[Download] Pandora's Box 4 Ultimate Theme

[Flinnster]

Work is continuing on my first theme... a modified version of kent79's superb 'Pandora's Box' theme.
Whilst his is based on Pandora's Box 3, mine is skinned to the more recent Pandora's Box 4.

I created it for use on my own arcade cab, running a 15Khz low resolution CRT screen.

The latest version (v1.0) can be downloaded here:
http://depositfiles.com/files/x2fwe4t5a
Archive password is: mameart

Features:
- Game history text area under the marquee panel scrolls upwards to cater for games with large text histories
- Bit more information on the game / rom selected is shown under the marquee area
- Snapshot / video window has a realistic CRT reflection and edge darkening
- A few design modifications to the user interface and logo 
- Default mame .pngs for missing flyers, marquees and snapshots to copy into your artwork folders.
- Sounds for navigation

There are still a few bugs / issues I'm trying to iron out.
- The history text is always centred vertically... so if there isn't much history text, you have to watch a blank window scroll upwards for a while (mentioned here: http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=1000.0)
- Got an intermittent crash when scrolling fast through the game list, not sure what's causing it.

[web]

very nice thanks

[kent79]

Great Job. Could you share your theme? Thanks   

[Omamez]

very nice to see kent break away from the boring blue and introduce a nice green

[Flinnster]

Hi guys - not been on for ages and I've had no chance to revisit this theme for a good long while.
I'll do my best to clean up my hacks of the code for public release and bundle it all together soon

Other than fixing the crashes and the history scrolling niggle, I'm also looking to work out how to integrate the atrractmode menu into the theme, rather than just being plonked over the top in massive text Any help appreciated there, as always

[snupello]

Ciao, what are the differences with this theme ??

http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=814.0

[Flinnster]

Differences are:

- Outlined fonts (more like an actual Pandora's Box)
- Green design like Pandora's Box 4, rather than the blue of Pandora's Box 3
- Scrolling history window for games with larger history (rather than a static history panel)
- More game / ROM info displayed at the bottom right of the screen, under the marquee area
- CRT screen reflection and edge darkening on screenshots / videos area

[snupello]

ok, where i can download it ?


in my opinion, it would be nice to have the ability to view two images that alternate in the box marquee !!! that we have now and the original marquee ... do you think is possible?

[verion]

How did you made outlined fonts?

[Flinnster]

ok, where i can download it ?

I am currently cleaning up the code (as mentioned above) and preparing a package with the images and sounds I'm using.
Apologies for the delay - this ain't my day job!

in my opinion, it would be nice to have the ability to view two images that alternate in the box marquee !!! that we have now and the original marquee ... do you think is possible?

That sounds neat. The marquee area scrolls up vertically after a short time to reveal what's behind. So I guess I could do 2 reveals - one being the original, then the 'now marquee' after a longer time and finally the history text. But I may need some assistance with the code on this one!

How did you made outlined fonts?

With a slightly clever and probably overly expensive cheat/hack! But it does kinda work, especially on 15Khz arcade monitor
No you are correct, sadly attractmode doesn't handle outline font rendering out-of-the-box, much to everyone's annoyance currently.

[verion]

HA! I'm waiting for the code to see how it's done.
Good job!

[kent79]

HA! I'm waiting for the code to see how it's done.
Good job!

Actually, I am also waiting 

My thinking, if we use two font files. For example, Regular Arial ontop overlap Bold Arial Font.

Anyway Thanks for Flinnster

[xbs]

HA! I'm waiting for the code to see how it's done.
Good job!

Actually, I am also waiting 

My thinking, if we use two font files. For example, Regular Arial ontop overlap Bold Arial Font.

Anyway Thanks for Flinnster

I don't think that would work propperly.

[keilmillerjr]

A trick i used to use for websites before webkit and moz had shadow feature was making a duplicate of the font and shifting the vopies in different directions.

[Flinnster]

Hi,

Yes trying a solid font and an outline font was my first try. But due to letter size differences they did not line up. It looked a mess 

I have uploaded the first version to DepositFiles, so you guys can download.
This is the 640x480 version I am using on my CRT arcade monitor, running on an old laptop.

(Link + password in the first post above)