How to upload my theme?

MEMFIS_AKA · 05-01-2023, 06:17 PM

I got this error all the time

7.4 Mb size

I try to upload ReaperThemeZip file and RAR/Zip archives too.

Rednroll · 05-02-2023, 12:24 AM

Your theme needs to be less than 2 MB in size.

strachupl · 05-02-2023, 01:12 AM

You can divide it to 4 parts and pack it into rar or zip archive. Then upload each part.

MEMFIS_AKA · 05-02-2023, 09:16 AM

Fucking cringe, yo!

Default_6.0.ReaperThemeZip - 22.9 Mb

vitalker · 05-02-2023, 09:21 AM

Have you ever heard of archiving?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archive_file

Here is the instruction for you:
https://www.wikihow.com/Compress-Large-Files

White Tie · 05-02-2023, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEMFIS_AKA

Fucking cringe, yo!

Default_6.0.ReaperThemeZip - 22.9 Mb

Why are you swearing?

The Default theme is compressed as part the Reaper distribution. That file is the decompressed file on your installation. Compressed its about 1.3Mb.

Never · 05-10-2023, 12:04 PM

Don't make many parts. Just upload a standard single rar zip or 7z file to your google drive, change its sharing attribute to 'anyone with link', and upload a screencap of the image to the stash and select 'theme' as type. Now fill in the blanks just like you are uploading a theme; all images, etc., and include a link to the file. You can create a post at the forum as well.
There are lots of themers using similar methods for large themes.

vitalker · 05-10-2023, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Never

Don't make many parts. Just upload a standard single rar zip or 7z file to your google drive, change its sharing attribute to 'anyone with link', and upload a screencap of the image to the stash and select 'theme' as type. Now fill in the blanks just like you are uploading a theme; all images, etc., and include a link to the file. You can create a post at the forum as well.
There are lots of themers using similar methods for large themes.

You can also use maximum compression for archives. It won't always help, but can.

Never · 05-13-2023, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vitalker

You can also use maximum compression for archives. It won't always help, but can.

Yea....I know, I know....and I figured someone would call me on that and I mean you can do encapsulated compression and all that fun stuff, but like, from a layperson pov, like people who are not experts with compression software, on both sides,themer and consumer, its just simpler to externally host the file, and I mean there are posts where people do not know how to unpack a theme or place it, so advanced compression techniques, downloading different parts from different pages, etc., just seems a bit much for an entry level user, so just an explanation of the thinking behind the external hosting solution. But definately compression level is another tool and apps like Winzip and Winrar usually have the presets too which makes it easier.

vitalker · 05-13-2023, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Never

Yea....I know, I know....and I figured someone would call me on that and I mean you can do encapsulated compression and all that fun stuff, but like, from a layperson pov, like people who are not experts with compression software, on both sides,themer and consumer, its just simpler to externally host the file, and I mean there are posts where people do not know how to unpack a theme or place it, so advanced compression techniques, downloading different parts from different pages, etc., just seems a bit much for an entry level user, so just an explanation of the thinking behind the external hosting solution. But definately compression level is another tool and apps like Winzip and Winrar usually have the presets too which makes it easier.

I doubt there is anyone not familiar with unpacking archives. And probably any OS supports zip archives.

Never · 05-17-2023, 04:15 PM

Ok you are right.

Rednroll · 05-18-2023, 05:04 AM

It's just a bunch of extra steps for something which should be simple.

I've compressed all the images in my theme where unzipped it is currently at 2.7MB, Zipped using max compression in 7-Zip it comes down to 2.4MB. I continue to look for images I can further reduce in size and other tools to further reduce the size but overall the 2MB stash limit ends up being such an unnecessary headache to work around.

If we're able to break our themes up into multiple .rar files and upload 3 separate 2MB .rar files to Stash, the 2MB limit doesn't seem to have any benefits other than adding inconvenience to users which just seems so unReaper like. This topic has been talked about at nausea so I don't expect anything will change, anytime soon. Just another item to add to the list of discouragements of more users getting into the theming aspects of Reaper. Some on this forum seem to prefer it stays that way.

Never · 05-21-2023, 04:23 PM

Boy oh boy this does not have to be this difficult. Just make your theme how ever you want to, and upload it to drive or a frre file sharing site then link to it on the forum or stash. Are you really redycing individual image resolutions?
This method has been used by many to host large themes including jreng and White Tie.
Also you can create multiple part zip files and then zip those multiple parts as one zip, do nested zips, etc. But why?

Rednroll · 05-22-2023, 06:45 AM

I have solutions. Just feel the 2MB size limit is outdated, causes unnecessary grief and additional support for those creating themes and there is no messaging on Stash letting anyone know what that size limit is as demonstrated by the need for this post.

