Homebrew Add many more screen layout options in DS virtual console games

ArgonUK

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Might be about that, I have 110 DS games but even if the initial boot of Loadiine can reach the minute that you talked before, it's pretty good when it comes to launching a title from the loader.

Dear all :)

I have tried various versions of loadiine without any success to boot the DS VC title from SD. Any advice will be highly appreciated!

Setup:
Wii U with CBHC on the latest firmware.
DS titles boot fine if installed on HDD.

However, if loadiine is used:
  • Loadiine y1 (brianj & Billy Acuña forwarder version) - Black screen or freezing on DS console screen.
  • Loadiine (latest by Dimok) - Black screen or freezing on DS console screen.
Loadiine was launched from homebrew loader. It operates in mii maker mode. Loader settings have been mostly turned off. WiiU games load fine, including other consoles VC titles.

Whoever manages to launch the DS games via loadiine on SD, please share your Loadiine version and config details. Thank you.
 

godreborn

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Dear all :)

I have tried various versions of loadiine without any success to boot the DS VC title from SD. Any advice will be highly appreciated!

Setup:
Wii U with CBHC on the latest firmware.
DS titles boot fine if installed on HDD.

However, if loadiine is used:
  • Loadiine y1 (brianj & Billy Acuña forwarder version) - Black screen or freezing on DS console screen.
  • Loadiine (latest by Dimok) - Black screen or freezing on DS console screen.
Loadiine was launched from homebrew loader. It operates in mii maker mode. Loader settings have been mostly turned off. WiiU games load fine, including other consoles VC titles.

Whoever manages to launch the DS games via loadiine on SD, please share your Loadiine version and config details. Thank you.

DS games worked fine for me when I tested loadiine on 5.5.5. I'm using version 0.3 r16c5045 via a loadiine gx2 forwarder on my wii u.
 
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MikaDubbz

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DS games worked fine for me when I tested loadiine on 5.5.5. I'm using version 0.3 r16c5045 via a loadiine gx2 forwarder on my wii u.
Likewise. I don't know what more to contribute to the question beyond what you explained here, loading DS games in loadiine from my SD card on my Wii U has never been an issue. It takes a minute or so to launch a game within loadiine, but they do load and once they do they run perfectly.
 
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ArgonUK

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DS games worked fine for me when I tested loadiine on 5.5.5. I'm using version 0.3 r16c5045 via a loadiine gx2 forwarder on my wii u.

Thank you for the prompt reply. I am somehow struggling to find this particular revision. If it is not too much of a trouble, could you kindly share a link or the app folder with all settings, please?
 
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ArgonUK

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Likewise. I don't know what more to contribute to the question beyond what you explained here, loading DS games in loadiine from my SD card on my Wii U has never been an issue. It takes a minute or so to launch a game within loadiine, but they do load and once they do they run perfectly.

If using another (presumably older) revision won't help, then the issue would be with my SD card, I guess. Could you please also confirm, which version of Loadiine are you using? I would like to get to the bottom of the issue. All WiiU and all other VC titles boot fine, I tested various cd decrypt software, etc. I am really curious, where is the catch.
 
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ArgonUK

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I couldn't compress the 3d cover art (way too big), but here's the rest of the files:

First, thank you. Booting the attached loadiine version resulted in a black screen (Loadiine won't load). I used both forwarder and homebrew launcher during testing. I deleted your config files and added empty cover3d folder, but it made no difference.

I can only guess that this version of loadiine is not compatible with ColdBoot Haxchi WiiU exploit method :huh:
 
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godreborn

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well, the forwarder I'm using -- it said to use this loadiine with it. it's a special version or something. I no longer have the loadiine forwarder files.
 

ArgonUK

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well, the forwarder I'm using -- it said to use this loadiine with it. it's a special version or something. I no longer have the loadiine forwarder files.

Could be the answer. My WiiU keeps freezing when I try your version, and it is not available elsewhere.

If anyone could confirm, that DS games are working with these two latest versions via homebrew launcher, it would be great.

Otherwise, please share your working setup.


UPDATE:

I can confirm that I was able to boot DS game using a different SD card. I am looking into possible issues.

