15 March 2020, 23:02 | #1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Ireland
Posts: 304
|
WinUAE boxart question & request/suggestion.
Hi all,
I'm just now getting around to adding boxart and screenshots to my games: to that end, is there a bug with Winuae and just adding boxart? I've added 3 games, added a title and screenshot to one game, which works fine, added a box, title and screenshot to the second game, which also works fine, and the third game I've just added boxart to. (I mostly want to see what each option looks like, before I decide on including boxart) But, it looks like if a game only has a ___Boxart.jpg file, the art window never opens. Can anyone else confirm I'm not doing something wrong? I'm pretty sure I'm correct, since the ___Boxart.jpg file works fine in the game that also has the title/screenshot. Also, the request: Now that there is an art screen, is there any chance maybe a file launcher button/label/placeholder image etc could launch a PDF or similar? So, if there's, for instance, a ___manual.pdf or ___manual.txt in the game folder, you could launch that through the Winuae art screen. Useful for games, I think, or even configs to store manuals/notes for non game configs. And/or maybe a ___url.txt or something too, to launch a url to say the HOL associated page (or whatever website. LemonAmiga, Amiga Magzaine Rack, SPS, Archive.org, online codewheel, etc) You could even have two windows: The one on the right, to show pictures etc, a new one on the left, to allow launching manuals, notes, weblinks etc. Or just a extended.txt with maybe file or url and then a title in it. Each title will have it's own button / image? Anyhow. That's my suggestion! |
16 March 2020, 01:27 | #2 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London / Sydney
Age: 47
Posts: 20,420
|
Quote:
Yes, I can confirm that if you only just have a file named "___Boxart.png", then it won't get picked up by WinUAE. It seems you need at least a "___Title.png" file also. Quote:
Toni then added the "right-click on the Boxart panel" to open the <gamedir> directory. Personally, I think this works very well ...not sure how much effort it would be to do all the other custom things you've requested though. Edit: and all these things are cosmetic. To be honest; I'm over the moon with the ability to display title / screenshots Think back to when all you could see is only a text list of configuration files... From my understanding / experience, Toni isn't trying to recreate a "Gamebase" feel and rightly so. He's more focused on improving the "real deal" i.e. even further Amiga accuracy I might also mention that with the idea / implementation of the "Boxart" panel; which Toni executed so elegantly; I donated £400 in order for him to be interested; as it's something I really wanted Yeah, I'm crazy like that sometimes, when it's something personal I feel will improve the overall user experience... and boy has title / screenshots done so in my mind. Last edited by DamienD; 16 March 2020 at 01:48. |
||
16 March 2020, 17:42 | #3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Ireland
Posts: 304
|
Hi DamienD
Yup, I sort of figured it wasn't going to be a request that's high on anyone's radar: But, the more I thought about it, the more useful I thought it might be: Adding notes, really, and having manuals on hand. Anyhow! I just thought I'd bring it up No harm in asking! (Very impressed btw that you donated!) I understand WinUAE isn't going to be an all singing dancing front end, its main focus is emulation after all. But it's surprising how long I spend with the software open, just doing other bits. |
16 March 2020, 20:08 | #4 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London / Sydney
Age: 47
Posts: 20,420
|
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
17 March 2020, 10:56 | #5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Ireland
Posts: 304
|
Ah! Excellent. I created 1 pixel white png Seems to work ok too!
|
17 March 2020, 11:09 | #6 | |
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London / Sydney
Age: 47
Posts: 20,420
|
Quote:
Better to use my method as you won't get this; obviously due to the image not being able to render: |
|
17 March 2020, 13:08 | #7 |
WinUAE developer
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland
Age: 49
Posts: 26,510
|
Don't do that, depending on undefined behavior is a bad idea..
|
17 March 2020, 13:12 | #8 | |
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London / Sydney
Age: 47
Posts: 20,420
|
Ok, I've looked at the logs though and nothing bad occurring / errors:
Quote:
|
|
17 March 2020, 13:15 | #9 |
WinUAE developer
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland
Age: 49
Posts: 26,510
|
Point is that because it is undefined (and bad idea for a workaround), it may break in the future. Just don't do it.
|
17 March 2020, 13:27 | #10 |
WinUAE developer
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland
Age: 49
Posts: 26,510
|
One sub "window" (after last image) that shows "known good" files (files that are actual text or pdf or whatever files) probably would be good enough solution?
(I missed part of original suggestion): combining image with some txt/pdf/whatever file also works. (image + "data file") EDIT: To keep it as simple as possible (no extra description files), what about: "___Data_document.txt_.png" would mean if this image is clicked, "document.txt" would be opened using default program that takes .txt files. (and so on) Last edited by Toni Wilen; 17 March 2020 at 19:21. |
22 March 2020, 01:00 | #11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Ireland
Posts: 304
|
So, a __Data_ type would launch anything thats after that, with a normal shell execute etc I presume, and give the ability to show a png etc for the material, ie, the first page of the manual. Cool idea.
