LaunchBox does not parse CUE files for Redream

[Kat Rollo]

Initially reported as an enhancement but may actually be a bug. A google search shows it is a common problem with configuring standalone Redream in LaunchBox. There is a tedious workaround that solves it but may be worth looking into.

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Description:

LaunchBox opens the Redream menu instead of the game for BIN/CUE files.

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Steps to replicate:

1. Manually configure Redream in LaunchBox as a standalone emulator.
2. Import ROM files in BIN/CUE format by Add Folder.
3. Launch the imported BIN/CUE game.

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Actual result:

The game is not launched directly and user lands on the Redream menu.

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Expected result:

BIN/CUE games should launch directly like it does in DuckStation.

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[Retro808]

Looking at your video the game you are launching is pointing to the .bin file. It needs to point to the .cue file when launching from LB. So first issue if you are pointing to the wrong file in LB.

Also, did you confirm you can launch the bin/cue file roms directly inside ReDream to ensure they at least work?

I have not messed with bin/cue in ReDream. Even though the ReDream sites says its supports bin/cue I have seen mixed results due to bad dumps. Personally I use CHD or GDI roms.

[Kat Rollo]

Hi @Retro808

The game was imported by LaunchBox like this when doing Add Folder:

The CUE file is present but LaunchBox does not seem to automatically pick it up. The workaround was to remove the BIN files one-by-one from the Additional Apps section or just re-import via Add Files and search for the CUE files only instead. Doable but tedious, specially to people who have entire romsets (luckily I don’t). DuckStation on the other hand does not need this extra step and LaunchBox parses just the CUE files automatically in a BIN/CUE folder.

Redream weirdly refuses to be captured on fullscreen mode and shows an empty library in screen recording apps so had to take a photo of the screen from my phone. The BIN/CUE games are there and they work perfectly fine from Redream:

Definitely we can pick another format but just wanted to raise this if it is an actual bug in LaunchBox with parsing CUE files automatically when it comes to the Redream because it does so conveniently with DuckStation without any workarounds.

Hope you can try and replicate the issue with the steps/video above to see if it is valid. If you need BIN/CUE files to test, you can try this search term (sorry can’t link directly to rom sites):

Thanks and let me know if you need any more details.

[Retro808]

When using bin/cue or a rom structure that has multiple files for the game using the “Scan” option is not the best as LB does not know which of those files is the actual primary file to launch the game and it just imports everything. So as you have it right now LB is trying to launch a game using the bin file and not the cue. So with bin/cue the best import option is the “Import File” and then search for the .cue and import that only. This can be done in bulk for all your games.

Your image of the additional apps is just LB showing the rest of the .bin and .cue file as an additional file to launch. For the game the only file that should be showing is the .cue file. That’s why you had to delete all the .bin files. That is not really a workaround as the .bin should not have been imported. Unfortunately, you used “Scan” so LB does imports them.

I know you mentioned Duckstation, but LB does not parse games for emulators differently. It is file agnostic and simply imports what you point it to. It does not know what any particular emulator prefers or supports as a file type.

[Kat Rollo]

Hi @Retro808

Yes, I got it working with Add Files and just searching for CUE files while importing ROMs. I don't hoard bajillions of ROMs so re-importing my Dreamcast library wasn't a problem personally.

Guess where it gets confusing for many users is they never have to explicitly point to CUE files with DuckStation and Add Folder works just fine for folders with BIN/CUE files in them automatically.

Why the same process works for one emulator and fails on the other using the same file format when LB is “file agnostic” is the mysterious part.

Guess people will just have to remember that Redream requires CUE files to be explicitly imported unlike DuckStation where they can import entire folders as normal. New users will just have to do some googling and look at the many threads about the matter or hopefully land on this one haha.

Thanks for your time and providing some explanation. Have a great day!

[Retro808]

This is actually not a LB issue, but an emulator one. Duckstation can launch a game from just linking the .bin file. Most emulators need the .cue file.

You can test this directly.

If you change a PS1 game in LB to the .bin file Duckstation launches it, change it to the .cue file and the same. Not all emulators that support bin/cue can do this. This is why we typically mention to use the file import option and just import .cue file to be safe.

There has been a request to have an option to just have LB import .cue files.

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[Kat Rollo]

There has been a request to have an option to just have LB import .cue files.

Good. I think that should suffice. Users won't normally experiment with BIN/CUE files separately anyway. Letting LB just import the CUE lessens the confusion and makes it a simplifying layer.