Pandora Pandora Emulator Frontend

[Phawx]

I would like to see something like Project 64's RDB extend over to a universal front end. But something that connects to a server this way whenever someone has settings that work well, it could be used.

So instead of messing around with configurations per game, on an individual basis, crowd-sourcing would be utilized to have the community figure out what the best settings are.

It would just make playing a game a one-click solution.

Just my cents thrown in.

 

[PandoraRox]

I really love the idea of a universal frontend, so I decided to make a mockup of what a games listing could look like. It's [obviously] borrows most of it's look from an unmentioned game, but it seems to really work nicely.

That looks really good. Are you coding that for the Pandora? I'm thinking that a frontend is really the way to go.

 

[fusion_power]

So instead of messing around with configurations per game, on an individual basis, crowd-sourcing would be utilized to have the community figure out what the best settings are.

It would just make playing a game a one-click solution.

Yupp, I already wanted this for the GP2X because all this messing around with configs kills alot of time. I hope at least some of the Pandora Emulators will include correct game-specific presets.

Uh, if there is such a emulator Frontend, how does the Software connect a rom to the right Emulator? Folder-Specific ROM-Placement? I just ask because selecting by file-extention is useless, for example ALL of my roms are ending with ".zip" :lol:

 

[efegea]

So instead of messing around with configurations per game, on an individual basis, crowd-sourcing would be utilized to have the community figure out what the best settings are.

It would just make playing a game a one-click solution.

Yupp, I already wanted this for the GP2X because all this messing around with configs kills alot of time. I hope at least some of the Pandora Emulators will include correct game-specific presets.

Uh, if there is such a emulator Frontend, how does the Software connect a rom to the right Emulator? Folder-Specific ROM-Placement? I just ask because selecting by file-extention is useless, for example ALL of my roms are ending with ".zip" :lol:


Opening the .zip and looking what's inside? :lol:

 

[Tiptup300]

So instead of messing around with configurations per game, on an individual basis, crowd-sourcing would be utilized to have the community figure out what the best settings are.

It would just make playing a game a one-click solution.

Yupp, I already wanted this for the GP2X because all this messing around with configs kills alot of time. I hope at least some of the Pandora Emulators will include correct game-specific presets.

Uh, if there is such a emulator Frontend, how does the Software connect a rom to the right Emulator? Folder-Specific ROM-Placement? I just ask because selecting by file-extention is useless, for example ALL of my roms are ending with ".zip" :lol:


Folder placement would be the best bet. Then have a database system that keeps track of all your roms, while still attempting to auto generate information from an online server. Then the user would just have to rename things correctly and such.

 

[Aimless_E]

So instead of messing around with configurations per game, on an individual basis, crowd-sourcing would be utilized to have the community figure out what the best settings are.

It would just make playing a game a one-click solution.

Yupp, I already wanted this for the GP2X because all this messing around with configs kills alot of time. I hope at least some of the Pandora Emulators will include correct game-specific presets.

Uh, if there is such a emulator Frontend, how does the Software connect a rom to the right Emulator? Folder-Specific ROM-Placement? I just ask because selecting by file-extention is useless, for example ALL of my roms are ending with ".zip" :lol:


Folder placement would be the best bet. Then have a database system that keeps track of all your roms, while still attempting to auto generate information from an online server. Then the user would just have to rename things correctly and such.


I really like your Mock-up TipTup300 and I agree it would make since to just use directories to designate game/emulator. In my previous post I pointed out that you could use the "POND" to download configs and the like. I'm pretty sure I could do the coding for such a frontend but I've never been good at the "look" of things. So if you would like to collaborate look no further.

Also I see no reason why we couldn't port this to the gp2x as well.

 

[Tiptup300]

So instead of messing around with configurations per game, on an individual basis, crowd-sourcing would be utilized to have the community figure out what the best settings are.

It would just make playing a game a one-click solution.

Yupp, I already wanted this for the GP2X because all this messing around with configs kills alot of time. I hope at least some of the Pandora Emulators will include correct game-specific presets.

Uh, if there is such a emulator Frontend, how does the Software connect a rom to the right Emulator? Folder-Specific ROM-Placement? I just ask because selecting by file-extention is useless, for example ALL of my roms are ending with ".zip" :lol:


Folder placement would be the best bet. Then have a database system that keeps track of all your roms, while still attempting to auto generate information from an online server. Then the user would just have to rename things correctly and such.


I really like your Mock-up TipTup300 and I agree it would make since to just use directories to designate game/emulator. In my previous post I pointed out that you could use the "POND" to download configs and the like. I'm pretty sure I could do the coding for such a frontend but I've never been good at the "look" of things. So if you would like to collaborate look no further.

