Video Preview in EmulationStation

jdrassa

@Nismo
Are you using the latest build? The feature tag is a newer addition that allows for backward compatibility for themes. If the version of EmulationStation you are running doesn't support it, then it will be ignored.

jdrassa

@FlyingTomahawk it is not required, just recommended. Without it, your theme may break for users who haven't updated.

Nismo

@jdrassa Yes it's the old fieldofcows windows build, I didn't update yet. Thanks for the advice.

Nismo

@jdrassa I have another question for backwards compatibility.

I have video views in main.xml file but also in each theme.xml for each system, so I suppose that I need to use the feature tag on both?

FlyingTomahawk

I don't know how many ES forks are out there, Windows and RetroPie versions, but would it be possible that @jdrassa , @Nismo , @Zigurana put a link to your current up to date version inside your signature? Then people might find it quicker and you guys could just point to your sig if anyone asks.
I have the latest version for Windows, I think, 2.1.5 RP that supports all the new stuff like carousel and video maxSize but I cannot remember where I downloaded it.

Nismo

@FlyingTomahawk I have downloaded the latest windows version, but I didn't update yet just because my build it's in my native language, and if I update I'll loose all my translation.

I'm waiting for @jdrassa to post a little guide to how to configure the automated builds. Then I can update and translate my ES more easily.

FlyingTomahawk

Found it! Added the link into my sig so that I and others can find it.

jdrassa

@Nismo only the <video> element has to be wrapped in the feature tag to maintain backwards compatibility. If you want to support non-video ES users, then you would need to use the <feature> anywhere you are using <video>.

mattrixk

@jdrassa Does <feature> work on the <carousel> tag?

Nismo

@jdrassa I supose that... I need to edit all my xml files.... :(

@mattrixk Yes it works.

mattrixk

Thanks @Nismo. Turns out I was using an older build* that didn't include the carousel stuff.

* It was 6 days old. Positively ancient!

herb_fargus

@jdrassa are you sure it just doesn't have to be wrapped on only the main XML? Eg your changes to carbon worked with just the feature flag on the main XML:

https://github.com/RetroPie/es-theme-carbon/pull/20/files

SuperSirLink

@fieldofcows , I have a question I am hoping you can help with... Building a theme that uses the video features to take advantage of the md_marquee tags to display a screenshot. I want to be able to draw another image on top of it as a overlay mask. In detailed view the order items are draw on screen is determined by their placement within the XML... But despite having my extra image below md_marquee, it gets placed below the marquee image.

Does the video view not follow the same draw rules as the other views?

pjft

@SuperSirLink I think that @jdrassa would be best able to answer that. I think he did a lot of work on image order and such.

**Scannigan**

@SuperSirLink How strange I just had the same question the answer courtesy of @mattrixk was:

The built-in elements like gamelist, image, system logo, etc all have a preset z-index, but any extra images you add basically follow the order that you have them in the xml file.

SuperSirLink

@__Scannigan__ yeah it appears to be hard set to be in top. I have seen in several theme examples that have the marquee tag below the video and in those themes the marquee overlays the video.

I tried using an image in place of a video in the video path, but it is expecting a video file and gives an error.

Would love to be able to draw an extra image to draw above the marquee.

jdrassa

@Scannigan @SuperSirLink I'm not sure how long it will take to land, but I have been working on z-index feature that will allow for setting z-index of theme elements.

qanba

well i have a problem, why emulationstation PC version edited by fieldcows for be able to videopreview when i put some of the retropie 4.2 videopreview themes like FLAT in raspberry pi with retropie 4.2 themes sees perfect but in emulationstation on PC the theme are all in bad positión video dont show in correct place, etc.

but that doesnt happen in other video themes like Old room or CRT.

i need to solve this because i made a theme using flat base but its only works fine in retropie 4.2 not in emulationstation for pc.

thanks a lot.

pjft

@qanba you'll likely need to compile ES from source for that to work. There have been a lot of updates to the code base in the last recent months for themes in particular, so it's normal that the old ES build doesn't include them.

You'll need an updated ES build for that to work, and I'm not sure where to get one.

mattrixk

@qanba You can download the latest ES Toolkit Release which contains the latest Windows version of ES compiled by @jdrassa which includes all the most recent video preview and carousel mod stuff.