Hi there, and welcome to the forum!
We're glad that you've found us, and are sure that you'll enjoy the project front-ends that you'll find here. Below, you'll find short descriptions of each of our software projects. You'll also find some helpful links to assist you in answering common questions.
We don't have a lot of rules here, and those can be found in other topics. One that we will address here, however, is this: check the README's included in the software distributions and search the forum for your answer before posting a new topic asking for help.
This request is simply to keep the forum as clean as possible. We're a very helpful and friendly bunch here, but we do ask that you do your research before asking for help. In the end, you'll learn more and be better enabled to enjoy the project, while also doing your part to keep the forum members sane - there's only so many times one can see "how do I get CoinOPS onto my x-box?" before going crazy!
CoinOPS Project Software:
CoinOPS - Currently at version 8, CoinOPS is a front-end that is intended to be a games repository with a simple, attractive, and intuitive interface. Want to host thousands of games with a myriad of sort options to be able to find the game that you want to play quickly? This is your baby. Current distributions include Lite (intended for those using original 6-8gb Hard Drives), Gold (intended for hard drives up to 40gb), and Massive (intended for hard drives greater than 40gb in size).
Feu3rsturm's CoinOPS 7 Video Playlist
CoinOPS 8 Premium - Currently at version 8, CoinOIPS 8 Premium is the fastest, most art intensive, smoothest GUI experience available on the Microsoft X-Box, with an eye towards eventual portability onto other platforms. Intended to be the ultimate showcase for a smaller amount of games, CO7 Premium 6 is able to be customized by the user, but does require the use of a separate tool to combine new or modified artwork and game elements into the GUI system. In trade, you'll get ultra-fast effects and transitions similar to those found in Vision, but much faster without all the smoke and mirrors.
Feu3rsturm's CoinOPS 7 Premium Video Playlist
Vision (Visionary) - Superceded by the advent of Premium, Visionary saw its last update at version 5. It is a front-end that is intended to be a show-case for a smaller amount of games. Featuring loads of custom artwork and display options, Vision can be easily customized and personalized, allowing the user to quickly and easily obtain the look and feel that suits their fancy. Please note that while fully functional, development of Vision has ceased as it has been superceded by CoinOPS 8 Premium, described above.
Feu3rsturm's Vision 5 Video Playlist
HyperVision - Currently at release 4, HyperVision is the officially sponsored project by forum member ToniHC. HyperVision's goal is to provide the HyperSpin experience on the Microsoft X-Box. This is accomplished by recording video of a running HyperSpin distribution on a PC, then editing and converting the captured video to the X-Box's XMV video format on a per-game basis. Because it uses captured video for its artistic elements, HyperVision achieves a lightning-fast GUI interface with a high level of artistic sophistication. Unfortunately, this also limits the ability of the user to add games or personalize the experience without entering into the realm of video capture for themselves.
Feu3rsturm's HyperVision Video Playlist
Dragon - Currently there are two versions: Fanart and Poster. Both are intended to be used as a simple, beautiful dash to launch applications, games, emulators, and videos.
Feu3rsturm's Dragon Video Playlist
Helpful Links:
Back-Ups.me - The official distribution site of the CoinOPS project. Main distributions and updates can be found here. Be sure to read their FAQ and follow their download guidelines. Remember: support for back-ups goes to back-ups admin staff. Support for CoinOPS Project software goes here. Also, please post support questions in the CoinOPS forums and NOT in the Back-Ups forums or torrent comment sections - you are FAR more likely to garner a fast, correct response here. Note: Torrent site, requires torrenting software.
http://CoinOPS.vision - Maintained by EmperorB10S, this is a one-stop shop for links to most of the user-created add-on packs for all Project Software.
