(2019-07-03, 16:46)Wintermute0110 Wrote:

Survey to AEL Users - Unique Launcher ROMs artwork directory

I'm currently working on version 0.9.8 and the main feature will be the resuscitation of the scrapers. However, I am also thinking on some changes in AEL towards making AEL more friendly with a future Kodi games database. One of these changes is the location and placement of the ROM assets. I am doing this survey because this change will complicate a bit the upgrade from 0.9.7 to 0.9.8, requiring the exporting of your configuration in XML with version 0.9.7, editing the XML and then reimporting the edited XML with 0.9.8.

Let's go to business. Currently, when creating a ROM Launcher you are asked for the ROM asset path. AEL then creates inside this directory the boxfront, boxback, etc. directories, where the ROMs artwork are stored. However, in the database each path is stored separately and can be edited later. For example, when using XML to configure your launchers, you can specify the <ROM_asset_path>, or alternatively <path_title>, <path_snap>, etc. (have a look here for more details). This approach is very flexible. However, it makes the code of AEL more complicated. For example, if a new piece of artwork is created in the database (and another new feature of AEL 0.9.8 is the support for 3D Boxes), a new tag <path_new_artwork_piece> is needed, all the launchers need to be modified, etc.

Why AEL uses this approach in the first place? This is a legacy feature from old good Advanced Launcher. AL sopported only two types of artwork: Icons and Fanarts, and stored both paths separately. When I created AEL I simply added more artwork directories and just simplified the Launcher creation process. However, all the separated paths of the ROM artwork directories are there in the database.

The proposed change is as follows: only the <ROM_asset_path> will be asked for and stored in the database. Users will not be able to configure the path of each piece of artwork separately. AEL will automatically create the subdirectories boxfronts, boxbacks, snaps, etc., as required inside the <ROM_asset_path>.

How many of you agree with the change? Is anybody using ROM artwork directories that to not share a common root path <ROM_asset_path> anyway?   

(2019-07-10, 20:46)mechevarria Wrote: I use emumovies sync for all my assets. So this change may not work with their default directories. In other words, the artwork directories are created in the rom directory by default are Nintendo_NES/Box, Nintendo_NES/BoxBack, Nintendo_NES/Cart etc. Those don't match up with the defaults in AEL. I would like to be able to define the defaults so adding similar launchers is really easy

(2019-07-03, 16:46)Wintermute0110 Wrote:

Survey to AEL Users - Unique Launcher ROMs artwork directory

I'm currently working on version 0.9.8 and the main feature will be the resuscitation of the scrapers. However, I am also thinking on some changes in AEL towards making AEL more friendly with a future Kodi games database. One of these changes is the location and placement of the ROM assets. I am doing this survey because this change will complicate a bit the upgrade from 0.9.7 to 0.9.8, requiring the exporting of your configuration in XML with version 0.9.7, editing the XML and then reimporting the edited XML with 0.9.8.

Let's go to business. Currently, when creating a ROM Launcher you are asked for the ROM asset path. AEL then creates inside this directory the boxfront, boxback, etc. directories, where the ROMs artwork are stored. However, in the database each path is stored separately and can be edited later. For example, when using XML to configure your launchers, you can specify the <ROM_asset_path>, or alternatively <path_title>, <path_snap>, etc. (have a look here for more details). This approach is very flexible. However, it makes the code of AEL more complicated. For example, if a new piece of artwork is created in the database (and another new feature of AEL 0.9.8 is the support for 3D Boxes), a new tag <path_new_artwork_piece> is needed, all the launchers need to be modified, etc.

Why AEL uses this approach in the first place? This is a legacy feature from old good Advanced Launcher. AL sopported only two types of artwork: Icons and Fanarts, and stored both paths separately. When I created AEL I simply added more artwork directories and just simplified the Launcher creation process. However, all the separated paths of the ROM artwork directories are there in the database.

The proposed change is as follows: only the <ROM_asset_path> will be asked for and stored in the database. Users will not be able to configure the path of each piece of artwork separately. AEL will automatically create the subdirectories boxfronts, boxbacks, snaps, etc., as required inside the <ROM_asset_path>.

How many of you agree with the change? Is anybody using ROM artwork directories that to not share a common root path <ROM_asset_path> anyway?  

