is now resizable
- New default "no picture" images

== FIXES ==
- Fixed crash when adding 20th filter for a custom view
- Fixed issue with custom gfx GameTab4_16x16.gif, now tab 4 is working (use GameTab4_16x16.gif [no text] and optionally GameTab4a_16x16.gif [some text])
- Fixed crash when checking if a file exists, when the full filepath is over 128 chars long (limitation of winapi function OpenFile())
- Fixed "Could not open file. File already open" error when a D64 file had an empty Dir Entry or Disk Name
- Fixed bug where LightPen was not being read correctly in GEMUS scripts
- Fixed bug where list font/colour changes were not happening on all views

[Underfly]

Its going along nicely.

A suggestion:

The new sidebar is a great addition, but to me its looks a little cluttery in its present location, right or left of the games view, so maybe a feature to move the new sidebar to the far right and have the screenshots in the middle if enough people request it.

so GAMES > SCREENSHOTS > EXTRAS.

And you could probably remove the old Extras tab completely.

[Vicman]

The GB 1.3b don't show me any Screenshots (*.png)
I've DL the new beta 1.3 , copied the GB Vic20_02 into the new GB-Folder.
Then i've set up the new Paths...
When verifying the new Paths, all seems to be o.k.
The Games starts, but I can't see any Screenshots....(only the "No Screenshot" - Picture)
any idea what's wrong ?

[Jimbo]

Sounds like you've created a new folder for the v1.3 beta, right? Maybe in the new folder you are missing the pnglib.dll (and maybe other files)? The beta zip was intended to be extracted directly into an existing GB folder, not a new one. You might get other problems too with multiple COM dlls being registered etc.

On my setup it works fine (tested on my cab: my testing guinea pig!). I just extract the new files into my existing GB folder, I don't create a new one.