Skyscraper allows you to fully customize how you want the final frontend artwork to appear by editing the file '[homedir]/.skyscraper/artwork.xml'. Each piece of artwork can be composited of one or more of the other artwork resources and you can even apply several effects to them. Read on for a full description on how to do this.
NOTE!!! The following only applies to Skyscraper version 2.3.0 and later. Get it by following the instructions here.
Watch a video demonstrating the features here
An example could look something like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<artwork>
<output type="screenshot" width="640" height="480">
<layer resource="screenshot" x="20" width="520" height="390" align="center" valign="middle">
<rounded radius="10"/>
<stroke width="5"/>
</layer>
<layer resource="cover" height="250" x="0" y="-10" valign="bottom">
<gamebox side="wheel" rotate="90"/>
<shadow distance="5" softness="5" opacity="70"/>
</layer>
<layer resource="wheel" width="250" x="-10" align="right">
<shadow distance="5" softness="5" opacity="70"/>
</layer>
</output>
</artwork>
Which results in a screenshot being exported to look like this:
Read on for a full description of the xml format used in '[homedir]/.skyscraper/artwork.xml'. Click the following links to quickly go to a desired section:
Nodes: Xml node, Artwork node, Output node, Layer node
Effects: Blur effect, Brightness effect, Color balance effect, Colorize effect, Contrast effect, Frame effect, Gamebox effect, Hue effect, Mask effect, Opacity effect, Rotate effect, Rounded effect, Saturation effect, Shadow effect, Stroke effect.
Other: Custom image resources.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
This is a special node used to describe the xml language used in the document. Don't change it.
<artwork>
...
</artwork>
This node is the document base node. It contains all other nodes. Don't change or delete it.
<output type="screenshot" width="640" height="400">
...
<output>
The output node describes a single piece of artwork to be exported when scraping. You can have as many (or few) output nodes as you like.
An output node with no nested 'layer' nodes will export the type with no compositing.
The type to be exported. Can be:
- screenshot
- cover
- wheel
- marquee
Sets the width and height of the artwork export. If both are left out it will use the original size of the scraped artwork. If one is left out, it will keep the aspect ratio relative to that.
<layer resource="cover" mode="overlay" opacity="50" x="5" y="5" width="10" height="10" align="center" valign="middle"/>
...
</layer>
Like layers in Gimp or almost any other respectable photo manipulation software, you can add as many of these nodes as you like. You can even nest them inside of each other, in which case the child layer will be anchored to the topleft corner of the parent layer, making it easier to align.
NOTE!!! Layer and effect nodes are rendered from top to bottom.
The artwork resource to be used by the layer. It can be:
- screenshot
- cover
- wheel
- marquee
If the resource attribute is left out the layer will simply be transparent. This is useful when aligning nested layers that differ in size across games.
Sets the layer render mode. It can be:
- multiply
- screen
- overlay
- darken
- lighten
- colordodge
- colorburn
- hardlight
- softlight
- difference
- exclusion
- sourcein
- destinationin
- sourceout
- destinationout
- sourceatop
- destinationatop
- xor
If left out the layer is simply rendered as is on top of the parent layer.
Defines the opacity of the layer. 100 is completely visible. 0 is completely transparent.
X and Y coordinates for placement. Relative to 'align' and 'valign' and the parent layer. Either can be left out in which case it will be set to 0.
Sets the width and height of the layer. If either is left out it will keep the aspect ratio relative to the other. If both are left out it will use the original dimensions of the scraped resource.
The horizontal alignment of the layer. It can be:
- left
- center
- right
The alignment is relative to the parent layer.
The vertical alignment of the layer. It can be:
- top
- middle
- bottom
The alignment is relative to the parent layer.
<layer>
<balance red="10" green="20" blue="30"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Adjusts the color balance of the parent layer.
The red color adjustment. Can be -255 to 255.
The green color adjustment. Can be -255 to 255.
The blue color adjustment. Can be -255 to 255.
<layer>
<blur softness="5"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Blurs the parent layer.
Defines the radius of the blur. Higher means blurrier.
<layer>
<brightness value="10"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Adjusts the brightness of the parent layer.
The difference value for the adjustment. Can be -255 to 255.
<layer>
<colorize hue="180" saturation="-50"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Colorizes the parent layer with a single hue.
Sets the hue in degrees. Can be 0 to 360.
Sets the saturation delta value of the colorize effect. Can be -127 to 127.
