Homebrew Moonshell 2 Skin Previewer

jurassicplayer · Feb 19, 2010

As the title says, I recently made a skin previewer that can be helpful to moonshell2 skinners (though there doesn't seem to be many) so they don't have to break their spring-loaded SD slots etc. just to constantly test the skin over and over. I used Eatitup(Zweigart)'s M3Sakura Skin Previewer as a template because I liked the idea of an .exe versus an html file. The only thing I didn't like about his previewer was that it wasn't for moonshell2, did not preview some of the screens, and it didn't have a pretty layout (not saying mine is a ton better, but its easier to understand).
Mostly I made this because Moonshell2 is finished (yay) and because I was working on a skin, but without my DS, I couldn't see what it looked like. Hopefully this will help skinners out, especially ones like me who don't currently have access to a DS/DSi.

Also, I have never had any great shakes towards coding (I only know a little bit of html and css), so there may or may not be any problems since this is the very first program I have ever made (partially made, since I kept most of the variable names because I couldn't bother to change them).
I also may or may not update this, depending on whether I think I have a great idea (or someone else's great idea) and if I figure out how to code it (I learned what I needed and did this in a couple days, which I feel is a decent learning speed, even if I don't know 80% of the functions).

Anyways here is the download link (my very first filetrip upload =D) and I hope it encourages more MS2 skinners and helps the ones that are currently skinning.
MS2 Skin Previewer v1.5
Please thank Twiztidsinz (and offer condolences) because he took the brunt of a glitch that I didn't even fathom and thus it has provided you with a safer MS2 Skin Previewer.

twiztidsinz · Feb 19, 2010

Very nice...
Any way of implementing a Folder Select option so you don't have to put it IN the skin folder?
Or maybe make it look inside a Default folder or folder from settings.ini type file?

jurassicplayer · Feb 19, 2010

xD I'll try looking for how to do that (I don't like having to put it in the folder either, but you can't expect perfection from a nub coder on the first try).
As of the moment, I think I might have a way to read it from an ini file, but I'm going to search harder and see if I can find a way to call up that sort of "open file" directory thing (like when NO$GBA is executed).

jurassicplayer · Feb 20, 2010

Oh noes! A double post! I'll just bend the rules because I have now updated the skin previewer =D. Now it can be placed in any folder and there is an option that allows for changing the skin you are previewing as well as an option to choose your initial folder whenever you want to browse for a skin folder.
The only bad part is that whenever you browse for a folder and click cancel instead of ok, wonky stuff happen, but its nothing serious and is totally fine if you aren't specifically looking for my lapses in logic.
I found out that I updated my file on filetrip wrong, so instead of adding a new version, I overwrote the old one xD. So its the same link, but a different file now =D (maybe it might confuse people).

twiztidsinz · Feb 20, 2010

jurassicplayer said:
Now it can be placed in any folder and there is an option that allows for changing the skin you are previewingNice.

jurassicplayer said:

as well as an option to choose your initial folder whenever you want to browse for a skin folder.VERY nice.

QUOTE(jurassicplayer @ Feb 20 2010, 03:05 AM)

Click to expand...

The only bad part is that whenever you browse for a folder and click cancel instead of ok, wonky stuff happen, but its nothing serious and is totally fine if you aren't specifically looking for my lapses in logic.
I found out that I updated my file on filetrip wrong, so instead of adding a new version, I overwrote the old one xD. So its the same link, but a different file now =D (maybe it might confuse people).

Way to be a f@%#ing noob..... j/k

Again, this is an awesome app.
I just wish I had more drive to make/finish Moonshell skins.

Quick question...
It seems like it loads the images every time a button is pushed -- i.e. you can push the same button twice in a row and it will load twice. Is there any way to have it load all the images when you select the skin? Or would that take up too much time (loading)/resources?

Also... "Select Skin" and "Set Skin Folder" might be better/simpler/more descriptive labels for the buttons on the bottom.

env · Feb 20, 2010

Wow, thanks a lot for this!

