X-bEnCH - The Amiga Game Launcher (Whdload, exe, ..) and more official topic.

[JimNeray]

X-bEnCh is an Amiga game launcher & More …

With 640 colors on screen with AGA (128 with OCS/ECS), this Frontend can autoscan your hard-drive to find all your whdload games or your .exe and organize them in launching listings. X-bEnCh can also manage manuals listings and have an internal script system, the X-bEnCh Scripts (For non whdload games for exemple). It require very few ressouces and is compatible with all Amiga setups. X-bEnCh also have an integrated CLI fully compatible with the Workbench CLI features and a Files/Dirs Manager (X-pl0rEr).









Currents features list:
- Up to 640 colors on screen with AGA (128 colors on screen for OCS/ECS)
- Games screenshots
- Cracktros playlist mod included
- Autoscan and organize your whdload .slave and yours .exe from your HD
- Unlimited subdir level scan
- Internal script system
- Up to 6 launching lists in parallel
- Unlimited number of entry in each list
- Top listing
- Autoscan and use Whdload Tooltypes
- If no Tooltypes availables you can set up default Tooltypes.
- MegaRam mode to gain extra chipram without rebooting
- FastJump mode to jump where you want in a list with the keyboard
- CD32 7 buttons pad compatibility
- CDMode to create your CD32/CDTV CD compilation.
- Real time search engine
- Files/Dirs manager included (Xpl0rEr)
- Integrated cLi 100% Amiga cli compatible
- System friendly setup panel
- Dedicated installer for an easy installation
- Many more will come in the nexts releases.

The current release available is the 1.1 Final Public Release. You can download it here: http://www.jimneray.com

You can stay in touch with me via twitter: @jimneray

You can "Like" the xbench facebook page: www.facebook.com/xbenchproject

All yours returns are welcomed

[killergorilla]

I honestly mean no offence by this but is there any chance I could see what it looks like and what it does?

Your video is mostly text and music...

[synchro]

Originally Posted by killergorilla

I honestly mean no offence by this but is there any chance I could see what it looks like and what it does?

Your video is mostly text and music...

Agreed.....Perhaps thats all it does ...spin around and make pretty patterns
Seriously i would like to see more of the app and how it functions thers nothing to see in the vid

[JimNeray]

Originally Posted by synchro

Agreed.....Perhaps thats all it does ...spin around and make pretty patterns
Seriously i would like to see more of the app and how it functions thers nothing to see in the vid

You can see a video of the setup and basic usage of the old release here: [ Show youtube player ]

[JimNeray]

X-bEnCh 0.6 Beta is out now !

You can download it here: http://www.jimneray.com

What's New ?

- A New Amigaguide full doc.
- Fixed some files check on startup that were wrongs.
- Now pressing the "Del" Key when startup will cancel the X-bEnCh loading.
- Now display the release number under the X-bEnCh startup logo.
- Now working with a temp dir to leave the Ram free.
- New scroll text "Credits screen".
- Launcher Reactivity optimisations and lighter code.
- FastJump added. Now simply use your keyboard's key to jump where you want.
- MegaRam option Added. Can save from 34kb up to 136 kb of ram.
- Now return where you was before, after leaving a game.
- Now before loading a .slave/.exe, check if exist a .xbs script and use it if exist.
- Now autoscan the tool types of WhdLoad. If none found, use the default tooltypes you've set in the setup screen.
- Now display the number of files in the listing, right to the listing name in the launcher.
- Now in the launcher, a short push on the 2nd joy button will switch between your listings and a long push will escape to the main menu.
- Now the game name in the loading screen is truncated and centered.
- Big fail fixed in the cLi.
- Added the "help" command to the cLi to list all the extra X-bEnCh cLi commands availables.
- Added the "resetxset" command to the cLi. Really useful to clean up a buggy install of X-bEnCh.
- Now the subdirectorys level scan is unlimited.
- Now the listings are 3 time lighters than with the previous release.
- Now listings are of real unlimited size.
- Now ending a path with a "/" in the setup will work as same as without.
- Now display the number of files added to a listing when updating in the setup.
- No more create a bugged list when there's nothing to add to the list in the choosed path.
- Xsetup executable is 25% lighter.
- Fixed a small palette bug when leaving the setup.
- Sometime the setup exit on a black screen.. Fixed.
- Preload switch added as a whdload global option.
- Display switch added as a whdload global option (Switch PAL/NTSC).
- Cache switch added as a whdload global option.
- MMU switch added as a whdload global option.
- AutoVec switch added as a whdload global option.
- Music switch added as a Launchers global option (Switch On/Off).
- MegaRam switch added as a Launcher global option.

