How to use HyperXMLspin

Video tutorial (Youtube)

Text tutorial (readme.txt)

I – HyperXMLspin : Quick Installation

1 / Launch HyperXMLspin.exe and setup parameters :
2 / On tab menu <General> Select your Frontend (Retro-FE or Hyperspin)
3 / On tab menu <General> Select Frontend root folder (for Hyperspin where is located HyperSpin.exe and for Retro-FE it’s where is located Core,Collections,Meta…folders )
4 / On tab menu <General> Only for Hyperspin Frontend : select launcher file executable.(Hyperlaunch.exe or RocketLauncher.exe)

II – HyperXMLspin : Optional Installation (Hyperspin)

With Full installation it will be possible to save lists from mode “show” and “export” lists from HyperXMLspin item databases. If you doesn’t need one of this features , just use the Quick Installation from chapter I

Installation inside Hyperspin :
1 / Launch HyperHQ.exe (On tab menu “main menu wizard”) add new item with any name you want , for example : “HyperXMLspin”
2 / To the question : “Does this menu item have a sub-wheel” select “yes”.
3 / Select item position inside your system wheel list. (Anywhere you want)
4 / Go to tab menu “wheel settings” , select “HyperXMLspin” wheel then tab menu “emulator”
5 / On field “Executable” : Select HyperXMLspin.exe file previously downloaded and extracted.
6 / On field “Execution” : Normal , “PC game” : Disabled , “Use Full Path To Roms” : Disabled , “Search Subfolders” : Disabled     Open & Check in ini file parameters : “userompath=false” & “searchsubfolders=false”. (“HyperSpin\Setting\HyperXMLspin.ini” for this example)

7 / Leave empty fields : “Rom Path” , “Params” , “Extensions – WinState : Hidden”
8 / Select menu tab “navigation/themes” then checkbox “use xml indexes”,”clones use parent videos”,”clones use parent themes” then close HyperHQ.
9 / If you have choosed “HyperXMLspin” as item name : Copy & replace Databases & Media folders from Hyperxmlspin package inside HyperSpin directory.     Otherwise rename all “HyperXMLspin” folders & files name by yours , before copying and replacing.

Setup HyperXMLspin :
10/ Launch HyperXMLspin.exe and setup parameters :
11/ On tab menu <General> Select HyperSpin folder (where is located HyperSpin.exe)
12/ On tab menu <General> Select launcher file executable.(Hyperlaunch.exe or RocketLauncher.exe)
13/ On tab menu <General> Select HyperXmlspin item name.(Name given in step 1/)

III – HyperXMLspin : Advanced setup :

1 / On tab menu <General> HyperXMLspin language : french or english
2 / On tab menu <General> resolution (fullscreen/window) : 800×600/800×600 , 1024×768/1024×768 , 1280×720/1000×720 et 1920×1080/1380×1010
3 / On tab menu <Controls> Keyboard hotkeys for exit , parameters and hide/show HyperXMLspin.
4 / On tab menu <Controls> virtual keyboard , to show a virtual keyboard inside HyperXMLspin interface.
5 / On tab menu <Controls> Emulate Joystick to mouse and set up joy number and its 8 buttons.
6 / On tab menu <Options> Fullscreen mode allow picture selection for background.
7 / On tab menu <Options> For each HyperXmlspin views set background color , font color , transparency , and police style.
8 / On tab menu <Options> Hide HyperXMLspin on startup. (Then use Hide/Show HyperXMLspin key/button to unhide)
9 / On tab menu <Options> Video preview allow you to watch video games with associated activeX plugin.(Windows media player,VLC to install separately from https://www.videolan.org/ , or none)
10/ On tab menu <Options> Parental control Parental to define a PIN code to limit access to parameters and limit HyperXMLspin to “Show” and QuickSearch mode.
11/ On tab menu <Options> Parental Filter to not show mature/adult games in HyperXMLspin and also in HyperSpin (for hyperxmlspin wheels).
12/ On tab menu <Options> Symlinks NTFS to use Symlinks instead of duplicating medias (prevent space on hard drive but only possible with NTFS partition)
13/ On tab menu <Options> Use confirm exit to show a message box and confirm to exit hyperxmlspin.
14/ On tab menu <Options> HyperXMLspin graphical theme.(custom theme must be placed on Themes folder in HyperXMLspin.exe folder)
15/ On tab menu <Update> Check medias to update hyperXMLspin artworks & videos with those from HyperSpin. Allow you to share custom HyperXMLspin wheels.(Look for chapter IV)
16/ On tab menu <Update> Scan Filters to update genres and years lists for HyperXMLspin search engine.
17/ On tab menu <Update> Favorites button to update the favorites list manually and automatically when starting hyperxmlspin (The list is generated without filters, so : all favorites of all systems)

