Hacking Configurable USB Loader

[oggzee]

Has anyone else problems with these cover servers? I get "File not found" on each of these:
I am using the last official "Channel" version and have only entered one of each (without the +). The entries are entered as the last of the config file. I've tried these mentioned earlier in this thread:
[...]
-------

Use the last alpha2... it fixes the =+ with url options
btw, the error you get is harmless, it tries to download '+'

which fails and then tries on the next url proper...

or, if you can't use alpha2 since you're using the channel, write the urls in one long line, separated by space like this:

cover_url = http://site1/path http://site2/path http://site3/path

 

[zektor]

Because some people do like channels (as well as the option to use one), the channel has been updated to v35a2. This time around I used the base of the spinning hard drive forwarder posted a few pages back (after testing it of course) and injected the latest dol into it and created a channel out of it. The new ID is USBC. As always, tested before uploaded. Happy 4th guys and gals!

http://sharebee.com/02e775f3

 

[MillionsKnives]

Awesome! I'll have to try this new channel out later on.

I really love the development and teamwork going on with this loader. I put off upgrading to a USB loader for too long, and after coming across this, I'm glad that I finally switched.

Thanks to all!

 

[oggzee]

@ zektor: thanks.

btw, there will be a 35a3 any minute now, usptactical is going to release that.

 

[zektor]

btw, there will be a 35a3 any minute now, usptactical is going to release that.

Geez you guys!

 

[LxTrix]

where do we put the covers for games to show up?

 

[zektor]

where do we put the covers for games to show up?

Are you using the channel version? If so, I did not include the necessary folders with the wad. You'll have to download the latest version from the first thread and extract the folders to your SD card. It'll create the usb-loader/covers folder amongst others.

 

[LxTrix]

I manually added the covers fold in usb-loader and added images from png but they don't show, is there anything else that needs to be somewhere?

 

[xzxero]

make the cover files match your gameid's.
some of my gameid started with 0 so i had to change some file names.

after that they worked.
i noticed the main picture was the 3d verison.
i also noticed it doesnt even show the disc picture at all in the loader?
am i missing an option to show that?

anyways, this loader is my favorite, works with every game ive tried!
im using the fowarder channel and its great!

 

[oggzee]

[...]
after that they worked.
i noticed the main picture was the 3d verison.
i also noticed it doesnt even show the disc picture at all in the loader?
am i missing an option to show that?
[...]

To show disc covers, you can use the option:

cover_style = disc

but it's true, there is no theme that uses that.
besides, disc covers will be used properly later ...

 

[LxTrix]

is there a way to fix it so you can download covers i get invalid png and cannot create dir

 

[oggzee]

is there a way to fix it so you can download covers i get invalid png and cannot create dir

get the 34 release and copy inSDroot/usb-loader to your sd card.
that will create the required directories, config files, themes and other stuff...

 

[oggzee]

@zektor:
looks like it would be usefull if you include inSDroot in your channel distribution

 

[usptactical]

cfg v35a3 (alpha3)

http://sharebee.com/781fbacf

Changes since v35a2:

* Integrated Coverflow Gui mode
ÂÂ - NOTE: This mode renders the game covers in true 3D so 2D (flat) cover images are needed.
ÂÂÂÂ If "fake" 3D/disk cover images are currently being used (in console or Grid mode), moving to Coverflow 
ÂÂÂÂ will automatically switch to 2D covers and then switch back when leaving.
ÂÂ - To access Coverflow mode (from console mode) press B and then down several times.
ÂÂÂÂ Each subsequent Down button press will iterate through each coverflow style.
ÂÂ - Currently only 2D flat front covers are supported.ÂÂFull cover image (front, spine,
ÂÂÂÂ back) support will be added in a future release.

* Favorites in console mode are now marked with a '*'

* Games with saved options are now marked with a '#' in the last column of the console.

 

[bnm81002]

will there ever be an update feature through a network connection for this loader? that would make it easier and better than having to install the new boot.dol file for any new version of the loader? thanks

 

[oggzee]

will there ever be an update feature through a network connection for this loader? that would make it easier and better than having to install the new boot.dol file for any new version of the loader? thanks

I guess there will be one day... but the problem is that I don't find it interesting to code that, so each time I ask myself, should I add network update (boring) or the next cool feature (yay!) .. you know the outcome

But yeah, we'll find someday the time to add that too.

 

[usptactical]

cfg v35a4 (alpha4)

http://sharebee.com/c3097f25

cfg v35a4 (alpha4)

* Disabled ttf font rendering to speed up cover loading and resolve issue when 3D covers get corrupted
ÂÂ when music is enabled.

edit: updated error info

 

[Dr. Clipper]

oggzee, quick question. Do you have a plan to solve the 3D cover sizing problem with many of the new sites? This is the status of the new servers as far as I can tell:

http://wiicover.gateflorida.com/ : 176x248 only
http://boxart.rowdyruff.net/ : 176x248 only
http://awiibit.com/ : 176x248 only
http://wiitdb.com/ : 160x225 only (I think, not really sure)
http://www.muntrue.nl/ : 160x225 native, but resizing to 176x248 is possible

Seeing as wiitdb doesn't seem to have a full set of covers yet and they are a different size to the other sites, I don't use them. I've also added changes to my config.txt to support the new cover sizes and coordinates at their native resolution.

Now this isn't too bad and it does work, but it has highlighted a few problems and possible improvements:

1: README-CFG.txt states that you don't need to set wcovers_size when setting covers_size, but I have found that you do, or the image doesn't appear correctly (each horizontal line is slightly shifted horizontally from the line above it, probably a rounding error).

2: My tweaks only support large3 as I can't be bothered to find the original coordinates of the other layouts. Is it possible to add a 'covers_coords_offset' global variable that is always added to whichever value of 'covers_coords' is set by the theme to make it work for them all (e.g., shifting every 3D boxart by 8 pixels left and 12 up for the new sizes)?

3: I found you cant really use the {WIDTH} and {HEIGHT} tags in the URLs any more because of the download all option. Could these tags and the covers_size and covers_coords options please be split into 3 (or 4 given imminent full covers) options, one for each style as you did with the URLs?

4: If you do the stuff in 3, it could be possible to show two or more different covers per game on the menu, like the boxart and disc below it (or even on top of each other to fake the disc partially sticking out of the box). The cover_style option would need to change to support multiple choices (with the first being used for the gui, maybe), but that should be doable, right?

As stated earlier, none of these are really that important (except for 1 which seems like a bug), but it would be pretty nice to have them seem pretty easy fixes to make.

Thanks again for all the awesome work you've done so far. Oh, and I guess that wasn't so quick after all

.

Edit: Hmm, seems I may have been wrong about the native size for muntrue (I could swear they had 176x248 as native last night). This now makes me consider going back to the smaller size and removing the 176x248-only sites from my list. Makes points 1&2 pretty useless (except for those that prefer the larger size), but 3 and 4 could still be handy, if possible.

 

[lejong2002]

I tested the v35a3.

Wow ! Amazing !

Very stable and ...
The coverflow GUI mode is really awesome.

 

[TeenTin]

I tested the v35a3.

Wow ! Amazing !

Very stable and ...
The coverflow GUI mode is really awesome.

One of the main reasons I love this loader is because of its stability. Far more stable than the gx one.