Please test: Random Game selection/launch via Video Screensaver
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@pjft thanks for the great info in your response. Can't wait to see what @fieldofcows and you come up with. In the mean time, is there anyway that you could incorporate the new ES updates into your code for the screen saver? I would take a stab at it myself, but i am not sure i can find any repository on the work that you and @fieldofcows have done to the base ES text files, and I am sure it is a lot of work! Thanks again.
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@TMNTturtlguy Unsure. Certainly incorporating the new ES updates as a whole into this is quite similar in effort to incorporating this into the base ES :)
However, if you're just referring to allowing themes without video to not completely break if the gamelists have a video tag but the theme doesn't support it, I suspect that's more manageable. Is that what you're referring to?
Is it this particular change? @jdrassa - this seems to be fairly self contained. Any unforeseen dependencies from this particular code, or do you think it's fine for me to cherry-pick it and import it over to my test branch?
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@pjft Yes, i am just referring to allowing themes without video to not break. Jdrassa posted an accepted fix 5 days ago in the thread you sent, however the code for that change was never published.
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@TMNTturtlguy sure. If it's that, I'll send you a build later today for testing if you're willing to try it out. Would you be keen on testing my build with that change - if it's the small one I sent earlier?
Thanks.
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@pjft you bet! let me know when you get it completed and i will test it out. Thanks
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@TMNTturtlguy Here.
https://github.com/pjft/EmulationStation/releases/download/0.5themefix/emulationstation
Use the previous instructions in this post but use this link instead of the 0.4 one.
Let us know how it goes. I did NOT test it, just built it and sending it over. I'm assuming that was the right code to merge here, but it may not be the full story so hope this works.
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@pjft Great! Thanks - I am in the middle of finishing up some final details on my current build, and then will back it up, and then install this and let you know. Unfortunately I am off to work, so I won't be able to get back to you right away. Thanks for putting this together.
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Hi all,
I've updated the binary to include a few changes from the folder metadata fixes I've done for the main ES as well.
https://github.com/pjft/EmulationStation/releases/download/0.6-ssctl/emulationstation
Nothing major.
The next update on this front will be using random images for screensavers, but that should take some time - I have other things on my plate at the moment, some of them ES related, that are more pressing or interesting, hopefully. :)
I'll keep everyone up to date.
Have a great Sunday!
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@pjft Thanks! Installed and everything appears to be working great. I love the screen saver, the temps are running nicely and i have no issues with screen savers, text, or video previews.
Thank you for your hard work and to @fieldofcows for this addition to ES!
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@pjft Just wanted to let you know that I updated to retropie 4.2 and then installed ES 0.6-ssctl and everything is still working perfectly! Thanks
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Did someone say testing?
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@itsnitro sorry, it's a typo. I'm sure it's meant to be "tasting" :)
Welcome aboard.
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Update - i jumped the gun on my original post, I never actually tried to launch the games, just looked that all the video and screensaver functions were working. It looks like there is an issue with retropie itself launching games from sub-folders. I tried with the basic update of 4.2 and the main ES as well as with our updated ES and I cannot launch any games with sub-folders from any systems. I have another post in the general help for that issue, but wanted to correct my earlier post here as well. Thanks Other Post
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@pjft I've ramped up the VRAM and working on a 512 split and it's working beautifully dude. Stellar job, just one more thing :) is there a way to change the font of the subtitles for OMXplayer? I can find the file path to the shared font folder, just not too sure if there's a config file for OMX detailing file path to subtitles, if you know what I mean
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Update if you are interested in the other post: Subfolders Not Working After Upgrade I will no longer post to this thread on this issue. Thanks
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Hi all, and apologies for the silence these past few days. Busy days at work and at home!
Still, a few unfinished items here I've been meaning to reply to, in no special order :)
@Scannigan - it's great that things are working fine for you with the increased memory split! I'd still like to ask you, in case you do have the time, to one day go back to your previous memory split, but reduce the VRAM in ES as I described earlier. The reason is that you seem to be able to still get into a WSOD state with the current ES VRAM management, and I just want to confirm whether lowering the VRAM setting so that it will actually deliberately refresh the textures will actually fix it. From my previous post:
"Before you actually touch the memory split, just one more thought, if I may: could you actually check whether you really have the maximum set to 1000? If you do, could you try lowering it to 200, restarting ES, and then seeing if it loads the system view and a game list, and see how it goes? Then, if it doesn't work, to 250, restart ES, 300, restart ES gradually until you find a value where the theme actually effectively loads correctly and you can navigate back and forth with ease.
