runcommand launching images for ANY theme

Wow, it would be awesome to have a systems-logo launch image with a little signature underneath, that shows your button layout, and which is assigned for which.

I have a 6 button layout, meaning that in some games not all is used. This would make this clear, every time I launch a game... Hmmm..

meleu

@AndersHP well, the closest to this I can offer is an undocumentted trick: you can use \n for a new line in the "press a button" text. Then you can add your mappings there. Not sure if all the buttons will fit in the image though.

hansolo77

I just learned about this from that "unmentionable Youtube video" and tried to generate loading images for the new ComicBook theme. It's not working at all, just spills out a bunch of errors saying "failed to prepare the background image". I was able to get it to generate for Carbon though, so I know it's installed right. Is this something @TMNTturtlguy will have to fix in his xml, or is it something in the script that needs fixed? Or am I maybe just doing it wrong (a very good possibility!)?

TMNTturtlguy

@hansolo77 You will need to be more specific on what you are talking about. What is the unmentionable youtube video you are talking about? and how are you trying to create splashscreens with a script?

The .xml files in the theme work as they are intended to work. The .xml files have absolutely nothing to do with splash screens so there is nothing for me to fix.

Please provide more details so I can try to understand your questions!

hansolo77

Sorry... I wrote it like that because further up in the thread @meleu edited the post to remove the link. I thought I was being safe by not re-posting it. But yes.. there is a script in the RetroPie-Setup scripts under Experimental Packages that meleu wrote (which this thread is all about) where it will generate the images. Following the instuctions of "update setup script, then install the launchingimages addon, then configure settings, then launch" it just spits out a bunch of errors saying it can't access the artwork. Meleu mentioned the problem with a different theme was because of the use of bad comment lines and his xml parser being unable to interpret. That's why I suggested you might have to fix something.

TMNTturtlguy

@hansolo77 Thanks for sharing the info, I have not looked into this. This is a cool looking tool, but first thing first, No themes should ever be written so that a third party script can be run on it. @meleu does excellent work and I love his scripts, but i am not going to change my theme code so it works with his script. If you ask him nicely, maybe he will look at his script to see if he can update it to work with my theme! :) Glad you are enjoying the theme, hang tight and more will be released as i get time to create it!

hansolo77

@TMNTturtlguy Yeah I do like it. It's no problem. I'll just wait and see what you come up with for those launching images. Maybe I'll just create my own. I'm in no hurry.. I was just browsing around Youtube and saw that video and thought "wow that'd be neat to have".

meleu

OK guys, no one asked nicely yet but I'm looking into it. :-)

The ComicBook's xml files are clean. The problem is indeed a script limitation (it assumes that every theme maker names the background xml element as background, but @TMNTturtlguy name it as SystemBackground). I'm sorting it right now.

@mediamogul @Global-Moderators I see that the videos promoting piracy on that channel were removed and that guy isn't banned anymore. I'm assuming his apologies were accepted and the launching images video can be linked again. Feel free to edit the post again if I'm wrong.

BuZz

@meleu ETA Prime ? Yep - feel free to link.

meleu

@hansolo77 You should be able to generate launching images for ComicBook now. Update the script and try again, please.

I suggest to choose .jpg for this theme (png results in big file size, 1.5-2MB).

Example for Mega Drive:

TMNTturtlguy

@meleu thanks for updating the script! Again this is a cool tool I didn't know about!

Because I know this will be a question or more than likely a "problem" for some users....the black outline around the comic cells is a separated .png image that is placed over each background. This has to do with keeping the outline crips and clear and having the background image compressed for file sizes bad performance. The script and the background work correctly.

meleu

@TMNTturtlguy not sure if it was discussed in your theme thread, but I would like to make a suggestion: maybe you could use a Toe Jam & Earl snap rather than the Battletoads one. I think it's a classic for Mega Drive (and Battletoads is classic for NES). ;-)

Cheers!

TMNTturtlguy

@meleu I will add this to my long list of items! I am looking for a good idea to change out the sonics for sega 32X and sega CD. Any ideas there?

meleu

@TMNTturtlguy well, to be honest I would like to give more suggestions for that Mega Drive...

Aladin, TMNT and Earthworm Jim leads me to SNES. I would change it to Golden Axe, Streets of Rage and The Revenge of Shinobi.

Maybe it's just a personal feeling though... :-)

TMNTturtlguy

@meleu Mega Drive is really tough, most of my favorites are typically popular on other systems, and it is basically the same thing as sega genesis as well, but slightly different so I don't want to use sonic!

After your suggestions I am thinking maybe streets of rage, or what do you think about gunstar hero?