Homebrew Discussion Nintendo Switch theme with the real covers

GatoFiestero · Nov 10, 2020

Nintendo Switch Themes that use the covers of the physical version of the games

This idea born based on this Nintendo Switch UI Design (by u/JustAnyGamer)
https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSw...ing_to_learn_uiux_design_and_decided_to_give/

So I created this theme (in the video above) using the u/Migush layout as base, is not exactly the same as in the Concept UI Design, but it has the Nintendo Switch original covers (that is the idea, they are not exactly the same). The theme in the video is actually running in my Nintendo Switch.

Maybe continue working on it, the idea is interesting. Help is appreciated, this is my idea for the project, so you can help me or develop your own project based in this idea

My idea of the server is similar to the API of HBG. Let me show you and example of how works that API:

This URL use the API to get the image with a 800x800 resolution for the game with title ID "01007EF00011E000" what is Breath of the Wild:
https://tinfoil.media/i/01007EF0001...4c344987243a60257838187a69a6a81c42d7447d5d192

There is an exaplanation about how this API works here: https://blawar.github.io/tinfoil/custom_index/

And you can call a list of items using this URL:
http://tinfoil.media/Title/ApiJson

So if we have a server with all the Nintendo Switch covers or a big set of them, a Client hombrew app can update the Downloaded Covers. Similar to this app that download the cheats collected:
https://github.com/HamletDuFromage/switch-cheats-updater

We can replace the covers using the sys-tweak app and install modified themes using the NX Themes installer.

This theme with the big covers is actually my second developed theme, two days ago I made this another that I want share to you:

Thanks to r/NXThemes and NSXThemes (in Youtube) which are two excelent Nintendo Switch themes creating groups.

The song in the video is from here:

pcwizard7 · Nov 10, 2020

Hope you continue your work

GatoFiestero · Nov 10, 2020

Let me explain some of the ideas of this project seen from a broader perspective. Currently I configure the whole theme manually with the downloaded covers and configuring everything.

My idea of the server is similar to the API of HBG. Let me show you and example of how works that API:

This URL use the API to get the image with a 800x800 resolution for the game with title ID "01007EF00011E000" what is Breath of the Wild:
https://tinfoil.media/i/01007EF0001...4c344987243a60257838187a69a6a81c42d7447d5d192

There is an exaplanation about how this API works here: https://blawar.github.io/tinfoil/custom_index/

And you can call a list of items using this URL:
http://tinfoil.media/Title/ApiJson

So if we have a server with all the Nintendo Switch covers or a big set of them, a Client hombrew app can update the Downloaded Covers. Similar to this app that download the cheats collected:
https://github.com/HamletDuFromage/switch-cheats-updater

We can replace the covers using the sys-tweak app and install modified themes using the NX Themes installer.

Basically that is the idea I have on this type of subject. If any of you want to help me, or if this scheme helps you create your own set of tools, that would be great.

JonJaded · Nov 10, 2020

Very, very good work! Good luck with this, I'd love to see it become a reality.

GatoFiestero · Nov 10, 2020

JonJaded said:
Very, very good work! Good luck with this, I'd love to see it become a reality.

The easy part is the theme running on the console. The difficult issue is the delivery with the tool that downloads the covers and the server where they are uploaded. I've been checking and found that all covers can be found similar to this:
https://store.nintendo.com/media/ca...t=bounds&height=1477&width=693&canvas=693:477

You can see that this is used in the online eshop webpage:
https://store.nintendo.com/catalog/product/view/id/38510/s/paper-mario-the-origami-king/category/28/

Maybe someone will be interested in the project and help me or work on something similar.

Supposedly with uLaunch you can do this type of theme more easily, but no version of uLaunch has been released since December, so hey, everything will flow. We'll see.

I have attached this video running in portable mode

peteruk · Nov 10, 2020

It looks really great, excellent job so far

I really hope you continue working on this as it's very promising

linkinworm · Nov 10, 2020

this is pretty awesome, ive always hated the squares, it looks too basic for a modern system
https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Nintendo_Switch_box_art_(North_America) this site seems to have loads of covers but i think its only ntsc covers

UltimateFight · Nov 11, 2020

I haven't used uLaunch but I think XorTroll is still working on it, you can find the dev-build uLaunch on his discord. Maybe you can mention your cool ideas to him.

pcwizard7 · Nov 11, 2020

The covers should be cached on the sd card once they are downloaded once so u don't need to be on the internet all the time?

