Custom OUYA Launcher

**InvaderGames** · 09-13-2013

CAUTION! Not working properly since Abominable Snowman; read more here:
http://ouyaforum.com/showthread.php?...ll=1#post98541

As the title says, this is a launcher replacement app for the OUYA, wich was initially inspired in the one shown in the kickstarter video.

Link:
NewStoreOUYA-Default-latest.apk

Currently the launcher features:

Ability to stay on top of default launcher, option to go back to it if needed.
Auto self-updater.
Auto dim/turn off.
Customizable wallpaper (only PNG, 1.777 aspect preferred).
Custom flower keyboard (ala Steam Daisywheel)
Differentiation between games, apps and others (sideloaded/system).
Download/Install/remove games.
Full integrated store, much more organized.
Multilanguage (English, Esperanto, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish)
No root required.
Social features (friends, chat, recommendations)
Turn off console (sleep), and controllers.
Three text themes; light, dark and mix.

Stuff that may come: brainstorm!!

Favorites / Pinned
Updater for installed app (currently loking fo a way to do this without root)
Remote control/management (install apps from, say your phone or tablet or PC to the OUYA?)
Wifi management form within the app :?

If you want to see the launcher translated to your launguage add me on G+

Here is the oficial doc for the translations:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

Known issues:
- When browsing the store for too long, lots of tiles are in memory for faster caching. This causes the system to (sometimes) run out of memory and close the launcher, seen as a crash with no warning, usually followed by the execution of the last opened app or the launcher being reset.
- Solution #1: Delete all tiles from chache after leaving the store section.
- Solution #2: Reduce tiles size to the bare minimum, so less memory is used.
- ..?

Changelog:
v1.0.13 (1/11/2013)
- Added option to dim screen
- Changed ABOUT a liiittle bit *wink*
- Downloads manager added
- Games or apps with no ouya icon now use the default android icon

Older:

I hope you guys like it! and please share your experiences so I can improove this further

**kiba urufu** · 09-13-2013

Pretty sweet! I saw your initial G+ post about this and I was super happy to see someone finally try and make a launcher that looks like the kickstarter mockup.

Do you have any specific place you want people to submit bugs to? Also, not as important, but do you plan on posting the source at some point or just keep it a self-maintained kinda thing?

**InvaderGames** · 09-13-2013

Originally Posted by kiba urufu

Do you have any specific place you want people to submit bugs to? Also, not as important, but do you plan on posting the source at some point or just keep it a self-maintained kinda thing?

Just send an email to contact@invadergames.net and i will take a look asap, if it gets crowdy I may make a dedicated account for bugs

Abot the source... It gets tricky to coolaborate with GameMaker Studio, and there are not many gamemaker devs out there willing to help in a public repo anyways.
Also, it requires some modding in the core files of GMS to get it working (all the java part), that is probably the main reason why I havent done it yet.

In a future, if there is enough interest, I may make it public

**Moonlight** · 09-13-2013

Yes yes! OMG I LAHVE U FOREVAR AND EVAR :O

**kiba urufu** · 09-13-2013

Cool, just shot ya an email about the bug I stumbled upon.

Ah, didn't realize you were using GMS. I ask because I've found GitHub's issue and pull request handling to be quite a great tool.
I've been wanting to implement a global 'dashboard' for ouya so you don't have to exit games to, say disconnect a controller (only real use-case at the moment given Ouya's limited features), but it requires making a whole custom launcher so that you can catch the double U button press and that's not something I feel I can do successfully with my limited free time.

**androidplayer** · 09-13-2013

It would be nice if the option was included language pt br.

Seria legal se tivesse suporte para Português do Brasil, essa foi minha tentativa de inglês compatriotas...

**InvaderGames** · 09-13-2013

The is no way to intercept the home button in Android.. (The double U button), thats something the OUYA team has to implement right on the firmware, and they did say they were going to add it for pausing games at least (I remember a video from BAWB interviewing a dev, and he said it was being worked on)

Oh and I corrected the email, sorry (its .net!)

**kiba urufu** · 09-13-2013

Really? So they blocked the Home Intent? I though such a thing might be only possible with a custom rom, but I was really hoping you could just use the android Home Intent to catch it ( was still iffy on how to differentiate long home from double though). I must admit, I haven't dove very far into ouya's system so most of my idea was very speculative and, well, just and idea. I feel like the single 'U' click should be good enough for pausing, but since that's the context menu that may not be an event you can subscribe to.

Haha. Alright, I forwarded the email to the correct one now.