QUOTE said:
Hopefully this will help skinners out, especially ones like me who don't currently have access to a DS/DSi.

I know I'm one(uh, I think it's only two of us) of those skinners that can't access their DS's right now XD
Great work there dude! *runs off to continue making skins*

edit:
Coding wise, Is it possible to view the fonts on screensaver? mainly the clock fonts.
It's just me or there are some minor alignment issues on "System "1-lin3" and "2-line" panels?

jurassicplayer · Feb 21, 2010

twiztidsinz said:
Quick question...
It seems like it loads the images every time a button is pushed -- i.e. you can push the same button twice in a row and it will load twice. Is there any way to have it load all the images when you select the skin? Or would that take up too much time (loading)/resources?

Also... "Select Skin" and "Set Skin Folder" might be better/simpler/more descriptive labels for the buttons on the bottom.

I tried to make it look nicer when it is loading the images (so there aren't a ton of crazy white spots all over maybe), but from what I've seen, there doesn't seem to be a way to preload them (but I'm a nub, so what do I know xD). I kind of like it reloading all of the images each time though because then when you edit a screen, you can just click the button to see how the new screen looks.
I did change the names of the buttons though, and that is more noticeable.

QUOTE(env @ Feb 20 2010, 09:58 AM) Coding wise, Is it possible to view the fonts on screensaver? mainly the clock fonts.
It's just me or there are some minor alignment issues on "System "1-lin3" and "2-line" panels?

So far, I haven't found anything that could show the fonts in a nice way since the only way I know how to show a picture is to show the entire picture, so you would see all of the numbers as they are. The best that would do might only be to do a color check for clashing colors or something. I'll keep searching for something that might work though (or hopefully come up with an idea).
As for the alignment issues...Most of the aligning I was winging xD. I had no idea where the system cursor was supposed to be, so I winged it (and I was pretty dam close xD), the alignment on the 1/2 line panels was probably that the images looked a pixel or two taller than they should have been (because they were xD). Something strange was happening in that the other images did fine, but the FL_BG_Bottom.bmp was always a pixel too high or too low (and I could only choose between 317 and 318, what I needed was 317.5 xD).
Anyways, I got around that and so now they are aligned correctly (unless you were talking about something else that was misaligned).

And on to what is new!
MS2 Skin Previewer v1.2 now has LESS GLITCHES =D, so the wonky things with the cancel button are mostly fixed (unless I missed something...), and the buttons were moved around a little (though I forgot to make the GUI window a little smaller, so there is a larger gap from the edge of the GUI to the buttons), but of course the best part of all, it can now compile skins! I dumped the makeskin.exe and makeskin.lst into the MS2SkinPreviewer folder and now the only needed things to make skins is a folder with the images for the skin and of course an image editor =D.
The compiling takes a little bit though, so it may look like it froze, but it hasn't and after a little bit, the Makeskin.exe box will pop up saying that its compressing everything into the .skn file and then the .skn file will be placed in the same folder as the MS2SkinPreviewer.exe

I hope this version is lots better than the last one (I'm going to start running out of ideas for extra buttons soon xD).

twiztidsinz · Feb 21, 2010

jurassicplayer said:
I kind of like it reloading all of the images each time though because then when you edit a screen, you can just click the button to see how the new screen looks.Good idea.
Now that the the load time is less 'loady'/'glitchy', it's not an issue to have it load each button press... and it seems quite a bit faster too.

QUOTE(jurassicplayer @ Feb 20 2010, 11:56 PM) I did change the names of the buttons though, and that is more noticeable.

Nice

I love that it can compile the skins now... and it's FAST!! so I'm not sure why you said it looks like it freezes. I just compiled my Aero Ultimate theme and it happened instantly.
I might just end up finishing the theme

I also second having text (even if it's just 'Blah blah blah', 00:00, 00/00/0000, etc) where the files and stuff go -- but I think that might take a bit of work to get done right, though maybe it could use the file from Moonshell with the texts? I think that's for messages and stuff though.

