Hacking Coverflow7 USB Loader

[gitkua]

cdreams, what sizes are the covers (big and small) you are using for this background?

 

[AppleBelly]

Yeah right now I can use AppleBelly's loader and it will load the background fine. However his coordinates were based off a picture I made that was off centre. This has been fixed but the code hasn't and I can't get it fixed to match and line up.

Regarding new code. I'm actually not bothered what loader is used, whether it has all the features or none at all besides loading the games from the usb and as long as it can load the game covers to the proper places.

What I'm ideally hoping for is the following:

1) A USB loader that loads the small box images and the large one into the correct positions. Then when I puss left or right it changes the images accordingly . Pressing A selects that game and loads it.

2) When button 2 is pressed it is able to load a second png (settings.png) which will be an image that has all the intructions for what button does what, for when features do get added.

3) features are added to the loader and using the settings page, you can turn them on or off and it will save those settings to wherever, sd or usb, whatever is easiest to work.

options that would hopefully be in the final version would be stuff like Auto-download of covers, cheat codes (Ocarina) ect.

As of now though, this is more a personal goal to get the loader working for myself and then I'm hoping people will want to use it enough and add features to it. This will probably be replaced when that 3D Coverflow one gets made, because that is basically what this is meant to be in 2D form. A nice little functioning stopgap. Hence why the features and complicated code are not really needed right now, just the bare minimum to get it working.

Gitkua

Her is the coordinates places on the image so you know what is what or for anyone else:

I really wish you would listen to me, cdreams. Those coords wont work, they will cause a code dump.

The coords i used were to prevent a code dump. Now do not turn round and ask me which ones wil work, as you already know, they are on the loader already.

Anyway, i wont be working on my loader any more, and honestly, i really don't understand why he cdreams is trying to force this idea.

 

[gitkua]

Yeah figured out the coordinates codedump, why is that? Also, AppleBelly, your latest source 8rc, generates compiling errors in disc.c, in the ocarina stuff lines... or is that just me?

 

[Don Killah]

hi AB, nice to see you around.
may i ask you if you know what makes those bugs/code dump appear?
you may have your idea about that... because you're right.
i tried 2 days ago in a quick hack to change the coord values in order to match what cdreams want and either they don't load/show or it code dumps.

I've read that someone said that it involves the png lib used, it can only handle image size mulitple of 4... is that why?

 

[cdreams]

OK first, the sizes of the images are:

larger image is 160x225

and

small images are 64x90

So this is the issue then if it requires multiples of 4.

The original loader is using it for images at 160x225 (225 is not a multiple of 4) and 64x90 (again 90 is not a multiple of 4). It's not the place-holders that are incorrect, it's the actual box-art sizes possibly. I saw this on a thread earlier today maybe they need to be 160x224 and 64x92.

Could you check the loader with it programmed to use these sizes instead? I will alter my main image to accommodate images that size.

AppleBelly, you just don't seem to get it. I WANT THIS LOADER FOR MYSELF. It's not meant to be fitting in with other peoples style, this is why I made a separate thread to ask if a coder or coders could take some time out to help me out. I don't need all the extra settings like Ocarina so I just want a basic loader to fit this image, is that so hard to comprehend. If everyone told me no I won't help you then I would understand.

Don Killah and Gitkua have offered there help to help me get the loader I desire. With that it will be a basic loader that can then have extras added if other people want to use it. I honestly don't see what is the problem with that.

So it's not about me forcing the idea on anyone, I'm asking for peoples help to get me something I would like to have. Imagine you asked me to set up a shop for you and I agreed to do it and you sent me pictures of what you wanted it to look like, then when you came to see it I had done it all wrong because I thought I would do it to suit my style, well that is what your thinking like.

My intentions were always to get the basic loader I wanted and then see about people adding extra stuff like the settings page where you could have all the extra stuff. Anyhoo, lets not get too into it.

 

[Don Killah]

hum... i think that this loader will benefit to others mate, not only you.
otherwise i wouldn't have spent all this hours trying to fix and improve stuff...

however, just to tell you that i've fixed all previous sdhc/wbfs errors that prevented the images to load.
now everything is working fine...

I'm working on the images code dump and also the config screen, i think that it will be better to drop the box for the console there too.
We'll use a specific color for the console (located in the config file) to match the color of the settings.png background color. Just an idea, need to code and test to see how it is.
back to testing...

 

[cdreams]

@Don

Don't get me wrong Don, I always knew it would benefit others just through the sheer interest on the other thread and even this one. It's also the reason I am so problematic when it comes to these positions, because I want people to have a loader that is correct and not half assed just for the sake of it, it's also the reason I'm trying to get the look and intuitiveness of this settings page proper.

On this forum what I have tended to find is three groups of people.

1) There are the experienced coders who know what all the technical jargon is and what's what.

2) Then there are the people that have some idea of bits and bobs and are nosey enough to try figure things out (i'm probably in that group).

3) Then there are complete newbies who don't even know what a zelda hack is ect. I used to be like that and over the last few months I have understood more and more but little by little.

I want people from group 3 to be able to use this and enjoy it, they shouldn't have to be at level 1 or two. That's just my opinion of course and I'm sure others look at it differently, hence why I started the thread

Regarding the positions of the coordinates, I understand what AppleBelly is saying and it wasn't very clear. I am looking at the positions now to see if I can work something our size wise that will look proper but have multiples of 4, I will keep you updated on it though and my progress.

