Hacking Coverflow7 USB Loader

[suloku]

Can someone upload a video of the latest version please?

 

[G2K]

I know that PNG files have alpha channel transparency, I don't know if the png viewing method you're using supports transparency in pngs though.

alpha channel transparency gets stripped away instantly on png load.

Wait, really? Why?

Then how were we hoping to do reflections? Even if there was a second set of covers flipped on the bottom, there's no way to make it merge into transperency!

 

[PNo4]

Wait, really? Why?

Then how were we hoping to do reflections? Even if there was a second set of covers flipped on the bottom, there's no way to make it merge into transperency!

Have no idea on why, but it does, we've been through this in Ultimate Loader thread.

Taken from pngu.c source code:
CODE"int pngu_decode (IMGCTX ctx, PNGU_u32 width, PNGU_u32 height, PNGU_u32 stripAlpha);"

It takes the alpha layer away instantly on png load.

 

[lexlth]

I am not a designer, but i think i could do a better background.

I know each one likes different things, but how knows somebody starts with this idea and posts better ones....

Oh, I just did, on GIMP, I got the original ALL WHITE one stripped some parts and then made the aditions.

The names are in portuguese, but I may post (if possible from forum) the .xcf.

ATENTION: I did not tested it on the Wii, just made in GIMP and saved !!!

How can I incorporate images on posts ? It did not accepted mine....

Image: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cffby...feat=directlink

 

[cdreams]

Lexith

One of the features Don is looking at is making your own backgrounds. I will be providing my designs along with templates for the separate parts so you have it all ready to move around and place wherever, the only thing you will need to do is add the coordinates in the config.txt to match where you placed stuff.

I'm still twidling about and it's taking shape.

 

[HsiaLin]

stripAlpha is a boolean value...which means true or false....setting it to 0 should leave the transparency intact.

 

[Shadow#1]

What version of USB Loader is this based on?

 

[G2K]

Lexith

One of the features Don is looking at is making your own backgrounds. I will be providing my designs along with templates for the separate parts so you have it all ready to move around and place wherever, the only thing you will need to do is add the coordinates in the config.txt to match where you placed stuff.

I'm still twidling about and it's taking shape.

What do you mean by that? I just made my own background a made the co-ordiantes fit...

On a side note, HELP! I got my HDD, and was on 3.2. When I started it up, the console was blank. Pressing B said "Restarting Wii". Pushing A twice showed a ) or a }, I couldn't tell. Pushing A again made the bracket dissappear. The only buttpn that worked after that was the B button, which brought up the config screen, where I could change settings, but not save them.

I just upgraded to 4.0 for the thrid time this week, and tried the loader, which insatntly gives me a "Press any button to restart Wii." WTF did I do wrong!?

EDIT: Sorry, it somehow fixed itself... Also, I forgot to mention that I always get a code dump when trying to return to the menu. Oh, and I was wrong about making your own background. The bottoms of the covers appear where they should be but the tops are still in their original place, making it stretched. Good work so far guys! Can't wait to see more!

 

[netoobuntu]

Hi

I'm develop a gui for the loader, I would like so integrate coverflow if it's possible in my gui....

Here is a link to discover my work : http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=151040

If you are interested by the project, contact me...

Netoobuntu

 

[DragTom70]

Mh, the bar in my picture (thanks cdreams

) was indeed ment as a position control.

@Don Killah Does it really matter if the CPU is doing the calc for reflection/resiszing? Althogh the Wii is no X360 it should be possible to flip a 160 x 224 image (or resize it to any smaller size) and multiplicate each pixel by 0.5 on the fly.

As I am a little little confused I play around a bit with my "sphere-loader"

[REMOVED]

 

[redact]

As I am a little little confused I play around a bit with my "sphere-loader"

is this a PoC photoshop image or a screenshot of your gui in action?

 

[DragTom70]

is this a PoC photoshop image or a screenshot of your gui in action?

As I am out of coding for a long time this is just a-5-minute-photoshop-image. But the realization of such a loader shouldn't be too difficult.