[vjkaos]

Originally Posted by JimNeray

X-bEnCh 0.6 Beta is out now !

You can download it here: http://www.jimneray.com

What's New ?

- A New Amigaguide full doc.
- Fixed some files check on startup that were wrongs.
- Now pressing the "Del" Key when startup will cancel the X-bEnCh loading.
- Now display the release number under the X-bEnCh startup logo.
- Now working with a temp dir to leave the Ram free.
- New scroll text "Credits screen".
- Launcher Reactivity optimisations and lighter code.
- FastJump added. Now simply use your keyboard's key to jump where you want.
- MegaRam option Added. Can save from 34kb up to 136 kb of ram.
- Now return where you was before, after leaving a game.
- Now before loading a .slave/.exe, check if exist a .xbs script and use it if exist.
- Now autoscan the tool types of WhdLoad. If none found, use the default tooltypes you've set in the setup screen.
- Now display the number of files in the listing, right to the listing name in the launcher.
- Now in the launcher, a short push on the 2nd joy button will switch between your listings and a long push will escape to the main menu.
- Now the game name in the loading screen is truncated and centered.
- Big fail fixed in the cLi.
- Added the "help" command to the cLi to list all the extra X-bEnCh cLi commands availables.
- Added the "resetxset" command to the cLi. Really useful to clean up a buggy install of X-bEnCh.
- Now the subdirectorys level scan is unlimited.
- Now the listings are 3 time lighters than with the previous release.
- Now listings are of real unlimited size.
- Now ending a path with a "/" in the setup will work as same as without.
- Now display the number of files added to a listing when updating in the setup.
- No more create a bugged list when there's nothing to add to the list in the choosed path.
- Xsetup executable is 25% lighter.
- Fixed a small palette bug when leaving the setup.
- Sometime the setup exit on a black screen.. Fixed.
- Preload switch added as a whdload global option.
- Display switch added as a whdload global option (Switch PAL/NTSC).
- Cache switch added as a whdload global option.
- MMU switch added as a whdload global option.
- AutoVec switch added as a whdload global option.
- Music switch added as a Launchers global option (Switch On/Off).
- MegaRam switch added as a Launcher global option.

Thanks, very nice release.

The fastjump navigation is cool, but the keyboard layout is azerty in xbench which switches keys ( q-a and z-w) if you're using a qwerty keyboard.

CLI still crashes on my Amiga's.

[JimNeray]

Originally Posted by vjkaos

Thanks, very nice release.

The fastjump navigation is cool, but the keyboard layout is azerty in xbench which switches keys ( q-a and z-w) if you're using a qwerty keyboard.

CLI still crashes on my Amiga's.

Hi vjkaos !

The QWerty issue .. Damned i knew i had forgotten something.
I'll work on this and the CLI crashes for the next release. Thanx for this return vjkaos.

[JimNeray]

Here is a new video presentation/tutorial of the actual 0.6 release : [ Show youtube player ]

[synchro]

Much better video than the last it shows exactly what it says on the tin.....As they say

[subone]

Hi JimNeray,
Thank you for your release.

It's the first time i use a launcher for WHDLoad Stuff with my A1200 before i used Othermenu under ClassicWB but the loading-time was quite long.

Scanned more than 2200 Games and 350 Demos with yours and it works like a charm.

Some suggestions :
- I made only 3 lists ... why the TAB key move between the empty lists too ? (u could had a key to move back no ?)
- I try to to include X-Bench in my startup-sequence with xlaunch.exe (instead of xinit.exe) to have the Games menu directly but it freeze the WB when i leave ... it would be nice to have the lists at startup without the first menu (Games, Cli, Setup ...)
- CLI crashes for me too

[JimNeray]

@subone: Thanks for this return.

- I made only 3 lists ... why the TAB key move between the empty lists too ? (u could had a key to move back no ?)

Or simply don't display empty listings (Jump to the first one after the third one in your case). You're right i add this to the todo list

- I try to to include X-Bench in my startup-sequence with xlaunch.exe (instead of xinit.exe) to have the Games menu directly but it freeze the WB when i leave ... it would be nice to have the lists at startup without the first menu (Games, Cli, Setup ...)

That's already in the todo list with the evolution of the setup panel you will be able to choose what to display firstly.

