Retro Faeran's Theme Stream - Big Box Theme Creation

[faeran]

This series of videos was replaced by the Theme Workshop. Which can be found on the Unbroken Software YouTube channel and goes live weekly.

https://www.youtube.com/c/UnbrokenSoftwareLLC/live

 

This post has been left up for archival purposes.

Retro Faeran's Theme Stream
Twitch   ◽  YouTube

The Theme Stream is my running series where the goal is to create (or recreate) a theme for Big Box while I stream the entire process for people to watch and join in on. Veterans, or aspiring themers alike can watch, join in the process, ask questions, and grow our theming skills together. The published theme will then be posted here on the LaunchBox forums for people to try out, along with the COMMUNITY Theme Creator Project Files, for people to mess around with. Past videos will be posted on both my Twitch and YouTube channels, and links to them will be posted below.

All themes will be built using @y2guru's COMMUNITY Theme Creator, which allows themes to be built with little, to no, coding. Place and manipulate layered elements on a canvas, add effects, and animation, without needing to know one bit of code. It's simple to use, and if you have any interest in theme creation, I recommend you download it right now.

 

Learn about the new Wall View changes with LaunchBox 11.10 here:

 

 

Past Broadcasts

 

Theme Stream #5 - Creating Retro Bedroom
I create a brand new theme based around a childhood bedroom from the late 80s, early 90s. This is my take on the infamous bedroom theme.

Download the Published Theme, or Creator Files here: https://forums.launchbox-app.com/files/file/2582-retro-bedroom-theme-stream/

Watch on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/616235182
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6oHCip2B6GU

 

 

 

Theme Stream #4 - Creating Night at the Arcade
I create a brand new theme called Night at the Arcade. This is my take on the 80s arcade experience.

Download the Published Theme, or Creator Files here: https://forums.launchbox-app.com/files/file/2461-night-at-the-arcade-theme-stream/

Watch on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/616235182
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSBkhnk5dx0

 

 

 

 

 

Theme Stream #3 - Recreating Epic Noir (Editorial Noir)
I take on the challenge to port a new ES theme by chicuelo called Epic Noir. It's as epic as its name suggests. The Big Box version of the theme is called Editorial Noir.

Download the Published Theme, or Creator Files here: https://forums.launchbox-app.com/files/file/2412-editorial-noir-theme-stream/

Watch on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/602273726
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcm8sT5mgdE

 

 

 

 

Theme Stream #2 - Rebuilding Retrotastic
I ambitiously try to rebuild my entire Retrotastic theme using the COMMUNITY Theme Creator. 

Download the Published Theme, or Creator Files here: https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/55274-retrotastic-theme-stream/

Watch on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/590341221
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfAJTXCprj4

 

 

 

 

Theme Stream #1 - Recreating ArtBook
Highlights of my first stream, where I end up porting the popular ES theme called ArtBook, originally by alphatoanant.

Download the Published Theme, or Creator Files here: https://forums.launchbox-app.com/files/file/2382-artbook-theme-stream/

Watch on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/583560634
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv5d1e8KOIc

 

 

[faeran]

I will be streaming the creation of the next theme today around 2pm ET on Twitch.

[goofers]

I wish someone in the know would make a nice clean theme with just Hi res images of the systems in the main, then a nice big cover on the right and disc or cart with a large video area on the left like the one done above for the Game Gear.

[neil9000]

29 minutes ago, goofers said:

I wish someone in the know would make a nice clean theme with just Hi res images of the systems in the main, then a nice big cover on the right and disc or cart with a large video area on the left like the one done above for the Game Gear.

Use the theme creator and make one to your liking. Thats what the theme creator is for, to help people who cant code to create there own themes.

[faeran]

36 minutes ago, goofers said:

I wish someone in the know would make a nice clean theme with just Hi res images of the systems in the main, then a nice big cover on the right and disc or cart with a large video area on the left like the one done above for the Game Gear.

Hey @goofers. Not sure if this is like a wink in my direction. Sounds like it's a simple enough concept. There's at least the game menu element that you would have to account for. I wouldn't mind working with you on a working concept if you want.

@neil9000 is also right. Part of this series is to educate people on the use of the Theme Creator. In theory, what you are proposing is a simple enough concept. You can always play around with the editor and see what you can come up with.

[goofers]

44 minutes ago, faeran said:

Hey @goofers. Not sure if this is like a wink in my direction. Sounds like it's a simple enough concept. There's at least the game menu element that you would have to account for. I wouldn't mind working with you on a working concept if you want.

@neil9000 is also right. Part of this series is to educate people on the use of the Theme Creator. In theory, what you are proposing is a simple enough concept. You can always play around with the editor and see what you can come up with.

Yes it was mate I'm still working on lots of systems atm never got much free time to have a go on it. Just after a simple HD console image to click along between each system on the main then like I said Nice Box art then cart or disc plus a nice big video bezel

[wallmachine]

Can I request the Radiance theme be done next, some things I want to replicate in the editor but can't figure it out 

 

 

[faeran]

14 hours ago, wallmachine said:

Can I request the Radiance theme be done next, some things I want to replicate in the editor but can't figure it out 

 

 

I've put it on the list  

However, It's probably best to delay this one until the parenting update to the theme creator.

