Hacking DSision2...

[nutella]

You know, there is no reason to convert the boxart, there is a link back on page 9 with a download for around 3000 commercial boxart images already converted...

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M33ZQGT9

All you need to do is rename them (they are currently ordered by release number).

Oh, forgot to mention that I did use that, but it took SOOO long renaming each game (I have plenty).

 

[HowardC]

Against my better judgment, here is the art manager I talked about. If you install the registry keys, this tool will allow you to right-click on a .nds file on your computer and install the game as well as it's cover art (downloaded from the net) to the proper dsision folders on a sd card insterted into your computer.

PLEASE READ THE README BEFORE USE!!!

DS Art Man 1.0

Feel free to put this on the first page or what have you.

Good and useful program. However, I can't get the thing to appear when I right click. Also, there seems to be a problem with the search that probably isn't your fault. Some games, such as Chrono Trigger do not appear on the search yet the game is in the database. Lastly, if you ever make another release, I think it would be useful to rename the .bmp to the same name as the rom.

Overall though, this is much, much quicker than converting each boxart by hand. Great Job.

You can open the program manually and search using search keywords if the auto-search fails. The database search I'm tapping into is rather picky and sometimes internal names are unreadable or just plain wrong. Also I'm unsure what you mean as the outputted bitmaps ARE renamed to match the rom. That was the whole point of the app btw as any art pack, while appreciated, is useless as there isn't an official naming convention for nds roms.

Also the pack spinal linked to doesn't have icons.... those are the important ones imho to remove the cruddy internal icons.

 

[unneon]

Will you realease the source code?
I wanna make an homebrew menu like the r4 start menu with the options to load ysmenu,dsision, moonshell, r4 firmware (if its possible), ds firmware(if is possible) and slot 2

I'm using r4 firmware to load and the media link to open dsision, but sometimes, I want to use ysmenu for cheats, and to open ds menu ( i really don't like to remove the card to open ds firmware).

An loaders loader (the loader that loads another loaders

) would be great. But I don't know how to load homebrews in another homebrew on r4

So, can you say how to load another homebrews in a homebrew on r4?

Sorry for my english

 

[HowardC]

You can do this right now on virtually any flash cart. Simply rename a app to "DEFAULT.NDS" and it'll load immediately after the real bios loads. A custom homebrew app would have to be created to do what you are asking of course, but all of those are possible.

 

[spinal_cord]

OK,guys, this next version will be officially classified as a beta release. Entire chunks of the source have been changed so we are unsure if it will work well (or at all) on all cards.

- Changes -
Now hides hidden files, lots of people wanted this...
Speed up icon reading
+ various internal changes.

DSision2_16FEB09.rar

The .ini reading/writing has been changed, so any paths listed in the .ini files need to have the "fat:" part removed. I think I have done this to all of the included files, so it should be fine to replace all files with those in the .rar.

We need a bunch of feedback on this version, so please comment on how well it works, things like, does it fail to do something that the previous version did?

 

[unneon]

You can do this right now on virtually any flash cart. Simply rename a app to "DEFAULT.NDS" and it'll load immediately after the real bios loads. A custom homebrew app would have to be created to do what you are asking of course, but all of those are possible.

I'm trouble making my homebrew load another homebrews on r4, spinal did that in dsision2. I'm trying to use chisms loader, but I have read somewher that this loader doesn't work on r4.

about make the homebrew autorun, rename that to default.nds isn't the only way, I can do that using a program that convert nds file to _DS_Menu.dat

 

[iGrinch]

Hello, new to gbatemp here. I've read the forums for a while but never registered until now. I made a DSision2 theme based off of spinal_cord's iPod theme. I don't know the correct place to post this, this seemed like the best place.


Theme info ...

Improved folder gfx no more jagged pixels and recolor
made sliders
battery metter
recolor backgrounds and some gfx tweaks

Update* My theme will be available at GBAtemps Download section Under "Homebrew an app" skins

Spinal_Cord , I hope it's okay that I worked off your theme, if not let me know and I'll remove the link.

 

[spinal_cord]

I'm trouble making my homebrew load another homebrews on r4, spinal did that in dsision2. I'm trying to use chisms loader, but I have read somewher that this loader doesn't work on r4.

The loader does actually work on the R4, I'm using it in the R4 version of DSision, you just need to use a different version of the dldi patch and hack the rom in such a way that the R4 firmware can no longer dldi patch it.

 

[iGrinch]

ok having a problem with the new version.... changes made are not being saved in the .ini file, so when i reboot the ds i have to reapply settings

 

[charlieram]

Same problem as above, eg enable covers then restart the ds disables the covers again. Also when stylus scrolling, sometimes the roms don't snap to the center.

