DreamShell: Can I make bug report and suggestions?

[rouken]

Ok!! Time to suggestions.... :-)
There's a lot of suggestions... So, be patient with me... ^_^





Suggestion 1
Boot from VMU + SD Card (it’s possible?)

In THIS POST, the user Mario asks the possibilities to load the DreamShell in the VMU. Of course it’s impossible, because the VMU have too little memory to hold the program.

Now, let's see one interesting thing: Puyo Puyo Fever, the last official Dreamcast game released, comes with the possibility to put a special picture in the DC manager with a specific save file. But the save file don't just put a picture in the DC manager, but it's enable a screen hack too. Pressing Start, you can rotate the manager.

This fact open one possibilitiy: Install the DreamShell at the SD card and create a VMU file with a special command to search and load the DreamShell from the SD card. This special command can be activated if we hold L or R or L+R while press Start in the DC Manager.

As I said before, it’s impossible to put the DreamShell in the VMU because of the too little memory it have to hold the program, but it can be possible to put just a command to search the DreamShell on the SD card and, from the SD card, the DreamShell can be loaded with no problem.





Suggestion 2
New interface

The interface of File Manager is, sometimes, confusing. The double file list with "origin & destiny" locations sometimes make me do mistakes. Mistakes like for example, the "origin column" is accessing A1 VMU, and "destiny column" is accessing the SD card, and I want to delete one file in the SD card. Sometimes I forget the left column is the "origin column" and will receive every command I make, and I try to delete the file of the right column, but the command goes for the left column and I delete some file from that column (Yes!! That happened during the bug report... T_T).

The change propose is the File Manager could use just one file list, we can select one or multiply files, and call a popup window with all the things we can do with that one specific file selected or with the multiply files.

Example: I access the CD to copy a file on it. If I light one file, I can press Y button to call the popup and use all options, like Copy, Cut, Paste, Rename, Run ISO (if the file is a ISO), etc... If I select multiply files (I can select each file with X button), I can call the popup and use all the commands I can do in this occasion (just Copy, Cut and Paste). Once I copied the file, I can leave the CD and go to the SD card, call the popup menu and select the Paste command.

I got this inspiration from the amazing uLaunchELF for PlayStation 2.

Ok… It’s look like an old DOS program. But it’s just an example to show how the popup window works.

I think it can solve the problems with the Bug Report 1 and Bug Report 2 I made…





Suggestion 3
No analogict pointer, just digital cursor

I must to say: Work with the pointer with analogic pad is a pain and stresses me a lot!! If I can use the mouse, the pointer will be amazing, but with the analogic pad... So, I suggest to change the pointer to a cursor controlled by the digital pad. The cursor lights each option/file for each touch, and if I hold the digital pad, the cursor runs for that direction.

See the cursor. I thing it's better a D-Pad controlled cursor than a analogic controlled pointer…

Suggestion 4
Specific VMU manager

One thing cool about using a SD card on the Dreamcast is we can backup the saves from the VMU, something impossible without specifics devices or advanced ways. But if I try to copy the file from the VMU to the SD card, I will get just a RAW file. This file can be used in emulators specific programs, but if I want to take a save from emulators and put in the VMU using the DreamShell, I can't do it because it will be in Nexus DCI format or VMU+VMI format, and the DreamShell will keep those files formats when I copy they to the VMU. And without counting the name of the file in the VMU is the same of the save info.

With this, I have an idea for a suggestion: Create a specific VMU Manager separated from the File Manager. This VMU Manager would show all information of the save file, like the icon, etc... But there's one more important thing: When I try to copy the save from SD Card, CD or other device to the VMU, the DreamShell can convert the format automatically for the VMU format, and if I try to copy a file from VMU to the SD card, when a window will pop-up, asking if I want to save in DCI format, VMU+VMS format or RAW format. More advanced options could be used in this VMU manager, as change region of the save, etc...





Suggestion 5
Bigger letters

When I try to read some information in the top borders, I just can't read if I'm using the Dreamcast on my TV (I don't have a VGA adapter). The letters in that line are small and they don't show very well on TV.





Suggestion 6
Longer borders

And as the small letters was a good problem, the borders the problem too. The space from the edges of the screen to the edges of the File Manager display is small, and if I run the Dreamcast on a TV, the TV cut parts of the File Manager display: In special, the messages above the tool bar.

See…? The top text is cut from the half.

Suggestion 7
Title Screen and customize option

It will be cool if the DreamShell could have a Title Screen with the "Press Start Button" message (and with a sound when you press Start to start it), and a customize option to… Customize (duh!!). Customize things like screen position, letters color, put a picture in the background, etc… And the DreamShell can comes with something about four different themes.





Suggestion 8
More file support

I think there are a lot of suggestions about file support in this forum to turn the DreamShell a multipurpose program. So, I’ll try to put my suggestions:
> A VMU emulator in the VMU Manager to play VMU games on TV (like the one found in the Dream Explorer / VMU Tool);
> A MP3 Player (or support for others sound files), and play that music (or music list if possible) while using the DreamShell (with volume control, of course);
> A music and video player to play Dreamcast music and videos from the discs;
> A TXT file viewer/editor;





Well... This is it. I hope I was not a noob with those suggestions. ^_^