IV – HyperXMLspin : Tips

1/ For found games that have same name , HyperXMLspin add a space to distinguish them from others , actually this tip is just working with HyperLaunch    For RocketLauncher , edit HyperSpin/settings/settings.ini file then modify “Hyperlaunch_Path” with HyperXMLspin full path    ( ex: Hyperlaunch_Path= F:\HyperSpin\HyperXMLspin.exe ) , don’t forget to save modifications.
2/ To make an HDD backup with symlinks created by HyperXMLspin , use an NTFS HDD    Then use cmd or PowerShell with administrator rights , and use this command line : xcopy /e /b /i /h Path_In Path_out    ( ex: xcopy /e /b /i /h C:\HYPERSPIN f:\HyperSpin-backup )

3/ If you get error “can’t create control” change into parameters on tab menu <Options> Video preview to “None”
Or use HyperXMLspin 64 bits version to solve the problem

V – HyperXMLspin : basic functioning  :

HyperXMLspin functioning (QuickSearch)  :
Enter or select at least on search term , then validate.(“Tools” button must not be activated)

HyperXMLspin functioning (MultiSearch)  :
Enter or select at least on search term , select “tools” then :
–> Use the “show” function for an immediate search.(Results can be saved if HyperXMLspin have been setup as a full installation in Hyperspin : Chapter II)
–> Use the “create” function to save your search results in an hyperspin “genre” (Only for Hyperspin) or “main” (For Hyperspin & Retro-FE) wheel.
–> Use the “Add” function to add the search results to an existing list.

The last three functions are usable without search criteria:
–> Use the “delete” function to delete an entire list and media..(Use HyperHQ to delete an entire “main” Wheel except for Retro-FE)
–> Use the “edit” function to sort games by genre, year , etc … or to delete them.
–> Use the “Export” fonction to export an hyperXMLspin “genre list as an other “Main or “Genre” list.(only available for Hyperspin if HyperXMLspin have been setup as a full installation : Chapter II)
Once list have been edited , click “OK”.

Tip : for multiple search for multiple games separate each keyword/letter with a comma.

VI – HyperXMLspin  : lists sharing functioning

You can share any hyperXMLspin list you want with HyperSpin community , but their compatibility between each users will not be all the time at 100 % : Games from lists are compatible only with lists with same game name and same system name.
But you can increase compatibility with function “Update medias” on manual mode. Example with list ABestOfAll created by ninja2bceen (inside package Databases\ABestOfAll) :

Sharing lists with Hyperspin
1 / Launch HyperHQ.exe (On tab menu “main menu wizard”) add new item with the name of the list , for this example : “ABestOfAll”
2 / To the question : “Does this menu item have a sub-wheel” select “yes”.
3 / Select item position inside your system wheel list. (Anywhere you want)
4 / Go to tab menu “wheel settings” , select “HyperXMLspin” wheel then tab menu “emulator”
5 / On field “Executable” : Select HyperXMLspin.exe file previously downloaded and extracted.
6 / On field “Execution” : Normal , “PC game” : Disabled , “Use Full Path To Roms” : Disabled , “Search Subfolders” : Disabled
7 / Leave empty fields : “Rom Path” , “Params” , “Extensions – WinState : Hidden”
8 / Select menu tab “navigation/themes” then checkbox “use xml indexes”,”Themes only”,”clones use parent videos”,”clones use parent themes” then close HyperHQ.
Option “Themes Only” allow to hyperspin to not show games not compatible from the shared list.(Do not check this option if you not have at least 1 default theme per system)
Open & Check in ini file parameters : “userompath=false” & “searchsubfolders=false”. (“HyperSpin\Setting\HyperXMLspin.ini” for this example)
9 / Copy xml list (“ABestOfAll.xml” inside package Databases\ABestOfAll) inside hyperspin databasest (“/Hyperspin/databases/ABestOfAll/ABestOfAll.xml” for this example)

– Go to step 10/ –

Sharing lists with Retro-FE

1 / Copy xml list (“ABestOfAll.xml” inside package Databases\ABestOfAll) inside Retro-FE databases (“/meta/hyperlist/ABestOfAll.xml” for this example)
2 / Open Collections/main/menu.txt file and add a new line with item name (“ABestOfAll” without the quotes for this example)

– Go to step 10/ –

Update medias with HyperXMLspin
10 / Launch HyperXMLspin.exe then go to parameters.
11 / On menu tab <Update> click “Check medias” then select updating mode :
Auto mode checked : all fully compatible medias will be automaticly copyed if found.
Auto mode unchecked: you will have to choose each systems & games not found automaticly with systems or games you have.
12 / Select list to update (“ABestOfAll” for this example) then click “update”. (hyperxmlspin main lists have “***” at begining and ending of their name)
So now, media directory of this list contain all artworks and videos you already have. (your Video et artworks files have not been modified or deleted but just copyed or “symlinked”)
ABestOfAll.xml file created by ninja2bceen contain 245 games. With my configuration , after an auto scan i got 130 fully compatible , then after a manual scan i got 63 more…total : 193/245 results depend from each HyperSpin database users, and so may be different from others users.
As a normal list , each shared lists can be edited in hyperxmlspin to add , delete or sort as you prefer each games.

That’s all folks , now : Search,Create/play,enjoy !!!

r0man0