Minimal Theme

[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.

[p0wd3rd]

Is there a location for the original version of this theme? I am using the version from Nov 11th and liking the layout and BG from the original shown at the beginning of this thread.

[lilbud]

@p0wd3rd If you go into the layouts folder, there are 2 xmls. V1 & V2. If you go into the main theme.xml, change all intences of V2 to V1.

[jrochagouveia]

@lilbud
Awesome and simple theme. I'm testing other images for background and it shows in a blue tone. Do you know what could be? Thank you.

[lilbud]

@jrochagouveia In the layout file, I added a color tag to the background image. Check the layouts folder and go to V2.XML.

Remove this line from your copy of the theme.

[BeanPie39]

@lilbud
Hi, I was just wondering if you have a source for the background used in the very first image in this thread? (The dark blue with all the coloured hexagons in the top left corner).
Sorry if it's already been posted here or it's hidden somewhere in the files of the theme; I can't seem to find it anywhere :(
Any help would be appreciated

[lilbud]

@beanpie39 Here ya go

https://m.imgur.com/C5Mm7fI