Arcade Game Selector 2 - Page 4

StatMat · 17 April 2016, 17:32

I have uploaded a WIP build with a few select games, although I have not included any kickstart roms or the WHDLoad binary, which I hope keeps it within the rules. It can be grabbed from the EAB FTP from my folder in Uploads. Check the readme.txt file for some basic instructions.

MagerValp · 17 April 2016, 20:57

Nice!

Are your source tweaks available somewhere?

StatMat · 17 April 2016, 21:47

Hey MagerValp. Good to talk to the one who started it all.

Anyway, I do plan to share the code when ready yes, as that's only fair. It just needs a bit of tidying up. And it would be really would nice to have a different background image. I, like you, am no graphician as you put it. Maybe some kind soul can help us out.

MagerValp · 18 April 2016, 08:19

Cool, looking forward to it.

StatMat · 27 April 2016, 19:32

Okay, so I decided to leave the code alone for a bit and have a go at a new skin. Here's the WIP:

Don't laugh. I did admit I was no graphics artist!

Leffmann · 27 April 2016, 19:55

It looks really good actually.

Retrofan · 27 April 2016, 20:32

Looks wonderful

StatMat · 27 April 2016, 21:15

Cool. Thanks for your comments guys. I have just uploaded a WIP zip file to my user folder on the FTP (AGS2-wip-27-04-2016.zip) which can be extracted over the top of the files in the AGS2/AGS folder from my previous release (AGS2-WIP.zip - also on the FTP) for anyone that's interested in taking an actual peek. Source code still to follow.

Amigajay · 27 April 2016, 21:25

Hey looks very nice!
Will grab your wip cheers!

Retrofan · 28 April 2016, 01:55

Just keep the skin image (and also the original with at least 24bits) "outside" of the program, so it can be remapped if necessary. I haven't tried it yet.

StatMat · 28 April 2016, 08:45

The code still retains the external IFF skin as per MagerValp's original release. And sure, I will include the original Photoshop PSD containing all the separate elements in the release so that people can play with it if they want. This can then be exported to a flat image file and then resized to 640x256 with a bilinear resample (so that people can work with the more friendly 640x512 format when creating the skin) and finally converted to 8bpp IFF format.

The resizing, palette handling and conversion will be available in the compilation builder. The background will still utilise locked colours at the upper end of the palette, which is currently 64 colours for the skin and the lower 192 are reserved for the screenshots, although I may decide to split this evenly (i.e. 128 each).

MagerValp · 29 April 2016, 10:33

Great looking skin, I like it!

Retrofan · 29 April 2016, 23:25

Couldn't you make a version to use it as usual instead of having to use a dedicated volume with all of the files inside for it?

StatMat · 30 April 2016, 00:31

Apologies. I'm not quite sure I follow. Do you mean release it as a separate package, without the rest of the files making up the HD dir to boot from?

Retrofan · 30 April 2016, 01:57

Yep, just that. People already have most of the files in his OS. Only a request to point to where you've got your games should be asked.

But excuse me as I haven't tried your version. I just would like it as an iGame replacement if you know what I mean.

StatMat · 30 April 2016, 10:43

No problem. Feedback is always welcome.

Anyway, one of the decisions I took early on was to remove the scanning for games at startup (actually the .run game scripts, not slaves), because with thousands of games, it wasn't quick. One of my key objectives has been to speedup the operation wherever possible. So in fact, the game list is loaded from a single file at startup that has been pregenerated with the compilation builder. The C# builder itself matches WHDLoad slaves to the online Open Amiga Game Database to obtain info and screenshots using SHA1 hashes. This means it can keep up-to-date automatically. Obviously I won't be looking to reproduce this functionality in the native app. However, it may be possible to generate a basic database of sorts based on the info and snapshots extracted from the oagd.net such that a scan could be performed against this in the native environment itself, and thus creating the game list file that way instead. I'll certainly give it some thought.

MagerValp · 01 May 2016, 10:00

That's great feedback, I didn't know scanning was slow - I only have 100 or so games in my test setup. Caching that info is a great idea, though I prefer using native tools to generate it. I'd love to see the format you chose for your cache implementation.

StatMat · 04 May 2016, 09:52

I'll certainly see what I can do on the native side as I know guys like yourselves prefer this. But I suspect many users will be more comfortable with the automated Windows app too!

One of the testers for the new AGS2 branch sairuk has been busy creating a few skins for the new version.

It's nice to see what others can do with this beasty. Thanks go out to sairuk for his efforts.

04 May 2016, 10:35

I should add i've composited and converted those skins from various sources around the net. The Batman skin was cleaned up from a damaged scan online and then modified to be useful.

Cobe · 04 May 2016, 16:48

Awesome skins! I hope tweaks will make it run a bit less painful on a real HW.

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17 April 2016, 17:32	#61
StatMat Code Fiddler Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: UK Age: 48 Posts: 81	I have uploaded a WIP build with a few select games, although I have not included any kickstart roms or the WHDLoad binary, which I hope keeps it within the rules. It can be grabbed from the EAB FTP from my folder in Uploads. Check the readme.txt file for some basic instructions.

17 April 2016, 20:57	#62
MagerValp Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Göteborg / Sweden Posts: 237	Nice! Are your source tweaks available somewhere?