CoinOPS Community Guide - Maintained by UnitMonster, this is the original CoinOPS Community Guide, and is must-read material for all of those with questions about adding or changing CoinOPS games or elements. Written originally for CoinOPS 5, most elements of the guide are still applicable to CoinOPS 6, 7, and 8 (video and marquee foldering may be different - check add-on packs for more details)
CoinOPS Community Guide (new) - Maintained by Kepeb, this is an attempt to update the original CoinOPS Community Guide by UnitMonster
How to Search the Forum:
1. Do NOT use the forum's Search button! (it sucks, as all freeforums.com search functions do)
2. Use Google to search the site by entering "site:coinopsproject.freeforums.org [keywords]" into the Google Search bar.
Click for an example.
General Questions:
I get "You do not have the required permissions to view" when I click on links!
Is your username green? That means you are a new, untrusted member of the forum. Once you have made ten posts, and they have all been moderated, you will then have full access to all subforums and attachments.
How do I make/change/add artwork? (Premium/Visionary)
Check any distribution except for LITE for a Help/Readme folder. Inside you'll find the readme that explains how to add artwork, what each type of artwork does, and even a folder containing example artwork files. Once you make your artworks, test them on your X-Box. Once you finalize your design, share it so that others can enjoy the fruits of your labor! - this is how the project grows!
How do I add artwork to CoinOPS? (CoinOPS)
Check the CoinOPS Community Guide for details on how to theme CoinOPS for backgrounds and cabinets, or how to change the default System Marquee artworks. To add your own Marquee title artworks, create them! The basic "blue marquee" template can be found here. While you don't have to use the blue background at all, this at least gives you the dimensions and resultant format that you need! As always, don't forget to share your creations with the community!
I added XXXXX game to CoinOPS and it doesn't show up! What gives? (CoinOPS)
Copy the latest CoinOPS Standalone R over the top of your existing installation. When you next open CoinOPS it will re-scan the games and add your new game(s) to the list. To do further rescans press the start button and choose scan your games from the menu. CoinOPS Lite/Full/Massive are optimized builds that do not allow for the adding of games. Without following this procedure, you will not be able to add additional games to your installation.
I downloaded a game pack from back-ups and added it to my install, but I'm not seeing the artworks. Why? (Premium/Visiona)
For Vision, you must enable Default Full view to have compatibility to see artworks for some older types of artwork. For Premium, artwork is compiled into XPR files. Adding artwork there is a topic for another day (sorry, but no one has really created a guide for it yet - have you figured it out and want to do it? That's great! Write it up! - one less thing for us to do!!)
OK, I changed my view to Default Full and still can't see any game titles. What did I do wrong now? (Vision)
Check the game folders to see if there is a file called "FolderArt.jpg." If there is, then you've downloaded a really old Visionary/Visionary 2 pack. All of those "FolderArt.jpg" files need to be renamed to "Title.png" - courtesy of forum member schmurtz, here is a utility to automatically rename these files for you. Just unzip the contents of the zip file into your "/- Vision5 Media" folder and run the .bat file
I've been through the readmes, and I've looked at all the stickied posts on the site - why isn't there a single cohesive guide on how the heck to use this stuff? (CoinOPS, Vision, Premium, Dragon)
There IS a single, cohesive guide for CoinOPS. Did you miss the Community Guide by Unitmonster? or the updated guide by kepeb? Shame on you. As for the other guides, well, creating this stuff takes time, and believe it or not, the people willing to contribute to this project are actually very few, and most have full lives outside of the forum (I know, I know, how dare we think that there is life outside of the forum!!) - So we tend to spend most of our time helping the project grow game/graphic wise while providing forum support rather than taking the time to write exhaustive, boring user guides. In truth, most of the information that you'll need is already included in the Readmes. With a bit of time coupled with trial and error, you too will be a guru in no time! Or you can just search the forum, as most of the information in the Readmes and virtually every other question that you can think of has already been asked - twice - and is answered ad nauseum in the forum. And hey, you could always create your own guide for these things - talk about instant forum cred!
How do I get to the configuration option menus? (Premium, Vision)
Press the right thumbstick down on your controller. You're welcome
How do I setup my X-Box to boot straight into CoinOPS/Premium/Vision/Dragon? (i.e. how do I use these programs as the dash on my x-box?)
Did you Search the forum for your answer? Shame on you! Tar and feather him!
