Homebrew [NDS] Yet Another nds-bootstrap Forwarder: more than 40 forwarders are now possible

[Mikado123]

It's only in the case you have to manually put the path, so actually with "sd:/" in front. Try instead to just select the files already set on your 3DS SD card from the app, or drag and drop them. It will automatically detect the path if you have actually mounted the SD card.

hi thank you, i went for the command line approach and it worked flawlessly, so in the end i was able to do it. thank you anyway!

 

[Avery_6464]

Hey im having alot of trouble. My per game menu is not showing up when i hold Y except for Animal Crossing: Wild World. I also tried using a widescreen cheat for Wild World (because its the only one with the cheat menu) from another thread but its not applying the widescreen or even the flipped screen from the cheat. I tried linking the thread i got the cheat from but GBATemp blocked me from doing so.

 

[RocketRobz]

Hey im having alot of trouble. My per game menu is not showing up when i hold Y except for Animal Crossing: Wild World. I also tried using a widescreen cheat for Wild World (because its the only one with the cheat menu) from another thread but its not applying the widescreen or even the flipped screen from the cheat. I tried linking the thread i got the cheat from but GBATemp blocked me from doing so.

Your non-ACWW forwarders might be old, so they may need to be recreated.

 

[Avery_6464]

Your non-ACWW forwarders might be old, so they may need to be recreated.

I created them all at the same time today, including ACWW. Is there anything else I could do to update them? Also I appreciate all the work you have done, I recognize your name from software I've used on my 3ds and dsi.

Post automatically merged: Jan 9, 2024

Your non-ACWW forwarders might be old, so they may need to be recreated.

If it helps, I noticed I have a gamesettings folder and in that folder only ACWW has an .ini file. I tried copying that .ini file and renaming the ACWW part to the name of my NSMB rom, but it didnt help whne i tried loading the menu with NSMB.

 

[RocketRobz]

I created them all at the same time today, including ACWW. Is there anything else I could do to update them?

If you used the same software, then they're already up to date.
idk why the per-game menu wouldn't appear for the other forwarders then.

 

[Avery_6464]

If you used the same software, then they're already up to date.
idk why the per-game menu wouldn't appear for the other forwarders then.

I had a different forwarder i used before, i guess it was interfering because once I deleted al the files associated with it and reinstalled my CIAs everything worked!

 

[Amey8a]

Looks good

 

[GreatValueAppleJuice]

YANBF (Yet Another nds-bootstrap Forwarder) is a forwarder structure for nds-bootstrap.

Features:

• "forwarders" are referred to placeholder icons that will shortcut to a particular application (in this case, [nds-bootstrap](https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/nds-bootstrap))
  • Skip the [second menu](https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/TWiLightMenu) and just directly launch
• Launches from 3DS-mode.
  • The other implementation by @RocketRobz and @Olmectron, https://gbatemp.net/threads/426174/, is DSiWare, which means you are limited to only 40 titles. This works great on the DSi, it does not work great on the 3DS.
  • This means you can now install as many icons as you want until you max out the HOME menu icon space!

How it works:

• A pre-existing forwarder template exists: https://gbatemp.net/threads/426174/
  • This uses a DSiWare template, copies the icon and title and the ROM path, and then installed as a CIA. The CIA, when launched, will boot `sdcard.nds` which will do all the nds-bootstrap setup.
  • I instead opted to create an `sdcard.nds` bootloader, and then a 3DS-mode app that launches said bootloader
    • you can't launch `.nds` files from 3DS-mode. So a bootloader is required.
    • the bootloader does the same thing as the DSiWare template, in actuality.

How to use:

1. Go to https://github.com/YANBForwarder/YANBF/releases, and download the appropriate zip file for your PC OS
2. Go to https://github.com/RocketRobz/NTR_Forwarder/releases, and download the zip file that is not the source code
3. Extract the zip files
4. From the DS Game Forwarder Pack, copy everything in the for SD card root folder to your SD card root
5. From YANBF, copy bootstrap.cia to the `sd:/cias` folder
   • If this folder doesn't exist, make one
6. Download the latest TWiLight Menu++ version [here](https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/TWiLightMenu/releases). Only get the `3DS.7z` file
7. In the 7z file, go to `_nds`, `TWiLightMenu`, and `extras`
8. Drag the `apfix.pck` and `widescreen.pck` file to `sd:/_nds/ntr-forwarder/`