Or how about allowing clicking on an image in the image window instead / as well? Or double clicking... Actually, I'd probably use that exclusively then.. Eg __data_manual.pdf_.jpg with a picture of the box, so clicking on the box would launch the manual. __data_archive.url_.png with a title screen picture would launch a URL to bring me to my archive.org page __data_hol.url_.png with a gameplay screenshot would launch the hol page. __data_notes.txt_.png with a notepad icon would launch the notes! You might need to allow more than 3 images in the image panel then Toni? Should be easy enough to allow maybe a double click on a picture? With maybe a blue border to denote picture can be double clicked? |
16 April 2020, 00:05 | #12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Ireland
Posts: 304
|
A bug I discovered:
If the first image isn't a PNG, the rest of the images don't load. So, a config/disk with a ___Title.png and ___SShot.jpg will load fine, and display both pictures, but one with ___Title.jpg and ___SShot.jpg won't. |
16 April 2020, 10:28 | #13 |
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London / Sydney
Age: 47
Posts: 20,420
|
You're better off using .PNG files than .JPG.
.JPGs use lossy compression so quality is not as good... |
16 April 2020, 11:30 | #14 |
Ex nihilo nihil
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: CH
Posts: 4,860
|
|
18 April 2020, 20:27 | #15 | ||||
WinUAE developer
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland
Age: 49
Posts: 26,510
|
Quote:
Quote:
EDIT: __data_something.., then ___data2_somethingelse.., ___data3 and so on on. It also sets order of images because alphabetical order isn't always best choice. Quote:
Quote:
Any other change requires more comments EDIT: some way to reorder images probably is needed (currently they are always ordered by type of image first, then index of image) Last edited by Toni Wilen; 19 April 2020 at 14:14. |
||||
08 May 2020, 14:06 | #16 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Ireland
Posts: 304
|
OK! This is amazing. It's in B2, and working!
So, just to make sure I know the rules then: 1) a file called ___Title.png must exist or config gets ignored. 2) Pictures are shown in the order: Boxart, Title, Screenshot, Misc, Data 3) to launch an external data file, you need a picture file called ___data<FILENAME>.png and then <FILENAME> in the folder. Windows will then attempt to launch <FILENAME> with the associated program. Seems good here! Testing Beta2. The only thing I can't work out then, is, how to show more than 2 pictures on screen. Does it depend on the size of the pictures originally? So, if I make the window pane smaller, it automatically resizes the pictures, but, no extra ones show up. *edit* ok, I tried smaller pictures, but nothing other than title and sshot show up, even if misc, data etc exists. If I have Boxart, Title, SShot, data, only Boxart and Title show up. I tried with 320x272 images, and my screen is 1440 pixels high, so, no height restrictions there. |
08 May 2020, 16:43 | #17 | |
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London / Sydney
Age: 47
Posts: 20,420
|
Quote:
<Left Mouse Button> in the boxart panel; toggle between 1, 2 or 3 images. |
|
08 May 2020, 19:37 | #18 |
WinUAE developer
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland
Age: 49
Posts: 26,510
|
|
08 May 2020, 21:02 | #19 |
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London / Sydney
Age: 47
Posts: 20,420
|
|
09 May 2020, 00:26 | #20 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Ireland
Posts: 304
|
Quote:
Hi DamienD! You could though, set maybe 4 in total? For any entries that have 2, only 2 will show. But! What if you made a new png/icon yourself? One for Notes or readme, one for manual/PDF? So, you could then include some notes, maybe controls, etc. Or notes for anyone to make on the game. Maybe cheats? Or launch a url? If you create a url file, say, call it HOL.URL, and set it to the URL for the game in HOL, and rename your sshot.png to ___data_hol.url.png You still show 2 pictures, but, clicking the screenshot now will bring you to the HOL entry for the game! Nifty! (Obviously, you could make a URL icon/image too, with a HOL logo on it, etc) If you wanted to be real fancy, you could include a manual: Say, call it manual.pdf Then, take a screenshot of the cover manual, and call it ___data_manual.pdf.png and now, in WinUAE, clicking on the picture manual will launch the PDF For Monkey Island, you could launch url to an online code wheel, using a picture of the codewheel! Something like this: Obviously the txt button at the bottom is quick and dirty. New WinUAE Example |
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
Thread Tools | |
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Adding Boxart to WINUAE Configs | ransom1122 | support.WinUAE | 211 | 09 March 2022 20:09 |
Small suggestion for WinUAE | markpjd | support.WinUAE | 1 | 25 July 2016 20:50 |
New Feature Request / Suggestion | Green Haze | support.WinUAE | 13 | 20 July 2011 18:46 |
Suggestion when exiting WinUAE... | Leo42 | request.UAE Wishlist | 4 | 09 October 2005 12:18 |
WinUAE suggestion | Critter | support.WinUAE | 15 | 05 September 2003 02:33 |
|
|