Hacking WiiFlow - an open source GUI USB-Loader

[sdoc96]

You could pull the game genres/subgenres from the WiiTDB.xml.

This would be a fantastic use of an already existing database, rather than re-inventing the wheel. I've been hoping for this for a long time.
The categories.ini just seemed like too much work when we already had everything we needed in the gametdb xml.

 

[bostonBC]

You could pull the game genres/subgenres from the WiiTDB.xml.

This would be a fantastic use of an already existing database, rather than re-inventing the wheel. I've been hoping for this for a long time.
The categories.ini just seemed like too much work when we already had everything we needed in the gametdb xml.

I could see a strong value for using the categories.ini for overrides of the WiiTDB.xml data as there are errors in the database and if you wanted to tag something differently it would be great.

But it would be a switch from the current idea of categories to use the WiiTDB.xml as the primary source for category data and the categories.ini (v5 ) only used for overriding an existing games category settings.

 

[sdoc96]

You could pull the game genres/subgenres from the WiiTDB.xml.

This would be a fantastic use of an already existing database, rather than re-inventing the wheel. I've been hoping for this for a long time.
The categories.ini just seemed like too much work when we already had everything we needed in the gametdb xml.

I could see a strong value for using the categories.ini for overrides of the WiiTDB.xml data as there are errors in the database and if you wanted to tag something differently it would be great.

But it would be a switch from the current idea of categories to use the WiiTDB.xml as the primary source for category data and the categories.ini (v5 ) only used for overriding an existing games category settings.

Agreed. Like the names.ini (or whatever it is) which allows you to rename the game title used from gametdb, categories.ini could do similarly.

 

[luck_gh0st]

Hum, I have the same compilation error on Linux.

I saw your post earlier and tried it with Ubuntu.. same results, but compiled just fine in Windows with Programmers Notepad..

 

[AbdallahTerro]

After adding the "Honor" Brewflow I thought why not make a coverflow version
BrewFlow:

Spoiler

CoverFlow (coming soon in RC3)

@Fix94
I'm on 740 and all is working fine. Just having a minor issue related to latest changes you made,
All my wiiflow stuff (dol, themes, settings...) are on SD.
Now when I exit to neek2o a wiiflow folder with wiiflow.ini is created on usb also a wiiflow folder on root of usb!!!! and now only empty covers are shown with default settings in neek mode.
before when wiiflow runs from uneek2o it used to read the ini and covers from SD.
I know this can be solved by making a copy of my wiiflow sd stuff on usb but you know why not keep the old trick working and save some disk space

Thanks for the hard work

 

[FIX94]

Hum, I have the same compilation error on Linux.

Yea, same here with ubuntu, with r741 you should be able to compile properly again, sorry about that.

 

[AbdallahTerro]

Hum, I have the same compilation error on Linux.

Yea, same here with ubuntu, with r741 you should be able to compile properly again, sorry about that.

Thanks for fixing my problem too
Extract save and Flash save to Nand options are not present in Wiiware game options, only for Wii games!
Instead we have extract missing and all save options in general nand options.
It would be great if we can extract/flash individual WW/VC saves too

 

[Ayatus]

Hum, I have the same compilation error on Linux.

Yea, same here with ubuntu, with r741 you should be able to compile properly again, sorry about that.

It's good with r741.

I compile on Kubuntu 11.10 i386 with an old P4 2.4GHz.
Oh, it's slow but it works.

 

[MassiveRican]

The random hanging/freezingn while building cache has stopped for me all seems well fwith 4.0.2. I see you're working on some new stuff there, I'll compile and see what's up later.

@Abz didn't you say that we could use a default.png a while back for the default theme. Did you have anything you might have made in the past as an example? I really want to get rid of drab gray missing covers/flat covers

 

[VzWii]

Hi all,
I seam to be having an issue with Installing new games to the hard drive,
I have updated to v4.0.2 but I am still having some issues.

Sometimes I get the error "Disc_Open failed" other times it looks like its working but sticks at 0% for hours.
When I have managed to install new games I've found I couldn't download any new covers until I rebooted the Wii.

If these are known bugs I'm sorry to have wasted anyone's time

 

[luck_gh0st]

Hum, I have the same compilation error on Linux.

Yea, same here with ubuntu, with r741 you should be able to compile properly again, sorry about that.

Thanks for the FIX..
Also now works on Mountain Lion too.. had an illegal date error, but for anyone else on OS X, i got rid of it by going into /scripts/svnrev.sh and changing..
rev_date=`date +%Y%m%d%H%M -u`

 

[AbdallahTerro]

Abz didn't you say that we could use a default.png a while back for the default theme. Did you have anything you might have made in the past as an example? I really want to get rid of drab gray missing covers/flat covers

yeah you're right, the gray Q-mark is the worst thing still present in WF.
I think the best way to deal with this is by a theme approach rather than default thing.
We definitely need @fledge68 here.
currently one custom cover can be used for the missings in themes (I might be wrong though)
what we need is the following:
1. Custom missing Wii cover
2. Custom missing GC cover
3. Custom missing WW/VC cover
4. Custom missing Plugin covers using "magic number.png" for each
All these pngs go into the theme folder and no one will be bothered by any missing cover anymore.