(2019-07-14, 17:15)b1gblue Wrote: @Wintermute0110 - AEL is awesome and I'm sure the vast majority of your users think so. We get that you're a one-man show when it comes to developing this add-on, so do what makes your life easier in terms of future development and maintenance.
I'm in support of you doing things to make life easier for you to keep giving us this amazing add-on!

(2019-07-15, 15:55)Castilho Wrote: Hello again thank you for the work.
Is there any way to use my roms? I have an external disk that contains my media and some roms I used recalbox as frontend. But if I could use it without leaving the kodi would be better and simpler. It's possible ? If yes where to include the path to the roms?

(2019-07-18, 14:56)Mysticalp Wrote: I think that's a good change!

On a related note to art changes... I am doing some work with skins lately and I was trying to show game boxes. Do you know if there's any way to know if the game boxes for the screen I'm in are horizontal (like SNES), square (like PSX) or vertical (like most others)?

It's not a very important thing tbh, but I think it would make the skin use space a bit better. Thanks!

(2019-07-18, 15:25)chrisism Wrote:

(2019-07-18, 14:56)Mysticalp Wrote: I think that's a good change!

On a related note to art changes... I am doing some work with skins lately and I was trying to show game boxes. Do you know if there's any way to know if the game boxes for the screen I'm in are horizontal (like SNES), square (like PSX) or vertical (like most others)?

It's not a very important thing tbh, but I think it would make the skin use space a bit better. Thanks!

If you find a good solution let us know
This is an special issue we have been playing around with. @Rufoo has some solutions for this with his skin Lyrebird .
I did some support and mods for this in Titan MediaBrowser MOD. What I did was using the platform of the launcher to determine what the default view type would be (snes box, normal poster etc.) and made it so that users could override this default view through settings.

Check these code pieces:
https://github.com/chrisism/skin.titan.mod.beta.leia/blob/7866552e0e454fef5b4727a21975c36460e4e94d/1080i/IncludesExpressions.xml#L45
https://github.com/chrisism/skin.titan.mod.beta.leia/blob/7866552e0e454fef5b4727a21975c36460e4e94d/1080i/IncludesVariables.xml#L1545
https://github.com/chrisism/skin.titan.mod.beta.leia/blob/7866552e0e454fef5b4727a21975c36460e4e94d/1080i/View_523_Netflix.xml#L395 

(2019-07-19, 10:54)Mysticalp Wrote:

(2019-07-18, 15:25)chrisism Wrote:

(2019-07-18, 14:56)Mysticalp Wrote: I think that's a good change!

On a related note to art changes... I am doing some work with skins lately and I was trying to show game boxes. Do you know if there's any way to know if the game boxes for the screen I'm in are horizontal (like SNES), square (like PSX) or vertical (like most others)?

It's not a very important thing tbh, but I think it would make the skin use space a bit better. Thanks!

If you find a good solution let us know
This is an special issue we have been playing around with. @Rufoo has some solutions for this with his skin Lyrebird .
I did some support and mods for this in Titan MediaBrowser MOD. What I did was using the platform of the launcher to determine what the default view type would be (snes box, normal poster etc.) and made it so that users could override this default view through settings.

Check these code pieces:
https://github.com/chrisism/skin.titan.mod.beta.leia/blob/7866552e0e454fef5b4727a21975c36460e4e94d/1080i/IncludesExpressions.xml#L45
https://github.com/chrisism/skin.titan.mod.beta.leia/blob/7866552e0e454fef5b4727a21975c36460e4e94d/1080i/IncludesVariables.xml#L1545
https://github.com/chrisism/skin.titan.mod.beta.leia/blob/7866552e0e454fef5b4727a21975c36460e4e94d/1080i/View_523_Netflix.xml#L395 

Thanks @chrisism ! That's brilliant. I never thought of anything remotely as good as that.
I am going to play around with that code and do something similar.

What I am working on is to mod the Aura skin as I wanted to have a view with the game boxes and some info on the same screen. I'll modify it so that it uses the shapes in the way you have them there.

(2019-08-14, 14:59)dib_ Wrote: Hello all, just checking in.  Did this ever start working on Nvidia Shield?  Anyone running it on there?

(2019-08-17, 15:10)loktar Wrote: Tried to create a new launcher using the last github version but got an error about categories path. It looks like the categories.xml file cannot be created, here is the log link.

Http://ix.io/1S0k