Provenance UI/UX Redesign [2.0]
Lists
Discuss
- Black/Color/Dead-space/Buffering Bar Auto-Cropping?
Some games leave dead space we could try to detect and eradicate, similar to how black bars are clipped out via checking multiple frames for consistent block of dead rectangular space on edges.
Joe found this:
https://wiki.nesdev.com/w/index.php/Overscan
regarding overscan for NES specifically since it flickers and isn't consistent.
"also goes into why there are variations into the center position on games" - Filter Overlays (and/or pattern units)
- Parallax cover art
Do
- Emulator View Enhancements
Not much to do here, but some opportunities for improvement…
Other considerations:
Custom Pause menu with 'Quick Access' to extended buttons?
Skeuomorphic Controllers in vertical oritenation(iOS only, which is what Delta is doing, similar to GBA4iOS…) not sure about this unless anyone has a lot of passion for it, and we have a lot of controller types, so low priority)Checklist
- New volume view overlay (more minimal, less obtrusive, either like new iO11 video player version or something like Plex, and on the edge…)
- New <a href="https://trello.com/c/1IvtvEe6/6-controller-overlays">https://trello.com/c/1IvtvEe6/6-controller-overlays</a>
- Improved <a href="https://trello.com/c/hmmFudla/14-load-save-state-views">https://trello.com/c/hmmFudla/14-load-save-state-views</a>
Labels
- Design
- Settings View
Settings screen doesn't need drastic format change, list view still a good fit, but needs new nav architecture, with some foresight into upcoming features.
Checklist
- Architecture… need Categories/Reorganize
- Icons (<a href="https://trello.com/c/cepV1qZ5/4-settings-icons">https://trello.com/c/cepV1qZ5/4-settings-icons</a>)
- Customize Controller (by system, will we support by game?)
- Per Core Settings View(s)
- <a href="https://trello.com/c/M7EJJFvt/29-new-pause-menu">https://trello.com/c/M7EJJFvt/29-new-pause-menu</a>
Versions
- iOS
- tvOS
Categories
- Core Settings
- Appearance
- [more TBD…]
Per Core Configs
- [TBD… discuss with Joe]
- Shader(s)
Labels
- Design
- Load/Save State View(s)
Checklist
- Thumbnails/screenshots
- Auto-save backlog (3-4?) - includes existing quit autosave
- Unlimited save states
- Revise Autosaves (more condensed, list/table view…)
Comments
- Official vs Unoffical Source Heads-up(s)
Thinking to add something to first launch, empty library view, and something more of a flag to settings near version
Checklist
- Add to introduction notes in-app (empty library/first launch)
- Add to settings/version checked label
- Single Game View
Plex is a good example of this.
Joe and I have discussed 2 versions of this:
one as a 3D touch preview that features closeup cover art from Game Library (think like the 3D touch for images and websites in safari, etc, card temporarily on screen, swipe up to lock in place and pull up action list at bottom)
…and maybe a less condensed full view (think like Plex Single Movie View before playing, or Single Episode)
This is related to expanded meta data conversation, since it's the views that will most take advantage of rich meta data and media, will attach Slack convo from the channel (though that meta data is going to be very helpful elsewhere in sorting and filtering as well)..
Components (to Integrate)
- Name
- Publisher
- Tags
- Genre
- Cover - Front
- Cover - Back
- Release Date
Features
- Edit
Versions
- Single Game Full View
- <a href="https://trello.com/c/MT02Fgrr/20-3d-touch-game-preview-view">https://trello.com/c/MT02Fgrr/20-3d-touch-game-preview-view</a>
Labels
- Design
- Various States/Modes…
Checklist
- Server=On Status (maybe a status within top bar similar to when phone or video chat is active) and/or in app update to nav color or some flagged element…
- Resume or Restart game launch prompt
- Upload/Unzipping Progress State(s)
Labels
- Design
- 3D Touch Game Preview View
Consider as something like 3D touch for images, swipe up to lock in place, and expose action list, or release to settle back into game library.
Labels
- Design
- Top Shelf Revisions?
To Do…
- Search for .hdtv for tvOS image ratios…
- Find out if preview ratios are modifiable, expandable… (not likely), otherwise hard constraint to work within.
