Last week I was thinking about making a theme for my 3DS and psvita when i came across some cool artwork. So I searched for the tools, Usagi theme editor. I figured this would be easy, the software would be simple to use and make the them, it won't take long, add some pretty pictures and voila! Let me start by saying "When will I learn?" Is not as easy as some people make it look. Is a lot of hard work, even though I see the theme website or the theme sharing thread here with people like @MartyDreamy and @Ryumaru publishing themes so often, they do good work and is not easy. I personally haven't used the themes but I see the quality and respect the work. Is not easy. Is been about 4 days since I started and I don't feel like I'm close to finishing it.
The theme editor itself isn't bad, is has many tools that is useful for making the same quality of themes the official nintendo theme shop has. Nice quality pictures, backgrounds, folders, sound effects and proper looping audio, is a process that I wasn't aware of. I figured the tool would be more like those "Installation wizard" kind of thing, where it walkthrough the steps to make the theme, Insert image here, there, there, play this song. I thought it be simple but is not. You need specific resolution set pictures for each import function, create a proper trimmed audio file that sounds like it loops properly on is own 1:26 audio file converted to OGG then BCSTM, and then don't forget that scrolling feature on the 3ds, that must be way more difficult to setup. Also if you want more advance things, recording sound effects to insert. Is a process i wish was easy and automated like a install wizard, but I'm not complaining, just stating my experience using it. I think is a very useful too, and it helps to know enough about creating trimmed audio that loops itself in a single file and picture editing tools. I was also informed that a tutorial for using the theme editor was also made. I will consider looking at it to get better understanding of the process. Though I been fine with the xenoblade chronicles theme for long time, Is just a project I was curious about.
Anyway, theme editing is a process and is not easy first time, eventually it may get easier and less exhausting the longer I continue but that only if I continue. I will just have to see.
The theme editor itself isn't bad, is has many tools that is useful for making the same quality of themes the official nintendo theme shop has. Nice quality pictures, backgrounds, folders, sound effects and proper looping audio, is a process that I wasn't aware of. I figured the tool would be more like those "Installation wizard" kind of thing, where it walkthrough the steps to make the theme, Insert image here, there, there, play this song. I thought it be simple but is not. You need specific resolution set pictures for each import function, create a proper trimmed audio file that sounds like it loops properly on is own 1:26 audio file converted to OGG then BCSTM, and then don't forget that scrolling feature on the 3ds, that must be way more difficult to setup. Also if you want more advance things, recording sound effects to insert. Is a process i wish was easy and automated like a install wizard, but I'm not complaining, just stating my experience using it. I think is a very useful too, and it helps to know enough about creating trimmed audio that loops itself in a single file and picture editing tools. I was also informed that a tutorial for using the theme editor was also made. I will consider looking at it to get better understanding of the process. Though I been fine with the xenoblade chronicles theme for long time, Is just a project I was curious about.
Anyway, theme editing is a process and is not easy first time, eventually it may get easier and less exhausting the longer I continue but that only if I continue. I will just have to see.