• Using the command-line program
  1. Open a terminal or command prompt and cd inside the generator folder
  2. Run `generator <path to ROM on your SD card>`
     • Make sure to replace `<path to ROM on your SD card>` with the full path to your ROM
     • If you do not have your SD card inserted in your computer, you must provide a custom ROM path using -p <ROM path on SD>
       • This ROM path must follow POSIX standards
         • i.e. if your ROM on SD card is at "sd:/ROMs/ROM.nds", pass -p "/ROMs/ROM.nds"
  3. The resulting CIA will be generated in this same folder. Copy this to the sd:/cias folder
  4. Boot your 3DS and install both CIAs using FBI
• Using the graphical user interface
  1. Open the `generator` folder, then:
     • Windows: Open YANBF-GUI.exe
     • macOS:
       1. Open YANBF-GUI.dmg
       2. Install YANBFGenerator app
     • Linux: Open YANBF-GUI.AppImage
  2. Set the generator directory to the path of your `generator` folder. A file browser icon next to the input can help with this
  3. Drag and drop as many ROMs as you need on your SD card to the app.
     • If you do not have your SD card inserted in your computer, you must provide a custom ROM path in the drop-down options
       • This ROM path must follow POSIX standards
         • i.e. if your ROM on SD card is at "sd:/ROMs/ROM.nds", write "/ROMs/ROM.nds"
  4. Click the Download button to start the generation process
  5. The resulting CIA will be generated in this same folder. Copy this to the sd:/cias folder
  6. Boot your 3DS and install all CIAs using FBI

Updating files:

• Using Universal-Updater
  1. Open Universal-Updater on your 3DS
     • You can download it here: https://github.com/Universal-Team/Universal-Updater/releases
  2. Navigate to `YANBF`, then install the YANBF Forwarder Pack
• Manually
  1. Re-follow steps 1-8 in the "How to use" section

Creating your own banners:

• For a quick tutorial, refer to @Yrouel's post here: https://gbatemp.net/threads/609242/
• Technical definitions (for those who know their stuff):
  • Image must be in PNG format. It must be 256x128. You can center your image accordingly, but the resulting file must be that size or it will fail to generate.
  • Sound must be in WAV format, 16-bit, and shorter than 3 seconds. Otherwise, the 3DS will fail to render the banner entirely.
• Want to share? See https://github.com/YANBForwarder/assets#contribution-guidelines
  • Images are mandatory. Sound is optional.

Credits:

• devkitPro for their toolchain
• @RocketRobz for the TWLNAND bootstrap code
• @Pk11 for bannergif.py and testing
• @Olmectron for the initial GUI wrapper
• @spitzeqc for continued support on the GUI wrapper

Have an issue? Please post in this thread, or open an issue on https://github.com/YANBForwarder/YANBF/issues

I have a lot of questions. The first is when I open a game on my ds using your generator it crashes and tells me that it can't find the rom file in the file, but when I open the files it's in the file it should be. I'm going to wait for you to reply before asking my next question

 

[holypepsi]

Took me a while but I got it to work.
It takes 25 seconds on average to boot the game using this method.
Using NDS forwarder is around 10-12 seconds.
Booting from Twilight++ menu around 3-5 seconds.

Did I make a mistake or is this method just really slow for booting up NDS games from the home screen?
I'm using an Orginal 3DS XL but still its around 2x slower than NDS forwader. Just want to confirm that I didn't make a mistake.

 

[Pk11]

Took me a while but I got it to work.
It takes 25 seconds on average to boot the game using this method.
Using NDS forwarder is around 10-12 seconds.
Booting from Twilight++ menu around 3-5 seconds.

Did I make a mistake or is this method just really slow for booting up NDS games from the home screen?
I'm using an Orginal 3DS XL but still its around 2x slower than NDS forwader. Just want to confirm that I didn't make a mistake.

Yeah, that's the major and unfixable issue with this. The 3DS is rather slow at booting apps and this method boots a 3DS mode app which then immediately reboots into DSi mode, at which point it does all the same things NDS forwarder does.

Though it should probably be closer to 5 seconds slower, not 15. Perhaps if you have a large SD that's slowing things down?

Edit: Actually, 5 seconds is my experience on n3DS, it probably is going to be at least 10s on o3DS.

 

[TimboNzer]

Needs some adjustment but I suppose this worksView attachment 364935

Hey, were you ever able to share this? I am not the only one who would love to have something like this that matches the official default Virtual Console 3D banners like the OG GameBoy, GBC, GameGear, etc. You are the ONLY person on the entire internet I have found to have made something like this.

Post automatically merged: Mar 27, 2024

Is it possible to customize the DS icon tile image as well?

