theme COLORFUL bigbox theme

[CutTheRug]

11 hours ago, viking said:

I'm not sure what PlatformVideo you're talking about. The theme is designed to be used with my video set. But that's not a technical prerequisite. You can use any video set.

Okay, I think I figured it out, and sorry if I didn't explain myself correctly. I think in the past a user named @eatkinola made a theme based on your nostalgia video set that was also called Nostalgia [https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/41137-nostalgia/]. I think this theme used still images from your resource files, but with a transparent screen. Then within the screen, it would only play videos from your own launch box library.

I'll ask in the resource thread to see if anyone can help me insert games from my launchbox library into the television somehow. I'm trying to do it myself on Davinci Resolve, but I can't seem to figure out how to get the new videos below the reflection and drop shadow layers. I'm probably using the alpha channel wrong, but I don't really know how to do this stuff haha.

Thanks again for all your amazing contributions!

 

[Aniv Cuderoes]

20 hours ago, viking said:

I'm not sure what PlatformVideo you're talking about. The theme is designed to be used with my video set. But that's not a technical prerequisite. You can use any video set.

Yes, it's impossible for me to cover all the custom names. I've put in a few, like the classic "Nintendo NES". For the others, you have the right method: you have to rename the .PNG file with exactly the name of your platform.
For example : 
from
 > Launchbox/Themes/Colorful - Light/Media/Hardware Set/  Super Nintendo Entertainment System.png
to
 > Launchbox/Themes/Colorful - Light/Media/Hardware Set/  Nintendo SNES.png   (Exactly the name you use)

If it still doesn't work, maybe you're using accents or special characters that are causing problems?

 

20 hours ago, Retro808 said:

As long as you rename name the correct images to match exactly how your platform is named in LB it should work. You may need to go into BB settings and refresh the image cache.

solved, the problem was that there was a conflict with the 2 versions I had of the theme, now I have another problem that I do not know if it can be solved, I have as a platform category arcade and within the platform another one that is also called arcade and of course within hardware images I can only have a background image of one with that name how could I do to put the other background image of arcade that is not platform category?

[Margo]

Hi!

I got BigBox; seeing how amazing this "COLORFUL" theme looks from youtube videos was a significant incentive! Thank you to anyone who contributed to this theme; it's so awesome.

I am encountering some errors at the moment in setting it up. I figure there may be a step in setting this up I have missed; attached are two screenshots of two different issues I noticed.

1st screenshot: When scrolling through platforms, the view seems off. Platform names are at the top with a green highlight rather than as appeared in other online footage. 

2nd screenshot: When selecting a platform, the transition takes a moment before displaying the proper platform background color. Before the proper color does appear, it is pitch black.

[viking]

1 hour ago, Margo said:

Hi!

I got BigBox; seeing how amazing this "COLORFUL" theme looks from youtube videos was a significant incentive! Thank you to anyone who contributed to this theme; it's so awesome.

I am encountering some errors at the moment in setting it up. I figure there may be a step in setting this up I have missed; attached are two screenshots of two different issues I noticed.

1st screenshot: When scrolling through platforms, the view seems off. Platform names are at the top with a green highlight rather than as appeared in other online footage. 

2nd screenshot: When selecting a platform, the transition takes a moment before displaying the proper platform background color. Before the proper color does appear, it is pitch black.

 

 

That's because you're using the wrong theme view.
In the BigBox display options, change the platform view. You can also assign a key to this action.

Another point, platform videos.
Too heavy to be included in the theme archive, you can easily download them from LaunchBox > Tools > Download > Platform/Playlist Theme Videos.
Here, select "Colorful" (HD or 4K) and validate each option by platform.

[Margo]

7 hours ago, viking said:

That's because you're using the wrong theme view.
In the BigBox display options, change the platform view. You can also assign a key to this action.

Another point, platform videos.
Too heavy to be included in the theme archive, you can easily download them from LaunchBox > Tools > Download > Platform/Playlist Theme Videos.
Here, select "Colorful" (HD or 4K) and validate each option by platform.

Thank you very much for the response! I'll change the platform view.

