[TUTORIAL] Add music access to games and custom titles easily.

xCyberFang · 02-16-2009, 02:21 PM

i have a couple of tricks i would like to show people. these 2 tutorials will show easy ways of adding the music menu to games that you like to play, along with easy instructions on how to change names of games. note, use these tutorials for your own personal use, before you upload any modded games, please ask the original creator for permission first.

the sample used in the tutorial is nothing but a blank game.
the 2 links below is the sample used in the tutorial. the first option is open source (inside a zip), the second one is a direct ccgame file.

Open Source Zip - direct ccgame

before i start the tutorials, i want to say that it is better that instead of you deploying it to your zune, it is better to debug it instead. you can simply do this by pressing the green arrow near the top (make sure that the 2 drop downs to the right of the arrow are set to "debug" and "zune". this will run the game on your zune to allow you to check to see if it runs ok.

ADD MUSIC TO GAME:
Open up the .sln game file.

press "CTRL + R" to open up the quick replace box. use the info shown below (case sensetive for "replace with"):
Find what: this.exit();
Replace with: Guide.Show();
Look in: Entire Solution
only check "search hidden text", everything else is unchecked.

any menu buttons or controls that made the game exit will now trigger the music menu.
you can always exit the game by holding the back button.

if you recieve this error:
"The name 'Guide' does not exist in the current context"
do not worry, its a simple explanation and fix to this.

the reason why this happens:
the game was made with the older xna, so it doesnt have the gamerservices string inserted into the game.

how to fix it:
double click the description part of the error to be taken to the spot that has "Guide.Show();" in the coding.
hover over "Guide" and click the drop down box that appears, and click the option that says
"using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.GamerServices;"

after you click that, it wil that simply redebug it onto your zune and it shall go.

RENAME A GAME:
in the Solution Explorer to the right, you shall see the game title with the zune icon to the left. right click on the name and choose "Properties".

a box with tabs on the left shall appear, click the "application" tab to the left.

in that page, click the "Assembly Information" button. a popup with the title, description and other stuff shall come up.
Simply rename the Title to the title you want to show up in the games menu. if you would like to edit the description, just add what you wish to the description box.

when you are done renaming it, click ok, then debug it onto your zune and it will use the description and title you insert on the game menu.

Tiptup300 · 02-16-2009, 08:15 PM

Microsoft.Xna.Framework.GamerServices.Guide.Show() ; ?

xCyberFang · 02-17-2009, 02:49 PM

if your talking about the part to fix the bug, you click the first option that says "using" at the starting.

or if your saying is that how you write it, no you just write "Guide.Show();" as the string.

and if your asking what it is, if you view the official games by microsoft, and go click the option "music" in the game, you will see an overlay which will include "volume" "now playing" "shuffle all" "playlists", and youll also see the battery and the wifi signal (if enabled). Guide.Show(); triggers that menu

Tiptup300 · 02-17-2009, 03:37 PM

using adds references

having the full "Microsoft.Xna.Framework.GamerServices.Guide.Show( ) ;" allows you to not have to reference GamerServices. Because it's explicitly specified.

itsnotabigtruck · 02-17-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xeatmyshorts

if your talking about the part to fix the bug, you click the first option that says "using" at the starting.

or if your saying is that how you write it, no you just write "Guide.Show();" as the string.

and if your asking what it is, if you view the official games by microsoft, and go click the option "music" in the game, you will see an overlay which will include "volume" "now playing" "shuffle all" "playlists", and youll also see the battery and the wifi signal (if enabled). Guide.Show(); triggers that menu

He was giving the qualified name of the type, including the namespace. The using directive imports a namespace such that it doesn't have to be explicitly qualified like that every time you want to use it.