Is hyperTheme buggy?

[Kortoga]

Trying to learn how to create my own Themes.

It seems HyperTheme v1.1 shows things on the developing window on a random basis.

 

I will add a wheel image, and the image does not show up.  Just the "select" box or highlight box when I click where it should be.

Or the video comes and goes, I have to load the video each and everytime I open the theme.

I will delete the video frame image, and oppp, there it is again after I have saved several times without it.  For whatever reason HyperTheme decides it needs to bring it back.

 

I can't even get the wheel to show up on any themes I create.  This is by far the biggest pain in the ace.

I know it cannot be that hard.  I load a wheel image from the wheel image HyperSpin is using, but only the outline "select" box shows up in development, and NO wheel shows up in HyperSpin.

I have set the alpha in HQ to 50, I should see something right?

 

Is it just me, or is HyperTheme problematic?  It is probably me, so please fix me.

 

How do I get the freaking wheel to show up in my themes?

Thanks...

[Avar]

Wheels go in the Wheel folder for the specific menu you're making the theme for and must be named to match the relavent game or system. They don't go in the theme itself.

 

As for modifications made to the video, HyperTheme1.1, in my experience, requires you to work with -any- FLV video when editing/saving. The specific video doesn't matter, it just has to be an FLV so HyperTheme includes your video changes in the XML.

[diskmach]

Hypertheme bugs in my experience (not that I used it a lot):

 

Cannot open existing themes.

Some animations not working when theme is saved.

Some seemingly random problems, similar to Kortoga´s experience.

[Kortoga]

Thanks with the wheels and video, I am going to keep messing with HT.

I figure if others can make Themes that I like, it is a matter of time until I learn how to do the same.

[wesfranks]

I think a lot of people use Photoshop or similar to mock up their themes, adding, resizing, and "layering" artwork elements so everything looks right from a visual perspective (from background to foreground).

 

Then because HyperTheme only uses 4 main artwork elements on top of the background, you have to combine those layered elements into 4 layers (not including background) while trying to figure out how to maintain the visual perspective. I end up appending the name of those layers with- Background, 1-4, and Video Frame and if I am finished tinkering, I squish them (16x9 to 4x3 aspect), resize them to 1024x768 (needed by current HyperTheme) and change them to png files.

 

Import the layers (png) one by one into HyperTheme, make positional adjustments, add HyperTheme included animations (if appropriate and in moderation), so the artwork elements appear to interact with each other and then save. Don't forget to name it appropriately and take a snapshot of your theme.

 

Add it to your HyperSpin and see if it looks right and alter/repeat, if necessary.

 

 

Kortoga, I approve of your DIY attitude- your quote: "I figure if others can make Themes that I like, it is a matter of time until I learn how to do the same." I completely agree.

[Metalzoic]

Trying to learn how to create my own Themes.

It seems HyperTheme v1.1 shows things on the developing window on a random basis.

 

I will add a wheel image, and the image does not show up.  Just the "select" box or highlight box when I click where it should be.

Or the video comes and goes, I have to load the video each and everytime I open the theme.

I will delete the video frame image, and oppp, there it is again after I have saved several times without it.  For whatever reason HyperTheme decides it needs to bring it back.

 

I can't even get the wheel to show up on any themes I create.  This is by far the biggest pain in the ace.

I know it cannot be that hard.  I load a wheel image from the wheel image HyperSpin is using, but only the outline "select" box shows up in development, and NO wheel shows up in HyperSpin.

I have set the alpha in HQ to 50, I should see something right?

 

Is it just me, or is HyperTheme problematic?  It is probably me, so please fix me.

 

How do I get the freaking wheel to show up in my themes?

Thanks...

I haven't really had to many issues with it, you just need to work within its quirks.

-It doesn't do widescreen so to create 16:9 themes your artwork must be horizontally squished (1366x768 to 1024x768) before being imported.

-You can only re-open a theme if it was zipped by Hypertheme. If you unzip one to make a change and then manually zip it again HyperTheme cannot open it.

-Yes you must load your video everytime because the video snaps are independent of the theme. Your test vid must be FLV as Hypertheme can't play MP4.

-The wheel doesn't show because it isn't a part of the theme.

-The artwork you use must be PNG or SWF. PNGs will always show in HyperTheme. SWFs may not.

-The easiest way to do it is to build it all in photoshop, then import it into Hypertheme to animate and piece together

-The order and naming of stacking the layers is:

Artwork4

Artwork3

Artwork2

Video

Artwork1

Background

You can create quite a few tricks with smart use of those layers, effects and timing.

Here's a vid of my custom Ghosts'n Goblins wheel with 20 themes. Most I made from scratch, but a few were conversions of existing themes that I changed quite a bit.

[Avar]

-You can only re-open a theme if it was zipped by Hypertheme. If you unzip one to make a change and then manually zip it again HyperTheme cannot open it.

 

 

 

It can open manually zipped themes as long as the compression method is set to "store."

[Metalzoic]

It can open manually zipped themes as long as the compression method is set to "store."

Good to know.

[Kortoga]

Thanks guys, I am  getting better at working within its quirks.

And producing better and better themes each time I try.

All of the above replys have been helpful, please continue if you have more advice and tricks on how you work HyperTheme.

[Kortoga]

One question,

 

I am trying to add Artwork for 3D Boxes.  I added the 3D Boxes to Artwork 3 folder in the relevant system's Themes/Image/Artwork3 folder.

I then added Artwork 3 to my HyperTheme and pointed it towards a 3D Box in the Artwork 3 folder.

 

But when I run the Theme in Hyperspin the 3D Box art does not change, it stays the same box artI choose when creating the theme in HyperTheme.

What am I doing wrong?  Thanks...

[Black Hazor]

there is a default theme option on the left u have to click

[Kortoga]

Wham Bamm, Thank you Man!

Check it, you wreck it, lets Begin

Party on, Party people, let me here some noise...

 

Thank you, didn't know what that selection did, and was afraid to ever use it because of the warning it pops up when you click it.

[diskmach]

It can open manually zipped themes as long as the compression method is set to "store."

 

Doesn´t work for me.