viking

April 3, 2023

Wow superb !!!! I'm going to try this out very soon! BRAVO!

March 24, 2023

Some view in the next release. V.3.0 🙂

March 20, 2023

@kobaturtle No, I did not keep the CTC archives. But maybe @faeran does?

February 21, 2023

@OdinsPlayground You're right!!
Done :

February 20, 2023

UPDATE | 2023-02-20 | +5 Platform Video
Already available through the usual channels!

SNK Neo Geo MVS (alternative version 2.0) @nick Sicilia

Arcade Classics (Playlist)

Sega Triforce

Sega Naomi (my version, with new CGI cab)

Sega Naomi 2 (my version, with new CGI cab)

January 23, 2023

Normally, you will find all my sources on this topic:

January 13, 2023

Oups, sorry !
Upload done on BigBox Theme manager. Please wait a little for team approval ! =)

December 20, 2022

OK. Time for a concept update. 🚀
As a reminder: v3 of the theme has not started its development! Still in the concept and Photoshop mockup stage.
I take this opportunity to thank you for your feedback. Even if I don't include them all, they are all useful!

Sorry in advance: this is going to be a long post!

PLATFORM :
I've done a lot of them. Much more than the 4 view limit.
I really hope this limit will be lifted by a future update! 🤞 ( @Jason Carr )

PlatformWheel1FiltersView

Video background.
The original view, modernized.

PlatformWheel2FiltersView

Video background.
Same, with wheel always visible. I don't think it's useful. It will probably disappear...

PlatformWheel3FiltersView

Video background.
The original view, modernized.
It is really this variant of "box" design that I prefer =)

PlatformWheel4FiltersView

Video background.
The same, in dark design. I would like to merge the 2 versions (lite + dark) into one theme. It would be much easier to maintain!

PlatformWheel5FiltersView

PNG hardware.
Views to take advantage of the new wheel. Dark version.

PlatformWheel6FiltersView

PNG hardware.
Views to take advantage of the new wheel. Lite version.

PlatformWheel7FiltersView

Views to take advantage of the new wheel.

PlatformWheel8FiltersView

PNG hardware.
Just some adjustments on my favorite view. No video. No centering. Just simplicity!
I started to make a logo set for the manufacturers, but the ratio is not always good. And some are impossible to get in good resolution.
So a large text in the background seems more consistent.

PlatformWheel9FiltersView

PNG hardware.
Another quick test. =) Quick and snappy UI.

PlatformWheel10FiltersView (or TextPlatformView if it's possible ?)

PNG hardware.
Big bold text and that's it ^^ Love this one to !

GAMESVIEW
OK, let's see what we can do with the GamesView. Here, no problem of number limit!

WheelGamesView

Video Background
Legacy view, modernized. To avoid having to manage a lite and dark version : we switch to color !

Wheel2GamesView

Fanart or gameplay image background.
A very simple view. The idea being to privilege the speed and the ergonomics of the interface.

HorizontalWheel1GamesView

Modernization of an old concept.

HorizontalWheel2GamesView

Modernization of an old concept.
Small game with the cartridge front and the new wheel.

HorizontalWheel3GamesView

More "TV" style. Like Netflix. Not sure here =/

HorizontalWheel4GamesView

More "TV" style. Like Netflix. I prefer this one!

WallGamesView

Modernization of an old concept.

Wall2GamesView

Modernization of an old concept.

Wall3GamesView

Really not sure about this one. Too few items visible on the screen. Video on the top right.

The most difficult one will remain: TextGamesView
Not easy because it is the funnel. Everything ends on this view !

I look forward to your comments!
Thank you for reading to the end

November 22, 2022

OK, little update on my concept, based on your feedback.
Only PlatformView again.

Attention, I have deleted one of the previous ones. So new name for the views.

@Jason Carr @faeran @y2guru and all the community : What do you think of all this?
Are there any things that are impossible?

PlatformWheel1FiltersView

Video based view.
Just a little bit of cleaning here.

PlatformWheel2FiltersView

Video based view.
Same. Just a little bit of cleaning here.
I'm not sure this view is very interesting. Its only advantage is the permanently visible wheel. So less animation. So more reactivity.
What do you think about it?

