[Theme] Core

[mattrixk]

"Core" ES Theme

Theme for Emulationstation and RetroPie. View on GitHub.

About the Core Theme

Core is a theme for EmulationStation and RetroPie with additional Skins that can be used to change the look of the theme without changing the layout.

Core is a work-in-progress, and as such is still in Alpha. It currently only supports 6 Systems (Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Color, Nintendo 64, NES and SNES). I am planning on supporting most of the major Systems, along with the new Custom Systems (Favourites, All Games, Recent, Custom Collections).

Video Previews work, and it has a Custom Carousel (but currently no fallback for those users on older versions without the Custom Carousel).

It hasn't really been tested on a 4:3 ratio, but I think it might be okay.

Skins

So far Core has 4 Skins available, with more to come.

Core

Core is the base Skin. It's just a light grey Border around a darker grey Background. Both the Border and Background are white images, with the colour added via the <color> tag, so they can be changed relatively easily (but this process hasn't be optimised).

Core System View

Core Basic View

Core Detailed View

Core Video View

Blueprint

Blueprint Uses a grid-lined blue Background with a clean white-lined Border and white text. Because the Border is white you can make it any colour you choose with the <color> tag, however that won't work too well with the blue Background.

Blueprint System View

Blueprint Basic View

Blueprint Detailed View

Blueprint Video View

Chalk

Chalk is made to look like an old-school blackboard. As with the Blueprint Skin, you can change the colour of the Border with the <color> tag, but not really the Background.

Chalk System View

Chalk Basic View

Chalk Detailed View

Chalk Video View

Neon

Neon was made to look a bit more futuristic. You can't really change the colour of the Border or the Background, but you can change the colour of the Neon Glow using the <color> tag. You can also use the opacity settings of the <color> tag to tone down the brightness of the Glow.

Neon System View

Neon Basic View

Neon Detailed View

Neon Video View

To-Do

• Custom Carousel fallback.
• Make more Skins.
• Test 4:3 ratio.
• Support more Systems.
• Changing border and background colours not optimised.
• Fix metadata sizing on Chalk skin (specifically last/times played).

[mattrixk]

I also have 3 more Skins in the works, all at various points of completion.

[lilbud]

Here is somewhat of a general theme question: Can video snaps and box art/screenshot be displayed at the same time? Or can only one be on screen at a time?

[mattrixk]

@lilbud It's set up so the marquee tag is for logos, that sit over the top of the videos. The image tag shows whatever you have for an image (box-art or screenshot or whatever) for a second or 2, then disappears and the video starts playing.

The Detailed views show logo, box-art and screenshot because they are MIX images that have all 3.

[lilbud]

@mattrixk So I'd have to set up a theme to display like this?

[mattrixk]

@lilbud said

So I'd have to set up a theme to display like this?

I'm sorry mate, I don't understand the question.

If you wanted a theme with that layout, you'd have to make it yourself.

[lilbud]

@mattrixk No, I am making a theme with this layout, this is just a mockup. I was asking about how elements would be placed.

[EctoOne]

@lilbud said in [Theme] Core:

Here is somewhat of a general theme question: Can video snaps and box art/screenshot be displayed at the same time? Or can only one be on screen at a time?

you can use 2 additional pictures while using video snaps. md_marquee and md_image. i had no idea that md_image works when video is active, but i noticed that when i was working on compressing the code for my theme template.
So if you want to use the same position/size for your cover for both views, just use something like that:

 <view name="detailed, video">
  <image name="md_image">
   <origin>1 0</origin>
   <pos>1 0</pos>
   <maxSize>0.4 0.4</maxSize>
  </image>
 </view>

Otherwise reposition your cover according to your video with a new <image name="md_image"> block in your video section.

[cyperghost]

@mattrixk Is there a chance for a 3.5" version as the IO offers?
It's good to see one of the old thememakers still alive ;)

[mattrixk]

Ahh bugger, sorry @lilbud, I misread your original question. Thanks @EctoOne, it wasn't until I read your response that I realised what @lilbud was asking.

I thought the answer to the question was: "No, you can't have them both because once md_video starts playing, md_image disappears" but I haven't tested that since Video Previews were first being tested, so it may have changed since then (as Ecto's answer seems to state).

Bugger, I wrote this like 2 days ago and never hit submit. Oh well.

[mattrixk]

@cyperghost I'll have a look into it when I get the chance. It depends how much new artwork I'll need to do.