The train of thought is, following my previous comment on memory management, that the VRAM may need to be set as high as needed for the theme to load, but not a lot higher as it's that limit that forces the textures to be unloaded and refreshed. My assumption is that, if it is too high, you will eventually run out of memory just the same - but I am making an assumption, I can't tell for sure. This test would be very helpful as if there is indeed a problem with the memory management here it can be fixed in the main branch. The video may certainly be taking up video memory that is no longer available.
Thank you very much for looking into this! I do appreciate you taking the time here and trying to help figure this out for everyone."
That'd be helpful for everyone, I imagine. :)
I hope to post a different thing for the community to test in the coming days, depending on how my free time goes.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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Hi all,
A small update. You may want to grab the latest binary at
https://github.com/pjft/EmulationStation/releases/download/0.7-ssctl/emulationstation
as it fixes a small memory leak that left child video processes dangling in a zombie state after they were no longer needed.
Nothing serious, but if you plan on leaving this running for a LONG time, you may want to install this.
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@pjft Thanks for the update, loaded this up today! Have you had any thoughts about trying to get this incorporated into the main ES? I absolutely love this build and now that i have the video screen saver with all of its options, and the option to run OMX player I don't think I can ever go back! The problem is that there are other great improvements going on right now as well. @jdrassa and @Zigurana just had an awesome update for themes and the carousel approved and released today. Input Needed: ES Theming Improvements. I am currently working on a theme and would like to be able to implement that into it at well. I was actually hoping to release a trial version of the theme this weekend, but now i might hold off to see if i can get this incorporated. I know you are working on some other cool stuff as well, and if i had the know how, i would try to combine your work (and @fieldofcows) with the new ES update, but that is still above my knowledge level and i have the greatest respect for those of you including all mentioned in this post that have those abilities. Hope your family is feeling better and you are having a good weekend.
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@TMNTturtlguy in the last few months alone the development of ES has come leaps and bounds with so many people working on so many new features, this is exciting times :)
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@TMNTturtlguy Hi, and thanks for the message! Yes, the family is doing better - the youngest one is hopefully fully recovered now, at least until the next thing :)
As for getting this back into the main ES branch, as I mentioned earlier, that is not something that's on my plans until we have a proper solution for video that suits everyone, and not until @fieldofcows determines it is the right time to do so, as ultimately my changes depend on his code.
I could consider doing so - i.e. creating PRs for the current version into the main ES branch - only if for whatever reason:
- @fieldofcows feels that he doesn't have time to continue with this work in the coming months, and that it would help him that someone else makes those changes (i.e. maybe he hasn't done so because of lack of time);
- and only if he would fully approve of me doing so (as it is ultimately his work). If there's another reason for it not to make it there in his opinion (i.e. not tested enough, maybe it isn't complete yet, or just isn't the right solution in his view), then this isn't something I would do. I do not like the idea of committing other people's code to the main branch - it kind of feels like stealing, and (I personally feel) it goes against the whole spirit of the community here.
That is why I:
- Have provided this particular build, for people to test and use, as I personally have it as my main ES version.
- Have not been doing a lot of new development in this particular build (only ironing out some kinks), as it feels kind of moot to go so far in this direction and later on having to do a lot of work to merge it into the main ES branch.
- Have been focusing on other improvements that are based on the main branch, since those will be able to make it to the wider audience sooner rather than later. The things I'm working on now have nothing to do with videos or screensavers, for better and for worse :)
I hope you understand that. I have faith that we will have a much better off ES in 6 months' time than we do right now - we just have to be patient and wait. :) After all, this is mostly worked on by people in their spare time, and - as @Scannigan mentioned - it has come leaps and bounds in the last few months. Exciting times indeed.
I know it's not the answer you might have wanted, but it is the answer I have for now. :)
I'm very happy to learn that you have decided to work on a theme - I'm very much looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
Have a great Sunday everyone - and, in case it's relevant and in case some of you are not aware, it's Mother's Day today in some parts of the world. Don't get in trouble with your mothers and significant others by forgetting that, if applicable :)
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