I will try to keep this guide up to date with the latest versions of HyperSpin and RocketLauncher. Also I'm adverse to making videos, because I don't want to make a new video every time something is updated, I find it easier just to edit a pic and text guide then recording a new video and editing links. All guides will assume you know how to navigate files and folders in windows. Translations Español - Admoroux This is for a new install. I'm assuming you know your way around folders and files in windows
To download HyperSpin first you need to get the necessary support files from version 1.3.3 http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/files/file/5599-hyperspin-133-full-install/ and then overwrite with the contents from the beta http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/files/file/7500-hyperspin-14/ I'm gonna use the C drive in the examples. Any drive letter is ok
Now extract the contents of the download to a HyperSpin folder on the root of your drive. Example: C:\HyperSpin The path to your HyperSpin.exe should now be C:\HyperSpin\HyperSpin.exe
Now you need to get RocketLauncher which is a fork of HyperLaunch, but with more active development. Download it here. http://www.rlauncher.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=1. The archive (zip) password is www.rlauncher.com
Extract Rocketlauncher into a RocketLauncher folder on the root of your drive (C:\RocketLauncher) and make sure the path to RocketLauncher.exe is C:\RocketLauncher\RocketLauncher.exe and NOT C:\RocketLauncher\RocketLauncher\RocketLauncher.exe
Get back in your HyperSpin folder. This time we are gonna do some manual ini editing . Open your Settings folder in your HyperSpin folder C:\HyperSpin\Settings. Find the file named Settings.ini, open it in notepad. You should see at the top a line that reads [Main]. Right up under the [Main] line add Hyperlaunch_Path= C:\RocketLauncher\RocketLauncher.exe
Open your RocketLauncher folder (C:\RocketLauncher), now look for the RocketLauncherUI folder open it and then open RocketLauncherUI.exe. If you are having trouble opening RocketLauncherUI and you get some message about failing to initialize, you will need to download Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 to get RocketLauncherUI to work.
You will be greeted with a prompt asking you to update. Choose yes. Choose 'Latest' in the dropdown. Click on Check Updates at the bottom of the window. Wait for it to finish and then click Apply Updates. Close the update window. You can update in the future using the update button in the RocketLauncherUI tab (the update button looks like a globe with arrows.) You're thinking wow, so many settings this is too complicated. Well that's your fault for wanting lots of customization .
RocketLauncherUI will probably restart wait for RocketLauncherUI to restart and then close RocketLauncherUI.
Open your RocketLauncher folder (C:\RocketLauncher), now look for the Settings folder, open it and then rename Global Emulators (example).ini to Global Emulators.ini (Make sure you can see the extension: Known Extensions Are Set to Show) If there is already a file called Global Emulators.ini replace it with the example one.
Open your RocketLauncher folder (C:\RocketLauncher), now look for the RocketLauncherUI folder open it and then open RocketLauncherUI.exe
Look for the big tab on the right with the RocketLauncherUI image and click on it.
Now look for a smaller tab called "Frontends" beneath the row of big tabs and click on it
Click the green + under the small tabs and add a new frontend (here you can add different frontends like gamex or kodi).
In the popup window titled Add Frontend:
for the first blank, set the name to HyperSpin
for the second blank, Click the Magnifying glass to the right and locate your HyperSpin.exe application. (C:\HyperSpin\Hyperspin.exe which should look like ..\..\HyperSpin.exe if you are following the guide)
for the RocketLauncherUI plugin, choose Hyperspin in the dropdown box.
for the RocketLauncher plugin, choose Hyperspin in the dropdown box.
click on the button that looks like a blue floppy disk to save, if the button is not available just click the red x button to close and save the window.
Highlight the HyperSpin frontend item in the list you just added and:
click on the button that looks like a folder with a thumbtack (bulletin board pin) to set HyperSpin as your default frontend. (default frontend means RocketLauncherUI will always start up with this frontend)
click on the button that looks like a robot terminator red eye to set HyperSpin as the active frontend. (active frontend means the frontend that you are currently working on in RocketLauncherUI)
Look in the left near the top of the RocketLauncherUI main window for the words "Select a System" under it you should see a button that looks like two green arrows making a circle. Click on the circular green arrows button to refresh the systems list to match the active frontend. You can now close RocketLauncherUI or leave it open (you will need to open it later in this guide).
Now to make full use of RocketLauncher we want to download the media pack. http://www.rlauncher.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=2 Extract the contents of the media pack into your RocketLauncher folder (C:\RocketLauncher). Congrats you have now installed HyperSpin + RocketLauncher! You think you're done don't you, but you're wrong. There is still more to go. Gasp. We don't have any emulators yet.
Ok then let's try to set one up, how about we do the most popular one. MAME Download the binary unless you plan on compiling your own version. (there are some benefits to compiling, hiscores and nonag being the most popular)
Now let's create a new folder on your root drive called Emulators. C:\Emulators -this is not required but it is recommended
Now inside this folder create a new folder named after the emulator called MAME. C:\Emulators\MAME
Now inside your emulator folder install MAME. So the path to your mame.exe or mame64.exe should be C:\Emulators\MAME\mame.exe Congrats you have installed an emulator. Now to get it working with RocketLauncher and ultimately HyperSpin.
Open your RocketLauncher folder (C:\RocketLauncher), now look for the RocketLauncherUI folder open it and then open RocketLauncherUI.exe On the left hand side in RocketLauncherUI you will see a list of all our systems and at the top is a system called Global (not actually a system in HyperSpin). Changing settings in Global affects all of your settings in every system. Consider this the default settings.
Ok now highlight the Global System and click on the big tab Emulators. If you installed correctly (didn't skip steps like step 9) you will be greeted with a long list of emulator names. Scroll down this list until you find MAME. Double click on it. A new window will appear. Fill in the path value by clicking on the magnifying glass to the right of the path entry and find your MAME emulator. Close this window if the values for module and rom extensions are already filled.
Now highlight the MAME system in the systems list. and click on the big tab Emulators.
Add the path to your MAME roms in the rom paths field by clicking on the green plus button. For most mame installations it's in the same folder as mame.exe in a folder called roms. C:\Emulators\MAME\roms For other systems, I personally put roms in a folder separate from hyperspin and the emulator folder, something like C:\Games\systemName\gameName.extension ROMS are not included with MAME or HyperSpin or RocketLauncher. Do not ask for roms on this forum, it will get you banned. Google is your friend for this.
Now back in RocketLauncherUI choose your default emulator by clicking on the Magnifying glass. Choose MAME [global] from the list that appears. Congrats! you have now setup MAME within RocketLauncher.
Now to setup MAME for use with HyperSpin. First get the latest MAME xml from HyperList http://hyperlist.hyperspin-fe.com/
Drop the xml you downloaded into C:\HyperSpin\Databases\MAME\ and rename it to MAME.xml. If it asks you to overwrite, choose yes. XML management can be a pain and so can renaming all those roms that you legally copied from your personal collection of actual games that you legally acquired through legal purchases.
For emulators other than MAME or MESS you will need to make sure that the file names for your roms match the names for the games found in your xml.
For the best hyperspin xml management and renaming applications use Don's HyperSpin Tools or check out the beta version of HyperTools.zip (thanks, emb). I think that's it for a basic installation. It will be hard and time consuming to get artwork and videos until you subscribe to emumovies and receive platinum status here by donating.
Oh wait I almost forgot, whenever any one says edit your module settings they usually mean open RocketLauncherUI click on your system, click on the big modules tab, highlight the module you are using, and then click on the Edit Global Settings button. A little bit more info can be found here & here.
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Hyperspin and RocketLauncher Compatibility Fix.zip