PlatformWheel3FiltersView

Video based view.
OK. Here I tried to keep the original spirit, while modernizing and simplifying the view. I like it ! Your opinion?

PlatformWheel4FiltersView

Video based view.
The same, in dark version.

PlatformWheel5FiltersView

PNG based view.
Just a little cleaning. The idea here is to play on the new possibilities of the wheel. A variant around the navigation "Banner" style.
Maybe it's too heavy. I hope it will stay fluid.

PlatformWheel6FiltersView

PNG based view.
Same in light style. With a random blurry Gameplay image in background. Desaturated and low opacity.

PlatformWheel7FiltersView

PNG based view. Or maybe video. (Will depend on the final fluidity)
I like the principle of this one. Banner style too. But it lacks a je ne sais quoi. I still have to work here!

PlatformWheel8FiltersView

PNG based view.
Small adjustments on the presentation of PlatfornName + Date + GamesCount.
I really like this one. But I still have to do better on the titles... I'll think about it !

PlatformWheel9FiltersView

PNG based view.
I totally redesigned the old view 10.
For the color by platform, the idea is a fade color to color, when we change selection. Fast, like <1sec.
Technically, I don't know which is better:
- Based on TextPlatformView ?
- Based on PlatformWheelView + Custom wheel item ?
The idea here is to play with an ultra bold platform list. I hesitate between two versions:
- Unselected : bold outline font ?
- Unselected : bold font ?

Thank you for reading everything!
Your feedback is precious to me! Don't hesitate to give your opinion in detail!

November 21, 2022

On 11/18/2022 at 8:02 PM, Klopjero said:

@vikingthese look promising..

Thx! =)

On 11/19/2022 at 5:23 AM, kobaturtle said:

Wow! I can't wait to see this in action! Focus on snappier animation is promising! Favorite views so far are Wheel1, 8 and 9. It should make colors shine even more!

Looking forward for game views! Thanks Viking!

Thx!

23 hours ago, OdinsPlayground said:

Great! My preferences and comments:

PlatformWheel3FiltersView
- The classic and clean look.
- Wouldn't mind to see further simplification though.
(Thoughts: Remove thin white line over control inputs. A version without description and bigger platform name? Simplify the Game / Player box. Is it also necessary to say "Press A"? Just thinking of ways it could be a bit more cleaner and minimal)

PlatformWheel9FiltersView.
- I like the big and bold expression.
- Would love this with video support. Have the platform name fade out and video start when left selected.
(Or basically it's just the video fading in over the PNG + Text under it)

PlatformWheel3FiltersView :
I think you are right. I wanted to keep the roots too much. But it's time to modernize it. And on this style of interface, no one reads the summary anyway! ^^

PlatformWheel9FiltersView :
Integrating the video will create too much compromise on this view. I will refine it because I will have to see how this view behaves with short manufacturer names (like SEGA)

16 hours ago, clockw3rk said:

@viking Platform wheels #9 and #2 are absolutely gorgeous. The more minimal, and the less clutter, the easer it is for a non-technical user to walk up and make sense of it. It may be completely irrelevant for this group, but I do find Bigbox performance to be the number one concern outside of theme design, since most users still cannot keep their Bigbox instance running longer than a day without it stuttering, or being unresponsive. I haven't tested if that issue is related to themes themselves, but I think it's a huge barrier to adoption.

Yes, that's the goal I have in mind for this v.3: to clean up as much as possible while keeping the elegance.

Thank you all for your feedback.
I'm going back to work on my concepts =)

November 18, 2022

OK guys. It's time to show you some of my concept for the v.3 theme !

But first, a quick review of the current version:

Too much animation! It's too slow, not very reactive and finally, we don't take take time for play videos. For this v.3, I want to simplify all that. Animations: yes. But under 1sec maximum.
Trying to join the theme color with the video color is too painful. So I changed the design to avoid that. So, if there is a slight variation between the 2 colors, it will be invisible. Or at least not annoying.
I am annoyed by the limit of PlatformView. Only 4 today and all with wheels. Ideally, we should have the same number and diversity as for GamesView. (box, wall, coverflow, 3D)
I already asked to @faeran who is passing on to @Jason Carr and the team. But his is a limit I have to deal with for today.
Having a light and dark version is painful to maintain. If the limit of the point above is lifted, we can have only one Colorful theme. Which includes both light and dark views.
Some v.2 designs have already aged I think.

