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[gilles9999]

Hello Xbox fans (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
I started this new topic because the forum members were lost about our discussion in the previous thread, and there wasn't any explanation about the project in the first page of the topic.
I will put here all the must up to date dynamic skins for the future emulators
p.s. you can use the dynamic skins with the old xport emus, but you will have to rename your favorite config
to "settings.ini" and disable one of the dual windows for the dual configs since you can't display dual video/boxart in them (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

1)What is the dynamic skin? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/uhh.gif)

-Well,since we have the dual previews/boxarts and videos at the same in the news emus
(thanks to Nes6502, and now madmab, and for sure differents great coders in the future)
and since each user is different,We had a loooot of differents suggestions about the
best gameselect screen disposition:
alot of users like the videos dual with title screen,
other users want only boxarts since they don't have space for videos
other wants dual videos with boxarts
others want big videos and big boxarts
others want only screenshots
etc...
etc...
etc...
So, with only one skin, lots of users will be disapointed....
That is why we have created the DYNAMIC skin, a skin where you can move manually
the size/position of each of the gameselect elements: video window, preview window,
boxart, rombrowser blade, system logo,buttons, etc... you can even disable them!

You only want screenshots? eh, no problem, simply disable the video window sprite
you want only screenshots but sometimes a video for few games?
all in the same window?ok, set the video size/position in the preview window

i really think we have find a great solution with madmab, rezx and run088 about
this dynamic skin,it will solve a lot of problems, and the sprites render well
better in hd.It would have been a PAIN for the skinner to release 20 differents
versions with subtles differences of the same skin! what a confusion!
a lot of space saved for nothing!

2)You want to change the gameselect screen,How to use the DYNAMIC Skin? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/uhh.gif)
-Well, there is 2 solutions: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

A)The easy solution:
 simply go to "configuration/video-skin configuration/skin configuration/select skin configuration"
and choose one of the following pre-made configs if you have a good old standard TV

-SDTV big movies_big boxarts
-SDTV big movies_big previews
-SDTV big previews only
-SDTV boxarts only
-SDTV med movies_med boxarts
-SDTV med movies_med previews
-SDTV med previews only

choose one of the followings if you have a HD TV:
-HDTV big movies_big boxarts
-HDTV big movies_big previews
-HDTV big previews only
-HDTV boxarts only
-HDTV med movies_med boxarts
-HDTV med movies_med previews
-HDTV only med previews

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)The less easy solution:
-None of theses configurations are ok for you?you want to disable the ATARI 7800 logo
or disable the buttons?
ok, you must set the sprites yourself!
go to
"configuration/video-skin configuration/skin configuration/gameselect screen/sprites
settings;here you will be able to move the size/position of each sprites,
replace them(change the number)or disable it(set the sprite number to "0"),
even animate it with the "motion x/y" feature

-the text isn't at your tastes?
ok, go to
"configuration/video-skin configuration/skin configuration/gameselect screen/text settings"
and set the size/position/widht/etc... of the text

-the video preview, the screenshots and the boxarts aren't at the good position?
ok, go to:
"configuration/video-skin configuration/skin configuration/gameselect screen/background settings"
here you will be able to set them (move to the right to see the differents settings)

then, you can save the changes you have made, simply go to:
"configuration/video-skin configuration/skin configuration/save skin configuration as"
to save your settings

3) special thanks to madmab, to make the DYNAMIC skin possible(IMG:style_emoticons/default/pop.gif)
especially the ability to see the differents sprites
(the windows sprites) when you are adjusting the video preview, the screenshots
and the boxarts.AND the ability to be able to choose your favorite skin settings
That's all, the hard part is done, now it will takes me a few hours to release differents
DYNAMIC skins for the other emulators(i have all the photoshop psd files plus a lot of
good quality pictures for the others systems now)

This post has been edited by gilles9999: Oct 6 2008, 09:47 PM

[gilles9999]

here are the dynamic skins:

Dynamic__LYNX_pm3_by_Gilou9999_06/10/2008
(IMG:http://img29.picoodle.com/img/img29/3/10/6/f_mainlynxm_c6aba20.jpg)

Dynamic__COLECOVISION_pm3_by_Gilou9999_06/10/2008
(IMG:http://img03.picoodle.com/img/img03/3/10/6/f_maincolecom_72c4719.jpg)

