PCSX2 + Steam. Command Line Switches

[Alan3002]

Hey guys looking for some help with regards to PCSX2 and using it in Steam. I know a lot of people just add the emulator and run it through Steam, that is not what I am looking for.
What I am doing (trying to simulate another user who I saw doing this) is copying my PCSX2 folder multiple times and renaming it for each game.

So I have different PCSX2 folders named Kingdom Hearts 2, Final Fantasy X, etc. This way I dont have to create bat files that end up running off the same PCSX2 settings and can different settings for different games.

I then add each of these PCSX2's to steam. Now what I want to do is when I click run in Steam it launches straight into my game, as if I click Kingdom Hearts 2 and it launches into it.

Heres my Kingdom Hearts 2 example in Steam (right click in steam and properties):


My two paths look like this:
Target:
"C:\Users\Alan\Desktop\Emulation\EMULATION\PCSX2 - PER GAME SETTINGS\Kingdom Hearts 2\pcsx2-r5350.exe" --usecd --nogui "C:\Users\Alan\Desktop\Emulation\EMULATION\PLAYSTATION 1\PS2 ISO\Kindom Hearts 2.iso"

Start In:
"C:\Users\Alan\Desktop\Emulation\EMULATION\PCSX2 - PER GAME SETTINGS\Kingdom Hearts 2\"

Now I know epsxe has a --loadiso command line switch but that does not work with PCSX2.
If I set the PCSX2 CDVD plugin to Linuz ISO CDVD 0.9.0 and then click the CDVD tab, select plugin, plugin menu, plugin settings and select my Kingdom Hearts 2 iso then it works but every other version of my PCSX2 will also launch Kingdom Hearts 2 even if I want it to launch Final Fantasy X.

So I am obviously doing it wrong and spend a few hours in the middle of the night trying to sort it to no avail.
Any help would be much appreciated. I would love to get this working, especially since steam big picture mode got introduced.

Also if this does get fixed, is LilyPad "Exit Emulator on window close" broken? Doesnt seem to work for me.

UPDATE:
I found this guide
http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Auto-Boot...Separately

But the first section gives me problems. I followed the Auto-Boot a game part but it throws this error when I try run the shortcut

[Alan3002]

please do not sabotage

please run direct from pcsx2 emulator program not from steam program

Thats what it is doing...The emulator is still being run as normal. Steam is just running it as a shortcut.
Many people have been doing it I just am not doing it correctly.

[Alan3002]

Anyone got anything on this?
I think I am doing it totally wrong with the multiple PCSX2 folders. The more I try work at it the more confused I am getting

UPDATE:

HUZZAH!
Got it working finally. Ends up it was much much much easier than what I thought...
I overcomplicated it massively.

My Solution:
I copied this guide
http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Auto-Boot...Separately
I got my configuartion ini folder too and set my PCSX2 to cdvdgigaherz to @nodisc and the CDVD tab to iso.

Hopefully I have it all working 100% but my two shortcuts will not autoboot FFX and KH2

Now I just have to figure out the exit emulator thingy and I am good to go!

[Squall Leonhart]

LAUNCHING FROM STEAM (IMPLYING STEAM OVERLAY) IS NOT SUPPORTED

[Alan3002]

LAUNCHING FROM STEAM (IMPLYING STEAM OVERLAY) IS NOT SUPPORTED

Its working for me and still plays at 100% for all my games
Its the exact same as doing a normal PCSX2 auto boot (which is where I had trouble) but the exe is being run through Steam.
Its not some complicated method to get it into steam or anything, you just add the exe.

*sigh*
It was doing the auto boot in general where I had problems but I solved it, myself.

Thanks anyway!

[Squall Leonhart]

until you run that 1 game where the overlay doesn't comply with GSDX........

[dlanor]

@Alan3002:
I know you already posted that you've solved your main problems yourself, but I still think you and others might find this reply of interest.

What I am doing (trying to simulate another user who I saw doing this) is copying my PCSX2 folder multiple times and renaming it for each game.

To me that suggests an inordinate amount of useless duplication.
This should not be necessary.

So I have different PCSX2 folders named Kingdom Hearts 2, Final Fantasy X, etc. This way I dont have to create bat files that end up running off the same PCSX2 settings and can different settings for different games.

That same flexibility is also possible through use of BAT files.

I then add each of these PCSX2's to steam.