<layer>
<contrast value="10"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Adjusts the contrast of the parent layer.
The difference value for the adjustment. Can be -255 to 255.
<layer>
<frame file="[custom image resource]" x="0" y="0" width="100" height="100"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. This applies a frame to the parent layer.
NOTE: You can get some cool results by first applying a mask, then applying a frame. This is useful for frames that aren't square.
The filename of the custom image resource to be used as frame.
Sets the width of the frame in pixels. If left out it will be set to the width of the parent layer.
Sets the height of the frame in pixels. If left out it will be set to the height of the parent layer.
Sets the x coordinate of the frame relative to the parent layer. If left out it will be set to 0.
Sets the y coordinate of the frame relative to the parent layer. If left out it will be set to 0.
Left image shows the result with the wheel artwork applied to the side. Right image shows the original cover layer.
<layer resource="cover" height="200">
<gamebox side="[custom image resource]" rotate="90"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Renders a nifty looking 3D game box. It uses the parent layer image on the front of the box.
The filename of the custom image resource to be used on the side of the box.
Defines the rotation of the side image in degrees.
<layer>
<hue value="100"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Rotates the hue of the parent layer.
The difference value for the adjustment. Can be 0 to 359.
Left image shows the result. Right image shows the mask used. The white part of the mask is transparent.
<layer>
<mask file="[custom image resource]" x="0" y="0" width="100" height="100"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. This applies a mask to the parent layer.
The filename of the custom image resource to be used as mask. The alpha channel of the mask will blind out the underlying parts of the parent layer.
Sets the width of the mask in pixels. If left out it will be set to the width of the parent layer.
Sets the height of the mask in pixels. If left out it will be set to the height of the parent layer.
Sets the x coordinate of the mask relative to the parent layer. If left out it will be set to 0.
Sets the y coordinate of the mask relative to the parent layer. If left out it will be set to 0.
<layer>
<opacity value="50"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Adjusts the opacity of the parent layer.
The opacity of the layer. Can be 0-100 where 0 is completely transparent and 100 is opaque.
<layer>
<rotate degrees="45" axis="y"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Rotates the parent layer around the x, y or z axis.
Sets how many degrees the parent layer will be rotated. Can be -360 to 360.
Sets which axis the parent layer should be rotated around. Can be 'x', 'y' or 'z'. If left out it will be set to 'z'.
<layer>
<rounded radius="10"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Rounds the corners of the parent layer.
Defines the radius of the corners in pixels.
<layer>
<saturation value="-100"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Adjusts the color saturation of the parent layer.
NOTE! If you want to completely greyscale your layer I highly recommend using the 'saturation' attribute of the 'colorize' effect instead. It uses a better estimation of percieved luminance.
The difference value for the adjustment. Can be -255 to 255.
<layer>
<shadow distance="10" softness="5" opacity="50"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Renders a dropshadow on the parent layer using the attributes provided. If either of the attributes are left out, the shadow won't be drawn.
Distance in pixels from the layer. The distance is always down to the right.
Defines how soft (radius) the shadow will appear. A value of 0 is sharpest.
Defines the opacity of the shadow. 100 is completely visible. 0 is completely transparent.
<layer>
<stroke width="5" red="10" green="20" blue="30"/>
</layer>
Must be nested inside a layer node. Renders a colored outline on the parent layer. If all color attributes are left out, it averages a suitable color from the parent layer.
The width of the outline in pixels.
The red color value for the outline. Can be 0-255. If left out it is set to 0.
The green color value for the outline. Can be 0-255. If left out it is set to 0.
The blue color value for the outline. Can be 0-255. If left out it is set to 0.
Provides the color to use hex-style. This can be used instead of the 'red', 'green' and 'blue' attributes described above. An example could be 'color="#ff0099"'.
From Skyscraper version 2.3.0 you can use custom image resources wherever the documentation says so. Place your custom resources in the '[homedir]/.skyscraper/resources' folder and use it by adding the filename to the attribute.
Example:
<gamebox side="megadrive_logo.png" rotate="90"/>
The file megadrive_logo.png will then be loaded from the '[homedir]/.skyscraper/resources/megadrive_logo.png' file. Feel free to create subfolders inside the resources folder. If you do, remember to add the partial path to the filename like so:
<gamebox side="platform_logos/megadrive_logo.png" rotate="90"/>
This will look for the file at '[homedir]/.skyscraper/resources/platform_logos/megadrive_logo.png'.