There may be other things to say! Do not hesitate to tell me in comments

OK, now let's talk about v.3
I would like to address each of the following points.
Originally, I design this theme for TV. Since then, I have an Odin and I really like to stream all my content on a handheld, including BigBox. So I'll include this aspect in my design.
The first thing is the footer bar, inspired from Retroarch. I really like its simplicity and elegance.
So you're going to see a lot of concept. For now, these are only photoshop mockups. There are too many of them. Not all of them will be developed and I'm not even sure if some ideas are possible in code.
In any case, I have to wait for the v.2.5 of the Community theme Creator by @y2guru to hope complete all that ^^

I will try to explain the concept of each of these views.
For today, I will only present you PlatformViews.
And remember: nothing here is fixed yet. It can change!
Let's go !

PlatformWheel1FiltersView :

A legacy colorful view.
I really like the original view, but it's a pain in the b... to adjust colors between video and theme. Here, the video is alone: no more problem!
The selection wheel will be in the same spirit as the current one, but much simpler and with a faster animation.

PlatformWheel2FiltersView :

Same type of design as #01, but without details.
The wheel is permanently displayed. I don't know if it's possible, but I would like to place the wheel straight, but with an angle, following the structure line. Not rounded.

PlatformWheel3FiltersView :

Legacy colorful view again. Identical to the original, but slightly modernized.
The selection wheel will be in the same spirit as the current one, but much simpler and with a faster animation.

PlatformWheel4FiltersView :

The same, but in dark version.
Possible to merge the 2 versions (light & dark), if we can inclued more than 4 PlatformView. ( @Jason Carr )

PlatformWheel5FiltersView :

OK, let's start the new concepts for Colorful!
The idea here is to use the power of custom wheels. Thx @y2guru !
Here, the "Nintendo NES" block is selected. The other blocks are not.
Finally, there is "only" the wheel displayed on the screen (or almost)
Here, it is not the video that is displayed, but the PNG set.
Here in dark.

PlatformWheel6FiltersView :

Same, but here in light.

PlatformWheel7FiltersView :

Here, it is not the video that is displayed, but the PNG set.
This gives much more freedom with the transparent background.
I'm not so sure about this view. Probably too loaded for the Colorful dna.
I still have some work to do on this view!

PlatformWheel8FiltersView :

Again the PNG set and again a giant wheel. In this example too, it is the NES that is selected.

PlatformWheel9FiltersView :

I really really REALLY like this one. Really in the Colorful spirit and much more modern. Again, no video, but the PNG set.
Vertical wheel. There is only the Hardware PNG in the wheel and you can only see the selected item.
The counter at the bottom right allows you to find your way through the navigation. The background makes a color fade between each selected platform.

PlatformWheel10FiltersView :

Another test, always with the PNG.
A kind of great general mix.
Here, the wheel is on the left. Long colored rectangle for the selected item. A small grey for the unselected ones. That's all ^^
Random GamePlay image, desaturated, masked and with little opacity.
All "platform color" fade between each selection.
I don't know if this view is possible. The wheel should work differently here. The selected item should not stay in the center, but go up and down. It is the total list that is fixed.

That's it for today.
This gives you an idea of the direction the theme will take in its next version.
It doesn't look like much, but it's a lot of work!!
I hope you like it!

What are your favorites?
Do you have any suggestions? Any ideas?

Thank you for reading this to the end

November 11, 2022

Wow, nice bezel !!!

September 30, 2022

@soqueroeu Yes, you are right.
In fact, this view should not even be active! It's a work in progress that I had coded/tested before Faeran redid the code with the Community Theme Creator.
Here is my original Photoshop mokup :

About the theme development, I have tons of ideas that are currently maturing.
I'm especially waiting for the next release of CTC with all the wheel options.
Please be patient : there will be beautiful things to come!!!

September 15, 2022

@Bawnanable
Cool ! Of course, you can share your work!
I would test this on my Odin too

September 12, 2022

9 hours ago, OdinsPlayground said:

Is it possible to get a Platform view in the 2.0 version that is more or less the same as the 1.X version Platform Wheel 1? Where it shows the System Name / Logo / Year of release, then show the full 16x9 video before it slides to the side etc?