GatoFiestero · Nov 11, 2020

linkinworm said:
this is pretty awesome, ive always hated the squares, it looks too basic for a modern system
https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Nintendo_Switch_box_art_(North_America) this site seems to have loads of covers but i think its only ntsc covers

Perfect, There is a lot of covers in this site (and other resources). Very usefull thx.

pcwizard7 said:
The covers should be cached on the sd card once they are downloaded once so u don't need to be on the internet all the time?

Yes, the Internet is only needed to download them. But you can add your own covers. You know this is an idea that can grow if we can solve the main technical issues, adding more functionality.

It would be interesting if you could also create themes with banners, to get something like this

Currently this is possible. Maybe upload an example video of how it would look.

Something very similar to these others can also be implemented with the current state of the project:

This last one except the logo of the game at the top, the folder Indie Collection, and the information below the logo:

UltimateFight said:
I haven't used uLaunch but I think XorTroll is still working on it, you can find the dev-build uLaunch on his discord. Maybe you can mention your cool ideas to him.

I was talking about this in the NXThemes with some users. Project uLaunch is very good and has great potential. It is not clear to me what the limit of what can be achieved is because I have not delved into its documentation.

I know that you can get something like these:

So basically the main difference with the NXThemes core is that with uLaunch you can create folders, and a higher level of customization of some elements. Some animations and layouts can be used too. Is excelent.

Currently we don't have any tool able to do something like this (For example highlighting one element from another by previewing its description and other metadata, but I'm sure that perhaps with uLaunch some middleware could be implemented that allows it):

Putting animated gifs or webp as background is not possible either.

Something like this is not possible right now ((I highly doubt that something can be developed without draining the battery but who knows):

The most significant advances in animations have been made in the NSX Themes community, although they are based on geometric transformations (translations, rotations, scaling) and opacity.

pcwizard7 · Nov 11, 2020

^^^ I like the different theme's styles above as well...

GatoFiestero · Nov 11, 2020

Today I have performed the following tasks:

Redesigned the home theme to make it more consistent
Added some ROMS with their covers (Soul Reaver and Zelda Minish Cap)
Added more games but with covers that I designed and that are not the original ones.
Adapted the "All Apps" theme to recognize the rectangular covers. The original was made by betternx.de

mathew77 · Nov 12, 2020

gMendeZm said:
Today I have performed the following tasks:

Nice project, thanks!..

If you or anybody needs custom front fullsized Switch boxart-alike covers, here's the archive of 2134 pcs of them standardized in PNG, 640x393 px resolution, like this:

The down's link.

pcwizard7 · Nov 12, 2020

having to supply the covers manually wouldn't be too bad. you could config them like it's done in this homebrew
https://gbatemp.net/threads/custom-game-icons-tutorial-and-sharing-hub-no-forwarders.574675/

Cylent1 · Nov 12, 2020

Will this ever have support for SXOS? It would be cooler if it did!

GatoFiestero · Nov 12, 2020

mathew77 said:
Nice project, thanks!..

If you or anybody needs a custom front fullsized Switch boxart-alike covers, here's the archive of 2134 pcs of them standardized in PNG, 640x393 px resolution, like this:

View attachment 233677 View attachment 233678 View attachment 233679

The down's link.

I just downloaded it and saw the covers, very good contribution !!!

pcwizard7 said:
having to supply the covers manually wouldn't be too bad. you could config them like it's done in this homebrew
https://gbatemp.net/threads/custom-game-icons-tutorial-and-sharing-hub-no-forwarders.574675/

Yes, with the possibility of configuring the covers, new doors are opened !!

Cylent1 said:
Will this ever have support for SXOS? It would be cooler if it did!

I have not tested on SX OS yet. But it might be possible, if the NXTheme themes are compatible with SX OS.

And if nro2nsp works with SX OS you can make some nsp for the homebrew

Cylent1 · Nov 13, 2020

I can use NX Themes and NrotoNSP both on SXOS so it sounds like it will be compatible.
Do you need any SXOS testers? I would be willing to test it out for you!

GatoFiestero · Nov 14, 2020

Cylent1 said:
I can use NX Themes and NrotoNSP both on SXOS so it sounds like it will be compatible.
Do you need any SXOS testers? I would be willing to test it out for you!

Thanks, I need a developer too for some tasks. Well, as I said, if someone wants to do their own project for this type of Themes, it would be great.

Some tasks I did today:

Now the covers are shown correctly in the popup windows

And in the Settings Menu

And in the All Apps section (Flaunch)

Cylent1 · Nov 14, 2020

Looking Excellent!

LightBeam · Nov 14, 2020

Damn, it looks awesome, can't wait to try this out

Homebrew Discussion Nintendo Switch theme with the real covers

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