Skyscraper-how to get regular box art?

Amishgamer

Hello,

I love Skyscraper, and want to use it for all my scraping needs. I installed the version that is now installable from the Retropie setup menu. However, I can't seem to figure out the configuration.

All I want for my games is just the regular, front-of-the-box box art, like what's in the NES and SNES classic (except for my arcade games, where I'd like the publicity flyers), followed by the videos. I didn't get that. I get just blank where the box art should be for a few seconds, and then the video comes up as expected.

I consulted this page...

https://github.com/muldjord/skyscraper/blob/master/docs/CONFIGINI.md

but, apparently, I am unable to interpret the instructions correctly. Here's how I interpreted the correct config to be in artwork.xml. Apparently this is incorrect. I'm hoping someone can tell me where I went wrong. Thanks in advance..

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<artwork>
<output type="cover"/>
</artwork>

Efriim

@Amishgamer
~~Once you invoke skyscraper there are cache options for what images you want to save; screenshot, covers, wheels, marquees, you will want to have only covers and disable the rest.~~

EDIT: Sorry for the false instructions, it appears that if you collect only the "Cover" then all you get is the 3d-box in the corner.

The built-in scraper works again in the latest emulationstation version. Using this will get the box-art only and you can change the source from screenscraper to thegamesdb, and if you have a keyboard you may specify the search.

EDITEDIT: I tried alot to make an artwork.xml, there was no way around compositing the image in skyscraper.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<artwork>
  <output type="screenshot" width="640" height="480">
    <layer resource="cover" width="640" height="480">
    </layer>
  </output>
</artwork>

When generating with skyscraper this will only use one resource cache and that is the "cover" box-art.
Emulationstation will read the metadata and composited image generated as "screenshot"
You could probably make something better than this, or adjust the dimensions but this will look fine except for tall boxarts like the psp or sfc, luckily you can use the built-in scraper for those. There are ways to add borders and effects I haven't attempted yet but this was the best I could do.

Efriim

@Efriim
Possibly setting the width and or height to zero will fill. but I haven't tested this.
EDIT: Tested height="0" and it generated no image.

config.ini has a setting
#resize="true"

You could try to uncomment it and set it to false, and then eliminate the height and width completely from artwork.xml

Efriim

Skyscrapers cache isn't working right, since the update.
When gathering it always says "From cache: NO"
And if I have cached data such as a screen shot, then it wont find or cache anything else for that game unless I purge, even with force cache refresh enabled.
I used to be able to cache from multiple sources, so I don't know whats going on.

SuperSirLink

if you look in ~/.skyscraper there are example artwork.xml files... I think example 2 is what you are looking for...

Edit:
Here is some more info here:
https://github.com/muldjord/skyscraper/blob/master/docs/ARTWORK.md

Amishgamer

@SuperSirLink I'm sorry, but I'm not seeing a second example...just the one.

edit: disregard. I initially misunderstood your post. I'll try it out.

Efriim

@Amishgamer
The xml I posted in the codebox above will give you the boxart only, It is a high enough resolution but you could adjust it for your screen or theme, and it should maintain the aspect ratio of different box arts while resizing for a best fit. I already tested it as well as example2 and some different itterations.

Amishgamer

As a testing ground, the only think I have on this new Retropie is all the NES games that are from USA and have Mario in the name (there's 7).

When I tried example 2, I got screenshots for five of them, and no box covers.

When I tried what Efriim put in the code box above, I got two...and those two box covers look somewhat distored. perhaps 640 and 480 need to be reversed. I'll try that.

Efriim

@Amishgamer
Yeah, example2 will generate the screenshot for use in emulationstation, I guess I should have pointed that out.
There isn't room for typos, if the images look low res and zoomed that is what happened when I removed the width and height.
If it is cropped and just showing one corner that is what would happen if you removed width and height for <layer resource="cover">.
It could be a number of other things.
You shouldn't need to purge the cache, if that was what I previously stated.

Efriim

@Amishgamer
I just tested it again, with a few different systems, It does kind of squish the box, especially segacd, maybe a 640x640 square would be better. I'm sorry I'm not very good at this artwork.xml, I cant find a way around skyscrapers, compositing the boxart, even though all that it needs is for "cover" to be redirected to "screenshot". Did you try the built-in scraper?