This is not a necessary step as you can just amend or play with the default rig layout that comes with CPWizBiz. However, if you are wanting to design your own rig from scratch, then this guide may help.

See the overview and Glossary before reading this - this will cover the core concepts.

There are several approaches to getting a rig just right. See the Tips below. You can do it all in CPWizard or you can use CPWizBiz once you have designed a 'rough' version in CPWizard to do the fine tuning (e.g. batch resizing rig controls, text groups or positioning).

The basic process is:

1. Add an image from 'CPWizBizW\Assets\Images\RigControls' to represent the control on your Rig (e.g. a Button, Analogue Joystick, Digital Joystick, Trackball etc). It may be worth adding a shortcut to this folder in explorer.
2. Add a Label to represent how this control is interpreted via the PC (e.g. as a Joystick Code, Button or as keyboard code, Keycode_A).
3. Assign this label to one of 3 categories in Label Group:
   1. Game Controls - Buttons/controls used to control games
   2. Emulator Controls - Any Rig buttons/combos used to control the Emulator/Front End.
   3. Info Controls - Used to display various information such as the gamename, emulator name or developer etc.
4. Assign any images/rig controls to labels via Label Link. (N.B. InfoLabels do not require an associated image).

Don't worry if you miss any linking, as you will be prompted later when you 'import' the rig to CPWizBiz of any missing links. You can then address these in CPWB or in CPW.

Here's a quick video showing the fundamentals.

This one's for setting up using an xbox360 controller with your rig (demonstrates setting buttons, digital and analogue joycodes + info and emulator labels):

As on the video - if there are key, joy or other codes which aren't in CPW setup (e.g. Alt+Enter) then you can add these in two ways:

1. Add these new codes via the CPWB interface:

(note: old version of CPWizBiz depicted)

2. Manually type in the new name as per the video - NB - the first 4 letters of the free text must be one of the following or they will not be imported into CPWB: JOY_,JOYC,KEYC,MOUS,GAME,EMU_

Different Images work in different ways. To include and image on a Rig Layout, include the placeholder from:

[path to your CPWizBiz Assets Folder]\Images\RigControls\Components\1.InfoImages\

Some notes on the different image types:

These images are passed via the command line (see cmd line section) - use if your Front End can pass these. If no image present in command line, will use transparency or a no image placeholder. If your front end can't send these - you can alternatively point the Ext_Snap/Title path to any Snap/Title directories you already have.

CPWizBiz first looks in here for these images:

%CPWizBizW%\Assets\Images\Dynamic Images

It then looks here if not found in the above:

%CPWizBizW%\Assets\Images\DBImages

This allows you to hold two different versions of the same image if required. The DBImages folder contain the default versions of the image (and at some point in the future, ones automatically downloaded from the CPWizBiz server). You can use the Dynamic Images folder to hold edited or your own versions. An example would be having a “fullscreen” version of it in here (one left in install for example).

The image names are either passed directly via the command line, or are calculated from the CPWB defaults (e.g. if you only pass Game and System, but ePSXe is set as the default emulator for this system, then ePSXe is used as the emu image).

As covered elsewhere, there are different ways to use images - you can either have these as fullscreen images, stretched over the CPW layout with transparencies to assist accuracy; just the usual CPW image include (which stretches the image) or you can select 'preserve aspect ratio' in CPWB.

Also see the CPWizBiz Imager to assist with making these default dynamic images.

These are paths to images set within the CPWB interface itself. If an image matching the game is found, then this image is used. Based on the Game.

There ar two types - Quickmenu which are the images/manual pdf used by the CPWizard menu or the Extended Images which can be used in any rig layout/sub-layout.

Paths are modified thus:

The name of the image is determined in this priority (topmost taking precedence):

1. Name passed via the “-im” switch (without the extension) - e.g. “WipEout 3”
2. Name passed via the “-rm” (romname) switch (without the extension) - e.g. “WipEout 3(USA)”
3. Name passed via the “-rm” (romname) switch with bracketed text stripped - e.g. “WipEout 3”
4. The Gamename - passed via the “-gm” switch (without the extension) with illegal filename chars removed and “:” (colon) changed to “ -” (space,minus) - e.g. “WipEout 3: Special Edition” becomes “WipEout 3 - Special Edition”
5. As above, but with “:” just removed, not replaced. e.g. “WipEout 3: Special Edition” becomes “WipEout 3 Special Edition”

Images can be .jpg or .png - CPWB will do all the conversion.

Developer, Emulator, Game Snap, Game Title, System Controller, System Logo and System Picture must all have a 'no image' image in their respective folders (Assets>Images>Dynamic Images>) entitled “noimage.png.” This deals with no images where stretched fullscreen.

Above can be either full-screen (to assist accurate layout) or small (stretched or with preserve aspect enabled in defaults).

It doesn't matter whether you use the images from the Fullscreen folder or the Small folder for these (in Assets>Images>RigControls>Components>1.InfoImages). The fullscreen ones are designed for better visibility/useability in CPWizard if stretching them fullscreen.

Do:
Assign each Img/rig control to a Label/InputCode.

Assign each label to one of the three label groups: Game, Emulator or Info Codes.

Pay attention to the popup after the import - it will inform you of any “don'ts” that have happened! You can also look at the log in CPWB/Logs to solve any puzzles!

Try and go for a clean Rig Import. That is - all zeros when you click the Info button on the Rig Tab in CPWBiz (but don't worry about info labels - these won't have an associated label link - so GameName won't be linked to any control for instance).

Don't:
Use the same image/rig control twice. Any labels linked to the same image (e.g. if you have KeyCode_A linked to Button1 and KeyCodeB to another instance of Button1) then only one keycode will make it into CPWB.

• When you are inserting images into the Rig, if you are using the images that come in the Media folder that comes with CPWizard, copy these to another location. If you use the images straight from the CPWizard sub-folder, paths are saved as relative and it interferes with the CPWB Rig Import process. You could just copy the Media folder and place it in the CPWB folder.
• When you're working on a complex layout for some time - the workspace in CPWizard does not auto-scale. Therefore, to prevent squinting and cussing - change the resolution of the monitor you are working on - I found a good rez to work at = 1280×960
• You can copy and paste (Ctrl C+V) a label or image and change later. This will preserve any attriburtes - for example with labels - the font details etc. You can then return to these to change attirbutes - e.g. which inut mapped to etc. With images - if you select another image, any resize will be lost.
• This is also good for Emulator Control Codes - essentially auto=populates these.
• You can keep the properties window open - just click on a different layout element.
• When setting up layout for first time, make your text really tiny to avoid the 'spaghetti' of lots of controls. You can batch resize the text later via the CPWB XML Editor.
• You can Shift+Click Items to Group select in CPWiz. You can then batch change attributes. Doesn't work so good with image/label resizing.
• If you're struggling to see which Rig Control you're editing, check the bottom left of the edit screen - holds location, size and image name (which points you to which Rig Control you are editing).
• It's sometimes easier to edit with snap-to-grid off (the grid icon in the toolbar).
• Get the Images placed first, then create/place the labels. This stops any mistaken clicking of the labels when you mean the image resize handles for instance.
• Put the CPWizBiz>Assets>Images>RigControls>Components folder in your Favourites in Explorer. This will save uneccessary browsing as CPWiz's folder explorer always opens in the same default location.
• If you're needing to batch resize images, try using CPWizBiz for this. Select all the controls you want resizing then use the Width Height Change on the Rig Imgs Tab.