Attract-Mode Support Forum

Attract-Mode Support => Themes => Topic started by: verion on March 12, 2016, 09:35:38 AM

Title: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: verion on March 12, 2016, 09:35:38 AM
UPDATE:
-------------------

Working prototype is ready.
You can see the video on FB  (https://www.facebook.com/ONYXarcade/posts/669689966539858)

See the bonus feature at the end of the video - you can change the colour of a whole theme - via layout settings.
This way you can pick you favourite colour - or assign particular colour to emulator. Like - red for MVS NEO GEO.

It's still a minimal front-end theme - using just a text and a single snapshot (or gameplay video). For the people that don't have all that artwork and don't want to hunt it down (or don't care).


ORIGINAL POST:
-------------------

Here is a sneak peek of a new project.

(http://www.onyxarcade.com/public/tv-preview.jpg) (https://www.facebook.com/561670787341777/photos/a.562943047214551.1073741828.561670787341777/566334343542088/?type=3&theater)

This is a minimal front-end theme - using just a text and a single snapshot (or gameplay video).
It's for the players that really don't care about all that artworks - just want to fire up AM, select the game and play!

And it is an easy solution for gaming platforms other than MAME - because even if there is no way to scrap/download screenshot via AM - you can always make a screenshot and call it a day.

---

I've decided to name this theme VELVET.
PURPLE RAIN (thanks omegaman) is great too - but VELVET seems to be more versatile... and Prince wore velvet suits so... it's in more-or-less the same realm.

I've not decided how to name this theme - for now I have 3 options:

PLEXTOR
GRAFF
VELVET

What's best? Maybe you'll have a better name?
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: xbs on March 12, 2016, 11:13:56 AM
The minimalistic approach looks really, really good and very modern too.

My only concern would be the quality of the scrapped snap images, which is very low, and doesn't look so good when displayed big. 

My vote is on VELVET ;)
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: verion on March 12, 2016, 12:30:24 PM
You are absolutely right about the quality of the snaps.
I've had to make my own screenshot with shaders enabled to make it look good full-screen.

I was thinking about 3 solutions:

1. apply the shader on the snapshot (in theme)
2. mask the screenshot with scanlines (I've used this method in NEVATO theme)
3. add an option to display big fanart plus smaller overlay with game snap
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: xbs on March 12, 2016, 12:57:04 PM
All 3 are great solutions that can minimize the snapshots low quality problem.
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: bionictoothpick on March 12, 2016, 03:24:32 PM
I thought you'd go with OTAVEN since it was the opposite of NEVATO.
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: ryuuji on March 12, 2016, 04:14:33 PM
Vinco
Carmina
Ogin

 ::)
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: verion on March 12, 2016, 04:45:58 PM
Thanks for the names.
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: omegaman on March 12, 2016, 09:31:38 PM
PurpleRain
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: verion on March 13, 2016, 05:10:38 AM
@omegaman

OMG this is amazing name!     [ dusts off autographed Prince vinyl record :) ]
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: verion on March 13, 2016, 06:59:35 AM
OK - I'm cheating a little bit - because I've pimped-out Prince photo a little bit to match the theme colors.

(http://www.onyxarcade.com/public/prince-at-super-bowl.jpg)

If Purple Rain doesn't ring a bell for some of you - you can check out Prince @ Super Bowl HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NN3gsSf-Ys&feature=youtu.be&t=300)
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: omegaman on March 13, 2016, 08:21:01 AM
Sweet  :)
Title: Re: [sneak peak] NEW THEME preview - help me choose a name
Post by: verion on May 03, 2016, 11:54:20 AM
I've decided to name this theme VELVET.
PURPLE RAIN (thanks omegaman) is great too - but VELVET seems to be more versatile... and Prince wore velvet suits so... it's in more-or-less the same realm.

