Adding Boxart to WINUAE Configs

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by Foebane

DamienD, I've just looked through a lot of your screenshots for the games you mentioned, and they are great!

...trust me; you don't really get the full effect unless you have all the same games configured and then scroll through the list to see them change

[Foebane]

I know, but I've decided not to collect actual software anymore, just links to them for quick download, and download them into a kind of temporary folder "sandbox" to play and run for a short while, and then delete if I don't like them. I find it makes things easier. An HTML file with the links, and a Windows batch file for redirecting the content from the Windows Downloads folder into the right folder for the category, and I'm sorted!

[DamienD]

<sigh>

Decided to scroll through my collection again after work...

So have now updated these games' title / sshots:

... AmigaParachute
... Back To The Future - Part III
... Big Run
... Biing! - Sex, Intrigen und Skalpelle [AGA]
... Blast Squad [unreleased] [demo]
... Blaze
... BloodFest [AGA]
... Charlie Chimp and the Great Escape
... Charlie Chimp and the Treasure of Tutankhamun
... Chrono Quest II
... Coala [AGA]
... Cobra
... Corsarios
... Cortex
... Cyberzerk
... Dan Dare III - The Escape
... Defender II
... Fantasy Flyer
... Ghosts 'N Goblins
... Impossible Mission 2025 - The Special Edition [AGA]
... Keith's Quest
... Manic Miner
... Marathon
... Miecze Valdgira II
... P.T.C
... Permonie
... Personal Nightmare
... Phalanx II - The Return
... Pulsar
... Shenandoah - Daughter of the Stars AGA
... Sink or Swim
... Spot Arcadia
... StarRay
... Tubular Worlds
... Tubular Worlds [AGA]
... Wheelspin [AGA]

Again, really just centring and you would only notice when say scrolling through the list and mainly between OCS / AGA titles.

I did update one screenshot though; Corsarios. Old one was a bit shite i.e. I was falling off the castle when I took it

Attached is an update pack; I'll leave it there for a few days then delete.

...and "full pack" uploading to the EAB File Server under "/~Uploads/DamienD" ATM.

[Foebane]

Aaah, the joys of taking screenshots! I have a whole bunch of Amiga demo recordings that I made, then discovered I could present nicely by embedding a screenshot from the video (taken with VLC) with MP3Tag, which supports album art.

The tricky part, I discovered, was taking the screenshots themselves. I settled on the title of the demo, and for most demos, this was easy, but with some the title never appears, or is so dull or small that I settled on a memorable scene from the demo instead. I also did all this for my PC demo recordings, but they're a LOT harder as the titles are not so obvious sometimes.

It's like you, Damien, and your game shots. The title screen must be easy, but choosing a good single shot to represent the whole game must be difficult. And the time it must've taken! Patience reaps rewards!

[DamienD]

Ok, last final update

Scrolled through my collection again after work today...

So have now updated these games' title / sshots:

... Aaargh!
... Aaargh! [Arcadia]
... Assassin
... Bermuda Project
... Blockout
... Burnout [AGA]
... Captain Planet and the Planeteers
... Chaos Guns
... Chase
... CJ in the USA
... Gemini Wing
... MiG-29M Super Fulcrum
... Navy Seals
... Operation Firestorm
... Operation Stealth
... Pipe Panic
... Pixie and Dixie
... Platoon
... Top Wrestling

As per usual, really just centring and you would only notice when say scrolling through the list via WinUAE and mainly between "OCS / AGA" plus "OCS / Arcadia" titles.

Attached is the update pack; I'll leave it there for a few days then delete.

...and "full pack" uploading to the EAB File Server under "/~Uploads/DamienD" ATM.

[ransom1122]

You're entering "The boy who cried wolf" territory now with these updates

[DamienD]

Yeah I know

...but guess what, I don't really care; even if I do look a bit silly.

You of all people should know that I constantly improve my collection day in / day out.

When you start any project there are always optimisations to be made, time and time again, even when you don't notice them the first / second / third time

To put it another way; just when you think you're complete, you recheck again and again, then discover that you're not really there as yet... Big deal; that's the constant improvement life cycle...

Anyway, people can choose to use my files and apply the updates or not... Doesn't bother me one bit, I just share in case you have the same philosophy as I do and want things perfect, plus it will save you time undertaking what I've had to myself...

Personally, all that counts to me is that I'm happy with the work that I've done and the finished product

[Foebane]

I looked at a lot of the screenshots, and I noticed many things:

1. A lot of Amiga games are platformers, and many of them not very good ones.

2. Others are sports games, and the quality varies a lot. I've seen bad football games, but ones that look great too.

3. The irony that many Amiga game title screens look a LOT better than the games themselves do.

4. Trying to avoid lazy Atari ST ports is difficult, because whilst Amiga games mostly look pretty, for most of them, the playability suffers as a result of them being ports which are slow and sluggish for a machine that is capable of more.

I saw this YouTube video and figured that people ought to see it to see these games in action: [ Show youtube player ]

I know I will be referring to this video a lot.

[DamienD]

Hmmm yeah; guess what I did after work today?