I do have the playlist videos already downloaded and being utilized, though now that I think about it, maybe it has to do with using the 4K videos on my 1080p display. I'll test more later today and report back. Sending well wishes!

EDIT: Switched to the HD video set. Here is footage that shows the issue my setup is having - 

If I can provide any more information that would be helpful, I'd be happy to do so! It's alright if there's not a known cause.

Edited September 1, 2023 by Margo
Provide further context

[viking]

Hum ... Strange !

@faeran do you have any idea here ?

[faeran]

9 hours ago, viking said:

Hum ... Strange !

@faeran do you have any idea here ?

Maybe turn off transitions in options for the platform videos.

[Margo]

51 minutes ago, faeran said:

Maybe turn off transitions in options for the platform videos.

Here is footage of the theme with all transitions set to "None". - 

 

[viking]

@Margo From what I see of your video:

Black screens are not normal. Is the disk on which LaunchBox is installed fast or slow (SSD or old HDD)?
I also have the impression that you validate (hit enter) during the selection wheel. When the image is on the left.
When you validate a platform, you go directly to the GamesView. 
To see the platform animation, don't touch anything and wait.
It's a design problem on my part: the animation is too long and when you use it, you stop waiting for it. I'm working on this for the next big theme update. Finding the right compromise between design and usability.

Edited September 4, 2023 by viking

[Margo]

17 minutes ago, viking said:

@Margo From what I see of your video:

Black screens are not normal. Is the disk on which LaunchBox is installed fast or slow (SSD or old HDD)?
I also have the impression that you validate (hit enter) during the selection wheel. When the image is on the left.
When you validate a platform, you go directly to the GamesView. 
To see the platform animation, don't touch anything and wait.
It's a design problem on my part: the animation is too long and when you use it, you stop waiting for it. I'm working on this for the next big theme update. Finding the right compromise between design and usability.

I installed this after building my first PC, and I'm not too familiar with what's considered a fast disk, though it's stored on a WD SN850X SSD. I've also just reapplied default transitions and tested waiting for the animation to pan the image, and the left side of the screen still becomes pitch-black for a bit after validation. If any footage would be helpful please feel free to let me know. I'll try and figure out what's causing this; I appreciate you and Faeran's replies! Sending the best of wishes.

[viking]

Um, no. Your disk is fast enough. It didn't come from there.

Have you tried the HD video set instead of 4K?

Otherwise, I'm not sure. Media seems to take 1 second to load.
In the next version of the theme, I'll try to simplify this. It'll be much simpler, stable and snapy I hope!

[Margo]

9 hours ago, viking said:

Um, no. Your disk is fast enough. It didn't come from there.

Have you tried the HD video set instead of 4K?

Otherwise, I'm not sure. Media seems to take 1 second to load.
In the next version of the theme, I'll try to simplify this. It'll be much simpler, stable and snapy I hope!

I tried the HD video set as well; CPU is a Ryzen 7950x, GPU is a 4080. I'm excited for the next version, this theme is so awesome!

[skizzosjt]

@viking and @Margo

for what it's worth I'm fairly certain my setup does the same thing and I have never once thought it to be a bug or unintended.  a few things to note...

I am using the dark variant with 4K videos, and I have customized parts of the theme, but this seems to really only occur under these specific conditions.  You must being changing from a Platform View going into Text List With Details as the view to select individual games. I've kept an unaltered copy of Colorful Dark as well and see same behavior on stock settings too

 

Video clip of my system doing the same thing. I am going from SNES platform, into said platform to select a game, this is the only way I can recreate it so far. Notice the black section where the color condition should be filling it in on the left hand side? Shows up for just a split second before getting the proper fill in along with the rest of the view loading. I do notice that looks delayed compared to switching to other views/screens throughout Big Box, at least in regard to a noticeable black element filling in, or not filling in, however it's technically seen by the program.