798-Icebird · Feb 21, 2010

thanx for this great app. Cinda annoying put my sd card in my ds/pc the whole time

works great

jurassicplayer · Feb 22, 2010

env said:
Coding wise, Is it possible to view the fonts on screensaver? mainly the clock fonts.
After taking a ton of time searching, I think I have finally found a way to do just that xD. I think if I try, I can make the fonts for the screensaver change to the time you press the button, but it doesn't update automatically (still learning this stuff) xD. In other words, if you click 10 times, once per minute (since I don't think the screensaver has a seconds timer, I can't remember atm), you would see all of the numbers. Bad part about this idea is that it has to be AM on your computer to see AM on the screensaver and vice versa.

In any case, expect to see some form of the clock fonts in the next version (which might take a while since I put off my homework/studying to do this xD, so I need to get back to my homework/studying before my teachers can kill me).

QUOTE(twiztidsinz @ Feb 20 2010, 09:53 PM) I also second having text (even if it's just 'Blah blah blah', 00:00, 00/00/0000, etc) where the files and stuff go -- but I think that might take a bit of work to get done right, though maybe it could use the file from Moonshell with the texts? I think that's for messages and stuff though.

Taking the information from the colortbl.ini is easy enough as well as utilizing it though I can't vouch for any loading times. I don't know what files you are referring to about "Moonshell with the texts", but I'm guessing you are talking about the messages.000 sort of files (which I wouldn't be able to use in the actual program, but I can still read it and put the information in the program xD).

Now that I know at least a little bit more, I might be able to also make a colortbl.ini editor as a part of the program, but that is something for much much later xD.

At the moment, the things I want to focus on are:
-Adding text to the viewer (filenames and things like "Exit to Firmware") with colors taken from the colortbl.ini (doesn't that just sound awesome xD?)
-Adding the numbers/words used for the screensavers
-Adding a quicklink button for whatever .exe you want, but I'm going to make the button called "Image Editor" just as a good idea for what I expect the quicklink to be xD. (I intend to put GIMP inside my MS2SkinPreviewer folder, though not for the rest of you xD, and link to that, so I have an on-the-go moonshell2 skin previewer/editor that I can use anywhere with computer access. Of course, the rest of you can get whatever you want.)
-Adding a "Check Skin" button (if anyone has a better name for the button, I'm all ears xD) that will check if you have all of the images needed and if the bit depth of the bmp files are correct (make life so much easier instead of making everything, building it, only to realize that the backgrounds look like crap because the bit depth is wrong).

If someone could post up a couple moonshell2 screenshots of the default skin's screen savers, I would be grateful (for aligning the images, since not all of them are the same size).

If anyone has more ideas for buttons, want to tell me a glitch, alignment errors, etc., feel free to post it up because this is still my first program ever, so any and all improvements are great.

zljddh · Feb 22, 2010

good jod~
here is a new skin tool can unpack .skn to resource folder

Code:

unpack: MakeSkin.exe -d SkinFileName.skn

twiztidsinz · Feb 22, 2010

zljddh said:
good jod~
here is a new skin tool can unpack .skn to resource folder

Code:

unpack: MakeSkin.exe -d SkinFileName.skn

I can't get it to work unpacking... All it does is crash.

I should note that compiling the skin works fine.

jurassicplayer · Feb 22, 2010

twiztidsinz said:
zljddh said:

good jod~
here is a new skin tool can unpack .skn to resource folder

Code:

unpack: MakeSkin.exe -d SkinFileName.skn

Click to expand...

I can't get it to work unpacking... All it does is crash.

I should note that compiling the skin works fine.