 

[cdreams]

OK I have fixed the coordinates and they are multiples of 4. I had to resize the small images a tiny fraction to make them fit accordingly but they are fitting and in proper coordinates. So here is the details:

Coordinates
===========


Small Images:

X:8 Y:196
X:84 Y:196
X:160 Y:196
X:412 Y:196
X:488 Y:196
X:564 Y:196


Main Image:

X:238 Y:128



Box-Image Sizes
===============


Small Boxes: 66x93

Main Image: 160x225



So can you put these settings into the code. There is no reason now for the images not to work.

 

[Don Killah]

Ok, good to hear this but you should have wait for my feedback...
what i've managed to figure is that the cover size doesn't really matter, be it 64x92 or 64x90 nor the Y coordinates
HOWEVER, the x position is the key!

Be it something else that a multiple of and the loader freezes.
So i guess that you'll have to make a new layout (sorry for that) that either have the 64x90 or 64x92 size for covers.
To put the boxes on a X coords multiple of 4, and whatever you want for the Y coords.


What i suggest, is to keep 64x92 to keep the aspect/size ratio.

Edit: sorry i was typing while you were posting so didn't noticed the changes you've made.
First thing that i've got to say, you shouldn't have downsized the small covers, because some with bigger tv complained that they can barely see them.

 

[cdreams]

I have amended the x coordinates to fit in with what the loader needs, check and see, it's all multiples of 4.

I realised it doesn't matter about the size of the boxes or even the Y coordinates but I had to alter the sizes of the images regardless otherwise they would go over the placeholder image in the background. By resizing the gamebox images to 64x88, they now fit perfectly.

You see the problem was, by keeping the images to that aspect ratio it was meaning it was almost impossible to get the images lined up evenly du to the size the place holder had to be to accomodate an image 64x90. So by altering the size of the place-holder in the background png, I was able to line it up but it meant having to change the images to 64x88. They look almost the same by the way, so it doesn't look bad, here is an example so you can see what I mean.

 

[Don Killah]

i understand, but they're too tiny now. sorry.
however i'm gonna test with the new tiny size and coords to see if it hangs or not.

 

[cdreams]

Cool test away, I will see what I can do about the sizes. I might be able to do a little bigger but only a couple of pixels at most because otherwise it makes it impossible to hit a coordinate pixel that is a multiple of 4 and have the others align to do the same and be evenly positioned apart, but I will try.

Your making the effort so I will too

 

[Don Killah]

the new coords you set are perfect... just need to use bigger small_cover size (64x92?).
nice job by the way mate.

 

[niceguychris]

Hi all,

Just wanted to say been following this for a while now (since the beginning of the last thred) and really looking forward to seeing this new revision.

I can't do much in terms of helping, but I can get a WAD channel ready if that could be of any interest to anyone....

cdreams - if you had the time could you create the images for me (keeping the whole image theme the same that way) and when the DOL is ready i'll create the WAD?

 

[niceguychris]

Hi all,

Just wanted to say been following this for a while now (since the beginning of the last thred) and really looking forward to seeing this new revision.

I can't do much in terms of helping, but I can get a WAD channel ready if that could be of any interest to anyone....

cdreams - if you had the time could you create the images for me (keeping the whole image theme the same that way) and when the DOL is ready i'll create the WAD?

 

[niceguychris]

Hi all,

Just wanted to say been following this for a while now (since the beginning of the last thred) and really looking forward to seeing this new revision.

I can't do much in terms of helping, but I can get a WAD channel ready if that could be of any interest to anyone....

cdreams - if you had the time could you create the images for me (keeping the whole image theme the same that way) and when the DOL is ready i'll create the WAD?

 

[cdreams]

Cool test away, I will see what I can do about the sizes. I might be able to do a little bigger but only a couple of pixels at most because otherwise it makes it impossible to hit a coordinate pixel that is a multiple of 4 and have the others align to do the same and be evenly positioned apart, but I will try.

Your making the effort so I will too

OK I have fixed it and it uses slightly larger images. This will mean a slightly better image for the small versions, but means both my issue and others are addressed but means resizing images for the small ones. As long as nobody is bothered about that then cool.

 

[niceguychris]

Hi all,

Just wanted to say been following this for a while now (since the beginning of the last thred) and really looking forward to seeing this new revision.

I can't do much in terms of helping, but I can get a WAD channel ready if that could be of any interest to anyone....

cdreams - if you had the time could you create the images for me (keeping the whole image theme the same that way) and when the DOL is ready i'll create the WAD?

 

[cdreams]

Cool test away, I will see what I can do about the sizes. I might be able to do a little bigger but only a couple of pixels at most because otherwise it makes it impossible to hit a coordinate pixel that is a multiple of 4 and have the others align to do the same and be evenly positioned apart, but I will try.

Your making the effort so I will too

OK I have fixed it and it uses slightly larger images. This will mean a slightly better image for the small versions, but means both my issue and others are addressed but means resizing images for the small ones. As long as nobody is bothered about that then cool.

 

[cdreams]

I can certainly try niceguychris.

Don, I will get the updated details on here very shortly, just eating some soup lol, but looks like all these image issues are about to end and finally it will work as intended