 

[Santee]

doesn't seem to be working on my cyclods i put all the files where the read me says but when i pick the dsidion.nds a screen pops up about dsision then theres no light any help

edit: im using the newest version i tried the second newest and it works

 

[iGrinch]

two other probs that were there in last build and are still there with this one

1. clicking left shoulder buttons for fav stops working after awhile, it will try to go to favorites but just freezes an i'll have to restart ds, after restart fav's still wont show up
2. tapping on a item to get to hide,settings,open etc.. top of the graphics sometimes cuts off.. and the select image starts to shake an become distorted

what seems to fix the fav issue, is to go into system folder and clear favorites.ini

 

[unneon]

I'm trouble making my homebrew load another homebrews on r4, spinal did that in dsision2. I'm trying to use chisms loader, but I have read somewher that this loader doesn't work on r4.

The loader does actually work on the R4, I'm using it in the R4 version of DSision, you just need to use a different version of the dldi patch and hack the rom in such a way that the R4 firmware can no longer dldi patch it.

thanks , I will try to do that later, but I think that don't will work, my homebrew don't do anythyng when I try to use ndsloader function from chism.

Well... I found a problem using r4 .nds version of dsision2, nothing are working( I can't open folders and homebrews). But, when I try to use DAT version, it works fine

 

[Boriar]

At last I find your thread on GBATemp!

Can you make an option to select the names of bmp to be release number or game (file) name?
Something more. Can you let user select the directories for each resource?

And please, do not remove the GBA support (although limited).

Great custom menu. GO ON

 

[BakuFunn]

Alright, the latest version cannot open folders and such on cards
But if you take your old dsision.ini file and replace the new one, it works fine

Also, how come now when you launch YSMENU.NDS, it loads the last selected game?
I used to use that to turn on cheats and enable/disable DMA is needed. Now the games with piracy check won't be able to work. You should make it just launch YSmenu again.

Wait, I just tried it and you can click a button combination to make it go to the ysmenu... I can't really narrow it down though. Nevermind, it seems right after you launch the game you can click B to go to the ysmenu

Also, when switching from the bigbangmini theme to the iPod theme, some icons are screwed up, it is tiny like the bigbangmini, and has a white border filling in the empty space. It can be fixed by restarting or switching to the layton theme/DSI and back. Also, from bigbangmini to DSi, the file/folder names are messed up. You can fix that easily too, by switching back and forth. Finally, sometimes when switching themes, after switching, you see the file name flash from the first folder in your root and the parent directory folder (it flashes from Games to ... for me) It can be fixed easily by restarting also.


The new version is really speedy, can load my games folder in around a second, the icons fade, then it slides into view. It looks seamless.

My favorite has to be the iPod one, because i'm a sucker for coverflow

 

[spinal_cord]

OK, I have had a look through the code and I think I have been able to fix some of the bugs mentioned (wrong icon sizes, ysmenu automatically loading a game, covers option not saving), they will be in the next update.

BakuFunn - The problem with the file/folder names being rendered wrong in the DSi theme is caused by the change in the /ini lib we are using (this one has far less reads, and has helped speed things up a little) to fix the problem, to into the theme.ini and change the colour codes to have a 'h' instead of a '#', like this -

#FFFFFF should be changed to hFFFFFF

I must have forgot to update that theme

 

[WoobiE]

I've been keeping my eye on DSision 2 and have used it for a while and love it. Nice work Spinal. YSmenu was good but your DSision 2 which also uses YSmenu is godly to me. I've used your theme as a template to create my very own theme. It is only just a prototype, future themes will be improved. Here is the link
Theme

@Spinal: I'm currently working on another theme but seem to be having trouble with the left.bmp, left_mask.bmp, right.bmp and right_mask.bmp. I know that white in the mask layer will give me transparancy and black will mask everything and only leave you with an image of the background. So I make the left and right files have a 256 colour palette, the same goes for the masking layers except it is just black and white. Of course the I used black to mask out unwanted objects and white to show the layer underneath but somehow I always get weird and odd colours. I thought it was a palette mis match so I tried to use all the same palettes and no difference. Or is it only greyscale? Maybe you could help me since you are the creator.

Cheers

 

[david432111]

Some of my game icons show as having green backgrounds on the new version.

 

[spinal_cord]

The green is probably because the icon transparency works now, check the nds_frame.bmp (or whatever it's called) i bet the colour mask on it is green.

 

[spinal_cord]

[teaser]


Just for fun