- Replace placeholder artwork
Labels
- Design
- Themes
Joe is working on a theming engine, which opens us up beyond the new Dark default that is underway for Ui 2.0, and potentially to novel custom themes (think retro inspired themes like NES Classic, Atari 70s wood grain and black plastic, etc, could be reminiscent and just style/color or more skeuomorphic and textured)
If Joe's per-core-config proposal is developed we could even assign these per core, so I (Sev) could work on theme for each core, down the road that could be enabled globally, or isolated to just that core library since the new UI is aimed at subdividing cores into their own Library views ( https://trello.com/c/IWKqsMxy/8-game-library)
Themes: Primary
- Dark (Default) [in progress]
- Light (if there is enough want for it… otherwise low priority)
Themes: Secondary (Cores)
- NES Classic
- SNES
- Famicom
- Atari 2600
- Playstation
- Gameboy Color (…variations?)
- Gameboy Advance (…variations?)
Labels
- Design
- New Pause Menu
Action List is getting a bit cluttered…
Considerations:
Quick Access access to extended button inputs - Overlay Mini (Expandable/Collapseable HUD)
need to sort out how this works with new pause menu
Components
- quick load/save
- speeds (slow, normal, fast, etc…) [single button or swipe ]
- shader switch
- autosave animated icon (for timed/interval autosaves, but might be nice for normal autosaves and quicksaves also)
- Overlay iPhone battery status?
Consider dynamically as tap screen (when controller connected) to show extended UI (CRT toggle, this, and home indicator, currently in talks), especailly when, and potentially as only visiable when is a concern (or just a toggle in options for always on vs on when low)
Consider along Overlay UI revisions to avoid button collision.
Checklist
- Quick Change Menu
- Better Active Server UI
Thinking to model this more like active call use of color behind time when out of app and something more like a top-edge locked color bar when in app, that can be cancelled…
Doing
- Controller Overlays
Redesign controller overlays for all game systems with universal look and feel
Considerations:
Minimal /versatile look ( something like this skin that I (Sev) made for GBA4iOS and later Delta beta: https://twitter.com/sevdestruct/status/955990300530376704)Layouts
- [Looking to unify layout types, once commonalities sorted, will list]
Checklist
- New universal/unified buttons look: minimal and versatile (meaning works on light and dark colors with least obstruction).
- Revised layouts
- virtual sticks (free placing)
- Pressed states (visual feedback, like enlarging buttons on press , preferably tweened/animated)
- Menu soft-button only (Issue Request #550) [consider optional setting or a screen tap that brings visibility to this temporarily]
- …Consider alt default position for R/L... accessible to right thumb, instead of upper right and left corners
- alt set: labelled versions
- right centric buttons (critical assumption: left thumb is busy for movement)
- unstack start/select, move apart, away from Home Indicator
- skeuomorphics sets? (damnit, joe…)
- virtual stick as d-pad (segment into sectors)
- v1.5 editions
- v1.5 edition - revised layouts
Inputs
- Joystick
- Dpad
- Start/Select
- L/Rs (optimize space of these)
- action buttons… [abxy, tiangle, circle, 123, abcxyc, etc]
Formats
- iOS (iPhone)
- iOS (iPad)
Comments
Sev Gerk on Controller Overlays this is underway, but long way to go… got some alignment on right-centric approach to most buttons - aka. death of corner shoulder buttons (which are useless)
Labels
- Design
- Game Library
The main app view, the Game Library needs to be overhauled. Too many systems to scrooll through, too many games.
————
Considerations:
Plex side shelf
Slack Teams shelf.. had extra shelf.. maybe for genres??
Categorical filtering
Sorting
Favorites
Playlists
Continue Playing…(like plex, last game played with screenshot?)
On Deck (like plex recent games with cover art, side scrolling…)Need to determine Default list, thinking maybe something more dynamic like Plex's home view.. main screen.
Checklist
- Sorting/Filters/Modes SubNav (ala Plex)
- Paginated Libraries… (ala instagram dock style nodes/dots)
- Single Core/Collection View
- Empty Library state or Bottom of Library note or upload button (like OpenEmu empty system list)
- Continue Playing…
- On Deck/Recently Played
- Recently Added
- Add blank / status slots for BIOS at bottom of single core library view (perhaps in simple table view with footnote(s))
- Sorted/Filtered Mockup
- Grid View (in works)
- List/Table View (coming…)
- Home View
- Search View(s)
- Revisit Home View to polish, consider/reconsider subsections or additionals (Most Played, etc)
- Resolve multi-ratio cover art problem…
- Better Missing Cover Art FPO Thumbnail
- Stacked Saves (fan out expanded view?)
