Channel creation

Yes, animation stuff will be added at some point (hopefully). I need to fix my RGBA8 and RGB5A3 decoders first.
My RGB5A3 decoder is really odd. I get odd colours out, but while some show the correct image, others are skewed.

The banner tools may be ready for Christmas, but not sure about the Homebrew Channel Packager. :-)

Edit: Fixed the skew on RGB5A3, still get the colour issues though



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2008 07:43PM by whodares.

Quote
whodares
Yes, animation stuff will be added at some point (hopefully). I need to fix my RGBA8 and RGB5A3 decoders first.
My RGB5A3 decoder is really odd. I get odd colours out, but while some show the correct image, others are skewed.

Some questions, because I am curious:
Doesn't RGB5A3 use 18 bits?
That sounds odd to me.
Why do you need to handle RGBA anyway? Doesn't the Wii use YUV?

Quote
daniel_c_w
Some questions, because I am curious:
Doesn't RGB5A3 use 18 bits?
That sounds odd to me.
Why do you need to handle RGBA anyway? Doesn't the Wii use YUV?

RGB5A3 is technically two different graphic formats in 1... RGB555 and RGB4A3. If the MSB (most significant bit) is set (=1), then the 16 bits equate to RGB4A3 (4 bits for each colour and a 3 bit alpha), otherwise there are 5 bits for each colour and no alpha channel. At least, that's what all the documentation I've read says, but my colours are coming a little off...

RGBA8 is one of the graphic formats supported by the banner format. The Homebrew Channel uses RGBA8 format for it's components. Not found any others yet, but then I've only checked 3 (HBC, Last Ninja, and Mario Kart Channel)

Edit: Whohoo. Fixed my RGB5A3. I'd gotten my MSB check the wrong way around. if the MSB is set, the format is RGB555



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2008 08:37PM by whodares.

Congrats

and thanks for the answers

Created a page on the Wiki for those wanting to follow the progress - [www.wiibrew.org]

There's also a screenshot of my application so far.

cool tool! Looks great!

oh.... and it WONT be pirating since we will be editing our own banners and you won't be spreading around banners or its code, right?

Can we (I) help you, whodares?

@DrLucky: Nope, it'll all be perfectly legal, providing you use your own graphics for the banners of course ;-)

@daniel_c_w: Thanks for the offer, but I can't think of anything at the minute.

Will we be able to design our banners in Photoshop and them import them in with your app?

and what about the moving banners? Like the Nintendo ones have and like in the HBC?

@DrLucky: Yes, you'll need Photoshop or some other graphics package to produce your images.

As for the moving banners, I've already covered that:

Quote
whodares
Yes, animation stuff will be added at some point (hopefully).

Quote
whodares
@DrLucky: Yes, you'll need Photoshop or some other graphics package to produce your images.

As for the moving banners, I've already covered that:

Quote
whodares
Yes, animation stuff will be added at some point (hopefully).

cool...


oh, sorry about that... i know I asked that a while back, but I must have missed your answer...

Does it use video files? or animated gifs? something like that?

Have you ever used Micromedia Flash? or whatever it's called these days. It's like that.

Rather than having a bunch of full-rendered frames, you bring in several images, and the brlan files will tell the system menu where to draw each image, including any rotation, scaling, and alpha adjustments on each frame

So aside from a banner creator, maybe we'll see a banner rendering library that homebrew launchers can use? :-p

I personally can't see a point in that, but if you wish to discuss it, please create another thread. This one is about making channels and banners.

Okay, I just thought up I brilliant way to test banners with out risking a brick(sort of), but it requires a modchip. All you do is make a wii disk(if that is not possible to do, as much as it pains me to say it, download one from wiisos) and put your banner in there. I the Wii bricks when you insert the disk, just remove the disk and you're back to normal.

@strongfan: I actually remember somebody releasing a GeckoOS/Ocarina cheat (or maybe it was something else) which changed the filenames of the banners that the wii loaded up to "zanner.bin", which is perfect for testing. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I found it :-(



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2008 12:56AM by whodares.

? what do you mean make a wii disc?
but it does sound like you are on to something... I have a modchip too!
(but I'll let you test your theory first, haha)

it's sadmenu...
it can't be used for testing... it changes the references to banner.bin files to zanner.bin files and all channels except disc channel loaded in black... so you can't actually test the banner... I don't remember if it deliberately misses the patch for the current displayed channel...(then you can test the banner of course)

yet it's not enough to prevent bricks since if you f..k up the header of the 0.app then you are doomed... even savemii and a modded drive will not be of any help in that case...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2008 01:06AM by WiiCrazy.

I think strongfan is refering to using something like Trucha Signer to get a Wii disc image, editing the contents with a new channel banner, and burning it to a DVD. This means you can stick the disc in to try the banner, but if it crashes the Wii, then you can remove the disc and your Wii will be fine

@WiiCrazy: Yeah, I'm kinda waiting for BootMii before I start testing any of this stuff, and as such, there won't be a release until such time (unless some crazy fool is willing anyway)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2008 01:15AM by whodares.

would it be possible to have a homebrew app that tests all of the banner in a "banner" folder on a SD card? seems like that would be much easier...