@subone & @vjkaos: Can you tell me more about the cli crash? What is your hardware/software configuration ? If xbench is started from the workbench, what is your workbench resolution (in points and depth)? Does it crash systematically or can you launch it sometime ? Many thanks in advance.

[subone]

Originally Posted by JimNeray

@subone & @vjkaos: Can you tell me more about the cli crash? What is your hardware/software configuration ? If xbench is started from the workbench, what is your workbench resolution (in points and depth)? Does it crash systematically or can you launch it sometime ? Many thanks in advance.

Your were right ... the wb resolution causes the crash.
Mine is 640 x 256 (1084S monitor) ... if i use 640 x 512, it works.
(one more thing in your todo list )

[attila06]

The CLI makes the reboot of the amiga everytime i use the CLI.
My config is rom 3.1 blizzard 1260 and classic wb with idivision in 1024*768 mode.
Good job man, go on
We all wait your next relesease.

[vjkaos]

Originally Posted by JimNeray

@subone & @vjkaos: Can you tell me more about the cli crash? What is your hardware/software configuration ? If xbench is started from the workbench, what is your workbench resolution (in points and depth)? Does it crash systematically or can you launch it sometime ? Many thanks in advance.

I've installed xbench on two Amiga's (a2000/030 and a1200/030), they both use a custom Workbench 3.1 setup.

I usually start xbench from a boot menu (bootgrio) with this startup-script:

; X-Bench Startup

C:SetPatch QUIET
C:Env-Handler

Cd Work:XB
Execute >NIL: XbEnCH.exe

On my a2000 the CLI works if I use this script but if I start xbench from Workbench it crashes.
On my a1200 if I start xbench from this script the CLI crashes but started from Workbench it almost works, typing endcli makes it crash, though.

On both setups the Workbench setup is almost the same, resolution is 640x512x8c. started from my script it's 640x256x4c.

[kixs]

I don't use any launcher yet... but I will try this one and others in the near future - also I must buy the WHDload couse that reg.nag is really nagging me

[JimNeray]

I'm still working on the next release but i haven't yet fixed the cli issue.

@kixs: Feel free to try it

[JimNeray]

X-bEnCh 0.7 is out !

You can download it here: www.jimneray.com

What's New ?

- Start faster than with the previous release.
- Added a Roto-starfield effect in the background of the main menu.
- Now autoscan your keymap type (QWERTY, QWERTZ or AZERTY) and correctly assign the keys to the FastJump feature.
- You can now disable the unused listing with the setup.
- Added a rainbow effect to the title name of the displayed list in the launcher.
- Launcher reactivity optimisation.
- Cli fixed in many cases but maybe still buggy in some cases ...
- Now the name of a listing can be up to 8 character long (5 previously)
- Now in the setup save the name of the listings if you change it either if you don't have updated any list.
- Fixed many ugly visual bugs when opening/closing the display.
- Fixed a redisplay bug in the Menuscreen and the launcher screen.

[Neil79]

Great work however i'd prefer a nicer looking frontend, perhaps with a graphic of the game that's being chosen or what game type you are listing.

Or maybe i'm used to Gamebase lol

[subone]

Hi JimNeray,
Thanks a lot for your last release ... Good job u made

The "Chip.mod" file was missing from the datas directory so i copied the one from your previous release and it worked

The Cli is now working with my low res (640x256) and "Disabled lists" arent diplayed ... that's cool .

Is it possible to launch X-bench at startup without loading Workbench ?
How : startup-sequence or thanks to a boot selector ?

[vjkaos]

Originally Posted by Neil79

Great work however i'd prefer a nicer looking frontend, perhaps with a graphic of the game that's being chosen or what game type you are listing.

Please no, it's fine as it is. I prefer to play a game instead of looking at screenshots of games .

@JimNeray

Thanks for the update! I noticed a little bug, when you quit a game/demo started from the second list it returns to the first list instead of going back to de game/demo started from the second list.

Originally Posted by subone

Hi JimNeray,
Is it possible to launch X-bench at startup without loading Workbench ?
How : startup-sequence or thanks to a boot selector ?

This is my Xbench startup-script:

; X-Bench Startup

C:SetPatch QUIET
C:Env-Handler

C:AntiClick
Cd Work:Xb
Execute >NIL: XbEnCH.exe

I start this script (with GetMouseInput) by holding the right mouse button at bootup or selecting it from a bootmenu (BootGrio) when I hold my leftmouse at bootup.

BootGrio and GetMouseInput are both available from Aminet.