Also I see no reason why we couldn't port this to the gp2x as well.


Sure, I definitely could help out. I really enjoy making the ui of things. Just tell me what you need and I'll make it.

 

[Aimless_E]

Great!

first off we need to decide what we want it to look like. I like what I see in your mock-up so far, but since this subject was actually started by PandoraRox I think he/she should get some say in it as well.

The big things I will need to start with are.

fonts: Emulator,Games,Menu options, and any other applicable fonts. (description of each would be good too, so I will now where to put them)
button graphics: both default and pressed.
Misc: Border graphics,backgrounds,textbox backgrounds (default and highlighted),etc

once I have a working prototype we will discuss any effects/transitions and such.

Do either of you use Linux on a regular basis?

 

[Tiptup300]

Great!

first off we need to decide what we want it to look like. I like what I see in your mock-up so far, but since this subject was actually started by PandoraRox I think he/she should get some say in it as well.

The big things I will need to start with are.

fonts: Emulator,Games,Menu options, and any other applicable fonts. (description of each would be good too, so I will now where to put them)
button graphics: both default and pressed.
Misc: Border graphics,backgrounds,textbox backgrounds (default and highlighted),etc

once I have a working prototype we will discuss any effects/transitions and such.

Do either of you use Linux on a regular basis?

Technically this has been discussed before. , but I do agree the mockup shouldn't be exactly the final product. It was rather quick and I'm sure can be enhanced upon a great deal.

I'll see what I can do about changing the mockup around to make it a little bit more user friendly, but I was wondering what the main color scheme should be?

EDIT: I also don't use linux, I have in the past, but I just always like to stick to windoz.

 

[PandoraRox]

I have used linux, but i usually use a mac. i agree that the mockup should be based on Tiptup3000's, and maybe there could be some type of sort function, like the sort by: bar in the corner that could sort by console, manufacturer, and era. And Tiptup3000, may I suggest a charcoal gray for the color, but with the gloss of the blue in your mockup. Anything works though, your mockup is top notch.
For AimlessE-
I think the fonts should be consistent throughout the menu system, and I think we should use the type from Tiptup3000's mockup if he provides it, or maybe Myriad or Century Gothic. These should probably be used like they are used in Tiptup's mockup (on the top bar, in the descriptions).
As for the buttons, i think that before selected, they should look convex, and when selected concave.
I'm sure that Tiptup3000 will come with his new mockup soon, and then we can work off that.

 

[Aimless_E]

Both: I don't have a Windows/Mac development "environment" setup, so we will have to stick to youtube videos and the like until the Pandora comes out and is in all our hands. I like the idea of gloss grays maybe with a little bit of a suggested pattern with in the gloss or gray gradient.

Once we have decided on the look I'll need the mock-up cut-up into individual images so that I can place and implement. I'll set a goal list for the project so that we can see how my side of things are progressing.

Oh, what should we call this....thing?

 

[Tiptup300]

I have used linux, but i usually use a mac. i agree that the mockup should be based on Tiptup3000's, and maybe there could be some type of sort function, like the sort by: bar in the corner that could sort by console, manufacturer, and era. And Tiptup3000, may I suggest a charcoal gray for the color, but with the gloss of the blue in your mockup. Anything works though, your mockup is top notch.
For AimlessE-
I think the fonts should be consistent throughout the menu system, and I think we should use the type from Tiptup3000's mockup if he provides it, or maybe Myriad or Century Gothic. These should probably be used like they are used in Tiptup's mockup (on the top bar, in the descriptions).
As for the buttons, i think that before selected, they should look convex, and when selected concave.
I'm sure that Tiptup3000 will come with his new mockup soon, and then we can work off that.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "Curved." Also don't forget the fonts still have to be legal to use, the fonts shown in the mockup are vista fonts, so they can't be.

For sorting options I was thinking Genre, Year, Console, Manufacturer, Player Amount, or Title.

The main thing I would like (don't need) is abillity for alpha enabled images.

EDIT: I made a mockup of what the logo could be like, it doesn't HAVE to be ZiB, but that was the original name in my mind.

 

[Aimless_E]

Well sell us ZiB whats it stand for?

What are the fonts in vista called?

 

[Tiptup300]

My two favorite fonts from vista are Segoe UI and Myriad Pro. For the mockup I used Myriad Pro.

ZiB doesn't really mean anything. I just thought it looked kinda cool. =\

 

[PandoraRox]

Tiptup, I think you could use Myriad Pro or something like it, as it is readily used and available all over the internet, and I think Myriad is free. Maybe you can use this one if you can't use Myriad: [http://www.dafont.com/street-corner.font]. Those sorting options sound great, and maybe we could have one that suggests games that you may like to play. Are you going to give Aimless E the images so he can work on it?

