(Windows) Added a menu option to run ES in the background while a game is launched.

Suspending ES while launching a game has proven unreliable on Windows, but on some installations it works so it makes sense to let the user select it. It makes for a better and more seamless experience if it works as intended.

es-app/src/FileData.cpp

@@ -26,10 +26,6 @@
 
 #include <assert.h>
 
-#ifdef _WIN64
-#include <SDL2/SDL_timer.h>
-#endif
-
 FileData::FileData(
         FileType type,
         const std::string& path,
@@ -549,14 +545,13 @@ void FileData::launchGame(Window* window)
                 Utils::String::toUpper(std::to_string(returnValue) + ")"), 6000);
         window->setInfoPopup(s);
     }
-    // This code is only needed for Windows, where we need to keep ES running while
-    // the game/emulator is in use. It's basically used to pause any playing game video.
     #ifdef _WIN64
+    // This code is only needed for Windows, where we may need to keep ES running while
+    // the game/emulator is in use. It's basically used to pause any playing game video
+    // and to keep the screensaver from activating.
     else {
-        window->setLaunchedGame();
+        if (Settings::getInstance()->getBool("RunInBackground"))
-        // Temporary hack to stop the user from sending any input to ES while
+            window->setLaunchedGame();
-        // the game is launching.
-        SDL_Delay(3000);
     }
     #endif
 

es-app/src/animations/LaunchAnimation.h

@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ public:
 
     void apply(float t) override
     {
+        // TEMPORARY - disabled the launch animations as they don't work properly and more
+        // work is needed to fix them. This has been done in LaunchAnimation.h instead of in
+        // ViewController as not calling the animation leads to input not being properly
+        // consumed. This also needs to be fixed later on.
+        return;
+
         cameraOut = Transform4x4f::Identity();
 
         float zoom = Math::lerp(1.0, 4.25f, t*t);

es-app/src/guis/GuiMenu.cpp

@@ -601,6 +601,13 @@ void GuiMenu::openOtherSettings()
     s->addWithLabel("HIDE TASKBAR (REQUIRES RESTART)", hide_taskbar);
     s->addSaveFunc([hide_taskbar] { Settings::getInstance()->
             setBool("HideTaskbar", hide_taskbar->getState()); });
+
+    // Run ES in the background when a game has been launched.
+    auto run_in_background = std::make_shared<SwitchComponent>(mWindow);
+    run_in_background->setState(Settings::getInstance()->getBool("RunInBackground"));
+    s->addWithLabel("RUN IN BACKGROUND (WHILE GAME IS LAUNCHED)", run_in_background);
+    s->addSaveFunc([run_in_background] { Settings::getInstance()->
+            setBool("RunInBackground", run_in_background->getState()); });
     #endif
 
     // Allow overriding of the launch command per game (the option to disable this is

es-app/src/views/ViewController.cpp

@@ -264,13 +264,21 @@ void ViewController::launch(FileData* game, Vector3f center)
     // Let launch sound play to the end before launching game.
     while (NavigationSounds::getInstance()->isPlayingThemeNavigationSound(LAUNCHSOUND));
 
-    game->launchGame(mWindow);
-    mLockInput = false;
-    this->onFileChanged(game, FILE_METADATA_CHANGED);
-
     // TEMPORARY - disabled the launch animations as they don't work properly and more
-    // work is needed to fix them.
+    // work is needed to fix them. This has been done in LaunchAnimation.h instead of here,
-    //
+    // as not calling the animation leads to input not being properly consumed. This also
+    // needs to be fixed later on.
+    setAnimation(new LaunchAnimation(mCamera, mFadeOpacity, center, 1500), 0,
+            [this, origCamera, center, game] {
+        game->launchGame(mWindow);
+        mCamera = origCamera;
+        setAnimation(new LaunchAnimation(mCamera, mFadeOpacity, center, 600), 0, [this] {
+                    mLockInput = false; }, true);
+        this->onFileChanged(game, FILE_METADATA_CHANGED);
+        if (mCurrentView)
+            mCurrentView->onShow();
+    });
+
     // if (transition_style == "fade") {
     //     // Fade out, launch game, fade back in.
     //     auto fadeFunc = [this](float t) {
@@ -409,20 +417,22 @@ std::shared_ptr<SystemView> ViewController::getSystemListView()
     return mSystemListView;
 }
 