In some ways I just find it cleaner, but also helps the entire experience be more cohesive when certain platforms aren't covered by the Colorful theme yet. In the 2.0 they really stand out as you notice it right away when scrolling that the hardware image is missing.

The easiest way is to copy/paste a view.xaml from v1 to v2. But there will probably be incompatibility with the color management system per platform.

@faeran , for this v2, has totally recreated the theme with the Community theme Creator (you can find the sources on the theme download page).
Like removing the "hardware.png" from the wheel. Or customize/add platform colors.

August 31, 2022

With pleasure @OdinsPlayground ! When you have time =)

Nope, no Namco System 11 for now.
Currently, I am working on the v2 of Naomi(s) CGI. With the right arcade cabinet design. Thx @Klopjero for the 3D model link !
Maybe other systems already done, deserve a major upgrade too with this design?
Here is the preview:

Sega Naomi (v2) (WIP)

Sega Chihiro (v2) (WIP)
I'm not sure about this one. The OutRun2 terminal seems to fit this platform, but I'm not sure if the Chihiro's have mainly this form of cabinet.
What do you think about it?

I have preserved the background colors already in place.

August 31, 2022

17 hours ago, clockw3rk said:

Thank you both for all of your work on this amazing theme!

I just downloaded it from the Theme Updater, and did a quick once-over on all the platforms to check for color mismatches. Here’s what I found.

Platform video color mismatch:

NEO GEO CD

Taito Type X

Amstrad CPC

Commodore Amiga CD32

Mattel Intellivision

MSX / MSX2

Nintendo Pokémon Mini

Sammy Atomiswave

Sega Genesis

Sega Naomi

I downloaded all of the correct platform videos for this manually from the download page for this theme.

Thanks for your feedback.
@faeran, I update our Google Sheets.

NEO GEO CD > OK, noted and corrected in the next theme update.
Taito Type X > OK, noted and corrected in the next theme update.
Amstrad CPC > Damn, I see the mistake! There are two video versions here. By CMOSS and by me. The color is adjusted on mine! It's my mistake. I will correct this. In the meantime, download mine.
Commodore Amiga CD32 > OK, noted and corrected in the next theme update. But almost perfect color match already at home.
Mattel Intellivision > OK, noted and corrected in the next theme update.
MSX / MSX2 > Damn, I see the mistake! There are two video versions here. By Tiualex and by me. The color is adjusted on mine! It's my mistake again. I will correct this. In the meantime, download mine.
Nintendo Pokémon Mini > OK, noted and corrected in the next theme update.
Sammy Atomiswave > OK, noted and corrected in the next theme update.
Sega Genesis > OK, noted and corrected in the next theme update. Be careful when downloading. There are 3 versions of Genesis/MegaDrive/MegaDrive Jap
Sega Naomi > OK, noted and corrected in the next theme update.

August 30, 2022

Damn, OK Faeran! =)

August 30, 2022

Yes yes, excuse me, I always have trouble transmitting my ideas in English =/

Even without any animation, it would be cool!
Unless I didn't understand: switching from BoxArt to Video is already an animation? Even without any "visible graphic" animation?

August 30, 2022

5 minutes ago, faeran said:

Good to know that migrated well to the Odin.

Sounds like a good idea, however Xamarin.Forms doesn't actually have native animation support, so we may be stuck there at the moment.

No real need for animation in this case, I think.
A quick fade would be fine, but even without animation, it's nice to have a video preview before launching the game.

August 30, 2022

COLORFUL Hardware PNG media (1x1)

View File

# WHAT IS IT ?
COLORFUL is a complete and coherent high quality graphic set, around a unique design. Made with love in France. I hope you like it !
Here are planned development axes:

