Please test: Random Game selection/launch via Video Screensaver

[TMNTturtlguy]

@pjft Thanks again for this build! I was able to install this on my build this evening and started working on modifying my comic book 4:3 theme which i have not released yet. My hope was to get this 4:3 version up to speed with the latest ES build so I only have to release it once! When I started working on it I found that i had no control over my video size, i was stumped. No matter what values I placed for the video size, whether using size or maxSize, the video would not change. The Image sizes change, but not the video. I tested this for both the OMX player and the VLC player and both had the same issue, no control over the video size. At first i though I broke my theme, but then I decided to go back to my original theme build, Loaded that in, and the videos were again the same incorrect size.

I started testing by installing the main branch ES from binary which is 2.1.5RP. My theme works like a dream, I adjusted my videos to fit perfectly in the box with maxSize and size, no issues.

I then reinstalled the last build prior to your update: https://github.com/pjft/EmulationStation/releases/download/0.7-ssctl/emulationstation
I tested the theme i had just adjusted in the new ES (with size as maxSize does not work) Confirmed, your older build also works correctly in both OMX and VLC. To further test, i adjusted the video to make it small, it worked perfectly.

I believe in your latest merged ES there is an issue in the code regarding the video sizes. I hope it is not to much of a bother for you to take a look into this and see if you might be able to find out what the issue is? I have not yet tested the carousel yet. Here are photos showing the testing and results for each build. Let me know if you have any questions and thank you so much for your time.

Main Branch ES V2.1.5RP - maxSize and size both working as shown here


Your new build: ES V2.1.6RP-OMX-Merged - same exact theme with no modifications, tried modifications but the size does not change.

VLC player ES V2.1.6RP-OMX-Merged - video is to large

OMX player ES V2.1.6RP-OMX-Merged - video is to small

Your old build: ES V2.1.4RP_SSCTL - same exact theme with no modifications

VLC player ES V2.1.4RP_SSCTL - video is perfect! Matches perfectly to main branch ES

OMX player ES V2.1.4RP_SSCTL - video is perfect! Matches perfectly to VLC and main branch ES

Thanks again!

[pjft]

@TMNTturtlguy Thanks! If that's the only problem that occurred with the merge, I'll be happy :)

I'll look into it in the coming days, certainly, and report back!

Thanks for investigating!

[pjft]

@TMNTturtlguy can you share with new an updated version of the theme in 16:9 with the proper max size/size tags, and a picture of what it's meant to look like?

Just for my own testing, to make sure I'm fixing the right thing. It can be on a single system like the arcade one - or just tell me what to replace.

I tried using your published version of the theme, but I'm not sure I'm doing everything that needs to be done. Thanks!

EDIT: But if your theme works as expected in its current format, let me know as well :)

[TMNTturtlguy]

@pjft I don't have it worked up yet on the 16:9 version, i was working on the 4:3 version for my arcade cabinet.

What you need to do to test is simple, here are some steps:

1. Set the ES to use the standard VLC player
2. Open comic_book.xml
3. Modify Line 78 - first using just <size>
   3a. The default size is <size>0.3 0.408</size>
   3b. Make changes, and make them significant, like <size>0.2 0.2</size>
4. See restart ES and see if the video size has changed, Check several videos/systems to make sure you sample a few different video types/sizes. In the base ES this will make a smaller video, in your earlier working build it also made a smaller video, in the current update there will be no change in size. You should notice that the video is probably the wrong aspect ratio now.

Test 2: maxSize - redo the steps above, but use <maxSize> instead of <size> You can choose any size you want as long as it is a big enough change to see the difference. If working, it should change the size, but hold the correct aspect ratio. This should work in the current ES and your new build, it will not work in your older screen saver version of course.

Test 3: repeat test #1 and #2 above for OMX player as well.

The pictures in my earlier post apply to this, as this is the same process that I used when testing. I labeled the pictures so you can see what I found with each test. In the 16:9 format the size and black frame will be a little different, but you should be able to see what is happening.

Let me know if this makes sense to you. If not, I can try to describe better, or let me know what i can do to help. THANKS!

[pjft]

@TMNTturtlguy Should be fixed now, please redownload and test :)

I find that VLC renders some videos with a slightly different aspect, in maxSize, which is weird, but for the purpose of feature parity, it seems to be equal now. Fingers crossed!

[TMNTturtlguy]

@pjft thanks! I will test this tonight and let you know! You are correct that VLC does not hold the aspect ratio of videos like the OMX player does. MaxSize was suppose to fix this but it appears that it only hold 16:9 aspect ratio and not vertical ratios. I started another thread on this and have not received any responses yet.

[Arcanjohack]

thks a lot brother. Your compillation solve my problem whith the futurax10 theme.