17 April 2016, 21:47	#63
StatMat Code Fiddler Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: UK Age: 48 Posts: 81	Hey MagerValp. Good to talk to the one who started it all. Anyway, I do plan to share the code when ready yes, as that's only fair. It just needs a bit of tidying up. And it would be really would nice to have a different background image. I, like you, am no graphician as you put it. Maybe some kind soul can help us out.

18 April 2016, 08:19	#64
MagerValp Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Göteborg / Sweden Posts: 237	Cool, looking forward to it.

27 April 2016, 19:32	#65
StatMat Code Fiddler Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: UK Age: 48 Posts: 81	Okay, so I decided to leave the code alone for a bit and have a go at a new skin. Here's the WIP: Don't laugh. I did admit I was no graphics artist!

27 April 2016, 19:55	#66
Leffmann Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Sweden Posts: 2,269	It looks really good actually.

27 April 2016, 20:32	#67
Retrofan Ruler of the Universe Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lanzarote/Spain Posts: 6,185	Looks wonderful

27 April 2016, 21:15	#68
StatMat Code Fiddler Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: UK Age: 48 Posts: 81	Cool. Thanks for your comments guys. I have just uploaded a WIP zip file to my user folder on the FTP (AGS2-wip-27-04-2016.zip) which can be extracted over the top of the files in the AGS2/AGS folder from my previous release (AGS2-WIP.zip - also on the FTP) for anyone that's interested in taking an actual peek. Source code still to follow.

27 April 2016, 21:25	#69
Amigajay Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: > Posts: 2,881	Hey looks very nice! Will grab your wip cheers!

28 April 2016, 01:55	#70
Retrofan Ruler of the Universe Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lanzarote/Spain Posts: 6,185	Just keep the skin image (and also the original with at least 24bits) "outside" of the program, so it can be remapped if necessary. I haven't tried it yet.

28 April 2016, 08:45	#71
StatMat Code Fiddler Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: UK Age: 48 Posts: 81	The code still retains the external IFF skin as per MagerValp's original release. And sure, I will include the original Photoshop PSD containing all the separate elements in the release so that people can play with it if they want. This can then be exported to a flat image file and then resized to 640x256 with a bilinear resample (so that people can work with the more friendly 640x512 format when creating the skin) and finally converted to 8bpp IFF format. The resizing, palette handling and conversion will be available in the compilation builder. The background will still utilise locked colours at the upper end of the palette, which is currently 64 colours for the skin and the lower 192 are reserved for the screenshots, although I may decide to split this evenly (i.e. 128 each).

29 April 2016, 10:33	#72
MagerValp Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Göteborg / Sweden Posts: 237	Great looking skin, I like it!

29 April 2016, 23:25	#73
Retrofan Ruler of the Universe Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lanzarote/Spain Posts: 6,185	Couldn't you make a version to use it as usual instead of having to use a dedicated volume with all of the files inside for it?

30 April 2016, 00:31	#74
StatMat Code Fiddler Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: UK Age: 48 Posts: 81	Apologies. I'm not quite sure I follow. Do you mean release it as a separate package, without the rest of the files making up the HD dir to boot from?

30 April 2016, 01:57	#75
Retrofan Ruler of the Universe Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lanzarote/Spain Posts: 6,185	Yep, just that. People already have most of the files in his OS. Only a request to point to where you've got your games should be asked. But excuse me as I haven't tried your version. I just would like it as an iGame replacement if you know what I mean.

30 April 2016, 10:43	#76
StatMat Code Fiddler Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: UK Age: 48 Posts: 81	No problem. Feedback is always welcome. Anyway, one of the decisions I took early on was to remove the scanning for games at startup (actually the .run game scripts, not slaves), because with thousands of games, it wasn't quick. One of my key objectives has been to speedup the operation wherever possible. So in fact, the game list is loaded from a single file at startup that has been pregenerated with the compilation builder. The C# builder itself matches WHDLoad slaves to the online Open Amiga Game Database to obtain info and screenshots using SHA1 hashes. This means it can keep up-to-date automatically. Obviously I won't be looking to reproduce this functionality in the native app. However, it may be possible to generate a basic database of sorts based on the info and snapshots extracted from the oagd.net such that a scan could be performed against this in the native environment itself, and thus creating the game list file that way instead. I'll certainly give it some thought.

01 May 2016, 10:00	#77
MagerValp Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Göteborg / Sweden Posts: 237	That's great feedback, I didn't know scanning was slow - I only have 100 or so games in my test setup. Caching that info is a great idea, though I prefer using native tools to generate it. I'd love to see the format you chose for your cache implementation.

04 May 2016, 09:52	#78
StatMat Code Fiddler Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: UK Age: 48 Posts: 81	I'll certainly see what I can do on the native side as I know guys like yourselves prefer this. But I suspect many users will be more comfortable with the automated Windows app too! One of the testers for the new AGS2 branch sairuk has been busy creating a few skins for the new version. It's nice to see what others can do with this beasty. Thanks go out to sairuk for his efforts.

04 May 2016, 10:35	#79
sairuk Posts: n/a	I should add i've composited and converted those skins from various sources around the net. The Batman skin was cleaned up from a damaged scan online and then modified to be useful.

04 May 2016, 16:48	#80
Cobe Registered User Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Belgrade / Serbia Age: 41 Posts: 999	Awesome skins! I hope tweaks will make it run a bit less painful on a real HW.

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