-
 bool ViewController::input(InputConfig* config, Input input)
 {
     if (mLockInput)
         return true;
 
-    // This code is only needed for Windows, where we need to keep ES running while
-    // the game/emulator is in use. It's basically used to pause any playing game video.
     #ifdef _WIN64
-    // If we have previously launched a game and there is now input registered, it means
+    // This code is only needed for Windows, where we may need to keep ES running while
-    // the user is back in ES, so unset the flag to indicate that a game has been launched
+    // the game/emulator is in use. It's basically used to pause any playing game video
-    // and update all the GUI components to reflect this.
+    // and to keep the screensaver from activating.
-    if (mWindow->getGameLaunchedState()) {
+    if (Settings::getInstance()->getBool("RunInBackground")) {
-        mWindow->unsetLaunchedGame();
+        // If we have previously launched a game and there is now input registered, it means
+        // the user is back in ES, so unset the flag to indicate that a game has been launched
+        // and update all the GUI components to reflect this.
+        bool testbool = mWindow->getGameLaunchedState();
+        if (mWindow->getGameLaunchedState())
+            mWindow->unsetLaunchedGame();
     }
     #endif
 
@@ -550,12 +560,15 @@ void ViewController::reloadGameListView(IGameListView* view, bool reloadTheme)
         }
     }
 
-    // This code is only needed for Windows, where we need to keep ES running while
-    // the game/emulator is in use. It's basically used to pause any playing game video.
     #ifdef _WIN64
-    // If a game has been launched, then update all the GUI components to reflect this.
+    // This code is only needed for Windows, where we may need to keep ES running while
-    if (mWindow->getGameLaunchedState())
+    // the game/emulator is in use. It's basically used to pause any playing game video
-        mWindow->setLaunchedGame();
+    // and to keep the screensaver from activating.
+    if (Settings::getInstance()->getBool("RunInBackground")) {
+        // If a game has been launched, then update all the GUI components to reflect this.
+        if (mWindow->getGameLaunchedState())
+            mWindow->setLaunchedGame();
+    }
     #endif
 
     // Redisplay the current view.

es-core/src/Platform.cpp

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "AudioManager.h"
 #include "Log.h"
 #include "MameNames.h"
+#include "Settings.h"
 
 #if defined(__linux__) || defined(_WIN64)
 #include <SDL2/SDL_events.h>
@@ -138,13 +139,15 @@ int launchEmulatorWindows(const std::wstring& cmd_utf16)
             &pi);                           // Pointer to the PROCESS_INFORMATION structure.
 
     // Unfortunately suspending ES and resuming when the emulator process has exited
-    // doesn't work reliably on Windows, so we need to keep ES running. Maybe there is
+    // doesn't work reliably on Windows, so we may need to keep ES running in the
-    // some workaround for this. Possibly it's just SDL that is glitchy or it's actually
+    // background while the game is launched. I'm not sure if there is a workaround
-    // something OS-specific. Keeping the code here just in case it could be reactivated.
+    // for this, but on some Windows installations it seems to work fine so we'll let
-    // For sure it would simplify things, like not having to pause playing videos.
+    // the user choose via a menu option.
-//    // Wait for the child process to exit.
+    if (!Settings::getInstance()->getBool("RunInBackground")) {
-//    WaitForSingleObject(pi.hThread, INFINITE);
+        // Wait for the child process to exit.
-//    WaitForSingleObject(pi.hProcess, INFINITE);
+        WaitForSingleObject(pi.hThread, INFINITE);
+        WaitForSingleObject(pi.hProcess, INFINITE);
+    }
 
     // If the return value is false, then something failed.
     if (!processReturnValue) {

es-core/src/Settings.cpp

@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ void Settings::setDefaults()
     mStringMap["SaveGamelistsMode"] = "always";
     #ifdef _WIN64
     mBoolMap["HideTaskbar"] = false;
+    mBoolMap["RunInBackground"] = true;
     #endif
     mStringMap["MediaDirectory"] = "";
     mBoolMap["LaunchCommandOverride"] = true;