Theme Issues

ballboff

I seem to be having issues installing my own themes. So I'm using a replacement tablet screen for an arcade build. I like the look of the neo geo classic theme by ruckage and i've used the neo geo x theme on a previous build. I've installed the emulationstation-dev so that I get grid support, and i've installed everything from source to get all the bleeding-edge versions of all my apps and the kernel.

So, 1st problem, because i'm using a tablet screen (the same one they use in the allwinner tablets A13/ A10 I think) i've got a very weird resolution. I'm currently using ruckage's classic snes theme and it looks ok , but my resolution is 800 x 480 (I know right, I didn't look this up before I bought it). so the theme is a little squashed, the selected item graphic is slightly wider than the underlay so the graphics don't line up. So I need a theme that is suitable for the lower resolution.

2nd problem. I can only download a theme from going through the "themes" section in the config. If I wanted to download a custom unreleased theme, or indeed create my own as I have done in the past, I don't have access to the themes folder on my pi. It seems to be set to read only. I'm using filezilla and I've tried to change the permissions from within that program to do this, but it seems I probably have to change the permissions on the pi itself. Is there a command line I have to type in?

mitu

@ballboff said in Theme Issues:

So, 1st problem, because i'm using a tablet screen (the same one they use in the allwinner tablets A13/ A10 I think) i've got a very weird resolution. I'm currently using ruckage's classic snes theme and it looks ok , but my resolution is 800 x 480 (I know right, I didn't look this up before I bought it). so the theme is a little squashed, the selected item graphic is slightly wider than the underlay so the graphics don't line up. So I need a theme that is suitable for the lower resolution.

So what is the question here ? It looks like a problem with your theme design - if the assets are created for a different screen ration, resizing them will always produce weird results and mis-alignments. Which resolution are you using when designing your theme ? Do you have a screenshot with the problem ?

2nd problem. I can only download a theme from going through the "themes" section in the config. If I wanted to download a custom unreleased theme, or indeed create my own as I have done in the past, I don't have access to the themes folder on my pi. It seems to be set to read only. I'm using filezilla and I've tried to change the permissions from within that program to do this, but it seems I probably have to change the permissions on the pi itself. Is there a command line I have to type in?

The correct way is to copy your theme folder in /home/pi/.emulationstation/themes (if the folder does not exist, you can create it). Emulationstation will read themes from both /etc/emulationstation/themes and the folder mentioned above - and you don't need special rights to copy of modify your own theme.

ballboff

@mitu said in Theme Issues:

@ballboff said in Theme Issues:

So, 1st problem, because i'm using a tablet screen (the same one they use in the allwinner tablets A13/ A10 I think) i've got a very weird resolution. I'm currently using ruckage's classic snes theme and it looks ok , but my resolution is 800 x 480 (I know right, I didn't look this up before I bought it). so the theme is a little squashed, the selected item graphic is slightly wider than the underlay so the graphics don't line up. So I need a theme that is suitable for the lower resolution.

So what is the question here ? It looks like a problem with your theme design - if the assets are created for a different screen ration, resizing them will always produce weird results and mis-alignments. Which resolution are you using when designing your theme ? Do you have a screenshot with the problem ?

2nd problem. I can only download a theme from going through the "themes" section in the config. If I wanted to download a custom unreleased theme, or indeed create my own as I have done in the past, I don't have access to the themes folder on my pi. It seems to be set to read only. I'm using filezilla and I've tried to change the permissions from within that program to do this, but it seems I probably have to change the permissions on the pi itself. Is there a command line I have to type in?

My question is, does a theme exist that would look good in this resolution? If there is a CRT compatible theme then that may work, as this is just the widescreen equivalent of the 640x480 resolution from the good old days.

The correct way is to copy your theme folder in /home/pi/.emulationstation/themes (if the folder does not exist, you can create it). Emulationstation will read themes from both /etc/emulationstation/themes and the folder mentioned above - and you don't need special rights to copy of modify your own theme.

Erm, well i've tried copying to that folder (they are both the same folder, one is a link) and it's read only, as stated in my previous post.

mitu

@ballboff said in Theme Issues:

My question is, does a theme exist that would look good in this resolution? If there is a CRT compatible theme then that may work, as this is just the widescreen equivalent of the 640x480 resolution from the good old days.

Look in the themes marked with CRT or 4_3 - that may be closed to the CRT goal you need.

Erm, well i've tried copying to that folder (they are both the same folder, one is a link) and it's read only, as stated in my previous post.

They're not - if they are, then it's something particular to your configuration. The /home/pi/.emulationstation/themes doesn't even exist by default in a RetroPie installation. The /home/pi/.emulationstation folder is indeed a link, however it's writable by the pi user so there's not reason you should get a denied permission when writing to it. Can you show a screenshot of the link you see in the WinSCP ?

ballboff

I'm using filezilla and not winscp that you mentioned, does that make a difference?

ballboff

I go into permissions within filezilla of the themes folder and they aren't set to write, but it won't let me change from with the program itself. I believe I have to do something on the pi to allow it.

mitu

I'm using filezilla and not winscp that you mentioned, does that make a difference?

No, it should be fine.

I go into permissions within filezilla of the themes folder and they aren't set to write, but it won't let me change from with the program itself. I believe I have to do something on the pi to allow it.

What folder specifically ? /etc/emulationstation/themes or /home/pi/.emulationstation/themes ?

ballboff

@mitu said in Theme Issues:

I'm using filezilla and not winscp that you mentioned, does that make a difference?

No, it should be fine.

I go into permissions within filezilla of the themes folder and they aren't set to write, but it won't let me change from with the program itself. I believe I have to do something on the pi to allow it.

What folder specifically ? /etc/emulationstation/themes or /home/pi/.emulationstation/themes ?

well i've tried both, they are the same folder anyway.

mitu

@ballboff Remove the /home/pi/.emulationstation/themes link and then re-create the folder, you should be able copy there your theme and then select it from Emulationstation.

ballboff

@mitu said in Theme Issues:

@ballboff Remove the /home/pi/.emulationstation/themes link and then re-create the folder, you should be able copy there your theme and then select it from Emulationstation.

Ok, i'll give that a go, and thanks for your patience. :)