How do I mod my x-box/fix my x-box/led light my x-box/etc?
Search the internet! (you know how to do that by now, right?) - Coinopsproject.freeforums.org is a software forum, not a hardware forum. There are other, better places to ask these types of questions. That said, you can try to search our forum - you might get lucky with a few of the more common mods. You can also click here for some very general information about the X-Box hardware.
These distributions are HUGE! My X-Box can't hold that amount of data. How do I upgrade the hard drive?
That's one question that goes into detail in a few different threads. Use google to search the forum. You'll find everything you need to know from what SATA->IDE adapter to purchase to suggestions for hard drive makes and models.
I keep seeing mention about this CoinOPS FTP... how can I access it?
Simply put, you can't. There is not a public FTP for CoinOPS. There is a private FTP that has been graciously provided by a forum member which the Team uses for distribution of beta and release-level software, user-created packs, and artwork collections. Don't ask about access, or how to gain access, or to join the team. It's invite-only. We're not a closed group, and we are always looking for more people, but given the nature of our hobby and the amount of work that we put into it, we are VERY careful about who we let into our FTP. If you want in, do some work. Share it. Do some more. Share it. Be helpful. Be pleasant. Be humble. Do more work. Be consistent. Keep this up over a period of time. You will get noticed, and eventually, you might get an invite. If you are invited to the Team and gain FTP access, it's because you've proven that you're willing to work over the long haul to advance this project. If that's not you, then that's fine - we love users and one-hit-wonders that configure a game, do a few artworks or small packs, and run! But we're always, always looking for the next person who wants to produce over the long haul. We'll know you when we see you, and we'll contact you when we're ready.
But how do I....... (Vision,Premium,CoinOPS,Dragon)
This FAQ isn't meant to be an all inclusive how-to-use guide. If you're looking for that type of info, then read through the readmes in the distributions. Carefully. Everything you need is in there. And even more is in the forum. Use the tools at your disposal... do your own research. You'll learn it better if you do, and be in a better position to more fully enjoy the software.
We're glad that you've found us, and are sure that you'll enjoy the project front-ends that you'll find here. Below, you'll find short descriptions of each of our software projects. You'll also find some helpful links to assist you in answering common questions.
We don't have a lot of rules here, and those can be found in other topics. One that we will address here, however, is this: check the README's included in the software distributions and search the forum for your answer before posting a new topic asking for help.
This request is simply to keep the forum as clean as possible. We're a very helpful and friendly bunch here, but we do ask that you do your research before asking for help. In the end, you'll learn more and be better enabled to enjoy the project, while also doing your part to keep the forum members sane - there's only so many times one can see "how do I get CoinOPS onto my x-box?" before going crazy!
CoinOPS Project Software:
CoinOPS - Currently at version 8, CoinOPS is a front-end that is intended to be a games repository with a simple, attractive, and intuitive interface. Want to host thousands of games with a myriad of sort options to be able to find the game that you want to play quickly? This is your baby. Current distributions include Lite (intended for those using original 6-8gb Hard Drives), Gold (intended for hard drives up to 40gb), and Massive (intended for hard drives greater than 40gb in size).
Feu3rsturm's CoinOPS 7 Video Playlist
CoinOPS 8 Premium - Currently at version 8, CoinOIPS 8 Premium is the fastest, most art intensive, smoothest GUI experience available on the Microsoft X-Box, with an eye towards eventual portability onto other platforms. Intended to be the ultimate showcase for a smaller amount of games, CO7 Premium 6 is able to be customized by the user, but does require the use of a separate tool to combine new or modified artwork and game elements into the GUI system. In trade, you'll get ultra-fast effects and transitions similar to those found in Vision, but much faster without all the smoke and mirrors.
Feu3rsturm's CoinOPS 7 Premium Video Playlist
Vision (Visionary) - Superceded by the advent of Premium, Visionary saw its last update at version 5. It is a front-end that is intended to be a show-case for a smaller amount of games. Featuring loads of custom artwork and display options, Vision can be easily customized and personalized, allowing the user to quickly and easily obtain the look and feel that suits their fancy. Please note that while fully functional, development of Vision has ceased as it has been superceded by CoinOPS 8 Premium, described above.