Here is a full screenshot:

(http://www.onyxarcade.com/public/velvet/screenshot-preview.jpg) (https://www.facebook.com/561670787341777/photos/a.562943047214551.1073741828.561670787341777/570836136425242/?type=3&theater)
Title: Re: [screenshot] VELVET theme preview
Post by: Omamez on May 03, 2016, 04:34:59 PM
nice one

to many options now to choose from  8)
Title: Re: [screenshot] VELVET theme preview
Post by: verion on May 04, 2016, 09:52:44 AM
Well... I've barely scratched the surface with this one. So it's really far from being finished.
Title: Re: [screenshot] VELVET theme preview
Post by: taelonian on May 05, 2016, 12:28:12 PM
Very nice this theme  :)
Title: Re: [screenshot] VELVET theme preview
Post by: nitrogen_widget on May 10, 2016, 09:53:57 AM
oooooooooo purpley.
like.
Title: Re: [screenshot] VELVET theme preview
Post by: ArcadeBliss on May 12, 2016, 03:17:35 PM
Well... I've barely scratched the surface with this one. So it's really far from being finished.

Your far from being finished always looks sooooo beautiful. Very Nice theme.
Title: Re: [screenshot] VELVET theme preview
Post by: verion on May 13, 2016, 04:57:29 AM
Thanks, this is because it is a photoshop mockup - not the coded layout.
Of course I'm making it with AM capabilities in mind - so it could be coded later on to look exactly like on mockup.
But there is a long way from mockup to finished code (at least for me).
Title: Re: [video] VELVET theme - working prototype
Post by: verion on October 16, 2016, 09:44:27 AM
Working prototype is ready.
You can see the video on FB  (https://www.facebook.com/ONYXarcade/posts/669689966539858)

See the bonus feature at the end of the video - you can change the colour of a whole theme - via layout settings.
This way you can pick you favourite colour - or assign particular colour to emulator. Like - red for MVS NEO GEO

It's still a minimal front-end theme - using just a text and a single snapshot (or gameplay video). For the people that don't have all that artwork and don't want to hunt it down (or don't care).
Title: Re: [video] VELVET theme - working prototype
Post by: bundangdon on October 16, 2016, 10:29:02 PM
Working prototype is ready.
You can see the video on FB  (https://www.facebook.com/ONYXarcade)

See the bonus feature at the end of the video - you can change the colour of a whole theme - via layout settings.
This way you can pick you favourite colour - or assign particular colour to emulator. Like - red for MVS NEO GEO

It's still a minimal front-end theme - using just a text and a single snapshot (or gameplay video). For the people that don't have all that artwork and don't want to hunt it down (or don't care).

Very nice! It's clean and simple   ;D
Title: Re: [video] VELVET theme - working prototype
Post by: tekn0 on December 30, 2016, 09:38:15 PM
Excited for this one. I think it will be great for the Raspberry Pi.
Title: Re: [video] VELVET theme - working prototype
Post by: verion on February 02, 2017, 12:47:59 AM
I got back to making this theme.

Below you'll find all 3 horizontal aspects views.
What do you think?

Of course it's (temporarily) lacking game name header in top part and the controls at the bottom (you can see this in video  on FB  (https://www.facebook.com/ONYXarcade/posts/669689966539858))
Title: Re: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: bundangdon on February 02, 2017, 06:43:15 AM
Wow! Looking great, especially the 16x9 one  ;D It just needs a logo and a box cover (or flyer) for each game (probably somewhere on the right of the screen) and then it would be perfect! Have you considered making a displays/systems menu layout like this one too?
Title: Re: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: verion on February 02, 2017, 08:54:42 AM
Have you seen the video  HERE  (https://www.facebook.com/ONYXarcade/posts/669689966539858)? This is a working prototype. I just have to change it for all 3 aspects - 4:3 / 16:10 / 16:9
I'm not planning to add logo or poster. I was planning this as snap-only theme "For the people that don't have all that artwork and don't want to hunt it down (or don't care)." as I've said in the first post.

But I can be convinced otherwise - if people really need/want that additional artwork.

