Input needed: ES theming improvements

mattrixk

@FlyingTomahawk A very very basic v0.1-alpha version is on github, but it only has 5 systems set up and is more of a placeholder than anything else. I'm still creating the console images, and I've decided to do the logos differently, so that is taking time. I've also written some specific UXS Scrape and MIX Profiles to get the cool images and videos, but they aren't in the github repo yet as they need more testing. I also haven't tested them with the latest UXS, which is pretty major update.

Basically I don't mind anyone seeing it, but it won't be much use due to the lack of systems. I'll make a post for it once it's ready, but it's taking a lot longer than I thought it would.

FlyingTomahawk

@mattrixk

I see... so I'm a bit too early.
Would love to see a thread for it with a title like Indent Theme (WIP) then I could bookmark it and stay up to date. :)
The UXMLS stuff is awesome. The large MIX images are basically a theme already, you just need to add the gamelist, metadata and a system logo and you're done.
Not sure why people want video preview though I personally go so quick through my gamelist it would not have time enough to even start the video. lol
Anyways, please stay on it if time allows it. Looking forward to it.

jdrassa

@Zigurana I'm sure the RetroPie team would prefer it to be squashed down to a single commit. Feel free to squash my commits as well.

jdrassa

@Zigurana I have a fix for the issue that @mattrixk reported a couple posts up. If you haven't fixed it yourself, I can create another PR if you like.

Zigurana

@jdrassa that would be great! Just create a PR, and I'll merge it in.
Thanks!

nevsan

Are there any plans for creating gamelists by adding games while you browse? I little like a favourites option but where you can generate a list the add any games from any system.

This would be a game changer for me. I'd love to easily be able to create say, a CAPCOM (company) list or an OUTRUN (game) list.

Not sure how feasible this is, but I thought I'd ask :)

Awesome work though fellas

Zigurana

@mattrixk , @jdrassa ,
So that last bug is gone now as well, I can successfully place a partial horizontal or vertical carousel element anywhere on the screen and given a reasonable xml, it will render as expected.

You can download this latest version HERE for windows users, or get it from the repo.

This version is hopefully the final one for now, so if anyone can find some bugs, please let me know. Also i'd like to hear from people who have tried this on their Pi, as I haven't yet. If anyone can comment on performance or other glitches, please let me know. I do not expect much, but what do I know?

In a week or so, I'll squash the twenty or so commits, and create a pull request for the RetroPie core-team to consider in the main branch.

And a final screenshot:
alt text

mattrixk

@Zigurana Love your work. I'll test it during my lunch break and let you know.

mattrixk

@Zigurana This works great! Well done mate.

Notes:

I can only find one small issue. The pop-in of the right logo is gone, unless you set the carousel to display more systems than you have. I have 5 systems and have no pop-in if the carousel is set to 5 or fewer, but if I set it to 6 or more, then the right-hand logo will pop-in. Not a major problem, and relatively easily fixed for anyone that runs into it (just set fewer systems).
<forceUppercase> doesn't work on <text name="systemInfo">, but it also doesn't break the theme if it's used.
<alignment> does work on <text name="systemInfo">and that makes me happy.

Requests:

I'm curious how hard it would be to change the alignment of the logos... At the moment, all the logos are aligned along the center-line of the carousel. I wonder how hard it would be to give them the ability to align to the top or bottom of the carousel, then we could have them running along the top/bottom of the screen and have the active logo higher/lower than the rest. Just thinking out loud.
It would be great if we could use the <alignment> tag on the <helpsystem name="help"> element. It would make it a bit more versatile.

Again, love your work!

lilbud

@mattrixk I can only think of maybe 5 themes that could do something extraordinary with a themeable carousel. I got nothing. Thoughts?

mattrixk

@lilbud I have the feeling we won't know until someone comes out of nowhere and blows us away with an awesome idea, totally different to what we've seen before.

lilbud

@mattrixk I had the idea for a kodi confluence theme

mattrixk

@lilbud I'm a big fan of the various Kodi layouts and themes. If we're ever able to work with multiple images (box art, fan art, logos, screenshots, etc), and when Grid View is finished, we should be able to make some really interesting stuff.

jdrassa

@Zigurana I have been running this on my linux box and my pi. So far I have had no issues. The only additional suggestion I would make would be to apply the color theme element to all of the logos vs just the selected one.

EctoOne

Uhm, how can I get this on my Pi? I thought there was a guide somewhere in this thread but I couldn't find it. And it's been awhile since I've used Linux as OS. So I'm kinda out of practice. I just made a backup of my SD because of this and now I'm stuck.

Edit: Nvm, i made a copy of this script from the Grid View Mod Thread and changed it into this. It's building right now.

Zigurana

I've submitted a PR for the SystemCarousel theming.
If anyone fancies having a look at the code, please have a go.

EctoOne

After i've managed it to get this on my Pi, i did some testing over the past few days. I can't spot any massive Bugs but there are two small things i noticed.

1: It has to be
<text name = "systemInfo">
Whereas every other tag doesn't need to have the spaces before and after the equal sign.
2: It has to be

<view name="system">
  <image name="background_image" extra="true">

Maybe it needs to be an extra image, but i would prefer it if i could simplify my theme by using something like this:

 <view name="system">
   <image name="background_image" extra="true">
	<path>./_inc/system.png</path>
   </image>
  <view name="system, basic, detailed, video">
   <image name="background">
	<path>./_inc/background.png</path>
	<origin>0 0</origin>
	<pos>0 0</pos>
	<size>1 1</size>
   </image>
</system

instead of:

  <view name="system">
   <image name="background_image" extra="true">
	<path>./_inc/system.png</path>
	<origin>0 0</origin>
	<pos>0 0</pos>
	<size>1 1</size>
   </image>
</system>
<view name="system, basic, detailed, video">
   <image name="background">
	<path>./_inc/background.png</path>
	<origin>0 0</origin>
	<pos>0 0</pos>
	<size>1 1</size>
   </image>
</system

But maybe that's not possible, i just wanted to mention it. Great work anyways!

darknior

Hi

I'm really impressive and happy that you add this feature to ES :D
So cool, we can now make a skin like we want ;)

For my part i will adapt my xBox Skin to Pi with your new Carrousel option <3
It take me many month of my life to release it with my little hands, Cyberlink Power Director and Photoshop :)
And all in 1080p full HD !

It is an old preview and i don't know why Youtube remove my last one two years ago ...

My last version share by a fan :

But i have two request please to help me to release :

Can you update the ES Theme Wiki or post some where all the new XML we can use to do it ?
Like i know some one add the VIDEO MAXSIZE and not document it in the wiki :(

https://github.com/retropie/retropie-setup/wiki/Creating-Your-Own-EmulationStation-Theme

Can you add the video support to the SYSTEM SELECT SCREEN ?
Because like you can see on my skin i use it and it is really better i think :)

Thanks a lot

mattrixk

@darknior said in Input needed: ES theming improvements:

Can you update the ES Theme Wiki or post some where all the new XML we can use to do it ?
Like i know some one add the VIDEO MAXSIZE and not document it in the wiki :(

Once the Carousel Mod has been accepted into RetroPie Core, then I can add it to the Theme Wiki. I'll also add the Video Preview stuff when I get the chance. I'm not sure if <maxSize> is part of Core yet or not though.

jdrassa

@mattrixk <maxSize> for video was accepted yesterday and should be included if you update from source.

FYI, I did update the theme documentation within EmulationStation with details for the video element and video view. The pull request for the carousel will include corresponding updates as well.

https://github.com/RetroPie/EmulationStation/blob/master/THEMES.md