Dynamic_GENESIS_pm3_by_Gilou9999_06/10/2008
(IMG:http://img28.picoodle.com/img/img28/3/10/6/f_maingenesism_2256ed8.jpg)

Dynamic_ATARI_7800_pm3_by_Gilou9999_06/10/2008
(IMG:http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/10/6/f_Mainatari78m_a92c238.jpg)

Dynamic_NES_pm3_by_Gilou9999_06/10/2008
(IMG:http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/10/6/f_mainnesm_aec262b.jpg)

note: now, all the logo in the top left corner are animated
p.s.1:madmab,perheaps you'll have to make some very little change to them, but the hard work is done; if you have other bg music, simply rename it to "bg music.mp3" it's the name of the music in all the skins (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

p.s.2:madmab, do you think you could add the game synopsis option in your emus?
i have send a "colecovision synopsis letter A.txt" in the previous thread; is the form ok?or must i change something (i'm trough letter F now) i mean, the first line are matching the rzx dat files,then it's the synopsis; like this:

*
2010 (1984) (Coleco)
name :2010 - The Graphic Action Game
Genre: Genre: Action > General
Release Data: 1984      US
Developer: Coleco

This is a game based on the movie, 2010: The Year We Made Contact.
You are an astronaut aboard the Discovery and need to repair its systems before it crashes into Jupiter's moon, Io. Time is limited so do not dawdle or the Discovery will be destroyed.
*

*
Alcazar (1985) (Activision)
name:Alcazar - The Forgotten Fortress
Genre: Action > General
Release Data: 1985      US
Developer: Telegames, Inc.

In this adventure game you control an explorer who's on his way to fortress Alcazar. To reach Alcazar you are travelling through a countryside of fortresses and you need to collect several items that you can find along the way. Once you enter the Alcazar fortress you have to search for the crown.
*


This post has been edited by gilles9999: Oct 6 2008, 10:30 PM

[XTecuterX73]

excellent work gilles9999! so let me get this straight you can't run dual video and boxart on the emus? What's the point of having both if you cannot do that or maybe i am mistaken. please help me out here, lol  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

also like i said to rx i want help make nes movies but how in the hell do i record them??

XT-

This post has been edited by XTecuterX73: Oct 7 2008, 12:43 AM

[madmab]

QUOTE(XTecuterX73 @ Oct 6 2008, 07:30 PM)

excellent work gilles9999! so let me get this straight you can't run dual video and boxart on the emus? What's the point of having both if you cannot do that or maybe i am mistaken. please help me out here, lol  

Dual previews and boxart is pretty much an up and coming feature.  Which emu will debut it first is unknown (due to it being a work in progress) but there are a few candidates.

Video preview is already available on the Genesis, Nes, Lynx, and TG16 emu's.

These skins are "loadable" in current x-port emu's but the current emu's will still act like they usually do and the ability to select between skin "configurations" is not possible without manual renaming or coying files.

Gilles..

Sorry I didn't answer your question earlier about the "colecovision synopsis letter A.txt".  Silly me just noticed it today.  It should be doable with some tinkering.  But I'm not sure how to get the text to word wrap or how I should determine what font to use, etc.  So I'll have to look into the text display functions/routines to see what how they work and what they are capable of.

Like the skins, but anyway to change the Atari logo in the A7800x to silver (like it is on the console)?

As for music.  Well that has always been a tough one for some emulators.  Atarixlbox was fairly easy.  Although I created "atmospheric sound/music" it was all based on the pokey chip.  But the 7800 does not have much decent music to talk about.  The colecovision, although it has some nice tunes.  None of them are long enough to sustain being in a skin.  So it's a tough call.

Here is a comment I made in the last thread.  On the latest AdamX skin.

QUOTE

Anyways the previews only skins didn't have the movie and box/art screensizes set to 0. Other than that things looked great!

Which brings up a thought.  I was thinking of having the movies automatically turn off if the movie screen "size" is 0,0.

Also I think I fixed the "blank previw screen" issue when exiting a game.  Although it did create a few headaches for me there.  I've "tweaked" that section of code more than I care to admit.  

[XTecuterX73]

thanks for clearing that up madmab   I'm glad i know that i was not doing something wrong. I was trying to do something that has not even been completely implemented yet i see, lol.

