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RetrAO Cafe RetrAO Cafe Classic 1.0

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SNAK3ATER
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About This File

Enjoy the nostalgic inducing feel of the 80's and 90's era with bright neons, MORE NEONS, the latest in cinematic VHS and the good Ol' CRT effects that will surely awaken the inner 80's child in you.

RetrAO Cafe started as a theme variation of "Minimal-AO" by @eatkinola with the main focus of recreating a tribute to the golden era of gaming that bloomed through the arcades and home consoles with customized artwork and retro overlay effects that compliments the gaming pop-culture from the past. RetrAO Cafe at its core is based on eatkinola's Minimal-AO thus they share the same Recommendation Setup and general guidelines of the original theme. 

Moving forward there will be three versions of the RetrAO Cafe theme:

RetrAO Cafe Classic - This will be the 2017 theme build but with the fixes and quality of life improvements to make it compatible to LB 9.4+ updates. As such, please be aware that this theme will only work on systems with LB 9.4 and above.

RetrAO Cafe 2.0 - This major overhaul of the theme have been in development for 2 years and includes more than 70 customization options and new features and views, etc. Coming soon 

RetrAO Cafe Lite - This version of the theme is intended to use light resources for weaker systems and special hardwares such as GPD Win and Pi systems. The development of this theme will continue after the release of RetrAO Cafe Classic and RetrAO Cafe 2.0

 

RetrAO Cafe Classic v1.0 Changelog:

  • Spoiler

    RetrAO Cafe Classic v1.0 Changelog:

    Paving the way for Next Generation!

    • New: Added more platform Neon Logos by the talented @ea4492 to raise the supported systems to more than 100 Clear Logos including futureproof consoles such as Nintendo Switch and Sony Playstation 4
    • New: Platform wheel 1 completely redesigned to better showcase the Neon Logos by @ea4492 Overhaul: RetrAO Cafe 1.6 have been renamed to RetrAO Cafe Classic that comes with fixes and quality of life improvements to make it compatible with LB 9.4+ systems. The next major evolution of this theme will be called RetrAO Cafe 2.0 and is coming soon!
    • Overhaul: Added ActivePlatform and ActiveGame properties when appropriate for a smoother and faster browsing experience. The theme should have less stuttering compared to previous releases
    • Overhaul: RetrAO Cafe Classic now supports Centered Listbox Selection plugin by @Grila across various supported views! (Credits for the plugins goes to @Grila)
    • Overhaul: Applied polish (Forced 16X9, DPI Scaling Fix, etc) and nifty little details in every existing views for a better user experience 

    RetrAO Cafe v1.6.1 Changelog:

    A teaser for new things to come!

    • Added: Updated Platform View 1 into a fullscreen video platform view with full overlay effects support that utilizes @Grila Wheel Fade codes. This view is a teaser for more views to come in RetrAO Cafe 1.7
    • Added: Dark shade effect for Platform View 1 that automatically kicks in when Clear Wheel Logo is active on screen and automatically fades out with the Wheel.

    RetrAO Cafe v1.6 Changelog:

    It's all about enhancing text legibility and aesthetics!

    • Added: Introduced an Opacity slider to allow the user to decide how opaque they want the Alpha Panels to look
    • Added: Retro overlay that mimics the CRT's  scanlines effect for the Background Video that can be toggled ON/OFF for each View in RetrAO Cafe 1.6
    • Fixed: Re-edited most of the original artwork for a more consistent look, made the logos more neon to enhance the retro look of the theme.