UPDATE 2:

Issue found:

The HID-PAD Network must be enabled in the Loadiine settings in order to boot DS VC titles. I previously kept it dissabled, as it caused Loadiine to freeze on exit to Wii U system menu during playing certain titles.

I would like to thank everyone for the input.
 
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Yossariano

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Hm- I'm having trouble with this. It works great once I do it via FTPiiu (I am updating the games in /usb_storage) but after I quit the game and reopen it, it reverts it back to the stock options for layouts! Has anybody else run into this? Am I updating the wrong place?
 

MikaDubbz

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Hm- I'm having trouble with this. It works great once I do it via FTPiiu (I am updating the games in /usb_storage) but after I quit the game and reopen it, it reverts it back to the stock options for layouts! Has anybody else run into this? Am I updating the wrong place?
Sometimes changes done in FTPii U take but then revert to how they were after one experience with it. It's odd, but I've seen icons that I've changed go back to the original icon after launching the game once. I've found success by after making my changes in FTPii U, returning to the Wii U menu and then turning the Wii U off and on again. Every time I do it that way, the changes always stay permanent. Can't say I quite understand why it behaves this way, but give that a try.
 
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Yossariano

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Sometimes changes done in FTPii U take but then revert to how they were after one experience with it. It's odd, but I've seen icons that I've changed go back to the original icon after launching the game once. I've found success by after making my changes in FTPii U, returning to the Wii U menu and then turning the Wii U off and on again. Every time I do it that way, the changes always stay permanent. Can't say I quite understand why it behaves this way, but give that a try.

Awesome, this looks like it works well for me. Thanks!
 

MikaDubbz

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Here is a tiny update that just fixes how one of the screen titles appears. Pixel Perfect Side-By-Side (Swapped Displays) ran too long and reached down into a second line which the screen titles weren't made to do, so it looked bad. This fix changes the title by dropping the word 'Displays' so it all stays on a single line. If you already have used the last update, then the only thing that changed in here that you need to replace in each DS VC title's content folder is located here: content\0010\data\strings\en\strings.json that's the only file that has changed.
 

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  • DS Config Files 47 Options Clean Titles.zip
    4.5 MB · Views: 124

AMIdDST

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Thank you for your work! I never imagined playing FFIV DS on a CRT before! Now, if only The World Ends With You would be solvable, somehow..!!

Thanks for creating so many different alternative layouts!

All the new layouts (I'm assuming) appear with a <NO_TEXT> description, rather than with a title, for me.

Heh, yeah that sounds like that should work. Didn't even think how helpful widescreen for such a thing might be when played on a 4:3 display. i suppose that does leave a display I hadn't considered though, one where the TV is in widescreen, but the Gamepad remains in standard display, just so in your very specific example both screens still appear much closer to the standard DS display.
This is exactly what I would need, due to the standard "3:2 & 3:2" having its frames appear in grey color, for some reason. The pixel-perfect (?) alternatives have an excellent black off-screen frame to them, but (I'm guessing) the standard VC frames are in grey, which is really off-putting for me.
I can adjust my CRT aspect to match into a nice 4:3 to fix the issue, but then the gamepad screen remains stretched out. Either fix (changing the grey frames into black or having a "Fullscreen & 3:2" alternative) would truly be a cherry on top of this great mod.
 
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MikaDubbz

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Thank you for your work! I never imagined playing FFIV DS on a CRT before! Now, if only The World Ends With You would be solvable, somehow..!!

Thanks for creating so many different alternative layouts!

All the new layouts (I'm assuming) appear with a <NO_TEXT> description, rather than with a title, for me.


This is exactly what I would need, due to the standard "3:2 & 3:2" having its frames appear in grey color, for some reason. The pixel-perfect (?) alternatives have an excellent black off-screen frame to them, but (I'm guessing) the standard VC frames are in grey, which is really off-putting for me.
I can adjust my CRT aspect to match into a nice 4:3 to fix the issue, but then the gamepad screen remains stretched out. Either fix (changing the grey frames into black or having a "Fullscreen & 3:2" alternative) would truly be a cherry on top of this great mod.
I gave them all titles and descriptions, and they do show up properly for me, did you copy all the files? If you skipped one of them, that would likely explain the lack of titles and descriptions.
 

