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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/CollapseLauncher/Collapse/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Collapse Launcher lets you replace the default game background with your own images or video files, apply a dynamic color theme derived from the background, and integrate with Discord and Steam.

Custom background images

By default, Collapse shows the official background provided by the game’s HoYoPlay API for the currently selected region. You can override this with your own image on a per-region or global basis.

Supported formats

FormatNotes
WebPFully supported via built-in codec
HEIF / HEICSupported via built-in codec
AVIFSupported via built-in codec
JXL (JPEG XL)Supported via built-in codec
JXR (JPEG XR)Supported via built-in codec
SVGSupported as a vector image
Standard bitmap formatsPNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and other formats supported by the Windows imaging pipeline
Video filesSupported via FFmpeg (see below)

Setting a per-region background

1

Open the background picker

Click the Change Background button in the home page game management panel (or right-click the background to access the context menu).
2

Choose a file

A file picker opens filtered to supported image and video formats. Select your file.
3

Cropping

For image files, Collapse may offer a crop dialog to match the launcher aspect ratio. Confirm or skip the crop.
The selected file path is saved per-region in the launcher configuration (LastCustomBg-{GameName}-{ZoneName}). Switching to a different region reverts to that region’s own background setting.

Setting a global background

In Launcher Settings, you can set a single global background that applies to all regions where no per-region custom background is configured. The global background path is stored under the GlobalBg configuration key.

Removing a custom background

Disable the custom background toggle for the current region (or globally) in Launcher Settings. Collapse falls back to the official API background, or to a placeholder image if the API does not provide one.

Video backgrounds with FFmpeg

Collapse supports animated video backgrounds when FFmpeg shared libraries are present. The video plays in a loop behind the launcher interface.

Required FFmpeg libraries

Collapse looks for the following DLL files alongside its executable:
avcodec-61.dll
avdevice-61.dll
avfilter-10.dll
avformat-61.dll
avutil-59.dll
postproc-58.dll
swresample-5.dll
swscale-8.dll
If these files are not found in the Collapse directory, Collapse searches your system PATH environment variable and creates symbolic links to the DLLs it finds. You can also set a custom FFmpeg directory in Launcher Settings.

Enabling video backgrounds

1

Install FFmpeg

Download a shared-library FFmpeg build (the one that provides .dll files, not a static build) and place the required DLLs either in the Collapse directory or somewhere on your system PATH.
2

Enable FFmpeg in settings

In Launcher Settings, enable Use FFmpeg for video backgrounds. Collapse will verify the libraries are reachable and update its status indicator.
3

Set a video file as background

Use the background picker and select a video file. Collapse detects the format by file extension.

Video playback controls

When a video background is active, a small control bar appears on hover over the bottom of the launcher:
ControlAction
Play/PauseToggle video playback
Audio toggleEnable or disable background video audio
Audio volumeAdjust the video audio level (0 – 100%)
Keep playing when unfocusedContinue playing video when the Collapse window loses focus

Dynamic color theming

When a custom image is set, Collapse derives an accent color from the image content and applies it to the launcher UI. This affects button colors, highlights, and other themed elements throughout the interface. The accent color is extracted automatically when the background loads. No manual configuration is required.

Parallax effect

Collapse applies a subtle parallax scroll effect to the background image as you move your mouse over the launcher. You can configure or disable this in Launcher Settings:
OptionDescription
Enable parallax effectToggles the effect on or off (GlobalIsBackgroundParallaxEffectEnabled)
Parallax pixel shiftControls how many pixels the background shifts at maximum cursor offset (GlobalBackgroundParallaxPixelShift)
You can also set a custom parallax pixel amount from the background context menu by right-clicking the background and selecting Set custom parallax pixels.

Multiple backgrounds

When a game region provides multiple backgrounds via the HoYoPlay API, Collapse displays all of them and lets you choose which one to use with a pager control at the bottom of the background. Hovering over the pager area reveals navigation dots and additional controls. You can also save backgrounds locally:
  • Right-click the background and choose Save current background or Save all backgrounds.
  • Collapse creates a folder named CollapseBackground-{ProfileName} in the destination you choose and saves each background as a numbered subfolder containing the background and overlay images.

Discord Rich Presence

Collapse integrates with Discord to display your current activity as a Rich Presence status. The presence updates automatically based on what you are doing.
ActivityStatus shown
Launcher idleShows the Collapse logo and current game/region
Playing a gameShows the game name, region, and elapsed play time
Updating a gameShows update activity
Running repairShows repair activity
Updating cacheShows cache update activity
Viewing game settingsShows game settings activity

Configuring Discord Rich Presence

In Launcher Settings:
  • Enable Discord RPC — toggle the integration on or off. When disabled, the presence is cleared from Discord immediately.
  • Show idle status — when enabled, Collapse reports an idle presence even when you are not actively doing anything. When disabled, no presence is shown during idle.
Discord RPC is implemented using the DiscordRpcClient library. The presence is updated through a queue to prevent flooding.

System tray

Collapse runs in the Windows system tray when minimized or when the window is closed but a background operation is in progress. Tray notifications are used for:
  • Completed preloads, installs, and updates (when the window is not in focus)
  • Cache check and update completions
Click a tray notification to bring the Collapse window back into focus. The tray icon provides quick access to restore or exit the launcher.

Steam shortcuts

Collapse can create Steam shortcuts for games so you can launch them through Steam and benefit from Steam overlay features. This option is available from the game management panel on the home page.

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