[jdrassa]

@pjft said in Please test: Random Game selection/launch via Video Screensaver:

I have added the mute options (under "Video Player Settings" now), as well as reduced the video time to 30 secs rather than the previous 35 secs.

EmulationStation has an existing disable sounds menu option. I was planning on using this to mute videos. What do you think about just using this option vs. a video specific option?

[pjft]

@jdrassa You're correct.

In principle I actually think that can be a good idea, to be honest. It can be easily decoupled afterwards should people want to. I'll merge it on this end as well. I suppose I had thought that there'd be a use case for muting just the screensaver (even though it is not how it's currently implemented!), Hence being open to having two options, but at least for sound when navigating the game list the option could certainly be the same. Good call!

In regards to the maxSize aspect ratio comment - and confirmation - does that sound right to you, since you implemented it? Happy to take a look at that and submit a PR for that to the main branch, should there be something to address that.

Best.

[Zigurana]

Hi @pjft and others,
I finally had a run with your suggestions for a more unbiased approach to selecting random games. I've created this PR for the RetroPie branch, as its mostly done. Nonetheless, I would appreciate it if some folks with large collections could give it a test-run.

Apart from any bug you might find, I would like feedback on the time it takes to come up with the next game.

If someone finds it easier to test in a windows environment, I can supply a windows build as well.

[pjft]

@Zigurana thanks! I'll give it a go in the coming days.

Any way I can compile it myself somehow? Do you have a repository with that that I can pull and compilet from?

Or is there a way for me to actually compile the master branch with your PR? You can tell I'm still learning the ropes on GitHub.

Thanks!

[pjft]

@Zigurana well, from "mentally" running your code, it doesn't sound expensive in terms of processing at all. Quite elegant at it, and extremely simple to follow. Well done!

I suspect that, bar any edge case, it gets my thumbs up in terms of peer review. It even doesn't crash or enter an infinite cycle if you only have the RetroPie system :)

I'm curious as to how that will mix with filters. I/we might have to implement a "getVisibleGameCount" method otherwise we risk selecting hidden games.

But looks great, well done. Will test it in the coming days, though I think my library isn't larger than yours - might even be somewhat smaller. Still, I'll test on the Pi, which can be helpful.

Are you planning on adding the favorites and kids metadata still? I saw something on the Recalbox fork that I wanted to share with you in that regard.

https://github.com/recalbox/recalbox-emulationstation/commit/a2c3b7d3a2b918845fbfa9494097920def5e9453

This is how they add a star in front of their favorite games in the game list. I saw someone mentioning it here in the forums, thought I'd mention in case it's something that you'd find interesting as well. :)
Hope you're doing well!

[Zigurana]

Hi @pjft, on what platform do you want to build?
On the Pi, you can just clone into the correct repository (which has been rebased to the RetroPie/master branch just now, so all differences are only due to this feature):

mkdir TestES
cd TestES 
git clone  https://github.com/zigurana/EmulationStation.git RandomGame

and build:

cd RandomGame
cmake . -DFREETYPE_INCLUDE_DIRS=/usr/include/freetype2/
make 

For building under windows, see the excellent explanation by @fieldofcows here.

[pjft]

@Zigurana it was the correct repository name I was looking for, thanks.

I also noticed afterwards that it's present in the PR. Shame on me. :)

I'll test it but looks pretty good to me!

[Zigurana]

@pjft Thanks man, but it was your idea, so own it!

The star in front of the name seems like an easy enough 'feature', and at least it is independent of theme-support to implement.
I wonder how it affects the sort functionality though?

[pjft]

@Zigurana I'm pretty sure it moves all favorites to the top of the list.

If we don't want that, we can either add it to the end of the name, or not at it at all :) it was just a thought someone had mentioned - I think even in this thread! - so wanted to run it by you.

Edit: Though one can wonder: would moving the favorites to the top even be a simpler/nicer default solution to filtering?

[**Scannigan**]

You guys don't stop! :) If you need any testing let me know, @pjft is there likely to be any way to include some way to change screensaver font/ back ground in future versions

[pjft]

@__Scannigan__ ah, right, you did mention that!

Hmm. Let me think about that. I don't think there's a nice way to make it user friendly enough for a user menu inside ES, at least not the font selection, but I'll try to come up with something when I have a few moments.

...Hmm.

OK, I think I may have a way to do it nicely. Let me think more about it.

[**Scannigan**]

@pjft just so know I've had the screensaver running for hours with no hiccups, stellar work dude

[pjft]

@__Scannigan__ that's all that matters, that others find that it improves the experience and enjoy it! Thank you :)

Are you on the latest build, the latest one I shared, or still the old one?

Best.