[RESOLVED] Theme Editing Questions

[RedDog]

I have tinkered around with the theme editor enough to be able to modify an existing theme to my liking, but I have run into a few things I could use help with in trying to make Theme #2.

Question#1

When starting a new theme, What is Version 2 and Version 4?

Question#2

I started a new theme using the Default-Default Theme as a base. My intention was to use a different background for each of the different areas (Start, each emulator, news, etc). When I ran my first test, I found that for the emulators, the background would change to the boxart image of the currently highlighted rom and I have not been able to figure out to switch that option off.

I checked the Theme Editor config and could not find an option related to this.

In the GameEx Setup Wizard, Background Mode is set to 'Display Black Background'.

For each emulator, the Custom Background setting is set to the custom png file I created.

If it matters, I do have custom menus enabled (ie, I am using GameExMenuEditor.exe).

Question#3

I assume there is a theme editing tutorial somewhere on the forums, but I have not found it yet. Can someone point me to it?

Thanks to anyone that can offer some help.

[DazzleHP]

Hi RedDog,

#1 Version 2 is old, has lots of features missing, version 4 is what you want

#2 What i suspect has happened (and i'm good with hunches) is that you have "Changed View" at some point, which switches GameEx into one of many view modes. You will need to find your way back to the list mode first, then in the theme editor go to Edit> Options and click the Settings Tab. Check Custom Emulators and Custom Modules, Save. Then you can specify any background, element, position etc that you desire.

#3 Unfortunately there is not, and many of us wish there was! May be once you get your bearings you will be the first to create one?

[RedDog]

Hi RedDog,

#1 Version 2 is old, has lots of features missing, version 4 is what you want

#2 What i suspect has happened (and i'm good with hunches) is that you have "Changed View" at some point, which switches GameEx into one of many view modes. You will need to find your way back to the list mode first, then in the theme editor go to Edit> Options and click the Settings Tab. Check Custom Emulators and Custom Modules, Save. Then you can specify any background, element, position etc that you desire.

#3 Unfortunately there is not, and many of us wish there was! May be once you get your bearings you will be the first to create one?

#1. Thank you.

#2. Sadly, Using the Change View option does not remove the boxart background and use the background assigned in Custom Background in the Emulator Settings. Hopefully someone else has a suggestion.

#3. That is too bad, but thanks for the encouragement

[RedDog]

Another question.

#4. In this new theme (v4), the Menu list (Change View, Back, Home, Exit) is displayed horizontally. Is there an option to set it to be displayed vertically?

[MNMax21]

#2, the Emulator area will default your artwork box to whatever you have listed as the Title section in the setup wizard for that emulator. Just make sure to change the file path within the Emulator Setup section of the GameEx Setup Wizard for that Emulator to what you want to display. I attached a photo of what I am talking about. I think this should help, unless I am reading your question wrong.

#4 I do not know if you can list it vertically.

Here is a link to a thread for theme editor questions and answers.

http://www.gameex.info/forums/topic/1205-theme-editor-questions/

I've seen some posts stating that there may be more options in GameEx Evolution. I have no knowledge of this, so you'd need an answer from someone involved in that. You may be able to post a question in the Evolution thread or make a feature request here. That is if it's not already an option.

http://www.gameex.info/forums/topic/10189-feature-enhancement-requests/

[MNMax21]

#2. Sadly, Using the Change View option does not remove the "boxart background and use the background" assigned in Custom Background in the Emulator Settings. Hopefully someone else has a suggestion.

If it's a background issue, I would look at what's listed in the background snap path in the setup wizard, which is two above the title snap path section in the setup wizard under the emulator setup section. You may have something in there.

[Zero Dreams]

#1. Thanks Dazzle, didn't know that for sure. The older themes had the vertical menu and other clickable buttons like exit, but they also seemed to be missing some other features.

#2. Maybe you assigned a Background Snap Path to your box art directory in the setup wizard for that system. I think something like that would overtake certain settings...idk.

#4. Been there and asked that. The menu bar is gonna be horizontal across the screen.

Edit: MNMax beat me to it

[RedDog]

#2. OK, with your suggestions and a little additional tinkering, I have my background issue sorted out. It was a combination of several things. For a few, it was a matter of continually doing a 'Change View'. Sometimes when the view would come around to the one that should of worked, the Custom Background would not be displayed. I found that if I continually cycled through the 'Change View' list, eventually the background and format would display properly.

FYI: I had already cleared my Background Paths for each of the emulators before my original posts. I just forgot to mention it.

#4. Thanks for the info regarding the horizontal menus. I will just integrate it into the theme.

I will go ahead an mark this thread as resolved.

Thanks again to everyone who helped.