Feu3rsturm's Vision 5 Video Playlist
HyperVision - Currently at release 4, HyperVision is the officially sponsored project by forum member ToniHC. HyperVision's goal is to provide the HyperSpin experience on the Microsoft X-Box. This is accomplished by recording video of a running HyperSpin distribution on a PC, then editing and converting the captured video to the X-Box's XMV video format on a per-game basis. Because it uses captured video for its artistic elements, HyperVision achieves a lightning-fast GUI interface with a high level of artistic sophistication. Unfortunately, this also limits the ability of the user to add games or personalize the experience without entering into the realm of video capture for themselves.
Feu3rsturm's HyperVision Video Playlist
Dragon - Currently there are two versions: Fanart and Poster. Both are intended to be used as a simple, beautiful dash to launch applications, games, emulators, and videos.
Feu3rsturm's Dragon Video Playlist
Helpful Links:
Back-Ups.me - The official distribution site of the CoinOPS project. Main distributions and updates can be found here. Be sure to read their FAQ and follow their download guidelines. Remember: support for back-ups goes to back-ups admin staff. Support for CoinOPS Project software goes here. Also, please post support questions in the CoinOPS forums and NOT in the Back-Ups forums or torrent comment sections - you are FAR more likely to garner a fast, correct response here. Note: Torrent site, requires torrenting software.
http://CoinOPS.vision - Maintained by EmperorB10S, this is a one-stop shop for links to most of the user-created add-on packs for all Project Software.
CoinOPS Community Guide - Maintained by UnitMonster, this is the original CoinOPS Community Guide, and is must-read material for all of those with questions about adding or changing CoinOPS games or elements. Written originally for CoinOPS 5, most elements of the guide are still applicable to CoinOPS 6, 7, and 8 (video and marquee foldering may be different - check add-on packs for more details)
CoinOPS Community Guide (new) - Maintained by Kepeb, this is an attempt to update the original CoinOPS Community Guide by UnitMonster
How to Search the Forum:
1. Do NOT use the forum's Search button! (it sucks, as all freeforums.com search functions do)
2. Use Google to search the site by entering "site:coinopsproject.freeforums.org [keywords]" into the Google Search bar.
Click for an example.
General Questions:
I get "You do not have the required permissions to view" when I click on links!
Is your username green? That means you are a new, untrusted member of the forum. Once you have made ten posts, and they have all been moderated, you will then have full access to all subforums and attachments.
How do I make/change/add artwork? (Premium/Visionary)
Check any distribution except for LITE for a Help/Readme folder. Inside you'll find the readme that explains how to add artwork, what each type of artwork does, and even a folder containing example artwork files. Once you make your artworks, test them on your X-Box. Once you finalize your design, share it so that others can enjoy the fruits of your labor! - this is how the project grows!
How do I add artwork to CoinOPS? (CoinOPS)
Check the CoinOPS Community Guide for details on how to theme CoinOPS for backgrounds and cabinets, or how to change the default System Marquee artworks. To add your own Marquee title artworks, create them! The basic "blue marquee" template can be found here. While you don't have to use the blue background at all, this at least gives you the dimensions and resultant format that you need! As always, don't forget to share your creations with the community!
I added XXXXX game to CoinOPS and it doesn't show up! What gives? (CoinOPS)
Copy the latest CoinOPS Standalone R over the top of your existing installation. When you next open CoinOPS it will re-scan the games and add your new game(s) to the list. To do further rescans press the start button and choose scan your games from the menu. CoinOPS Lite/Full/Massive are optimized builds that do not allow for the adding of games. Without following this procedure, you will not be able to add additional games to your installation.