- Recent Saves dedicated view (horiz scrolling collection views within table view per game…)
- Better Extracting Archive UI (something non-obstructive, maybe top edge locked, maybe more like Chrome page loading…)
Versions
- iOS - iPad
- tvOS
- iOS - iPhone
Formats/Orientations
- Landscape.. iPhone
- Landscape.. iPad
Icons
- BIOS Rom - Loaded Icon
- BIOS Rom - Missing Icon
- Menu Icon
Labels
- Design
- Navigation
Navigation for Cores/System.. list, categories, maybe a Side Shelf (ala Plex or Slack, slack also has nested shelfs within theirs, if we find a use for something like that…
Checklist
- Setup Side Shelf version
- <a href="https://trello.com/c/CDyKwx9I/11-system-icons-thumbnails">https://trello.com/c/CDyKwx9I/11-system-icons-thumbnails</a>
- Collections
- Move Home View button to top group, or rename Cores section..?
- Add Add games / webserver button
- Consider Search button in nav bar (like Apple Calendar, or mayeb have it slide out from icon instead)
- Consider search in top of menu side shelf
- Add Add Collections button
- <a href="https://trello.com/c/Zo6k0d1x/33-official-vs-unoffical-source-heads-ups">https://trello.com/c/Zo6k0d1x/33-official-vs-unoffical-source-heads-ups</a>
Additional Icons
- Home
- Settings
Labels
- Design
- Navigation, Core/System Icons
Icons for systems/consoles for new Side Shelf or otherwise. Style to be determined…
Icons (Flat/Pixel Set):
- Nintendo - Nintendo Entertainment System
- Nintendo - Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- Atari - 2600
- Atari - 7800
- Atari - Lynx
- Nintendo - Famicom
- Nintendo - Super Famicom
- Sony - Playstation
- Sony - PSP
- Sega - Genesis
- Sega - Mega Drive
- Sega - Master System
- Nintendo - Gameboy Advance
- Sega - 32X
- Sega - CD
- Sega - Saturn
- Nintendo - Gameboy Color
Comments
Sev Gerk on System Icons/Thumbnails however this last set are icons I made myself a long while back to replace emulator icons back when jailbreaking was necessary… we could use these and i could make more, they are all made to look liek the controllers fit into iOS icon shapes. the other set is same thing but the systems themselves, could go either way (i'd be down for making Japanese alts for some of these if we want to make that an optional preference in settings as a novelty (Famicom/NES, SNES/ SFC for instance)
Sev Gerk on System Icons/Thumbnails this set of icons are a mix of rips and internet scrapes but a few are ones I built myself
Sev Gerk on System Icons/Thumbnails I actually have a fair amount of iOS icon-like emulator icons I have made as icon replacements for apps for myself in the past for a bunch of systems -may be a good start for these assets, and would to be different from OpenEmus pixel art ones, but I could make something like those as well.
Labels
- Design
- Settings Icons
Icons
- Non-linear Stretch (aka [Anamorphic] Dynamic Stretch])
- CRT Filter
- [more TBD…]
- Home
Labels
- Design
- Branding/Identity Updates/Refinements
Think we can push this to be more simple and more iconic. I think we can keep the blue color the James (jsarien) mentioning it wasn't for a particular reason or concept, just preference. Maybe we can give it meaning now.
Checklist
- Revised App Icon(s) - first pass
- Output New Icons for all sizes, uses.
- Small Lockup Icon version (for use in menu, maybe elsewhere)
- Potentially.. Logotype/lettering (pending discussion with James (jasarien) about name: origins [Genesis, Sega influence], perceptions, and original intent of it with start of project compared to what it has become)..
- tvOS icon
- TopShelf image
- Alt app icon (on dark)
- Refine dark app icon colors
Comments
Sev Gerk on Branding/Identity Updates/Refinements @card : what's intent for top shelf image, base branding? preview of emulator, cover art wall? need some input from discussion here.
Labels
- Design
Done
- Scrape and collect insights from remaining User Interface tags in GitHub (Ongoing)
- Missing ROM / ROM dead link status
Noticed this missing rom status / dead link rom in OpenEmu, wouldn't mind having that for roms that have been found to be deleted via webUI but not in app.