Additionally, the error message does not offer much assistance in determining the problem. "The size is too big or too small". So which is it? Well let us try and figure it out by looking at other items which have been uploaded to Stash and compare them to the items we are trying to upload. Well there's certainly items which far exceed 2MB which are up there and there's items much smaller than most themes, so no help there.

To state the obvious, there's much room for improvement, after all there is a sticky at the top of this forum encouraging the uploading of themes to Stash.

Rednroll · 05-22-2023, 07:56 AM

I'll also add, to do a lot of the work around suggestions there are other items one must do right without any guides.

I currently have the same issue as posted below trying to manage my theme on stash by attempting to
to include links instead of uploading the actual theme. I can't manage my current upload which is a JPG screen capture of my theme. I can't include any links to even attempt any of the work around solutions. I click on manage file and see dead empty space and unable to change anything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phroneris

Hello.

https://stash.reaper.fm/theme/2127/m...iew-scroll.png
I made this toolbar icon and uploaded it with being tagged as themes on the stash.
The upload seems success, but I get blank view when I try to enter its manage page, and the "download" link take me to the top page of stash with nothing downloaded.
So I cannot either manage and download it there.

What is that?
Should'nt I have uploaded a thing which isn't the very theme file?
Or, just a kind of bug of the stash?

OS: Windows 7 64bit
Browser: Chrome65 64bit / Firefox57 64bit
Manage page view:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pet

Hi Phroneris,
this happens when you tag an upload as "theme", but use another file-type than an archive like "zip" or *.ReaperThemeZip. There was a thread in the german forum, I reported this to cockos in 11/2017 and was told that uploads like this are (quote from my E-Mail) "malformed in some way" and their file managing tools don't even see them and they therefore can't be deleted. BUT: (quote) "I notified the guys..."

HTH,
Peter

Just seems like a lot of work arounds and land-mines trying to upload a theme which happens to exceed 2MB in size on the official Reaper Stash theme repository.

Never · 05-23-2023, 12:04 PM

Try using a different browser or device.
I have ran into quirky stuff on the stash site, but everything usually works great, and you should definitely not have a problem uploading a .png and tagging it as a theme, and then performing maintenance on that theme entry like adding pics, etc.
Here is an example:

Pet · 05-23-2023, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Never

... and you should definitely not have a problem uploading a .png and tagging it as a theme, ....

@Never: in your example you have tagged your image as "untagged". Not as "Theme". That's the point.

See here on top of page: Category: Untagged
https://stash.reaper.fm/v/46877/Scre...%20Browser.jpg

Rednroll · 05-23-2023, 02:18 PM

Like Pet mentioned, I made the unintentional mistake of tagging my theme image as "theme" as it would seem like the most logical thing to do, so it would show up in search results when someone was searching on the filtered theme results. I only found that undocumented mistake after attempting the same thing using Firefox, MS Edge and Google Chrome browsers, and then observing the same result with each. I then scoured the forum sifting through old posts trying to find a solution before I stumbled across post #47 of this thread as well as some old post which mentioned the 2MB size limitation.
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=14764

Overall, a pretty frustrating and time consuming experience. Definitely, lots of room for improvements as I mentioned where much of it could have been avoided if the upload size limit was increased or at the very minimum stated somewhere obvious on Stash or within the error message.

Rednroll · 05-23-2023, 02:47 PM

I'll also mention in trying to figure out that error message, there was further confusion added by looking at the sizes of other themes which have been uploaded where hindsight now being 20/20 some must have been granted special permissions to exceed that 2MB Stash upload limit and didn't have to deal with these same headaches.

How do I get on that list? Can I pay an extra subscription price?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEMFIS_AKA

Fucking cringe, yo!

Pretty well on Point!

Never · 05-25-2023, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pet

@Never: in your example you have tagged your image as "untagged". Not as "Theme". That's the point.

See here on top of page: Category: Untagged
https://stash.reaper.fm/v/46877/Scre...%20Browser.jpg

Nope it is a theme look at the screencap top left. It says 'Viewing a Theme' lol...
If u do not believe me you can always see for yourself lol...
https://stash.reaper.fm/theme/2777/R...0Forum%20Links

vitalker · 05-26-2023, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Never

Nope it is a theme look at the screencap top left. It says 'Viewing a Theme' lol...
If u do not believe me you can always see for yourself lol...
https://stash.reaper.fm/theme/2777/R...0Forum%20Links

Maybe the stash doesn't like some IP addresses? It is always a good idea to check how things work with VPN/proxy.

Never · 05-29-2023, 06:33 AM

OHHHHH!!!! OK I see...it's been so long since I uploaded the theme, (2 yrs), I didn't realize I did NOT in fact tag a .png as a theme. I uploaded a placeholder zip file with a .png inside it, lol, well, not the first time I have stuck my foot in my mouth.