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UPDATE 7/27/21: This tiny update just fixes how one of the screen titles appears. Pixel Perfect Side-By-Side (Swapped Displays) ran too long and reached down into a second line which the screen titles weren't made to do, so it looked bad. This fix changes the title by dropping the word 'Displays' so it all stays on a single line. If you already have used the last update, then the only thing that changed in here that you need to replace in each DS VC title's content folder is located here: content\0010\data\strings\en\strings.json that's the only file that has changed. This is now the version attached to this post to download.

UPDATE 4/6/21: I have now updated the config with a total of 47 different layouts now! Mostly I just added as many logical pixel perfect options I could, I also added the single screen (top or bottom) on both displays options too. I haven't taken images of all the options, but they all work as intended. Pixel Perfect layouts will have a DS Lite border where appropriate instead of the standard DS. Pixel perfect options will not display the images of the DS Lite borders in the layout menu, I tried and thought I figured it out, but they just don't show up there, obviously not a big deal though.

I'll try and take images or video of all the new options shortly. Otherwise download the updated files here at the bottom of this post in the included files..

Please note, with all the additional layout options, when you select one with A, there is initially a new delay of a second or 2 before the layout is now selected, not a big deal, but slightly irritating all the same.


ORIGINAL POST
I'm quite surprised what I've done here hasn't really been documented by now as it's not very complex. There is this thread that scratches the surface of what I've done here: https://gbatemp.net/threads/wii-u-ds-vc-custom-layouts.427284/ But that thread left it at the idea that you can simply replace DS VC layouts and nothing more, it didn't explore the idea that you might be able to actually expand on the layout options and add more. And I'm here to tell you, you can. I could go in depth of how to do it yourself, but I figured it'd be easier if I just provided you with the files I've used to give every DS VC game, 26 different layout options, that's right 26 different layouts. Some of them are as simple as just rotating the Gamepad, but I do believe that in my effort to explore possible DS VC layouts on the Wii U, I've hit upon every logical and desirable option. You can see in the examples below.

I also want to point out some other things I've done first, all DS VC titles are also upped to full brightness with these config files, the default is set to 80%, they're all at 100% with these configs. Also, the default settings as you may be aware gives you 6 groups of layout options, the first and last options only have one option, but the second through 5th groups each have 2 layout options, typically altering for left and right handed players. On these options you see an icon with a hand to show which handed player it is for, and also acts as an indication you can press up or down to alternate the layout. These layout configs have swapped out the hand icon with an icon indicating you can hit up or down to swap layouts. When you do hit up or down they'll progress forward regardless which you press, not noticeable for groups of 2, but the groups of 4 you'll see might confuse at first if you think you can go backwards in the layout rotations. There are now 9 groups, the first 5 groups all have 2 alternate layouts, the last 4 groups all have 4 alternate layouts. Check out the layouts below, I only took screenshots of the layout screen to get a good idea of what both screens will display since it's not so easy otherwise, rest assured, what you see in the layout screen is what you see in actual practice.

Also note, I tried to screenshot DS games that would be most logical for each layout. And if there is any other conceivable logical layout I should include, please let me know.

Full imgur album not separated by group labels here: GBATemp apparently can't show all images at once for some reason:

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All 26 of those layouts are in this config files and can be therefore applied to any and all DS VC titles, real or injects and should cover any layout you could need or want for any given game, again with full brightness. All you need to do is open the .zip file and enter the DS Config Files folder, and copy the content folder inside into any given DS title on your Wii U and overwrite all files it asks about. Please note, if you're doing this via FTPiiU PLEASE make sure you don't apply this over your CBHC DS Title, I'm almost certain that would brick your Wii U, plus it would serve no useful purpose anyway.

There is a separate folder for Phantom Hourglass that has the config set to fold the DS screen on pause for the one puzzle that requires it. I don't know if any other titles, needs that configuration, but you can apply that content folder to Phantom Hourglass and those titles as well.

Get the DS Layouts Config Files Here!

Hello, you said you use loadiine for ds emulation, and I do too lol. Could you explain what I do to set these up for my ds games? I wanted to try these and not accidentally do my paid ds vc I use for CBHC lol
 

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