Same here. Although if someone does get this to work...xD. If you double click the exe, it tells you the format, but somehow I must not be getting it right (tried a couple different combinations).
Also I noticed that my previewer is on the website =D (that is just awesome, I have only had it out for like 2-3 days.)

iMinotauro · Feb 22, 2010

Awesome, will definitely be using this in the near future.

Thank you

BTW I hope you keep building on this.

Best of luck.

zljddh · Feb 22, 2010

it work properly

jurassicplayer · Feb 22, 2010

zljddh said:
it work properly

System locale? Computer settings? or maybe its just stupid Vista? I dunno what Twiztidsinz uses, but Vista does have a known history of being a failure of an OS. It looks like you are using XP with Simplified Chinese Locale though I already tried swapping my computer's locale to Traditional Chinese (maybe I should use simplified xD).

798-Icebird · Feb 28, 2010

Mine works good too on windows 7 ultimate x64. Just move the .exe In the skintoolfolder and drag a .skn file in the .exe

Mbmax · Mar 2, 2010

zljddh said:
good jod~
here is a new skin tool can unpack .skn to resource folder

Code:

unpack: MakeSkin.exe -d SkinFileName.skn

Is your tool able to unpack skn type 3 files (msh 2.0b5) ?

Edit : Thanks a lot for the v2. I appreciate it.

jurassicplayer · Mar 6, 2010

Mbmax said:
Edit : Thanks a lot for the v2. I appreciate it.

What v2 are you talking about o.0?
Anyways, after tinkering away and driving my stress levels off the charts, I finally got the idea of how to make some of the stuff work as they should and so I decided to post it up as a new version (since it has been a little while since I released a new version out of the few that I have ever made). If anyone else has tales of the .skn decompiling working, post it up so we can hopefully try and figure out why it seems to be so circumstantial. I also made a custom font (with most of the characters) to make the previewer look exactly the same as on the DS text-wise (I haven't aligned anything for lack of resources to compare with).

Download link on the first post.

So here is the new changelog:
-First screen now starts at the Initial Setup screen instead of a blank screen.
-Some text has been added (Initial Setup, 1-Line, and 2-Line)
-Fixed an alignment issue with the mp3 sidebar.
-Added an About button (it made me feel more legit xD)
-Added an Image Editor button (doesn't have to be an image editor, just an .exe)
-Added a quick check before compiling to see if all of the images are there and are the correct bit depth (note it doesn't check if the sizes are wrong, its a real pain in the ass to code it to check all 138 image files because there are 138 image files, though its totally do-able).
-Now when switching between currently viewed skins, it will instantly update the screen instead of waiting until you click a button.
-Added the digits for the screen saver clock, which does take the time from the computer (only the digital screensaver screen is worth anything, the other two screens are thrashed because I don't have any images to align up any of the screen savers with, but once someone posts up maybe a couple pictures of the screen savers, I can align them so they aren't worthless).
-Added option for DateTimeFormat in the .ini (MMDDYYYY or YYYYMMDD).

I think that is all I've done in this one. I moved the buttons around again, and made them a little smaller, but once again forgot to make the entire window smaller too. Mostly I'm just swapping around the buttons to see which arrangement causes me the least problems with clicking the wrong button on accident.
If there is a glitch or some other minor alignment issues (not including the screen savers), feel free to post it up. With regards to the screen savers, the only plan I have for those is to wait until either A) Someone can post up a couple screen shots of them using the default skin, or B) Someone learns what is it that allows that .skn decompiling to work so that I may attempt to replicate it.

CannonFoddr · Mar 6, 2010

Mbmax said:
zljddh said:

good jod~
here is a new skin tool can unpack .skn to resource folder

Code:

unpack: MakeSkin.exe -d SkinFileName.skn

Click to expand...

Is your tool able to unpack skn type 3 files (msh 2.0b5) ?

I've tried this On XP Pro - doesn't work (I tried Aero.skn).

When I try I get a quick flash of a screen (too quick to see what it says)

Even tried moving it to the root directory of C: drive just in case it something to do with long folder names - still no luck

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