I have to assume this is done because you are actually fond of that GUI.
Since I dislike that GUI myself, I would never seek a solution that uses it...
And even for those that like it, its use will become awkward when having a LOT of games, such as my collection. (I currently have 250 shortcuts to BAT files for launching various PS2 ISOs in PCSX2.)

----- snip ----- re: skipping some of your description

Now I know epsxe has a --loadiso command line switch but that does not work with PCSX2.

So what ? Instead of having a command prefix for ISO loading PCSX2 accepts a trailing pathname at the end of the argument list as specifying an ISO to load, without any special command prefix. And your example does seem to use that method, so I don't see what your problem is, unless some other part of your usage prevents it from taking effect.

If I set the PCSX2 CDVD plugin to Linuz ISO CDVD 0.9.0 and then click the CDVD tab, select plugin, plugin menu, plugin settings and select my Kingdom Hearts 2 iso then it works but every other version of my PCSX2 will also launch Kingdom Hearts 2 even if I want it to launch Final Fantasy X.

The need for the above clearly means that your ISO argument is not being used properly (steam argument passing limitation ?), so it uses the setting stored in "PCSX2_ui.ini" instead. It's possibly due to your "--usecd" argument. I think it makes the emulator use the preset ISO file only, ignoring any specified in the argument.

But even with working ISO argument it is best to have the same ISO also specified by the INI file, in case you need to exit to GUI and later resume, as I often find useful. So those INI files need to be game-specific, as do some other things. But there is no need to duplicate EVERYTHING, like you seem to do.

Here follows a description of my own way of handling PCSX2 launching:

I use a set of 3 BAT files to handle the launching of any PS2 game disc, but 2 of these BATs are shared for all of them, so for each game disc there is only one unique BAT. That one BAT is the one I manually D-click to launch the game, though I usually do it by D-clicking a windows shortcut to the BAT file. This way I can organize folders holding such BAT shortcuts for games sorted and grouped any way I want, regardless of the physical location, sometimes even copying a favorite shortcut to desktop for ease of use. Thus Windows itself becomes my PCSX2 GUI.

Just like you, I prepare for a new game by starting PCSX2 manually and configuring which memory card files it is to use for this game, and which ISO to use (mainly needed for proper 'Resume' commands), as well as the main plugin choices. I then launch the game with these settings, to see that they work AND to ensure that all settings bite properly (stored to the INI file). After this I terminate PCSX2 and copy the file "PCSX2_ui.ini" from the "inis" subfolder of PCSX2 into a collection folder for such files, renaming it to match the game it is intended for.
eg: "dot.hack1--Infection (US).ini"

I then create a BAT file to invoke that game, which for this example looks like this:
Filename = "dot.hack1--Infection (US).bat"

Code:

set Game_disc="\\Ra1\g\_ISO_PS2_OPL\DVD\SLUS_202.67.dot.hack1--Infection (US).iso"
set Game_ini=dot.hack1--Infection (US)

call -_Emu_Launcher

As you can see this BAT merely creates two batch variables, one for the disc ISO path and another for a game filename prefix, to be used in fetching the proper INI file for this game. It then calls a sub-batch file named "-_Emu_Launcher.bat", which is one of the two BATs I mentioned above, as being shared for the launching of all PCSX2 games.

Another thing you can deduce from the above is that I'm using the same ISO file collection with PCSX2 as I'm using with "Open PS2 Loader" on my real PS2 consoles, for both cases accessing them through the same network share. So my ISOs reside on a different computer than the one where I run PCSX2. But that is not really relevant here, as long as the path is properly defined for the batch variable as above, local or remote use makes no difference!

Obviously the above relies on the two sub-batch files being stored in the same folder as the main collection of game-specific BATs. And here follows their definitions:

Filename = "-_Emu_Launcher.bat"

Code:

echo off
call -_Emu_Locator

%Emu_drv%
cd %Emu_dir%

copy "%Ini_dir%\%Game_ini%.ini" inis\PCSX2_ui.ini

start /B %Emu_prg% --fullscreen %Game_disc%

This BAT starts by calling the other shared sub-batch, to get some path variables defined, whereafter it switches active drive and path to reach the PCSX2 folder, copies the game-specific INI file so as to replace the old "inis\PCSX2_ui.ini", and then launches the emulator in fullscreen mode using the specified game disc ISO file. Note that both the INI file and the ISO file are specified by variables defined in the game-specific BAT file shown further above. The other batch variables used here were defined in the call to the other sub-batch, defined as follows:

Filename = "-_Emu_Locator.bat"

Code:

set Emu_prg=pcsx2.exe
set Emu_dir=D:\Emu\Emu_PS2\pcsx2-beta-5392-windows-x86
set Emu_drv=D:
set Ini_dir=D:\Emu\Emu_PS2\Game_ini db

The main purpose of this file, and why I didn't just incorporate its commands in the other shared BAT, is that this isolates the location specific variables, leaving the launcher BAT free of such things. So whenever I move things around, or migrate to another PCSX2 beta version, I simply edit this locator file, after which everything is ready for use with the new locations/version. (Except that a new PCSX2 version still needs a first-time configuration of course.)