Edit: usually I use a template to create full cover from 2d cover when the full is missing. that's why my 300 wii covers are all full. however this stuff will be handy for plugin cover where making 4000+ covers is mission impossible

 

[FIX94]

Something cool to test for you guys, I've updated the plugin system a bit again
Some copy-paste if you havent lol:
Changed plugin argument system, now you can decide everything, all previous INIs cant boot any games until you add those lines:
For fceugx, genplusgx, wii64, snes9xgx and vbagx add:
"arguments={device}:/{path}|{name}|{loader}"
For wiimednafen add:
"arguments={device}:/{path}/|{name}|{loader}"
For mplayerce and not64 (havent tested yet) add:
"arguments={device}:/{path}/{name}"
And for scummvm add:
"arguments={name}"
You can also remove the "ReturnLoader" line from the INIs.
Any magicword for scummvm and mplayerce is accepted now, just make sure in scummvm the "romdir" is still "scummvm.ini".
So yea, heres some download link.

 

[Maxternal]

Lately I've been having these ideas...

Spoiler

This is a cool idea and all ... even the user-defined categories overriding the GameTDB ones. My 2 cents is just that the picture thing could be made optional. I kinda like making my own categories and having to make or dig up an image every time I want to adjust that can be kind of a pain. It's enough work just to do it in the first place so for lazy people (like me) having the images as something optional would be great.

[member='fix94'] I almost forgot to say that WiiFlow's default theme could really use a default PNG for missing covers and the back of flat covers.

Themes like Starnight have default PNG's that make the flow look much better for those few covers that aren't full or are not available. I have 95% of plugin roms with covers and really dislike seeing the dull, lifeless gray coverbox.

Can anyone make a default PNG or submit ideas?

I kinda did that a while back. All it is is a white back for them but I liked it that way better than gray. It can at least give you the idea of how it's done.
http://www.mediafire...94vc5lze5nxqayb

Something cool to test for you guys, I've updated the plugin system a bit again
Some copy-paste if you havent lol:
Changed plugin argument system, now you can decide everything, all previous INIs cant boot any games until you add those lines:
For fceugx, genplusgx, wii64, snes9xgx and vbagx add:
"arguments={device}:/{path}|{name}|{loader}"
For wiimednafen add:
"arguments={device}:/{path}/|{name}|{loader}"
For mplayerce and not64 (havent tested yet) add:
"arguments={device}:/{path}/{name}"
And for scummvm add:
"arguments={name}"
You can also remove the "ReturnLoader" line from the INIs.
Any magicword for scummvm and mplayerce is accepted now, just make sure in scummvm the "romdir" is still "scummvm.ini".
So yea, heres some download link.

Okay, 2 questions here:
1) Just a confirmation, seeing "not64" listed up there and having seen many people ask, request this lately ... is the Wii64 plugin just now based on not64 then or has it always been based on it? is this based on the latest release or the first not64 release?
2) Do we have to add those lines to the plugin INI files exactly as they are or do we have to substitute something for the {device}, {path}, {name}, etc?

 

[FIX94]

Okay, 2 questions here:
1) Just a confirmation, seeing "not64" listed up there and having seen many people ask, request this lately ... is the Wii64 plugin just now based on not64 then or has it always been based on it? is this based on the latest release or the first not64 release?
2) Do we have to add those lines to the plugin INI files exactly as they are or do we have to substitute something for the {device}, {path}, {name}, etc?

To the first one, not64 already got argument support, it is just a bit different than my plugin mods, thats why I've added this dynamic argument support, this way nothing needs to get added extra. And I talk about the regulary not64 release, the wii64 mod is still based on beta 1.1 honey, nothing changed there.
To the second, you need to copy it in exactly as I posted it, thats how the emulators use those argument stuff.

 

[Maxternal]

To the first one, not64 already got argument support, it is just a bit different than my plugin mods, thats why I've added this dynamic argument support, this way nothing needs to get added extra. And I talk about the regulary not64 release, the wii64 mod is still based on beta 1.1 honey, nothing changed there.
To the second, you need to copy it in exactly as I posted it, thats how the emulators use those argument stuff.

Okay, cool
So I'd assume the Yabause plugin would be the same as all the basic ones? (fceugx, genplusgx, wii64, snes9xgx, vbagx and wiimednafen)
and for not64 we'd just have to change the DOL and use the slight change in arguments?
Also, I'm guessing the {loader} argument is just to tell it what to return to or something ... do mplayerce, not64, and scummvm just use the HBC stub to return then?

(Sorry for the lots of questions. It's just sparked my curiosity.)

 

[fledge68]

updated the wiki plugins setup page to reflect the new plugin changes.

https://sites.google.com/site/wiiflowiki4/plugins-setup

 

[AbdallahTerro]

RC3 is here:
*Fixed clear and page buttons on category page (thanks fledge68)
*12 coverflows (1 new)
*12 brewflows
*12 Emuflows (original 8 + 4 new including Drako's crazyflow)
new default banner frame (tv3.png)

Previews here: http://ccabz.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/carbonik-abz/

 

[FIX94]

Okay, cool
So I'd assume the Yabause plugin would be the same as all the basic ones? (fceugx, genplusgx, wii64, snes9xgx, vbagx and wiimednafen)
and for not64 we'd just have to change the DOL and use the slight change in arguments?

Yea, that Yabause plugin prolly uses the same as my mods, and yep, it should be enough to switch the wii64 dol with the not64 one and update the arguments in the ini.

Also, I'm guessing the {loader} argument is just to tell it what to return to or something ... do mplayerce, not64, and scummvm just use the HBC stub to return then?

Yep, that isnt used anymore but I just left it in for older versions, also the newer ones wont work without it because I forgot to remove that argument stuff lol.

 

[drakorex]

Well, I got my category icons made, and set up the first page, and now I hit a brick wall... The images on the first page are mirrored on the other pages, and even in other modes. It'd be great if it could be set up similar to the source menu. Hopefully Fledge68 would like to fix this.