    RetrAO Cafe v1.5 Changelog:

    • Renamed Minimal-RetrAO to RetrAO Cafe. The "AO" was retained as a nod to eatkinola's theme but the name change signifies the change of direction of this theme moving forward. 
    • Added: New views for Platform/Game wheel 2 that are based on Minimal-AOX Theme. More views are planned in the future.
    • Added: Retro overlays that mimics the CRT's flickering scanlines effect and 80's noise glitch for a more realistic feel on Games Wheels View 3 (looks great on 4:3 videos)
    • Added: Custom artwork that enhances the retro look of the theme (Neon logos, Favorite/Broken/Completed icons, panels, etc). Also updated the platform clear logos by @ea4492 included in the theme to v1.2
    • Added: New Font styles and colors on various views across the theme. (The old fonts are also included in the font folder titled "Classic Style 1.0")
    • Added: New video backgrounds in the additional media folder that were edited from my side to suit the art direction of the theme, removed some of the video backgrounds from the previous additional media folder.
    • Fixed: Cleaned the interface from the symbols/adornments of the original theme, re-edited most of the original artwork for a more consistent look.
    • Fixed: Text alignment issues from Minimal-RetrAO. The "New Style" fonts were tested on the following resolutions with no alignment issues: 
      1280 x 720P @100% Scale
      1920 x 1080P @100% @150% @175% Scale
      3840 x 2160P @100% @200% @300% Scale
    • Fixed: Performance enhancements across the entire theme by changing "Selected.Games/Platforms" into "Active.Games" where appropriate as well as some other optimizations. The theme should perform better and much smoother than before.

     

RetrAO Cafe Showcase:

 

 

Installation Guide:

  • Extract RetrAO Cafe Classic folder in "RetrAO_Cafe_ Classic.zip" to ...\LaunchBox\Themes
  • Read the supplied text file in the Fonts folder and install theme fonts as per the guideline instructions
  • IMPORTANT: RetrAO Cafe Classic uses plugins as of v1.0 so make sure you unblock the plugins found in ...\LaunchBox\Themes\RetrAO Cafe Classic\Plugins by highlighting Grila's plugin and then mouse right-click-->properties-->then scroll down and check "unblock"-->Apply
  • Choose RetrAO Cafe Classic in Options > Views > Theme
  • Set Video Playback Engine to VLC in Options > Videos
  • Refresh the platform wheel cache under options
  • Restart Big Box
  • OPTIONAL: In order to fully enjoy the theme download the "RetrAO_Cafe_MEDIA_V2.zip" and follow the guidelines on how install Big Box Intro and add additional Background Videos as per the supplied instruction text files

Downloads:

  • RetrAO_Cafe_Classic.zip: CORE theme file ---> Contains the Theme folder and the Fonts folder that are the only requirement to use this theme (144 MB)
  • RetrAO_Cafe_MEDIA_V2.zip: Optional but highly recommended additional media and theme backgrounds that will enhance the nostalgic experience of the theme (367 MB)

Credits:

@Jason Carr - The BRAINS (Launchbox and Big Box creator)

@eatkinola - The Architect (Minimal-AO creator, coding senpai)

@SNAK3ATER - The Designer (RetrAO Cafe landlord)

@Grila - The Wizard (Many thanks for the ListBox Scroll Center Plugin for BigBox)

Special thanks and credit goes to @eatkinola for granting his permission and assisting me in finalizing the theme for LB 9.4+.  @ea4492 for the use of his Neon Platform Clear Logos and @keltoigael for granting his permission to include the awesome CityHunter background videos that can be found in the additional media folder in the download section (only included video is CyberPunk 2077, check out the rest of his amazing work Here). Also hats off to @dmjohn0x for his amazing intro video that is included in the additional media folder (permission granted), and last but not least @Zombeaver for the usage of his Platform Banners in the video showcase which can be downloaded Here. 

What's New in Version RetrAO Cafe Classic 1.0   See changelog

Released

Paving the way for Next Generation!

  • New: Added more platform Neon Logos by the talented @ea4492 to raise the supported systems to more than 100 Clear Logos including futureproof consoles such as Nintendo Switch and Sony Playstation 4
  • New: Platform wheel 1 completely redesigned to better showcase the Neon Logos by @ea4492
  • Overhaul: RetrAO Cafe 1.6 have been renamed to RetrAO Cafe Classic that comes with fixes and quality of life improvements to make it compatible with LB 9.4+ systems. The next major evolution of this theme will be called RetrAO Cafe 2.0 and is coming soon!
  • Overhaul: Added ActivePlatform and ActiveGame properties when appropriate for a smoother and faster browsing experience. The themes should have less stuttering compared to previous releases
  • Overhaul: RetrAO Cafe Classic now supports Centered Listbox Selection plugin by @Grila across various supported views! (Credits for the plugins goes to @Grila)
  • Overhaul: Applied polish (Forced 16X9, DPI Scaling Fix, etc) and nifty little details in every existing views for a better user experience 
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Recommended Comments

dmjohn0x

1.5 is looking pretty nice. Just one suggestion. Some videos behind the text makes it hard to read. I think adding a scanline overlay will fit the theme well and make the text pop more and be more easily read.