To AimlessE- I think that ZiB would be a cool name as Tiptup said. That logo he made looks cool. I'm sure that he can provide you with the final mockup so you can implement it. One question- what are you going to do with controls? Are you going to use the d-pad or maybe the touchscreen? By the way, I can't get a Pandora until next year. Can we do Youtube videos?

 

[Tiptup300]

Tiptup, I think you could use Myriad Pro or something like it, as it is readily used and available all over the internet, and I think Myriad is free. Maybe you can use this one if you can't use Myriad: [http://www.dafont.com/street-corner.font]. Those sorting options sound great, and maybe we could have one that suggests games that you may like to play. Are you going to give Aimless E the images so he can work on it?

To AimlessE- I think that ZiB would be a cool name as Tiptup said. That logo he made looks cool. I'm sure that he can provide you with the final mockup so you can implement it. One question- what are you going to do with controls? Are you going to use the d-pad or maybe the touchscreen? By the way, I can't get a Pandora until next year. Can we do Youtube videos?

I'd assume the dpad/analog/& touchscreen would work. Just to be consistent. I haven't finished the final mockup yet, I'll make sure to just share it all here so everyone can see the progress. I think it would be better to have the core done before adding the eye candy. Just a thought.

 

[Aimless_E]

YouTube videos are a definite yes.

The interface will use both the touch screen and the what ever else I can get working.

and Yes the core stuff is definitely more important. than the front-end but I want to make sure we have as much planning done as possible so that I know what all needs to be automated and what needs a configuration option.

 

[PandoraRox]

I agree that the core and other things should be done before we do work w/ eye candy. But it is great that you are working on the final design, Tiptup, and I look forward to seeing your work. I have a question- on your mockup, is the screenshot of Sonic a screenshot, or did you intend for the game to be playing in the background? It doesn't matter, I was just wondering.

To aimlessE- Working on the core is a good idea so we can get the framework set for the software. I think that eye cnady should be added after. Also, thanks for putting the progess of the project in your signature. It helps a lot.

 

[Tiptup300]

Okay, first thing we need to get down. Will emulators be added dynamicly or not. If they are dynamic we'll need to cut down to only the emulators that have no big quirks. If by code we will have to figure out which emulators have too much specifics to worry about. We don't want to add a bunch of features for each and every emulator. This must remain consistent.

BTW, Tweaks: http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/8135/deleteyq9.png

EDIT:

More tweaks:

Item Unselected: http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/159/deleteng5.png
Item Selected: http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3178/deleteuw6.png

As you can see, I elimated the bars as they just took up screen space.

 

[Wertigon]

As for the roms themselves, and having screenshots etc, two solutions come to my mind;

1. A central repository, keeping MD5 hashes of every game to every platform, and letting ZiB access it whenever new content is detected on the SD-Card

Pros:
- Easy to set up
- Once the database is established it requires minimum maintenance
- Doesn't require anything from the emulators or users

Cons:
- Requires a bit of work to get it working properly
- Single-point-of-failure - if the database dies we're back to square one
- Bandwidth intensive on the server side

2. Define a new format (let's call it .urf - Universal Rom Format), which is basicly a zipfile containing several smaller files:

- title.png - The screenshot of the title screen
- screenX.png - A bunch of optional screenshots, where X is a number between 0 and 9
- romimage.ext - The ROM image(s) (sometimes a game has more than one disc, etc)
- info.xml - A short XML document containing all useful metadata like company, release year, game system, tags, your rating of the game etc (doesn't have to be xml, might as well be a textfile)

Also, the zipfile format should be seekable, that is, you can uncompress it on-the-go directly to RAM, even if the file is bigger than your available RAM.

Pros:
- Not dependent on an internet connection for getting screenshots and stuff
- Bandwidth friendly
- Intelligent sorting after tags, title etc, and also allows for nifty things like letting the front-end put the game where it belongs (automagic placements! Yays! )

Cons:
- It'll take lots and lots of work defining the format, deciding whether to allow localizations, what about translation patches etc
- Emulators must be able to accept this new format, so devs must cooperate (can be worked around somewhat by unzipping to a temp dir first, but will not work with those 700 MB iso roms)
- Things WILL get tagged in a stupid manner (Like someone tagging "Zelda: A Link To The Past" as "Super Mario World" - A minor headache however)

Personally, I think the second option is the more viable long-term solution, but it's also the one that needs the most planning and coordination to get to a working state. However, if it's happening now in the beginning of the Pandora's life cycle when most emulator devs are still active, the plans of a nice shiney frontend stands a much greater chance.

Either way is fine for me however.