Shaking up the Community Skin?

[Fatman_do]

One issue that has turned me off in the past, is when there are updates, you basically have to download a whole package.

While I think it's better to have the skins and plugin in the same package for first time installs, I think an incremental updater is a better idea. And I also think that the different skins should be optional and selectable BEFORE you download, or perhaps, have the skins in an all in one package, and broken apart. That way if there is only one skin that is getting updated, you only have to update one skin...

Reasonable request.

[ACTCMS]

Keep the ideas comming. I have opened a development thread for Community4 here.

It might be worth thinking about how new plugins and plugin updates (where they change the skin) could be handled...

[Fatman_do]

New plugins and plugin updates would be as a separate download probably, until they get rolled into the main package. I can think of a way to handle this.

CS skin relese:
CommunitySkin 4.0.1

Updated plugin or new plugin:
PluginBlahBlah 4.0.1 (Same as what is included in CS4 4.0.1 full package, for those that want an incremental download)
PluginBlahBlah 4.0.1+a (+ meaning newer than 4.0.1, a meaning rev level)
PluginBlahBlah 4.0.1+b (+ meaning newer than 4.0.1, b meaning rev level)

Just thinking. There is potential to over complicate this as well.

[whurlston]

I can build a plugin that checks an online database that will contain the available skins, the version and a preview image. You would be able to download new skins or check for updates of currently available skins.

There could also be a webpage that displays the same thing if someone want's to do it manually and not use a plugin.

[wannabepvr]

Is it practical to have some means to extract and share customised skins?

So for example, if I pick some graphics off the web and combine some combination of other elements, is there a way that this could be easily extracted out, uploaded and shared so the next person could take this and customise from this base?

I can always take the 'compiled' skin that GBPVR uses, but this is harder to further customise and also harder to update as the CS moves on.

In essence, some way of sharing 'source' skins rather than 'compiled' skins. It seems to be in the spirit of the CS and might be a way of getting wider involvement, including those who might have a good eye for what works without necessarily understanding the code behind it.

It sort of also fits the model of having a base installer and then downloading extra bits separately.

I suggest this also because it fits the model of how I use the CS. I use it as a tool to create my own skins using some included elements, and some elements ripped from MP and other places. The extra step is that I, can then give this customisation back to the community to grow further.

End dribble.

[wannabepvr]

I second that...there are a couple of skins I have customized myself and it really is a pain to have to go back in and copy skins or customize the new version back the way I had it.

This seems along the same thought process also.

[Hairy]

It was great to see the flurry of posts this morning

Well I started the only one of my suggestions that I could really tackle. I've started on the default theme idea, I'll try and get something rough together by the end of the week. I'll post it here or in fatman_do's development thread, with the psd files.

[Hairy]

I've posted a basic idea over in the developers forum:

http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...post300808