 

[holypepsi]

Yeah, that's the major and unfixable issue with this. The 3DS is rather slow at booting apps and this method boots a 3DS mode app which then immediately reboots into DSi mode, at which point it does all the same things NDS forwarder does.

Though it should probably be closer to 5 seconds slower, not 15. Perhaps if you have a large SD that's slowing things down?

Edit: Actually, 5 seconds is my experience on n3DS, it probably is going to be at least 10s on o3DS.

Yeah I'm using a 128GB SD card so that also might add to the problem.

 

[champsblinder02]

Working flawlessly! I loved the banner customization, such an awesome feature!

I'm on a macOS, Luma 13.0.2 on a 64gb SD.

 

[AceWantstoDraw]

YANBF (Yet Another nds-bootstrap Forwarder) is a forwarder structure for nds-bootstrap.

Features:

• "forwarders" are referred to placeholder icons that will shortcut to a particular application (in this case, [nds-bootstrap](https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/nds-bootstrap))
  • Skip the [second menu](https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/TWiLightMenu) and just directly launch
• Launches from 3DS-mode.
  • The other implementation by @RocketRobz and @Olmectron, https://gbatemp.net/threads/426174/, is DSiWare, which means you are limited to only 40 titles. This works great on the DSi, it does not work great on the 3DS.
  • This means you can now install as many icons as you want until you max out the HOME menu icon space!

How it works:

• A pre-existing forwarder template exists: https://gbatemp.net/threads/426174/
  • This uses a DSiWare template, copies the icon and title and the ROM path, and then installed as a CIA. The CIA, when launched, will boot `sdcard.nds` which will do all the nds-bootstrap setup.
  • I instead opted to create an `sdcard.nds` bootloader, and then a 3DS-mode app that launches said bootloader
    • you can't launch `.nds` files from 3DS-mode. So a bootloader is required.
    • the bootloader does the same thing as the DSiWare template, in actuality.

How to use:

1. Go to https://github.com/YANBForwarder/YANBF/releases, and download the appropriate zip file for your PC OS
2. Go to https://github.com/RocketRobz/NTR_Forwarder/releases, and download the zip file that is not the source code
3. Extract the zip files
4. From the DS Game Forwarder Pack, copy everything in the for SD card root folder to your SD card root
5. From YANBF, copy bootstrap.cia to the `sd:/cias` folder
   • If this folder doesn't exist, make one
6. Download the latest TWiLight Menu++ version [here](https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/TWiLightMenu/releases). Only get the `3DS.7z` file
7. In the 7z file, go to `_nds`, `TWiLightMenu`, and `extras`
8. Drag the `apfix.pck` and `widescreen.pck` file to `sd:/_nds/ntr-forwarder/`

• Using the command-line program
  1. Open a terminal or command prompt and cd inside the generator folder
  2. Run `generator <path to ROM on your SD card>`
     • Make sure to replace `<path to ROM on your SD card>` with the full path to your ROM
     • If you do not have your SD card inserted in your computer, you must provide a custom ROM path using -p <ROM path on SD>
       • This ROM path must follow POSIX standards
         • i.e. if your ROM on SD card is at "sd:/ROMs/ROM.nds", pass -p "/ROMs/ROM.nds"
  3. The resulting CIA will be generated in this same folder. Copy this to the sd:/cias folder
  4. Boot your 3DS and install both CIAs using FBI
• Using the graphical user interface
  1. Open the `generator` folder, then:
     • Windows: Open YANBF-GUI.exe
     • macOS:
       1. Open YANBF-GUI.dmg
       2. Install YANBFGenerator app
     • Linux: Open YANBF-GUI.AppImage
  2. Set the generator directory to the path of your `generator` folder. A file browser icon next to the input can help with this
  3. Drag and drop as many ROMs as you need on your SD card to the app.
     • If you do not have your SD card inserted in your computer, you must provide a custom ROM path in the drop-down options
       • This ROM path must follow POSIX standards
         • i.e. if your ROM on SD card is at "sd:/ROMs/ROM.nds", write "/ROMs/ROM.nds"
  4. Click the Download button to start the generation process
  5. The resulting CIA will be generated in this same folder. Copy this to the sd:/cias folder
  6. Boot your 3DS and install all CIAs using FBI

Updating files:

• Using Universal-Updater
  1. Open Universal-Updater on your 3DS
     • You can download it here: https://github.com/Universal-Team/Universal-Updater/releases
  2. Navigate to `YANBF`, then install the YANBF Forwarder Pack
• Manually
  1. Re-follow steps 1-8 in the "How to use" section

Creating your own banners:

• For a quick tutorial, refer to @Yrouel's post here: https://gbatemp.net/threads/609242/
• Technical definitions (for those who know their stuff):
  • Image must be in PNG format. It must be 256x128. You can center your image accordingly, but the resulting file must be that size or it will fail to generate.
  • Sound must be in WAV format, 16-bit, and shorter than 3 seconds. Otherwise, the 3DS will fail to render the banner entirely.
• Want to share? See https://github.com/YANBForwarder/assets#contribution-guidelines
  • Images are mandatory. Sound is optional.

