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BarTop Theme BETA v.0.9.2

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About This File

!! STILL IN BETA !!    Before delivering the final version, I wait to be able to align the items of the wheels. So this is a BETA version with non-definitive wheels, uploaded for debug. Please rate your bug in the forum thread. Thank you!


#01. Description:

BARTOP theme was created for the 4:3 screens of classic arcades cabinet. But it remains fully compatible with all screen ratios. 
In addition to this theme, I created and shared 3 large media sets especially designed for him. I invite you to use them to fully enjoy the experience.
This theme was tested on  4:3 | 16:9 | 16:10 | 21:9 screens. It works on all "out the box". (Only some minor issue on the 21:9)


#02. Features:

  • 5 custom platform view + 5 custom platform view.
  • Custom marquee for platform & Game view.
  • Design for used video in background.
  • Platform & Games views : no video deformation regardless of your screen ratio.  (work only with WMP video engine)
  • Custom icon set. (favorites, broken, ...)
  • Custom media set for ClearLogo + Banner + Platform Video.  (See below.)
  • Scanline effect plug on "background opacity" setting in BigBox.
  • Use auto config : No adjustments to be made. (Only the video engine)
  • Annotated XAML file for easy customization.

 

#03. Showcase:BETA version.jpgPict coming soon, after the release of the final version.

  • Platform view 1 = Design for classic EmuMovie gameplay video, with Hardware banner.
  • Platform view 2 = Design for classic EmuMovie gameplay video.
  • Platform view 3 = Designed specifically for my 4:3 video set.
  • Platform view 4 = Designed specifically for video set like official Cinematix set
  • Platform view 5 = Classic text view, with fanart and Hardware banner.
  • Game view 1 = Classic text view. Design for EmuMovie gameplay video.
  • Game view 2 = Vertical cover wheel. Design for EmuMovie gameplay video.
  • Game view 3 = Horizontal cover wheel. Design for EmuMovie gameplay video.
  • Game view 4 = Horizontal cover flow. Design for EmuMovie gameplay video.
  • Game view 4 = Horizontal game box. Design for EmuMovie gameplay video.

 

#04. Request :

  • LaunchBox Premium with BigBox - v.7.0 (beta) and superior.
  • Windows Media Player must be installed on your computer.

 

#05. How To Install :

  • Download the latest version of the theme.
  • Unzipped the "BarTop" folder into your :   .../LaunchBox / Themes.
  • Open BigBox, go to [Option> View] and select [BarTop] as theme.
  • In BigBox option, set the video engine on WMP.
  • Go back into main interface
  • Done !

 

#06. How to Setup :

HOW TO - CHANGING THE VIEW STYLE (platform & games pages)

  • In BigBox Option > Keyboard Mapper > Change View = assign a key.
  • Go back to main view and press this key.

HOW TO - USING SCANLINE EFFECT
In views where the scanline effect is implemented, it's set by the background opacity in BigBox option.

  • set on  0 : scanline off
  • set on 10 : scanline light
  • set on 90 : scanline strong
  • I suggest to set on 20.


#07. Specially designed custom media :
In addition, I shared a whole series of media specially designed for this theme. Of course, you can use any media your want.
I invite you to download them and follow the installation instructions on each of the pages listed below:

 

#08. Changelog :

v.0.9.2

  • add - Custom marquee view for Platform & Games.

v.0.9.1

  • fix - Platform views = The background video no longer have any distortion.
  • add - Games views = The background video no longer have any distortion.

v.0.9.0

  • Initial BETA release.

 


What's New in Version BETA v.0.9.2   See changelog

Released

  • add - Custom marquee for platform and game.
  • Like 3
  • Thanks 3

User Feedback

Recommended Comments

@Freestate : I did not find any original and elegant design for a ClearLogo wheel. But I had this request. Perhaps I would give a separate view in that direction. For videos, normally the platform view have no ratio problem. But the games view have the standard video engine integration. (for now)   If you notice any problems, please, post a screenshot on the thread forum.

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1 minute ago, throwingmuse said:

Is it possible to remove the top and bottom onscreen arrow indicators in the Platform and Game views through the XML?

I assume it would be here:

 

            <!-- ANIMATED GIF ARROWS UP -->
            <Image gif:ImageBehavior.AnimatedSource="pack://siteoforigin:,,,/Themes/BarTop/Images/Theme/arrow.gif" Grid.Column="15" Grid.Row="1" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Grid.RowSpan="2" Opacity="0.5" />
            <!-- ANIMATED GIF ARROWS DOWN (WITH 180° EFFECT) -->
            <Image gif:ImageBehavior.AnimatedSource="pack://siteoforigin:,,,/Themes/BarTop/Images/Theme/arrow.gif" Grid.Column="15" Grid.Row="15" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Grid.RowSpan="2" Opacity="0.5" RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5"  >
                <Image.RenderTransform>
                    <TransformGroup>
                        <ScaleTransform/>
                        <SkewTransform/>
                        <RotateTransform Angle="180"/>
                        <TranslateTransform/>
                    </TransformGroup>
                </Image.RenderTransform>
            </Image>

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Yes, that's exactly it. Normally, I have annotated all XAML to make this kind of modification easier. You can delete entire blocks this way.

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One other suggestion. I like the platform/game release dates on screen. However, I think the white text could benefit from an outline or shadow of sorts. Although it's not perfect, I worked this out:

 

            <!-- PLATFORM DATE -->
            <Viewbox StretchDirection="DownOnly" Stretch="Uniform" Grid.Column="20" Grid.Row="15" Grid.ColumnSpan="5" Grid.RowSpan="2" >
                <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=SelectedPlatform.ReleaseDate, StringFormat=yyyy}" Foreground="Black" FontFamily="Segoe UI Semibold" FontSize="65" TextAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Opacity="0.8"/>
            </Viewbox>
            <Viewbox StretchDirection="DownOnly" Stretch="Uniform" Grid.Column="20" Grid.Row="15" Grid.ColumnSpan="5" Grid.RowSpan="2" >
                <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=SelectedPlatform.ReleaseDate, StringFormat=yyyy}" Foreground="White" FontFamily="Segoe UI Semibold" FontSize="60" TextAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Opacity="0.6"/>
            </Viewbox>


Is there a better way to achieve a black outline for the white text rather than this crude method?

Edited by throwingmuse
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how do you get it to look like your showcase example with the TV and the video inside it?  When I use this theme it's just a huge video and a wheel.

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Downloaded a bunch of the videos one by one, put in platform videos folder, tested with seting theme to have platform background video, and without.  They never showed up in any of the views, it was just the regular videos for launchbox huge with/without scanlines.  Oh well.  Launchbox just needs to let us put an image in front of a video, instead of having to hard encode a theme video.

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@damageinc86 : Strange bug. 

  • Your BigBox is update to the last v.7 beta ? 
  • Did you setup WMP as video engine in BigBox setup ?
  • Did you rename the video as the exact same name as your LaunchBox platform name ?

Tell me if it's work with this !

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This is great, clean and simple, just what I was after. I do have a problem with it though and I dont know if its my end or not but the videos dont play, I can hear them but they only play if I go into the platform and then come back out, if I cycle the platforms and go back to the start, the video wont play but again, I can hear it.

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The Videos in the System Selection Screens are shown for half a second, but then they fade into black...

The Videos in the Game selction section work perfectly

Anyone knows whats wrong with that?

 

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Love this theme for my bartop except if forces everybody that uses this to use the Nostalgia video set. If you have any other videos you want to use you can't because the videos are not centered and play behind the selection wheel. Thats a shame. Need a centered version of this theme.

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