MOCKUP: Alternative loader experience

General

dreamer3

5 years ago

Would anyone be interested in an alternative loader?  I'm thinking like more of a "larger device" type experience.. icons on the "desktop", folders, custom wallpaper, etc... mockup:


jicehel

NEW 5 years ago

Why not, it's could be nice but you'll have to manage the size of the screen, if you use Hi rez, you'll have the problem of the color and if you stay at low rez, you'll not have space to do that, or maybe i missed something about your project ? Or you'll reduce size of the displayed icons ? I don't understand really how you would do it, but yes, having hability to manage prog by themes: Favs, Action, Race, Tools, ... could be nice.

For the icon of battery state, you'll not be able to do it (i think) unless you add some hardware on your Meta, or you project to add a dock station for the META ? (It's could be great but i don't think you want do that).

I don't want disturb you in your project, it's just that i don't understand how you could do it atm.

dreamer3

5 years ago

but you'll have to manage the size of the screen, if you use Hi rez, you'll have the problem of the color and if you stay at low rez, you'll not have space to do that

Not worried about that.  With a clever mix of drawing directly to hardware and transparency and buffering only where needed you can easily have a hi-res UI and also full-color wallpaper (even 18 bit if we really wanted).

The icons in the mockup are 24x24.  I found the 32x32s a little large for this type of usage.

Sorunome

5 years ago

[...] having hability to manage prog by themes: Favs, Action, Race, Tools, ... could be nice. [...]

The normal loader actually has favs! When viewing the title screen hit the menu button and you will toggle it being a fav. Favs appear ontop of the list above everything else

dreamer3

NEW 5 years ago

jicehel jicehel

but you'll have to manage the size of the screen, if you use Hi rez, you'll have the problem of the color and if you stay at low rez, you'll not have space to do that

Not worried about that.  With a clever mix of drawing directly to hardware and transparency and buffering only where needed you can easily have a hi-res UI and also full-color wallpaper (even 18 bit if we really wanted).

The icons in the mockup are 24x24.  I found the 32x32s a little large for this type of usage.

jicehel

NEW 5 years ago

OK, so you'll autoresize them in the bootloader ? or add another picture to keep 32x32 and add 24x24 icon ? maybe ICON24.BMP ? so if he don't find ICON24.BMP but find ICON.BMP, he could create it (even the new icon could have to be revorcked to be more 'clean' after but it's will let user upgrade without having to resize all Icons). For battery state, you have an idea to check state without adding hardware part ?

dreamer3

NEW 5 years ago

You could resize automatically, yes.  But they aren't going to look great unless people started providing smaller icons (if the new loader proved popular enough).

No idea on battery stuff.  If it's not possible it's not possible.

jicehel

NEW 5 years ago

Nope, you can't, you should have to add hardware. This have been done to let all inpout / output free.

The hardware could be add in a docking station for example or in an external box with additionnal hardware (for communication, time, joystick or why not battery state check but after it's another job to check in the bootloader if you can display battery state or not if it's plugged...) so yes, i think it's too early for this possibility in the bootloader. But it's only my opinion.

dreamer3

NEW 5 years ago

jicehel

NEW 5 years ago

Yes, thats a cool aspect. I like it. A cool add could be a database of the games too for search / categorize / sot them. Some info about game, type, autor, name, favorite level so the user could have automatic sorts and could edit with stars how many he like a game to sort them by favorite level, search a game by his type, his name or name of autor. Or bootloader could make false repository with this informations as you prefer if you find it's could be a good idea for then we'll have thousends of games  ;)

Sorunome

NEW 5 years ago

jicehel jicehel

[...] having hability to manage prog by themes: Favs, Action, Race, Tools, ... could be nice. [...]

The normal loader actually has favs! When viewing the title screen hit the menu button and you will toggle it being a fav. Favs appear ontop of the list above everything else