[Tutorial] OpenBOR - the complete guide

[hansolo77]

Is there a way to have the screen change back to the default when returning from a game? What I mean is, every time I exit a game and go to play something else, the last screen showing from the OpenBOR system is still showing. Like it's stuck in a buffer or something. It's a problem, because it hides theruncommand menu, and blocks you from being able to access things like setting up an emulator, resolution, netplay, etc. There needs to be something to clear out that buffered screen..

[cyperghost]

@hansolo77 I have no problem with a screen showing. But I don't use ES to start these games. Does this also happen if you use the selection menu from here?
Place this in Ports section and restart ES to let show it up.

[hansolo77]

I will test and come back. I don't really know of a good way to provide an example, unless I can set up a tripod and record a video of it happening. I remember having that same problem when I tried setting up the "loading images", to make the runcommand alert look better. It might be something specific to my setup too. I'm finding more and more that my configuration is far from the norm for some reason.

[BiZzAr721]

I should be sleeping, but instead a learned something new and wanted to try to see if I could get this batch file complete! This is far from a perfect solution, but I created a Windows batch file that will copy your master.bor.cfg to [game name].bor.cfg and put it in a saves folder. This is useful when you got a lot of games that you need to make a game config for and don't want to enter runcommand to copy master to game config every time.
(for example, the 181 games I have installed from when I was creating the list of working games =P)

I had a test directory on my PC where I could test without ruining the actual mod installs (which I definitely would have!) When I finally got it working exactly how I wanted, I hit another wall - new Samba security measures do not allow programs to be executed on a networked drive! I was expecting it to be just drop it in the folder and run it from a pc, but the only simple work around I found is to run it from a command prompt. I use "file menu tools" to select the openbor folder and select "command prompt from here" which will automatically open to the correct drive & directory. In the script I included how to do it otherwise. Here is the bat file. Below is the contents.

::Due to new security policy of samba, files cannot be executed through a shared drive. Open a command prompt,and type:
::"wmic logicaldisk get name" to list drives (Usually Y:) Switch to the retropie drive eg. Y: (type dir to verify content)
::Type cd ports/openbor then run the batch file from there
::A Saves folder will be created with all the game configs. Move the Saves folder to /opt/retropie/configs/ports/openbor

@echo on
setlocal
mkdir Saves
FOR /f "tokens=*" %%i IN ('dir /b *.bor') DO (
copy "master.bor.cfg" "%%i.cfg"
move "%%i.cfg" "Saves"
)
pause

@cyperghost You've already outdone yourself! Maybe in the future we can have an Ultra-Mega Gamepad Setup with an option create a game config based off master.bor.cfg for all mods installed.

[cyperghost]

@BiZzAr721

This is useful when you got a lot of games that you need to make a game config for and don't want to enter runcommand to copy master to game config every time.

Therefore I changed the launch script. You can directly access the usermenu from this and configurate each game ;)

Your batch file is also nice and will help people with windows systems. Can you help us in getting a nice GameList for OpenBOR?

[BiZzAr721]

@cyperghost said in [Tutorial] OpenBOR - the complete guide:

Can you help us in getting a nice GameList for OpenBOR?

I have the spreadsheet open in my browser so I don't forget =)

EDIT:
@cyperghost said in [Tutorial] OpenBOR - the complete guide:

Therefore I changed the launch script. You can directly access the usermenu from this and configurate each game ;)

That's a big plus, except for I launch each game individually from the ports menu using individual scripts, that's why having the option to copy master config to all game configs would be massive

PS I had that hacked together script I created to make the individual script files, but I still had to go into each file and manually erase a blank line #3 that gets created and would cause an error launching the games. I have a script created for all 181 games I tested that works. That should be compatible with most mods, with the exception of the few that may be named slightly different (which a quick edit of the script file or game folder will take care of)

I will make them available in the next day or two. Maybe you would like to add them to your git to keep everything together?

[cyperghost]

@bizzar721 Wow! Thank you for the swift crosscheck of the list. Yes I can upload some configs to my github account. @darknior everything all right?

[BiZzAr721]

@cyperghost Added a comment on TMNT Red Sky Battle with a link to a modified models.txt

It lets you select Casey Jones as a playable character. Found it when I saw in @hansolo77 's list that there was a final release of the game and I was using an old demo. Reading the game post at chronocrash while getting the final version I saw a comment about using the TMNT launcher & entering secret code "outlaw hero" to unlock as well as a Red Sky 2 demo (which works).

Took me a while of renaming setting files, copying files back & forth, even re-extracting and copying the pak file before I found it was a simple altered text file.

@cyperghost Here are those individual mod launch scripts

Also, I just started having an issue where if I press LEFT on ANY joypad - setup or not - openBOR immediately exits! I did do some organizing/cleanup. Any ideas off hand?

EDIT
From runcommand log:

Loading 'jbike' from data/chars/jimmy/jbike.txt
Loading 'jplane' from data/chars/jimmy/jplane.txt

Loading models...............	Done!
Object engine init...........	Done!
Input init...................	USB Gamepad  - 2 axes, 10 buttons, 0 hat(s)
Done!


shutdown called from leave_game

************ Shutting Down ************

OpenBOR v3.0 Build 3016, Compile Date: Jul  7 2018
Presented by Senile Team.
This Version is unofficial and based on the Senile source code.

[cyperghost]

@bizzar721 I will add the individual launch scripts to the first posting. I think that makes more sense then to add to github.

About your control issues. You may delete the whole content of SAVE?

EDIT:
About fixing some games. There is an issue with Golden Axe classic, the dwarf is so weak (as descriped in the sheet file) I think it's just an issue with wrong setted "strength" number or a script error. That's really annoying because you need felt 100hits to kill an easy opponent.