---

I'm not sure about the bottom part. I was designing this when display menu wasn't available yet. That's why there is left/right icon to change display - nowadays it should be a button for display menu I suppose. I'm not sure - I'm using only mame.

And I'm not sure if stick and arcade buttons are ok - people are using different types of controllers/gamepads - and I can't design icons for all of them. Maybe I should just make it a text description or make more abstract icons up/down push button etc.
Title: Re: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: keilmillerjr on February 02, 2017, 08:58:27 AM
Looks great! You could possibly make the width of the game list a percentage of flh, and then subtract game width from flw for snap width. Could possibly be a solution to eliminate the need for three different versions. I used all percentages on my flavors theme so it looks good at any res.
Title: Re: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: verion on February 02, 2017, 09:07:13 AM
I could make it like that - but menu width for 16:10 aspect is the smallest possible (for me), so for 4:3 I can't really make it narrower - especially for low-res screens that need fonts to be not to small. I could make it wider for 16:9 but making it the same it's simply easier.
Title: Re: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: keilmillerjr on February 02, 2017, 09:20:14 AM
I could make it like that - but menu width for 16:10 aspect is the smallest possible (for me), so for 4:3 I can't really make it narrower - especially for low-res screens that need fonts to be not to small. I could make it wider for 16:9 but making it the same it's simply easier.

The width would be the same unless orientation switched. That's why I recommended basing the width off a percentage of height. In your photos, when scaled they all have the same height and menu looks to be the same width. I don't see why it wouldn't work. I can try to do a demo for you to make sure it actually does work if your interested.
Title: Re: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: verion on February 02, 2017, 09:51:40 AM
OMG... you've wrote FLH - I've somehow missed that and thought that you were talking about making menu like 30% of screen width.
Yes, you are right - that's exactly how I'm doing it, every menu aspect is related to flh, I've used the same method in NEVATO theme.
Title: Re: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: keilmillerjr on February 02, 2017, 10:27:16 AM
OMG... you've wrote FLH - I've somehow missed that and thought that you were talking about making menu like 30% of screen width.
Yes, you are right - that's exactly how I'm doing it, every menu aspect is related to flh, I've used the same method in NEVATO theme.

If that be the case, you shouldn't even have to worry about aspects and only orientation. Menu will be the same regardless of aspect. :)
Title: Re: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: verion on February 02, 2017, 12:52:52 PM
Menu size won't be a problem.

I'm more concerned about what I should do with the area under the snaps.

Like I've said earlier I was designing this when display menu wasn't available yet. That's why there is left/right icon to change display - nowadays it should be a button for display menu I suppose. I'm not sure - I'm using only mame. And I'm not sure if stick and arcade buttons are ok - people are using different types of controllers/gamepads - and I can't design icons for all of them. Maybe I should just make it a text description or make more abstract icons up/down push button etc.
Title: Re: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: LivingInNavarre on February 19, 2017, 05:35:41 PM
Velvet them looks awesome! And now I'm totally bummed. Any idea when it will get released?

Kudos to the designer. After many long years of putting off a project like a mame cab I finally decided to do something about it. I originally was going to do a PinCab but just don't have the space...but I have plenty of left over 4:3 monitors laying around so I think I'll make a bartop. I looked at a bunch of FE's and AttractMode is the only one I liked and fit my needs. Still not very good at writing nuts but was able to start making a theme that I liked.
I got stuck on something and started looking around and tripped across this thread. That's why I'm bummed. My layout looked like a cross between Flat and Velvet. Velvet is so much nicer than where I am right now so why bother. I'll just wait and hope Velvet is out by the time my BT is built!
Title: Re: [update] VELVET theme - 3 horizontal aspects
Post by: verion on February 20, 2017, 01:26:22 PM
I don't know when. Just keep on building and use another theme - it's easy to swap the theme when VELVET will be ready
First I want to be sure that it will run on RPi3 with its pitiful SD card access speed that slows everything down. Chris is checking a few options and ideas how to deal with it.