OFFICIAL COLORFUL ASSET :
COLORFUL Theme : The main hub, a unique interface for BigBox. Design by me, coded by @faeran
COLORFUL Platform Video : Complete 4K video set, with a unique design.
COLORFUL Source : To involve the community in the platform video creation.
COLORFUL BigBox Startup Video : custom video to match the general design.
COLORFUL Hardware Media PNG (1x1) : Taken from my videos, the 1x1 PNG set. (new)
COLORFUL Startup Theme : (soon)
COLORFUL Pause Theme : (soon)
RECOMMENDED COMMUNITY ASSET :
Redrawn Platform ClearLogo by @Dan Patrick
Colorful "Playlist" PNG set by @Klopjero
Colorful custom theme for Android by @Bawnanable
Platform Funtech Super A'can & Platform Arcade Kaneko by @evo1man
Alternative Colorful Platform ClearLogo Set by @soqueroeu
Alternative Startup Theme (Minimal-Colorful) by @Palada
Recommended SoundPack with Steam Deck UI by @Phox

# HERE IS COLORFUL PNG HARDWARE MEDIA SET:
On this page we are talking about COLORFUL PNG HARDWARE MEDIA Set:
Extract and aligned with the video set, here is the full PNG pack as a direct download.
You can find this same set directly in the Colorful theme. Post here for direct access and more regular updates.

# I NEED YOUR HELP : PATREON ?
I will make a first batch of 65 systems, according to my personal use.
But we are far from covering any game system!
If the community doesnt take over the creation, 2 choices: the project stops /or/ I finish it.
Problem, creating these videos takes a loooooot of time. And I have to deal with a full-time CGI artist job and 2 young kids.
So I opened a Patreon page that could allow me to dedicate days on my work time to continue creating video.
I'm not trying to get rich, but like everyone else, I cant spend 1 day/week working for free! I hope you understand.
If the project interests you: Here is my Patreon page.

# IN DETAIL ?
Obviously, updates here will be aligned with the video set updates. Whether they are made by me or the community:

Transparent PNG file.
2160x2160 px

# A COMMUNITY EFFORT ?
Yes, all sources are available on a dedicated page. Everyone can create their own videos that will be included here, in this PNG set.
🏆 Community Wall of Fame 🏆

# SPECIAL THANKS :

@Jason Carr for his hard work on LaunchBox/BigBox!
@faeran for his huge work on the theme!
To all Patreon guys! A GIANT THANKS to all of you!!! ?
The whote community for yout support!

# SOURCES - COPYRIGHT :

Each brand of hardware and software here represented as a tribute.
Emumovies for (most) gameplay videos
The Vanamo Online Game Museum for (most) photos.
If special credit, see .TXT file in the corresponding source archive.

Submitter

viking
Submitted

08/30/2022
Category

Platform Media Packs

August 30, 2022

!! THEME UPDATE !!

Massive thx to @faeran !

Already available on the download page + on the BigBox theme manager (pending validation)
(Prefer to use the BigBox theme manager)

Changes v.2.02:

- TextGamesView: Adjusted Box - Front, Max Height to 1150
- TextGamesView: Changed Favorite icon's default Visibility state to Collapsed
- TextGamesView: Icon DockPanel's Height changed to Autosize
- Updated Colors
- Updated hardware PNG

August 30, 2022

Excellent theme @faeran, as always!

Test on the 1080p of my Odin (Lite). Works like a charm!
Adopted as my main theme on Android =)

Maybe a version with the BoxArt that, after 3-4sec, fades to gamePlayVideo?

August 23, 2022

!! PLATFORM VIDEO UPDATE !!
+5 new video. Already available through the usual channels

/!\ There was a problem with videos encoding. If you have issue with video length, please download them again.

- EXAMU Ex-Board by @Klopjero

- Konami Bubble System by @Klopjero

- Locomalito by @Klopjero

- Zinc by @Klopjero

- NEC PC-9801

August 23, 2022

Ok, I have a little issue here...

Originally, I badly encoded my videos. It worked, but the streaming was broken, which prevented previewing videos from Launchbox's Theme Video Download Tool.
To fix this issue, Faeran did a huge job fixing my old videos. I took care of the last ones. (See post above)
Except that I screw at some point = all the videos are cut at 60 seconds!!! Damn !

So, DON'T USE AVIDEMUX ANY MORE for this video set !

I found a solution, directly in VIDCODER.
So it doesn't add a new step. Just check these 2 options in each encoding profile.
I will update the 1st post with the corrected VidCoder presets.

So I had to re-encode ALLLLLLL the videos. And upload them again!
It's now done.
So if you find the videos cut at 60sec for no reason, please download them again.
Sorry for the inconvenience !

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COLORFUL Hardware PNG media (1x1)