[BiZzAr721]

I will try and remove entire save directory. I tried downloading different joypad configs and even deleting the gamw configs. Even pressing left while mapping a control exits. I will try with gamepad disabled. If it still turns off then I can assume it's a bor issue.

I was trying to research but couldn't find anything. From the error I was searching to see if runcommand has a mapping for game exit. I don't even know of a exit key for openbor.

[hansolo77]

I know ESC will take you out of the game if you're on the menu, or take you TO the menu if you're in a game. If the game is existing while in a game, it sounds like pressing ALT+F4 in Windows, which immediately ends the task.

[BiZzAr721]

@hansolo77 That's what it seems like to me. I'm stumped. I had openbor installed with a few mods using @darknior 's method, then when I got more involved and wanted to add 15gb of games, I made a backup and restored it to a different sd card to experiment on. Now, using my original image, I moved everything over. I don't get what's different, they started out from the same image. I think I'll try to load a game using @darknior 's method bypassing runcommand to see if I still have this issue.

On another note, @cyperghost, while I loaded back up my test image, I redid all the controls from your git using your mapping, as well as updated yours with keyboard as player 2. I'll try to upload tonight.

[spud11]

@bizzar721 I'm not at my Pi at the moment but does F10 exit OpenBor?

I did find with SoRR that it has no exit key (unless you go through the menu). I wound up creating a bash script which "hard" exits SoRR which I invoke via xboxdrv.

[BiZzAr721]

@spud11 said in [Tutorial] OpenBOR - the complete guide:

@bizzar721 I'm not at my Pi at the moment but does F10 exit OpenBor?

Yes, F10 immediately shuts down OpenBOR. Runcommand log also logs shutdown called from leave_game which I get if I exit normally or by d-pad press (so I assume it's not crashing)

Here's something odd, I went to runcommand (during loading screen) to remove controller config and instead of button press selecting, buttons moved up and down! Top L button worked like select. Running out the door to work, but I will investigate further tonight. (Pie was just turned on as well, with no joypad's switched)

Also, with Gamepad disabled in options, hitting LEFT still exits.

One time it exited, I swore I saw a line of text flash on the screen. Is there a way to see commands on the screen behind ES? There's been many times I had info flash on the screen while configuring things that I wish I could read - hell, I even used my phone to record it to read them.

@cyperghost Here are the updated Joypad configs (renamed to match your file names listed in Joypad.txt)

[spud11]

@bizzar721 I have a bit of a similar issue. I installed my arcade joysticks the wrong way around so pushing left goes up, pushing right goes down - ie I'm 90 degrees off with my physical installation of the joysticks.

I suspect your issue is similar to mine. Because you've mapped your joystick in emulationstation, it works properly in that environment. When you are messing around with runcommand, you are outside the emulationstation environment (at least that's my understanding) and so the mapping you've done in emulationstation isn't operative. I could be wrong but I think that's the point.

With runcommand, you could choose verbose mode and I'm assuming you would get more information on exiting a game. I'm invoking xboxdrv via runcommand-onstart for each emulator with the parameters >> /dev/shm/runcommand.log 2>&1 so I get a lot of information recorded to the /dev/shm/runcommand.log after exiting a game.

[hansolo77]

I know with my setup the way it is now, I can't even access the runcommand window without pressing L1 on my Xbox controller. If I press any other button, nothing happens. But L1? That's not supposed to be assigned to anything except navigating by pages in ES and then as a shoulder button INSIDE a game. Why is it mapped as an ENTER key for runcommand? I even have to use it as a select button when navigating inside runcommand. It's weird, and I've gotten used to it now. But it doesn't make sense. I think the joy2key "addon" is bugged.

[cyperghost]

@bizzar721 said in [Tutorial] OpenBOR - the complete guide:

Here are the updated Joypad configs (renamed to match your file names listed in Joypad.txt)

Uploaded them. Thank you

@hansolo77
About the joy2key tool. It is mapped to enter because of the dialog windows. DPAD is mapped to arrows direction. A is mapped to ENTER and B is TAB. This makes it impossible to use radiolists ore filemenu because therefore you need space key. That's the reason why the tools I wrote (BashROMManager, SaveStateManager....) looks so complicated. But it's the fault of the limited keymappings. But I really don't know why there are problems with mappings. Mine are working perfect with all controller types.

@BiZzAr721
Start OpenBOR and connect to SSH. type now ps -ais there a session of joy2key still present? If yes then this is faulty.

@spud11

I did find with SoRR that it has no exit key (unless you go through the menu). I wound up creating a bash script which "hard" exits SoRR which I invoke via xboxdrv

You can call Multi Switch Shutdown tool with multi_switch.sh --es-closeemu this will terminate the current emulator and will send you back to ES. I think that's rather easier then to make a fake-keypress, isn't it?

[BiZzAr721]

I will try things out later this evening. Since my clone image/test image still works fine, is there any specific files I should grab to compare? I already have the runcommand log and runcommand.sh on my pc to compare.

PS - appreciate being made aware of the multi switch shutdown script - thats something I see being very useful in certain situations

[BiZzAr721]

Here's my results:
Ran @darknior 's original openBOR call bypassing runcommand and all worked well.

Verified runcommand.sh & joy2key.py are identical on bor test image vs everyday image.
Doing ps-a it showed the bor test image was NOT running joy2key.py while the one I am having trouble with IS running joy2key.py.

Any idea on what I should do next? I don't know much about joy2key.

Edit
Joy2key is running on other ports as well, but does not exit when hitting left
On OpenBOR test image, those same ports do not show joy2key running when using ps -a

I also did not see Launch with verbose logging on the runcommand menu for OpenBOR mods

[spud11]

@cyperghost Thanks. I wasn't aware of this script. Is it specific to ES and might require adaptation for Attract Mode?