Went through my 2300 title / screenshots via WinUAE for the millionth time...

...well, guess it's good to finish on an even number i.e. WinUAE_Title-SShot_UPDATE #10.rar.

Anyway, went through everything with a "fine-toothed comb" and made *slight* centring adjustments to the following games (which you'd only notice when scrolling through the list via WinUAE):

... BMX Simulator
... Borobodur - The Planet of Doom
... BreakOut Revolution [AGA]
... Castle of Dr. Brain
... Cubix
... Day of the Tentacle [AGA]
... Frankenstein
... Gilbert - Escape from Drill
... Golden Eagle
... Gunshoot
... Killerball
... Leader Board
... Leader Board [Arcadia]
... Legend of Faerghail
... Mean Streets
... Neighbours
... Plutos
... Roadwars [Arcadia]
... RVF Honda
... Th!nk Cross
... Their Finest Hour - The Battle of Britain
... Tilt (Genias)
... Wacky Races
... War in Middle Earth
... Western Games
... Wind Surf Willy
... Window Wizard
... Yogi's Great Escape

That is definitely 100% it now... It's been a friggin' mission (from originally taking the screenshot to tweaking manually) but it is now complete

Attached is the final update pack; I'll leave it there for a few days then delete.

...and the "full pack" uploading to the EAB File Server under "/~Uploads/DamienD" ATM.

[ransom1122]

They look amazing Well scrubbed up mate

[DH]

I await for the next update

[DamienD]

Yeah I deserve that comment

[ransom1122]

But he said
That is definitely 100% it now..

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by DH

I await for the next update

Damn you my friend; you've jinxed me!!!

...no, not really; I just f$%Ked up again. Clearly my "fine-toothed comb" isn't working as expected and some of the teeth are bent out of shape

In my defence though; easily happens when you're scrolling through 2300 games...

Anyway, not to worry; have now purchased a new super-duper one today and applied tonight... as a consequence, these games' title / screenshots have now been updated:

... Arya Vaiv
... Blade Warrior
... Dark Side
... Dick Tracy - The Crime-Solving Adventure
... Dino Wars
... Dithell in Space
... Enchanted Land
... Jungle Jim
... Mr. Tomato
... No Exit
... Realms
... Sarcophaser
... Savage
... Space Man - The Ultimate Game
... Space Quest IV - Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers
... Vectorball
... Wild Cup Soccer
... Wrath of Gwendor - Special Edition '97

Attached is the "lucky legs eleven" update pack; I'll leave it there for a few days then delete.

...and the "full pack" is uploading to the EAB File Server under "/~Uploads/DamienD" ATM.

Originally Posted by ransom1122

But he said
That is definitely 100% it now..

You should know better than to trust a single word that I say when it come to improving my WinUAE collection

[ransom1122]

[DamienD]

Ok, these games updated:

... Jumpman
... Le Fetiche Maya
... Leader Board
... Leader Board [Arcadia]
... Penthouse Hot Numbers
... Suicide Mission
... Super C
... Th!nk Cross
... The Adams Family
... The Legend of Kyrandia
... The Lion King [AGA]

Only *slight* centring adjustments made (which you'd only notice when scrolling through the list via WinUAE)...

Yeah I know, I shouldn't say this, as I've already done this 11 times so far

...but this *really* should be the last update pack. Everything flows very nicely now

Anyway, I'll leave it there for a few days then delete.

...and the "full pack" uploading to the EAB File Server under "/~Uploads/DamienD" ATM.

@ransom1122; as you can easily see the changes; using the list above, try scrolling one previous / one in front and you will see title / screenshots are both vertically / horizontally centred

[ransom1122]

I believe you... ill grab it tomorrow thx a lot. The images look top notch.

[DamienD]

Guys, due to running out of space in my allowed quote, I've removed all update packs from the thread...

Just download the full pack "WinUAE_Title-SShot.rar" from the EAB File Server under "/~Uploads/DamienD"

[Mclane]

Hi Damien..

I'm stuck here, I got the pack you put up and tried various obviously wrong things as I don't get the pictures..

Latest / last beta

Could you kindly walk me through what needs to be ticked and what goes where please..

Having a senior moment, reread the thread umpteen times and still not figuring it out

Paul...Thanks, any help would be really appreciated and you never know, there might be others as divvy about this as me you are helping

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by Mclane

Hi Damien..

I'm stuck here, I got the pack you put up and tried various obviously wrong things as I don't get the pictures..

Latest / last beta

Could you kindly walk me through what needs to be ticked and what goes where please..

Heya Mclane,

Ok, first steps:

... Download the latest WinUAE v3.6.0 beta from here.
... Extract over the top of your current WinUAE path.
... Start WinUAE, select Paths --> tick "Cache Boxart files".

Second steps:
... Using the file "WinUAE_Title-SShot.rar" move the desired games' "___Title.png" and "___SShot.png" files to your <gamedirs>.

Hopefully you already have individual configs and these point to individual <gamedirs>?

If not, wait a little longer and I'll release my complete WinUAE collection... once v3.6.0 is out