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SNAK3ATER
8 hours ago, dmjohn0x said:

1.5 is looking pretty nice. Just one suggestion. Some videos behind the text makes it hard to read. I think adding a scanline overlay will fit the theme well and make the text pop more and be more easily read.

@dmjohn0x Thanks for your input, I've looked into your suggestion and yes I agree using brighter Background Videos does affect text legibility so I came up with two solutions:

A. Introduce an Opacity slider to allow user to decide how opaque they want the Alpha Panels to look:

100% Opacity

Desktop_02_11.2017_-_16_45_00_01.thumb.png.a830ceeebb8f378269c85ceeae7b2421.pngDesktop_02_11.2017_-_16_45_56_02.thumb.png.095b4e7b6bde4ec9c0130ef4109d4edf.png

50% Opacity

Desktop_02_11.2017_-_16_50_26_07.thumb.png.4ef233c051924818a25e1acb8345576c.png

Default Theme Opacity:

Desktop_02_11.2017_-_05_36_15_03.thumb.png.9cdd979247d9b3bef4542010f1487230.png

What do you think? Does this solve the issue you mentioned?

B. I'm also exploring adding a scanline overlay option on top of the background videos but I have concerns that it may impact performance so its still in the tesing phase.. Let me know what you think

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SNAK3ATER
13 hours ago, dmjohn0x said:

Opacity slider works well enough if scanlines doesnt pan out. I simply thought it'd add to the 80s aesthetic.

@dmjohn0x Alright bro I will implement both features for the next update so your feedbacks are taken for granted. If you and anyone else have other suggestions please do share it with us and i'll try my best to implement them if possible :)

I'm also exploring the new clear logos codes by @Grila for the next update but still haven't decided if I should use them in the current views or if I should add new views (maybe a fullscreen platform/game view?) with the HS fading clear logos..

What do you guys think? suggestions and ideas are well appreciated!

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SNAK3ATER
On 2/12/2017 at 9:39 PM, dmjohn0x said:

Im not sure how well they fit but i really love Zombeaver's platform videos w/ City Hunter:
 

 

@dmjohn0x Alright I managed to implement both requested features for RetrAO Cafe 1.6 with customization options for all the views. Now you can mix and match to your heart content for the perfect view legibility ;)

Here is a quick preview of some of the new features for 1.6: (Note: Customization options work for both Platform and Game views + overlay effects on platform/game snaps)

Game View 2 with opacity slider of 100% with Background Video Scanline Enabled 

 

Spoiler

Desktop_02_15.2017_-_16_06_29_07.thumb.png.7a326599e761a029841c3a9ba7f18047.png

Game View 2 with opacity slider of 40% with Background Video Scanline Enabled

 

Spoiler

Desktop_02_15.2017_-_15_53_54_04.thumb.png.75fd3c3ee1d25d41d23b1fcddd5d5519.png

Game View 4 with opacity slider of 85% with Background Video Scanline Disabled

 

Spoiler

Desktop_02_14.2017_-_23_30_41_07.thumb.png.91cfaa191fb7a1256ad07c8aec01cabd.png

 

The update is ready but i'm currently stress testing it to make sure there are no bugs introduced with the new features, I will upload the update sometimes later today.

As for @Zombeaver platform videos I believe they fit the theme since they both share the retro look. I'm currently working on a couple of views including a fullscreen platform/game view with @Grila HS faded wheels that will fit these platform videos but they're still not ready for prime so i'm aiming to introduce them in RetrAO Cafe 1.7 hopefully 9_9

Thank you my friend for your suggestions and if you have more please do share it with me!

