CodeMii

PiesAreBlueGuy and Felix have suggested a great idea, being notified via the Wii message board when an update or new applications for the HBB are available. I’ve gone ahead and set up an email address which is hbb@codemii.com.

From your Wii, all you need to do is add that email address to your address book and then I will reply with a confirmation email. You’ll then be signed up to receive messages when there are new HBB updates and new or updated applications are available.

If you haven’t already checked out the links section of this blog, you’ll find a really simple page that will show you the most downloaded applications from the Homebrew Browser.

Just some quick fixes for the Homebrew Browser.

27 July 2008 (v0.2.1a)

• Fixed the issue when downloading most of the temporary images for the first time it caused HBB to exit
• Added text to describe what each icon does when you move the cursor over it

The first issue seemed to happen when nearly all of the images were downloaded for the first time.  The files were being downloaded correctly but it seems like I had some bug when displaying a “blank channel”. I’ve correct the issue and it should work the first time.

The Homebrew Browser has been updated to v0.2.1.

26 July 2008 (v0.2.1)

• Cursor now rotates and disappears when IR is not pointed to the IR sensor (thanks ebool)
• Added about and controls icon
• Added functionality to remove old files that some applications don’t use when you update
• Added statistics gathering which will be displayed on a webpage
• Changed IP address from wiiregionworld.com to codemii.com

The following applications have been added/updated:

• Asteroids updated to v0.1 with Wiimote support
• DragonMedia Player updated to v0.12 Beta
• ftpii updated to v0.0.12
• Gecko OS v1.06d cf
• Genesis Plus updated to v2008.07.16
• Gnuboy GX v2008.07.15
• MahJongg Wii updated to v0.2
• Uno v4
• Wii Web Server updated to v0.81 Alpha

I would have liked to put in some background music but didn’t have much time, so I’ve added what I could. Statistics is probably the more important feature in this new version. Soon I’ll put up a link to the statistics which will show the number of times an application has been downloaded.

I’ll be working on a small update to the Homebrew Browser which will increase the buffer size even more so that GeeXbox can be put on the homebrew list. Other things which I might do once I have some example source, is make the cursor rotate and disappear when the wiimote is not pointed to the IR sensor. Another small thing to do is change the IP address in the HBB from wiiregionworld.com to codemii.com.

Yet another small little thing to put in is the ability to delete old files that certain applications used. An example is with genplus, I went and chose the boot.elf file but now with the new build they only have the boot.dol file (same thing happened with sd explorer, except in that case there wasn’t any reason to update it yet as a user is reporting that the delete function doesn’t work?)

I might also think about putting up the help and controls icons as found in the LowLines working demo.

I’d like to put in the background music but am not great with threads. I’ve tried but can’t get the mp3 to keep playing in the HBB. If anyone has a threading example which can loop an mp3 and do other things like draw graphics/display pictures, etc, please post a link to it here or in the HBB page on Wiibrew.

Edit: Mouse rotation and mouse disappearing when not on screen has been done. It was just a few simple code line changes, thanks to ebool for helping me out. I think I’ll just use mod files instead of mp3s to play the background music. As I remember mod files keep looping until you stop them. Hmm, I’m having a bit of a problem when playing the mod file created from the mp3. It seems to play a little and cut out and then play the same little bit, etc.

Edit 2: If I’ve got enough time on the weekend, I might integrate statistics in HBB. The stats would just be displayed on a web page for now and not actually shown in HBB. This is so developers can easily see if users are downloading their applications.

Edit 3: Unfortunately GeexBox won’t be added into this version. The buffer size can’t be extended that much, so it will have to wait for the version of HBB that has zip functionality if that ever happens.

As you may have read, unofficial emulators will be coming to the Homebrew Browser in a short while. I’m hoping to have most of them put up by the end of the weekend. Adding a game into the Homebrew Browser is a long process which I might mention now while I’m at it.

1. Download and extract the applications zip file
2. Create a meta.xml file that makes sense which most of the times will have the applications history
3. Create or copy the icon.png file
4. Create an image file, this involves inserting the date, version, description and icon.png file
5. Test out the application to make sure it works and that the description is shown in the HBC
6. Add the application to the hbb list, which involves adding the application name, current time + 48 hrs, image file size, boot.dol/elf file size, is it a dol or elf, total application size, folders to be created and additional files to copy.
7. Test out downloading the application in HBB by using a local server.

So once you add it all up, it sure does take a while to get an application into the HBB.