GameBase64 Browser 1.0 for Mac released

[mrsid]

I wanted to find some C64 games in GB64, and ended up making this:
http://sidmusic.org/gamebase64browser/

Hopefully someone else finds it useful too...

[zCRP]

Wow, impressive job!

Not just a copy of the original, but nicely re-thought in mac fashion

Now if it only had smart folders

[mrsid]

I have to save some features for the next version...

[grasstust]

Fantastic! I love this program, and I'm happy to see it come out of beta.
I'm also surprised by the speed of this program, scrolling through pictures
of the games in no time, launching games and playing SIDS fast as he...

Anyway, here are a few small notes from me:
1. Why does it have a "paste and match style" in the edit menu?
2. I love the TV Filter option, but I hate the button for it. Can you just make
two small symbols for the TV-filter and Color correction?
3. The Random function can actually choose the same game twice after eachother
(try it with a small gamelist).
4. "Show on Webpage" should IMO be an Icon on the top.

Again, great work! Now for smart folders and cover flow!

[mrsid]

1. Small oversight, there a bunch of default menu items when you create a new application which you have to remove if you don't need them. I forgot to remove this one.
2. I tried to make icons for the buttons, but I didn't manage to make anything that was both pretty and intuitive to understand. If anybody else can, I will be happy to put them in.
3. That's the definition of "random".
4. Maybe both? But not on the toolbar by default?

[zCRP]

Here's some thoughts:

1) screen real estate could be used better. How about moving Game/Version Info to a box in the bottom left like itunes/iphoto? This would fill some of them empty space in the collections column, and allow to use the place currently holding one screen-shot to show more screen shots at once in a row
2) cover-flow...
3) small buttons for tv filter/color correction, or even better, move them to preferences window
4) use internal sid player, no need to open separate sidplayer (altough I like that very much!!!
5) smart folders...
6) some place to store docs for a game
7) support for other gamebase databases (amiga etc.)
remember view settings between collections (ie list for the full database, grid for favorites etc.)
9) rating mechanism
10) play count/time
11) handle game files stored as extras: double clicking original tape should start it in vice, not unzip it
12) full screen mode (maybe with original c64 font or something cheesy like that)
13) multicolumn filter like itunes (ie first select year, then genre, then author etc.)
14) links to zzap64 reviews

that's about it for now

[mrsid]

My list of ideas is much longer than your list of ideas... ;)

1) I tried various different ways of laying out the information before I settled on this one.
2) I've tried this, but there's no official way to do it at the moment, and it's awfully slow with >20000 games
3) This will most likely change anyway
4) No, I'd rather not bloat it like that
5) This is so obvious
6) Store it why? I'm not sure what you mean
7) I have no interest in other platforms.
8) Easy enough
9) If you like to lose them when a new GB64 comes out, like with the Windows version... I'll think of a better solution
10) See 9)
11) That's something I forgot...
12) Probably not
13) Good point
14) I'll take a look at that

[GANDALf]

Intel only.

Any problems building for PPC?

[mrsid]

10.5 has buggy support for image browsing and no QuickLook support in 3rd-party applications. Also CoreAnimation has some rendering problems. I gave away my last PPC machine a while ago, so I can't even test it anymore.

[zCRP]

4) not even using your quicklook plugin instead of opening sidplayer?
6) I have docs for some c64 games on my HD. it would be nice to be able to link to them somehow. maybe this could be done like you do with search for longplays, ie you click on a button which looks for the docs on http://www.replacementdocs.com/ or something like this
7) would it be sufficient if some user (me, for example) converts the database to sqlite?

cheers

My list of ideas is much longer than your list of ideas...

1) I tried various different ways of laying out the information before I settled on this one.
2) I've tried this, but there's no official way to do it at the moment, and it's awfully slow with >20000 games
3) This will most likely change anyway
4) No, I'd rather not bloat it like that
5) This is so obvious
6) Store it why? I'm not sure what you mean
7) I have no interest in other platforms.
Easy enough
9) If you like to lose them when a new GB64 comes out, like with the Windows version... I'll think of a better solution
10) See 9)
11) That's something I forgot...
12) Probably not
13) Good point
14) I'll take a look at that

[green_bert]

Hello.  Very excited to finally see a Mac version of GameBase64.  Only I need a bit of help on this one.

Downloaded V.1.0.2, then the Screenshots from GameBase64 (GB64 v07 Pack) but the images dont appear in the Game Info browser section, only blue C64 images saying Screenshot Not Found!  It created a file called GBC_v03.sqlitedb when I dragged my screenshots folder into the sidebar as prompted.

Is there a plist/ini file that I need to edit or something to make sure I have the paths correcly set up?

Thanks.

[green_bert]

Sorry.  I meant to say the program has created a GBC_v07.sqlitedb file which should match the download screenshots from GameBase64.

Still not working.

[green_bert]

Sorry.  I meant to say the program has created a GBC_v07.sqlitedb file which should match the download screenshots from GameBase64.

Still not working.

OK.  Got the screenshots working.  Greated a "GameBase" folder first then put the screenshots in there.  So looks like the folder structure is very important.  Anyone know the names of the sub-folders I need to create and where to put roms/SIDs Extra files etc.?

Ta.

[green_bert]

OK... Realised you can not use alias folders, you have to drag the original SID folder collection over to the GamBase64 folder.  Phew.
Now, can someone explain what the Extras option does and how I configure it?

[green_bert]

This is largely turning into a monologue here but I hope this helps out others who had no previous experience of the windows version.
So.  I downloaded Gamebase64v07 (torrent - easy to find) at 5.5GB which has all the folders set up with the contents inside. Now for some suggestions for future builds.

1. If the List View is filtered in terms of Year, then switching to Grid View doesn't match up with the correct game info - the option to have filters in Grid View would be great.
2. A link to the Lemon database would be awesome.  For the most part, games there seem to be structured with the incremental URLs, e.g. the game 10th Frame is http://www.lemon64.com/games/details.php?ID=8 and game 180 is http://www.lemon64.com/games/details.php?ID=9. Perhaps a file list for the games can be obtained from Kim Lemon.
3. Smart Folders
4. Option to have separate, floating windows for the Extras

Thanks again for the application.