I downloaded a game pack from back-ups and added it to my install, but I'm not seeing the artworks. Why? (Premium/Visiona)
For Vision, you must enable Default Full view to have compatibility to see artworks for some older types of artwork. For Premium, artwork is compiled into XPR files. Adding artwork there is a topic for another day (sorry, but no one has really created a guide for it yet - have you figured it out and want to do it? That's great! Write it up! - one less thing for us to do!!)
OK, I changed my view to Default Full and still can't see any game titles. What did I do wrong now? (Vision)
Check the game folders to see if there is a file called "FolderArt.jpg." If there is, then you've downloaded a really old Visionary/Visionary 2 pack. All of those "FolderArt.jpg" files need to be renamed to "Title.png" - courtesy of forum member schmurtz, here is a utility to automatically rename these files for you. Just unzip the contents of the zip file into your "/- Vision5 Media" folder and run the .bat file
I've been through the readmes, and I've looked at all the stickied posts on the site - why isn't there a single cohesive guide on how the heck to use this stuff? (CoinOPS, Vision, Premium, Dragon)
There IS a single, cohesive guide for CoinOPS. Did you miss the Community Guide by Unitmonster? or the updated guide by kepeb? Shame on you. As for the other guides, well, creating this stuff takes time, and believe it or not, the people willing to contribute to this project are actually very few, and most have full lives outside of the forum (I know, I know, how dare we think that there is life outside of the forum!!) - So we tend to spend most of our time helping the project grow game/graphic wise while providing forum support rather than taking the time to write exhaustive, boring user guides. In truth, most of the information that you'll need is already included in the Readmes. With a bit of time coupled with trial and error, you too will be a guru in no time! Or you can just search the forum, as most of the information in the Readmes and virtually every other question that you can think of has already been asked - twice - and is answered ad nauseum in the forum. And hey, you could always create your own guide for these things - talk about instant forum cred!
How do I get to the configuration option menus? (Premium, Vision)
Press the right thumbstick down on your controller. You're welcome
How do I setup my X-Box to boot straight into CoinOPS/Premium/Vision/Dragon? (i.e. how do I use these programs as the dash on my x-box?)
Did you Search the forum for your answer? Shame on you! Tar and feather him!
How do I mod my x-box/fix my x-box/led light my x-box/etc?
Search the internet! (you know how to do that by now, right?) - Coinopsproject.freeforums.org is a software forum, not a hardware forum. There are other, better places to ask these types of questions. That said, you can try to search our forum - you might get lucky with a few of the more common mods. You can also click here for some very general information about the X-Box hardware.
These distributions are HUGE! My X-Box can't hold that amount of data. How do I upgrade the hard drive?
That's one question that goes into detail in a few different threads. Use google to search the forum. You'll find everything you need to know from what SATA->IDE adapter to purchase to suggestions for hard drive makes and models.
I keep seeing mention about this CoinOPS FTP... how can I access it?
Simply put, you can't. There is not a public FTP for CoinOPS. There is a private FTP that has been graciously provided by a forum member which the Team uses for distribution of beta and release-level software, user-created packs, and artwork collections. Don't ask about access, or how to gain access, or to join the team. It's invite-only. We're not a closed group, and we are always looking for more people, but given the nature of our hobby and the amount of work that we put into it, we are VERY careful about who we let into our FTP. If you want in, do some work. Share it. Do some more. Share it. Be helpful. Be pleasant. Be humble. Do more work. Be consistent. Keep this up over a period of time. You will get noticed, and eventually, you might get an invite. If you are invited to the Team and gain FTP access, it's because you've proven that you're willing to work over the long haul to advance this project. If that's not you, then that's fine - we love users and one-hit-wonders that configure a game, do a few artworks or small packs, and run! But we're always, always looking for the next person who wants to produce over the long haul. We'll know you when we see you, and we'll contact you when we're ready.
But how do I....... (Vision,Premium,CoinOPS,Dragon)
This FAQ isn't meant to be an all inclusive how-to-use guide. If you're looking for that type of info, then read through the readmes in the distributions. Carefully. Everything you need is in there. And even more is in the forum. Use the tools at your disposal... do your own research. You'll learn it better if you do, and be in a better position to more fully enjoy the software.
