Minimal Theme

[lilbud]

FFIX was released on ps4 today and to commemorate the release, Square-Enix released a ps4 theme. Here is the background for use as a wallpaper/background for the Minimal theme.

[lilbud]

Thinking of redesigning the theme, thoughts?

[EctoOne]

@lilbud I prefer the old layout. Because with having the cover that big, the new layout will have huge empty spaces when using square boxart and even more when using landscape boxart. Unless you're going to make different layouts for those.

[lilbud]

@ectoone Oh yeah, there will be different views for square, landscape and portrait. This is only a mockup

[greekmanx]

@lilbud mockup looks good would love to see what you come up with for a redesign

[EctoOne]

@lilbud See, here's where I have the same problem like you mentioned in your other thread about all the different cover variations. I have the same problem with them, that's why I was so happy about the Mix images that Universal XML Scraper can create. I've modified the 3 image mix profile to use only 2D covers and to create a square image.
If I would use your theme, I would get unnecessary layout changes while scrolling through the systems.
I would love to use normal boxart only but only if it would be possible to also have a screenshot and the marquee as available elements (without having to use videoview). Sadly we don't have that option (yet). That's why I will keep my mix images for now.
Well, I might be part of a small group that uses mix images as boxart, so you will probably have not to worry about getting many comments on that. And if I would use your theme, I would at least know how to fix it for myself.

I have one question tho. You have to keep the multiple system folders to have different layouts per system right? Or is that possible with variables? I have not worked on themes for quite a while now. Since I am still waiting on some things to be implemented some time ago.

Anyway, the new layout doesn't gives me that minimal feeling that the original does.

[lilbud]

@ectoone What you'd have to do would be remove the other layout files and only keep the square_layout.xml and replace all instances to horizontal to square.

@EctoOne said

I have one question tho. You have to keep the multiple system folders to have different layouts per system right? Or is that possible with variables? I have not worked on themes for quite a while now. Since I am still waiting on some things to be implemented some time ago.

If you look at my Switch Theme. I updated it to support variables and simplified it. Can't do it with this theme cause it needs multiple layouts.

@EctoOne said

Anyway, the new layout doesn't gives me that minimal feeling that the original does.

Thats why it's a mockup. I'm trying to redesign it so I can use only one layout for all box art.

Also, different strokes for different folks.

[EctoOne]

@lilbud said in Minimal Theme:

Also, different strokes for different folks.

Yeah for sure, what i was trying to say was that you probably should keep the old layout and just make the new layout part of a new theme. Since we can't select different layouts from within ES now, it makes more sense (to me at least) to have more themes available.

[lilbud]

@ectoone I might make a seperate version of the theme with a new layout

[lilbud]

OK, attempt #2. Kinda went for a more Kodi look with this mockup

[nj180grados]

@lilbud Hello, I just wanted to tell you that I really like the work you have done with this theme
and the minimalist design as well as the possibility of changing the wallpaper
by another of our choice.

I would like to leave you a couple of suggestions for future updates, in my opinion they would improve their design even more.

Based on the following image and the following layer design
I leave you listed the changes I would make:

1- I would add the logo of each system as I did in the image, I think it is much more
colorful that the letters, and it would not stop being minimalist.

2- Recently they have seen in new themes for ES the possibility of showing the cover first
of the title or 3dboxart and then the video, all in the same box,

I'll give you as an example:SNES mini theme of Ruckage.

It would be interesting to first show for a few seconds
the cover of the game and then the video. I would like to tell you that the position of the marquee is adequate.

3-We could try to center this text .. I would give a more flamboyant and centered with the text box of the description and the gamelist

4-I have verified that the quantity of titles that shows the gamelist is something excase, I would expand
the number of titles shown here, making the font a bit smaller or adjusting it a bit more.

5-In this last point would put a select game selector... is the complementary touch to the help information below.

These are just my opinion and my suggestions to the already good topic that you have done ...

I do not know if someone else would share my ideas, it would be good to discuss it ...

PS: I'd love to see the icons of capcom play system 1 2 and 3 in your theme!

Thank You!

https://imgur.com/a/HLg26

[lilbud]

@nj180grados This iteration of the theme is done, not really planning to make any sweeping changes to this version. The mockup above will be a separate layout or even a different theme.

The video should show box art if no video is found.

1- I would add the logo of each system as I did in the image, I think it is much more
colorful that the letters, and it would not stop being minimalist.

Also, the logos are white. So it won't be more colorful.

[sergioad]

Actualy, a Kodi theme may not be a bad idea

[lilbud]

@sergioad I've been thinking about a Kodi theme probably since I started with making themes.

[sergioad]

@lilbud yes, but with the new UI and what you allready did for minimal may ve easier

[EctoOne]

@lilbud said in Minimal Theme:

@sergioad I've been thinking about a Kodi theme probably since I started with making themes.

I started theming because I wanted to recreate the look of the Kodi theme I'm using, but I ran into layer issues back then. I could do it now, but I still had to rely on Mix images because we're still restricted to one image per game. And since recreating all images for my games would take so much more time then creating the theme would, I'm not going to do that.

[lilbud]

UPDATE TIME

I updated the theme with a new, more Kodi-esque look.

And to those of you who like the old layout, cough @EctoOne cough. Don't worry, the old layout is still included with the theme, just got to switch them around in the theme.xml

[sergioad]

Love it

[rhinofinger]

Great job with the theme! It looks fantastic. A few comments:

1. I'm still seeing the old version (with the hexagonal patterns coming in from the upper-left), even when I update through the RetroPie-Setup script. Should I be doing something else to get the new look? Sorry if that's a noob question.

2. In the system select menu, the Virtual Boy logo is showing up in red for me, while all of the other systems are in white.

3. In the game select menu, instead writing the system name in regular text in the upper-left corner, have you considered using the white version of the system's logo from the system select menu? I feel like that'd really bring the theme to perfection for me.

Thanks again for putting together such an elegant theme!

[lilbud]

@rhinofinger Okay

1. That is just the default wallpaper, you can place your own image in the assets folder and name it 'bg.png'
2. I'll fix the logo sometime tomorrow (not home at the moment.)
3. I decided to do that in text just so it would look nicer. Besides, the layout for version 2 would not allow the logo to look good, it would be shrunken very small.