The scheme outlined above could be expanded, so as to also copy game-specific plugin INI files, but so far I've not found that necessary as the PCSX2_ui.ini file contains all the settings I need to change between normal games. (And for experimental work I go for manual launch anyway)

Best regards: dlanor

[Alan3002]

-snip-

I just want to say thanks for that info, theres a lot to take in but I am grateful.
It gets a bit complicated towards the end but I am going to read it a few times to try and improve my setup because it is very messy the way I have it at the moment.
I personally love Steam's UI but im only running 150 games or so on it and it doesnt seem to crowded to me but I understand why a lot of people dont like a big mess.
Personally I wont be adding too much PCSX2 games to Steam anyway because I only ever ripped the games I play on PS2 and its only like....5 or so, FF, KH and Dragon Quest.

Now, the part about multiple PCSX2 folders, there is only 1 reason I did this. As you may know by using Steam you have images on the grid view (as seen above in my picture) and you can set custom images for non steam games. I have to (I think I do anyway) create multiple PCSX2 folder locations to allow different custom images, otherwise changing an image for a game, lets say KH2 will automatically change it for FFX too because they would be coming from the same PCSX2 location. Having two different locations allows me two different custom images for different paths.

There may be a way around this I need to look into it further but at the moment it seems to be working ok!
Thank you for your write up though, much appreciated to get some help on the matter!

until you run that 1 game where the overlay doesn't comply with GSDX........

Then I will just run that game normally..
Look I see where your coming from, PCSX2 isnt built with Steam in mind whatsoever but that doesnt mean it is impossible get it working
I know I was asking for help on what alot of people would see as ridiculous but I got it working in the end. Thank you for your concern on possibly breaking my PCSX2 application though.

[Wintersdark]

This is definitely an awesome idea with Steam's new Big Picture HTPC mode. I could care less about the Steam overlay, as I never use it even for Steam-native games, but as I do my emulator gaming on my HTPC (it's so amazing to see PS2 games rendered at 1920x1080 on a bigscreen TV), which doesn't have a keyboard or mouse, the current setup is awkward.

Sure, I can have XBMC's AdvancedLauncher fire off bat files, but it's ugly and clumsy, and I'm already using Steam's Big Picture to launch other games.

Awesome idea, and it's great to see you got it going.

I think your problem was with your choice of command line arguments, though. I found launching with -nogui -loadbin "isofilename" launches directly into the game perfectly (though you'd still need to play with .bat files for per-install configs.

Regardless, it's good to see such options working out. When you do your emulator gaming on an HTPC, it can be a pain in the ass to deal with the emulator software with just a remote control.

[Alan3002]

This is definitely an awesome idea with Steam's new Big Picture HTPC mode. I could care less about the Steam overlay, as I never use it even for Steam-native games, but as I do my emulator gaming on my HTPC (it's so amazing to see PS2 games rendered at 1920x1080 on a bigscreen TV), which doesn't have a keyboard or mouse, the current setup is awkward.

Sure, I can have XBMC's AdvancedLauncher fire off bat files, but it's ugly and clumsy, and I'm already using Steam's Big Picture to launch other games.

Awesome idea, and it's great to see you got it going.

I think your problem was with your choice of command line arguments, though. I found launching with -nogui -loadbin "isofilename" launches directly into the game perfectly (though you'd still need to play with .bat files for per-install configs.

Regardless, it's good to see such options working out. When you do your emulator gaming on an HTPC, it can be a pain in the ass to deal with the emulator software with just a remote control.

Yeah Big Picture Mode makes it very attractive to get working. You can just sit on the couch and use your controller to launch the PCSX2 games easily, its awesome.
Hmmm did not know there was a -loadbin command, cheers for that.
Can I ask if playing with .bat files do custom grid images play along nicely?