 

 

I noted this occurs when using Text List With Details for the platform view and I think it's equally import to notice it does NOT occur on the ACTUAL Game Details View. Which may or may not be helpful because I kinda thought they were one in the same view lol?!  So it doesn't matter if you have Game Details marked as skipped or not, going into that Game Details via a user assignable button or from having the view come up natively (due to not being marked as skipped) the issue doesn't occur there.  I would be suspect of Text List With Details view having something to do with this issue based on my brief investigation

 

 

[QuirkyKirkTech]

On 9/5/2023 at 6:59 PM, skizzosjt said:

@viking and @Margo

for what it's worth I'm fairly certain my setup does the same thing and I have never once thought it to be a bug or unintended.  a few things to note...

I am using the dark variant with 4K videos, and I have customized parts of the theme, but this seems to really only occur under these specific conditions.  You must being changing from a Platform View going into Text List With Details as the view to select individual games. I've kept an unaltered copy of Colorful Dark as well and see same behavior on stock settings too

 

Video clip of my system doing the same thing. I am going from SNES platform, into said platform to select a game, this is the only way I can recreate it so far. Notice the black section where the color condition should be filling it in on the left hand side? Shows up for just a split second before getting the proper fill in along with the rest of the view loading. I do notice that looks delayed compared to switching to other views/screens throughout Big Box, at least in regard to a noticeable black element filling in, or not filling in, however it's technically seen by the program.

 

 

I noted this occurs when using Text List With Details for the platform view and I think it's equally import to notice it does NOT occur on the ACTUAL Game Details View. Which may or may not be helpful because I kinda thought they were one in the same view lol?!  So it doesn't matter if you have Game Details marked as skipped or not, going into that Game Details via a user assignable button or from having the view come up natively (due to not being marked as skipped) the issue doesn't occur there.  I would be suspect of Text List With Details view having something to do with this issue based on my brief investigation

 

 

I've had this issue pretty much since I've had BigBox.  I always assumed it was because I was running my metadata off of a NAS HDD array...Interesting to hear folks with more normal setups having this issue.

[marph]

First thanks a lot for this awesome theme! It's so clean and elegant but still manages to display all the relevant information at the right places. Very happy😊!

Now to my question: I would like to show certain playlist videos (which are not especially designed for your theme) in full widescreen. Currently they are being cropped. How can I achieve this?

[viking]

I'm not sure I understand what you want. Can you make a screenshot?

The theme doesn't crop any videos. It shifts them to the right to center them in their zone.
Normally, this works with any video. Not just my set.

[marph]

Thanks for the quick answer.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Is there a way to tell your theme not to center a video in a box but to play it in the background with full width, but only for certain playlists?

[viking]

I don't think you can make that many changes for certain playlists only.
The "graphics problem" here is that you're using "theme videos". Try just using gameplay videos. It'll be easier.

In LaunchBox options, set video priority to "Video Snap" on top.

[marph]

Thanks for the hint @viking.

Well, the problem is that I don't have other good gamplay videos which I could use instead. And I like these arcade playlist videos by RetroHumanoid pretty much. So it would be nice if I could show them in full width. But I figure this is not supported by launchbox (as you said), even if you would like to implement an option like this into your theme, isn't it?

[viking]

13 hours ago, marph said:

Thanks for the hint @viking.

Well, the problem is that I don't have other good gamplay videos which I could use instead. And I like these arcade playlist videos by RetroHumanoid pretty much. So it would be nice if I could show them in full width. But I figure this is not supported by launchbox (as you said), even if you would like to implement an option like this into your theme, isn't it?

So there are two things here: 

You can have 2 types of videos at the same time in LaunchBox.
"simple gameplay video" or "theme video".
In the settings I suggest, you can choose the priority order to display, in case a game has several videos. Apart disk space, this has no other impact.
If you want to use the Colorful theme, I suggest you use the "simple gameplay videos". It'll be much more elegant.
Some other themes work better with "Theme Video".

Technically, in the Colorful theme, the gray band on the left of the screen passes over the video. The video is not cropped, but masked.
To see more of your video, you need to reduce this band.
This will force you to replace all the UI elements and recenter the video.
If you wish, you can try to modify this with the Community Theme Creator. Colorful Theme Source Code available in the download page