 

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vaderag

I love the look and feel of this, but my machine is really struggling with it... (despite being fine with other similar themes)

Anything I can do to minimise the memory consumption?

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SNAK3ATER
3 hours ago, vaderag said:

I love the look and feel of this, but my machine is really struggling with it... (despite being fine with other similar themes)

Anything I can do to minimise the memory consumption?

The theme was running smoothly for me on both of my machines hence why I released it officially, I suspect the memory consumption in your case may be related to multiple videos playing at the same time.

The cool thing about this theme is that almost all the features that are in the AOStyle.xaml file can be turned on/off for each and every view so the user can customize the theme to their likings and according to their machine requirements.

If you're not familiar with editing the AOStyle.xaml then let me know and i'll customize the options for you and share with you the file.

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vaderag
14 hours ago, SNAK3ATER said:

The theme was running smoothly for me on both of my machines hence why I released it officially, I suspect the memory consumption in your case may be related to multiple videos playing at the same time.

The cool thing about this theme is that almost all the features that are in the AOStyle.xaml file can be turned on/off for each and every view so the user can customize the theme to their likings and according to their machine requirements.

If you're not familiar with editing the AOStyle.xaml then let me know and i'll customize the options for you and share with you the file.

Thanks for your response - all seems to be explained quite well in the file - do you have any suggestions on the best things to turn on/off?
Assuming videos, but I notice that some have backup png but I don't seem to have the PNG included with the theme (e.g. kevlar?)

Edit. Definitely the videos - turning off scanlines made the biggest dent, but BG video definitely making things too clunky too :( ) 

Edit2. One of the views uses scanlines whatever the settings in that file. Looks like it's using the scanline video and the glitch video and none of the settings actually turn those off. If i rename the files then those views don't show up in the cycle, so seems that they break something...

Edited by vaderag
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SNAK3ATER
11 hours ago, vaderag said:

Thanks for your response - all seems to be explained quite well in the file - do you have any suggestions on the best things to turn on/off?
Assuming videos, but I notice that some have backup png but I don't seem to have the PNG included with the theme (e.g. kevlar?)

Edit. Definitely the videos - turning off scanlines made the biggest dent, but BG video definitely making things too clunky too :( ) 

Edit2. One of the views uses scanlines whatever the settings in that file. Looks like it's using the scanline video and the glitch video and none of the settings actually turn those off. If i rename the files then those views don't show up in the cycle, so seems that they break something...

Let me cook up something for you.. Also please note that RetrAO Cafe Classic is basically the 2017 build made compatible for LB 9.4+ with a small number of additions for current users to enjoy until the release of RC 2.0 which will be much smoother and lighter for both higher-end and lower-end machines 

 

I'll edit this post with a customized file for you

Edit: Here you go @vaderag just extract the contents of the file into the RetrAO Cafe Classic root folder and replace files when prompted. Also make sure you backup your views folder shall you ever want to revert back to your original settings. I have tested this customized build with my GPD Win 2 and it was working smoothly.

RetrAO_Cafe_Classic_Lite.zip

Let me know how it went with you

Edited by SNAK3ATER
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vaderag

Thanks you! I'll give that a try over the weekend :)

Will it cycle those pics in the PNG folder or do I need to rename one of them?

Edited by vaderag
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SNAK3ATER
6 hours ago, vaderag said:

Thanks you! I'll give that a try over the weekend :)

Will it cycle those pics in the PNG folder or do I need to rename one of them?

In this build you'll have to manually rename the AOSkinPNG value in the AOStyle file: (rename "KF-2" to the image of your choice, make sure the image file is in the PNG folder) 

<System:String x:Key="AOSkinPNG">KF-2</System:String>

Please note that this a 2017 build and since then I have added over 70 new options to RC 2.0 including automatic video randomizer, custom Platform fanart, Game Fanart, random game slideshow and more (all of the features are customizable for each view giving the user the freedom to design each view to their likings)

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