 

[katrem]

First a big thanks to cdreams, Don Killah and AppleBelly for their work on this loader. Right now it is exactly what I want:
- a simple loader, not too many advanced features (I don't need install/remove, I can do that on my PC or through the original Waninkoko loader if needed)
- nice looking: I'm a sucker for eye-candy ;-)
- perfect for a small to medium-sized games collection
- support for custom backgrounds

The only thing I dislike is the use of the default console. Would it be possible to disable the console completely and replace it with a nicer-looking font (and maybe support for more characters?). Right now I have it 'disabled' by setting the font-colour to black but that makes it a little hard to use the options on page 2 :-)

I have to say that the examples with refelections look stunning, it would be great if something like this could be implemented but don't know how hard it would be to do this...

Again, thanks and I hope you guys continue working on this.

Can someone upload a video of the latest version please?

Hi suloku, you don't really need a video: Just look at the pictures in the first post. this is exactly how it looks on your screen (minus the dots on the center-image). Press left or right on the Wiimote to scroll through your games (which makes the covers scroll left / right). The scrolling is quite smooth IMO.

 

[gitkua]

Mh, the bar in my picture (thanks cdreams

) was indeed ment as a position control.

@Don Killah Does it really matter if the CPU is doing the calc for reflection/resiszing? Althogh the Wii is no X360 it should be possible to flip a 160 x 224 image (or resize it to any smaller size) and multiplicate each pixel by 0.5 on the fly.

As I am a little little confused I play around a bit with my "sphere-loader"

Amazing photshop dude!

 

[akex]

Wait, really? Why?

Then how were we hoping to do reflections? Even if there was a second set of covers flipped on the bottom, there's no way to make it merge into transperency!

Have no idea on why, but it does, we've been through this in Ultimate Loader thread.

Taken from pngu.c source code:
CODE"int pngu_decode (IMGCTX ctx, PNGU_u32 width, PNGU_u32 height, PNGU_u32 stripAlpha);"

It takes the alpha layer away instantly on png load.

Even if alpha layer goes away, there is always a solution

. Instead of using alpha transparency, we can use a background (portion of the main backrgound where the cover reflection should be), the reflection and merge both in a png. For the eye, it's reflection, but won't work if you try to have the cover move smoothly from background to foreground.

Don't know if I explained it the good way

 

[DragTom70]

Alpha channel, resizing, real flow...

Izhido did a feature-comlete Quake1 engine port for the Wii with a smaller than 700k boot.dol on WiiNewz.com. It should be possible.

 

[gitkua]

I agree DragTom70, the PNGU library supports png transparency, lfreeimage supports resizing and freetype enables you to include custom fonts... Everything we want can be done... The problem is that this loader does'nt really use any of those libraries and will not be able to these things...

 

[DragTom70]

The problem is that this loader does'nt really use any of those libraries and will not be able to these things...

Just a question from a non-coders-view: Why is it impossible to implement those libraries we would need?

Even if it would be a supersmart looking forwarder which is just calling another dol to start a game... (I hope this doesn't sound to unprofessional

)

 

[cdreams]

Hey guys.

Well the main thing is that Don is coding it and he is limited with his time. The original idea of this thread was just to get the loader working with the background correctly and having a separate config page for options and stuff. That way it kept the loader nice and clean and simple.

Over the last week or so it's evolved quite a bit with Don adding new things and trying things out. Maybe at some stage when everything is done that is a priority right now, then maybe extras can be included, but it will really come down to Don as it's his time and I don't want to hassle him too much. He's already been extremely helpful to me by helping me out and getting the loader to work as I had hoped for.

For now though I would say wait a bit and let Don code what he has to just now. I am working on images and stuff for you all, and soon you will have a really nice loader. If it goes according to plan you will be able to design your own backgrounds to suit your style.

 

[DragTom70]

@cdreams: But then the title CoverFLOW is very irritating and there are already many other configurable loaders. Just showing three instead of one picture (one -1 one +1) is even in my coding capabilities.