Credits:

• devkitPro for their toolchain
• @RocketRobz for the TWLNAND bootstrap code
• @Pk11 for bannergif.py and testing
• @Olmectron for the initial GUI wrapper
• @spitzeqc for continued support on the GUI wrapper

Have an issue? Please post in this thread, or open an issue on https://github.com/YANBForwarder/YANBF/issues

Hello, i'm trying to do the setup and im stuck on
1. Open a terminal or command prompt and cd inside the generator folder
1. Run `generator <path to ROM on your SD card>`
- Make sure to replace `<path to ROM on your SD card>` with the full path to your ROM
how do i proceed?

 

[champsblinder02]

Hello, i'm trying to do the setup and im stuck on
1. Open a terminal or command prompt and cd inside the generator folder
1. Run `generator <path to ROM on your SD card>`
- Make sure to replace `<path to ROM on your SD card>` with the full path to your ROM
how do i proceed?

Try with the GUI version.

 

[ElectroAxis]

YANBF installed correctly, no issue there. Made the cia using YANBF-GUI.exe Likewise, FBI is used to install the CIAs. The only problem is launching them. They simply don’t launch. Upon launching a DS game, the 3DS boot animation plays but then there’s a black screen and I’m kicked out to the home menu.

I’ve attempted this on 2 other 3DS systems only for the CIAs to work exactly as intended as they boot on one of those systems. The systems are as follows:

Old 3DS (US) - Not Working
New 3DS (JP) [w/Region Change] - Not Working
New 3DS (US) - Working

I installed all the prerequisites, such as:
-NTR-Forwarder
-nds-bootstrap
-bootstrap.cia (from YANBF)

All 3DS systems have TwilightMenu++ and
DS Forwarder packs.

 

[champsblinder02]

YANBF installed correctly, no issue there. Made the cia using YANBF-GUI.exe Likewise, FBI is used to install the CIAs. The only problem is launching them. They simply don’t launch. Upon launching a DS game, the 3DS boot animation plays but then there’s a black screen and I’m kicked out to the home menu.

I’ve attempted this on 2 other 3DS systems only for the CIAs to work exactly as intended as they boot on one of those systems. The systems are as follows:

Old 3DS (US) - Not Working
New 3DS (JP) [w/Region Change] - Not Working
New 3DS (US) - Working

I installed all the prerequisites, such as:
-NTR-Forwarder
-nds-bootstrap
-bootstrap.cia (from YANBF)

All 3DS systems have TwilightMenu++ and
DS Forwarder packs.

Have you tried converting other rom file?

 

[ElectroAxis]

Have you tried converting other rom file?

I've converted more than one ROM file, yes. But, the ROMs are not the issue as they boot on one of the 3DS systems I have tested them on. I'm trying to get the other 2 systems that I mentioned to boot the DS ROMs through the homescreen. Each ROM has a custom path to "/ROMs/DS/CPUE.nds" And as I had mentioned previously, it runs on the N3DS (US) but I can't get it to run on O3DS (US) or N3DS (JP). There is no error message for me to determine what the issue is, just boots back to the home menu.

Someone else had asked this question a year prior and no one answered it and there's no documentation online to how to fix this issue.

 

[champsblinder02]

I've converted more than one ROM file, yes. But, the ROMs are not the issue as they boot on one of the 3DS systems I have tested them on. I'm trying to get the other 2 systems that I mentioned to boot the DS ROMs through the homescreen. Each ROM has a custom path to "/ROMs/DS/CPUE.nds" And as I had mentioned previously, it runs on the N3DS (US) but I can't get it to run on O3DS (US) or N3DS (JP). There is no error message for me to determine what the issue is, just boots back to the home menu.

Someone else had asked this question a year prior and no one answered it and there's no documentation online to how to fix this issue.

Probably you have already tried, but try doing a fresh YANBF install and converting a new CIA again. Also update the Twilight Menu and bootstrap to the latest version.