[Feature Request]: Set up the directory to install DLC in the GUI

[Missake212]

Checklist

• I have searched for a similar issue in this repository and did not find one.

Description

Currently there's two ways to set up the directory to install DLC, either the first time you launch shad or by clicking on "settings" at the top.

Clicking on "game install directory" shows this

The thing is while you can set your game directory whenever you want in the path tab, you can't set the DLC directory unless you click on the "settings" at the top, I think it would be nice to have it also show up in the there to make life easier for everyone.

Reason

I think it would be great to have this in the settings to have everything in the same place, so that users are not confused if they didn't configure this the first time they opened shad, I also believe getting rid of the "Game Install Directory" here wouldn't be a big deal.

Examples

Ideally it would be on this tab in the settings.

[GHU7924]

I suggested generally redoing the "Settings" so that the elements included in them were more accessible.
Instead of "Settings", there were two new menus - "Manage" and "Utilities".
Maybe the content would be different than the one I drew, but the meaning is the same, faster access to the elements of these menus.

I agree that where the catalog is located now, it is not needed, probably no one remembers about it.
Make it so that when you first start there is a directory selection window, then changes can be made in the Paths tab. Here are two options that have already been thought out and completed:

Version 1

Version 2

In the first case, the directories are separated from the "Game Folders" (if you use one folder for your games and you don't need "Game Folders").

In the second case, "Directory to install games" and "Game Folders" are combined because they have the same purpose.

If you are satisfied, then choose which one is better, because I do not know, both versions look good. 😄

[Missake212]

Looks really good to me honestly, I think it would be a great change to have

[VeraPhobia]

just my opinion but since this is the idea, how about adding the "updates" as a path too?

[Missake212]

Sounds like a good idea to me and would make sense too, I agree

[GHU7924]

In this case, the choice will be for "Version 2", slightly modified.
Also, on the "General" tab - "Emulator" - checkbox "Enable a separate update folder" need to move to the "Paths" tab.
And I do not know if it is possible to change the path for updates so that it does not break anything, but since this is an edited screenshot, I will draw it.

[VeraPhobia]

how about making the DLC work like the updates?

as an example you have a game AAAA00000 if the user decides to put the dlc and update in the same folder it works like now, the folder becomes AAAA00000-DLC or AAAA00000-UPDATE, and if they are not in the same folder they simply get the serial number. it will make it a hassle to later on merge the folders or separate them since the user will need to manually rename the folders

[GHU7924]

In fact, I already had thoughts about having a complete separation of content by default.

That is, you install the game and get the CUSA00000-GAME folder.
Next, you install the update and get the CUSA00000-UPDATE folder.
Then you install the add-ons and get the CUSA00000-DLC folder.

But all these 3 types of folders should be in one place, maybe they would just be in the folder with the installed games,
or maybe each game would have its own folder CUSA00000, which would contain these 3 folders.

This way you can easily remove add-ons or updates if you don't need them.

It would be possible to add checkboxes, something like "Ignore updates" and "Ignore DLC",
so you will have the opportunity to test the game versions 1.00 and, for example, 1.09 (without deleting content).

[Fire-Cube]

Sounds very good

[tomboylover93]

I'm thinking of doing this myself. I'm not sure if I could add such things as a -GAME and -DLC folder (I do not know how that is handled) but I could add buttons in the Settings menu for it.

[VeraPhobia]

tbh i feel maybe there should be some kind of voting to know what most people want, i personally feel having them all in different folders makes sense while some may say having it like how updates are done being in a single folder make it super easy to handle,

like why not make some voting system on discord server? not only for this but for other aspects that might need more eyes and mind to make a make a right choice.

PS, is that endevour OS theme?

[GHU7924]

@tomboylover93 If I understood correctly, then this part is about -UPDATE

@Hermiten How can we find out what the core team thinks or conduct a survey about such changes?

[Hermiten]

On Discord, probably Development channel

[Missake212]

@tomboylover93 Idk if that's just me but I think that the game update folder should be like the game folder, like instead of browsing to add one location make it so that you can add and remove multiple paths, maybe it would be good to do this for the dlc too? Unless it's too much of a pain and slows down the emulator too much

[tomboylover93]

Not exactly a pain to do/deal with and more so that it takes up a ton of screen real estate, considering that the Settings window already has some scaling issues I wouldn't want to make it bigger. I believe the piece of code for removing a path is in settings_dialog.cpp and it's only a few lines so it's definitely doable though.

If I understood correctly, then this part is about -UPDATE

I'll look into it and see if I can make it work for -GAME and -DLC, but as others have said it would be better to have some kind of poll on that.

is that endevour OS theme?

Nah, it's luisbocanegra/kde-material-you-colors.