So i can use mednafenx-nes v10 to have a video but on the other hand right now dual is not implemented.

Ok well once i can get straight on recording and converting i will start doing some videos.

XT-

[madmab]

On a side note.  I've been aware of the "gamescreen" thingy when in the game menu for some time now.  Just never got around to fiddling with it.  I suppose it could be squeezed in somewhere.  It always seems to get in the way.  

[gilles9999]

Good to see you will work with us Xtecuter, really,any other help from anyone is much appreciated
here is the new atari logo sprite for the DYNAMIC atari 7800 skin, simply put it in sprite folder n°28
madmab, you can thanks my girlfriend Odile, because it was impossible to find good quality atari 7800 logo
So she did it herslef from scratch, and the result is just, the true atari logo, cut from steel

atari 7800 logo to replace the old one

(IMG:http://img01.picoodle.com/img/img01/3/10/7/f_atarilogom_b6345cb.jpg)

This post has been edited by gilles9999: Oct 7 2008, 10:38 AM

[madmab]

Nice.  Thanks.  It's really great to see all the work being done.  I always worried that finding certain required "images" would be hard to do.

[ressurectionx]

Beautiful work Gilles and Odile.  Really looking forward to the day when we put all this together finally.

[gilles9999]

thanks for your supports guys here!

ATARI 5200 (ATARIXLBOX) DYNAMIC skin release
it was a HEEEEL to find good quality pics for this system (like always)
but it's my pleasure to find good quality pics for thoses emus (even for genesis it was hard to find)or else it isn't funny

Dynamic_ATARI_5200_pm3_by_Gilou9999_07/10/2008
(IMG:http://img03.picoodle.com/img/img03/3/10/7/f_atari5200m_9e2cde8.jpg)
like always: animated logo in the main menu, animated cursor (green light) in the main, 14 differents configs to choose from (for SD tv users and HDTV users), animated controller in the option menu, and animated system in the rombrowser, animated rombrowser blade.
and like always,splash screen with the system in its box (like a true old school museum) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
the emu name with the xport logo, madmab name, and the skinner name (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)  appear in it (it's a sprite appearing on it)
(IMG:http://img02.picoodle.com/img/img02/3/10/7/f_emuloadbkgm_160709d.jpg)

This post has been edited by gilles9999: Oct 7 2008, 03:45 PM

[ressurectionx]

Hey Gilles.  Read your PM.  Might be able to hook you up with a way to start a thread where you could keep your work on the first few posts instead of having them buried under pages and pages of comments.  Just noticed how far down your newest skin was.  Damn shame, that is.....  You should be able to have all of your work showcased at the very top as you go, and also be able to change the link location on the fly if you decide to do any further updates or add somebody elses artwork to your skins.

You'd have to start the thread over, but the work would be well worth it when it behaves much more like mine does.

Let me know if you have any more questions about how I set mine up.

Later,
~Rx

[Retroplay]

Holy crap.. awesome work gilles.  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/love.gif)
Btw would a PSD be possible?
I'd love to add Amiga, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, MSX, SNES themes.

This post has been edited by Retroplay: Oct 7 2008, 05:41 PM

[ressurectionx]

What's a PSD retroplay?

In the end, the hope is that anybody at all could make updates to the DYNAMIC skins through their own artwork or configurations.  A lot of that functionality still depends on what work can be done to the emu itself to make it possible, but I haven't heard anything yet that it can't be done.

[Retroplay]

QUOTE(ressurectionx @ Oct 7 2008, 06:49 PM)

What's a PSD retroplay?

PSD file for Photoshop.
That way it's easy to add new logos and pictures for other systems such as C64 and Amiga to the skin.

[ressurectionx]

QUOTE(Retroplay @ Oct 7 2008, 06:11 PM)

PSD file for Photoshop.
That way it's easy to add new logos and pictures for other systems such as C64 and Amiga to the skin.

Prolly wouldn't need much to add since only the small images are required now to be placed over the background(s).  Once you dive in, you'll see how f'ing great this new development is.  It revolutionizes how skins will be made in the future.

I look forward to dozens of possibilities for configuring every graphical element of the GUI in the near future when other graphic artists come forward and give even more artwork and configurations.

~Rx