creating_new_gamebases
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+ | ====== Creating New GameBases ====== | ||
+ | To create your own, initially empty, GameBase database, you have to use the [[GBToolbox.exe|GBToolbox]]. | ||
+ | |||
+ | You can also specify some other custom settings for your " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== The Database Folder ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | GameBase stores each database (and its related files) in a subfolder of your GameBase installation folder. For example, if your installation folder is ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The following files/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== My Database.mdb ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is the actual database file where all your game and music information is stored. It won't actually be called 'My Database.mdb', | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Settings.ini ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This file stores various GameBase settings unique to your database. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Emulators.ini ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This file stores information that GameBase/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Gemus.ini ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This file stores GEMUS kvsets specific to your database. See the [[GEMUS Guide]] for more information. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== MusicPlayers.ini ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This file stores information that GameBase uses to configure the music players that the music files in your database use. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Paths.ini ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This file stores various paths that GameBase uses to configure where you store your games/music files/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Text.ini ==== | ||
+ | This file stores user interface text for the GameBase frontend that is unique to your database. For example, you can change your database field names in this file. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Credits.ini ==== | ||
+ | This file stores custom information for your database that you can show in GB's Help Menu. This should be in the following format: - | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | [Help Menu] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ; use "&" | ||
+ | ; | ||
+ | ; Shortcuts H, W, E and A are reserved by the GameBase Frontend | ||
+ | |||
+ | HelpWebSiteText=My Web &Site | ||
+ | HelpWebsite=http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | HelpEmailText=E& | ||
+ | HelpEmail=me@mygamebasedatabase.com | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Credits.txt ==== | ||
+ | If you want to make your database public, you can note down all the credits in this text file. People will then know who compiled the database, where to get updates, who to email for praise, complaints and suggestions etc.. This file is loaded into GameBase' | ||
+ | ==== \Splash folder ==== | ||
+ | You can put your own splash screen for your database in this folder. The splash screen will be displayed when GameBase loads up with your database selected. Currently BMP, GIF and JPG images are allowed. Placing multiple splash screens in this folder will cause GameBase to randomly pick one to display. GameBase will use its own default splash screen if you leave this folder empty. **NOTE: It has become apparent that GameBase does not render interlaced GIFs correctly 100% of the time. Therefore, when using GIFs for custom gfx, please make sure they are saved as non-interlaced.** | ||
+ | |||
+ | From v1.3 of the GameBase frontend, you can also put WAV files in the \Splash folder. GameBase will then play one at random when showing the splash screen. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Also from v1.3, you can specify the number of seconds you want the splash screen to display, by adding it to the filename: - | ||
+ | * splash.**4**.gif //(will show splash screen for 4 seconds)// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Similarly, you can edit the startup WAV filename to display the splash screen until the WAV file has finished playing (note: this overrides the number of seconds specified in the splash screen image filename): - | ||
+ | * startup.**16**.wav //(will show the splash screen for 16 seconds when this WAV is played on startup)// | ||
+ | |||
+ | The default time for showing the splash screen is 2 seconds. | ||
+ | |||
+ | You can skip waiting for the splash screen by clicking on it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== \Sounds folder ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | You can put your own classic game sounds for your database in this file. GameBase will play a random sound from this folder whenever you click on a game you have rated as classic. Currently only WAV files are allowed. GameBase will use its own default classic game sound if you leave this folder empty. Note: you can turn off classic game sounds altogether from the Tools menu in the main GameBase window. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== \Scripts folder ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This folder will contain the GEMUS scripts you create for use with the games and emulators in your database. GEMUS scripts are saved as standard text files (*.txt). | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== \Gfx folder ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | You can customise most of the Graphics that appear in GameBase by replacing the default images with your own ones. The filenames in this folder must stay the same as the defaults (below) for GameBase to recognise them. **NOTE: It has become apparent that GameBase does not render interlaced GIFs correctly 100% of the time. Therefore, when using GIFs for custom gfx, please make sure they are saved as non-interlaced.** | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | // | ||
+ | This image is displayed in the ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | // | ||
+ | This image is displayed in the selector window when you start GameBase. This is the image that identifies your own database. It must be 32 pixels square and have a white (#FFFFFF) transparent background. This image is also used in the GB-Toolbox to represent your database. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | // | ||
+ | // | ||
+ | These images will be displayed when there is no picture available for the currently selected game. The 320x200 image is for when GameBase is in large-picture mode, the 160x100 image is for when GameBase is in small-picture mode (changable via the View menu in the main GameBase window). From v1.3, the actual image files you use don't have to be 320x200 and 160x100. They can be any size you want. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | These are the icon images for games and music tunes in the main GameBase list. All these must have a mask colour of purple #FF00FF (the mask colour is the colour you want to be transparent when the image is displayed). You should not save these images as transparent GIFs, as the mask colour (#FF00FF) is used to determine transparency. All these images must be 16 pixels square. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | These are the images that appear in the Recent Menu in the main GameBase window. They must be 13 pixels square and have a transparent colour of white (#FFFFFF). | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is displayed in the game details tabs next to the game name, when the game is marked as a Classic. This image must be 16 pixels wide by 11 pixels tall. You can use a transparent GIF for this image. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | These are the small images that illustrate whether a game has been assigned a Precursor, Sequel, Related, and CloneOf game link. These images appear in the top-right corner of the game details tabs. They must be 13 pixels wide by 11 pixels tall. You can use transparent GIFs for these images. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | These images appear in the top-right corner of the game details tabs and represent the personal rating you gave the game. They must be 13 pixels wide by 11 pixels tall. You can use transparent GIFs for these images. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | These are the small images that illustrate whether a game has been marked as as ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | These images are displayed in the caption headers of the game details tabs. They must be 16 pixels square. You can use transparent GIFs for these images. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is displayed when there is no photo selected for a musician. It should be 100 pixels square. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | These images are displayed in the corners of the game Pictures to tell you that there are more pictures to look at. They must be 15 pixels wide by 10 pixels tall. You can use transparent GIFs for these images. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== \Gfx\reviewratings folder ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | From v1.3, you can customise the review rating bar by creating (transparent, | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | // | ||
+ | // | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | ==== \Gfx\quicklinks folder ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | From v1.3, you can customise the icons in the SideBar by replacing the default GIFs listed below, or by adding additional GIFs named appropriately. All these must have a mask colour of purple #FF00FF (the mask colour is the colour you want to be transparent when the GIF is displayed). You should not save these images as transparent GIFs, as the mask colour (#FF00FF) is used to determine transparency. All these images must be 16x16 pixels: - | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game is a " | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game has a prequel/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game has a related game linked to it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game has a sequel linked to it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game's info-weblink field contains data. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game's version-weblink field contains data. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game has a game-file linked to it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game has a music-file linked to it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game has a shell-extension-based extra assigned to it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game has a GEMUS-based extra assigned to it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game has a Music-based extra assigned to it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | This image is shown when the selected game has a URL-based extra assigned to it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The icons for the all extras can be overridden by name-based icons. For example, if you wanted all extras named " | ||
+ | |||
+ | For all shell-extension-based extras, (not GEMUS/ |