[CMOSS]

3 hours ago, faeran said:

I've put it on the list  

However, It's probably best to delay this one until the parenting update to the theme creator.

Can I ask what the parenting update is about?

[faeran]

2 hours ago, CMOSS said:

Can I ask what the parenting update is about?

Sure. Normally in XAML you can wrap things inside of other things.

An example would be having an image, inside of a border, that's inside of a grid. You could potentially place many images inside of the grid, like this:

<Grid>
  <Border>
    <Image/>
  </Border>
  <Border>
    <Image/>
  </Border>
  <Border>
    <Image/>
  </Border>
</Grid>

The benefit of something like this is that I can animate the Grid, and it will animate all of the elements inside of the grid.

 

The COMMUNITY Theme Creator doesn't currently work this way. Each Element would be considered separate from each other. So, in the above example, I would have to create 3 animations on each image to achieve the same result.

The goal of the parenting update is to solve issues like this (along with many others), allowing us to place elements inside of other elements.

Hopefully that makes sense.

[CMOSS]

11 minutes ago, faeran said:

Sure. Normally in XAML you can wrap things inside of other things.

An example would be having an image, inside of a border, that's inside of a grid. You could potentially place many images inside of the grid, like this:

<Grid>
  <Border>
    <Image/>
  </Border>
  <Border>
    <Image/>
  </Border>
  <Border>
    <Image/>
  </Border>
</Grid>

The benefit of something like this is that I can animate the Grid, and it will animate all of the elements inside of the grid.

 

The COMMUNITY Theme Creator doesn't currently work this way. Each Element would be considered separate from each other. So, in the above example, I would have to create 3 animations on each image to achieve the same result.

The goal of the parenting update is to solve issues like this (along with many others), allowing us to place elements inside of other elements.

Hopefully that makes sense.

Totally. Thanks a lot for the explanation.

[Fry]

Thank you so much for this series!  I am learning a ton!  
 

I’m curious if there is a good way to copy all the elements from a vertical wheel games view to a horizontal wheel games view?  I would like to tinker with a horizontal wheel with box art on the editorial noir theme. I’ve started manually copying the elements one by one but I was wondering if there’s any easy way to copy most of the elements. Understandably the wheel can’t be copied but I figured everything else could be? 

[faeran]

6 minutes ago, Fry said:

Thank you so much for this series!  I am learning a ton!  
 

I’m curious if there is a good way to copy all the elements from a vertical wheel games view to a horizontal wheel games view?  I would like to tinker with a horizontal wheel with box art on the editorial noir theme. I’ve started manually copying the elements one by one but I was wondering if there’s any easy way to copy most of the elements. Understandably the wheel can’t be copied but I figured everything else could be? 

Thanks Fry.

For sure there is. Right click the vertical wheel view's Default text and choose copy. Do the same thing to paste.

[Fry]

4 minutes ago, faeran said:

Thanks Fry.

For sure there is. Right click the vertical wheel view's Default text and choose copy. Do the same thing to paste.

Dude thank you so much...you just saved me an insane amount of clicking!  Thanks again, I'm loving the stream replays on youtube.  Really appreciate all the time and effort you spend to take us through all of this stuff.  

[faeran]

3 minutes ago, Fry said:

Dude thank you so much...you just saved me an insane amount of clicking!  Thanks again, I'm loving the stream replays on youtube.  Really appreciate all the time and effort you spend to take us through all of this stuff.  

So glad you are enjoying. Can't wait to see what you come up with!

[corrax]

Thank you for taking the time to create such informative streams. I was able to add additional customizations to the Editorial Noir Theme using y2guru's community creator.

Is there any way for the platform view to support more than one fanart image and randomly select one to load? (similar to how game fanart is currently used: "game title-01" "game title-02")

[faeran]

On 5/26/2020 at 8:34 PM, corrax said:

Thank you for taking the time to create such informative streams. I was able to add additional customizations to the Editorial Noir Theme using y2guru's community creator.

Is there any way for the platform view to support more than one fanart image and randomly select one to load? (similar to how game fanart is currently used: "game title-01" "game title-02")

Sorry for the late response.

You should be able to add 2 fanart images to one view and it should automatically pick a fanart image for each. Sometimes it's the same, sometimes it's different. I did this once in my Radiance theme.

[corrax]

Thank you for the tip! Sorry for the late response, I haven't been on the forums for a bit. I saw that the new community creator v1.0.8.5 release has an image randomizer tool. I will experiment with both. 

[rodclemen]

Hi Faeran, I have an idea for your next stream

this theme looks bloody amazing:

 

 

the guy has a few different versions so lots of inspiration to take from.

[NightShadowPT]

On 8/30/2020 at 11:22 PM, rodclemen said:

Hi Faeran, I have an idea for your next stream

this theme looks bloody amazing:

 

 

the guy has a few different versions so lots of inspiration to take from.

Damn... this theme looks positively beautiful.

Looks like a current/next gen console GUI.

Is it already available for download?