Visual Addons

[snowspeeder]

This is basicly only for eye candy but I would like to see a menu system to where you see only the menu item selected, the next choice above it would be a little transparent, as well as the previous choice below it. So really you only see 3 menu items at a time. Like this.

MAME <--- translucent with background
LIVE TV <--- selected so its BOLD
RRCORDINGS <---- translucent with background.

I would alos like to see these have a roll effect, Instead of ust poping up they would roll into the selection. It would be nice if you could select between this menu system adn the old way in the config panel, or come by skin.

Also I would like to see a way to use pictures for buttons. Like maybe use a "aqua button image" in use for selections.
Or maybe make the menu selections alos translucent (thanks sub for considering this one for next release)

It would alo be cool, when you make a selection, to fade in or zoom in instead of just popping up.

Also to have images popup beside the menu items when you highlight them, like a Big TV when you select Live TV. But make it optional.

As for Plugins: Id like to see a Caller ID plugin, something to popup on the screen telling whos calling, like Tivo.

how about a RSS news feed plugin.

Or mabe have a plugin where it shows new movie trailers that streams from the net, and updates itself.

A plugin to stream my cable across the net in WMV format so my PPC can play channels?

I would really like to make some great skins for these. Alot of ideas just lack of knowledge on my part.

Great program PLEASE keep up the good work, need any help, ill do what I can do...

[sub]

By supporting the PVR350, XCard and MVP, I'm little limited with respect to animating. The OSD on these devices is really too slow to do transitions.

Quote[/b] ]This is basicly only for eye candy but I would like to see a menu system to where you see only the menu item selected, the next choice above it would be a little transparent, as well as the previous choice below it. So really you only see 3 menu items at a time. Like this.

MAME <--- translucent with background
LIVE TV <--- selected so its BOLD
RRCORDINGS <---- translucent with background.

I would alos like to see these have a roll effect, Instead of ust poping up they would roll into the selection. It would be nice if you could select between this menu system adn the old way in the config panel, or come by skin.

Also I would like to see a way to use pictures for buttons. Like maybe use a "aqua button image" in use for selections.
Or maybe make the menu selections alos translucent (thanks sub for considering this one for next release)

This for the most part is already in place. Have you tried the "flat blue" skin? Not exactly the same, but very close to what you describe.

Quote[/b] ]It would alo be cool, when you make a selection, to fade in or zoom in instead of just popping up.

See comments above about transitions.

Quote[/b] ]Also to have images popup beside the menu items when you highlight them, like a Big TV when you select Live TV. But make it optional.

You can already do this, but I didn't find suitable pictures, so I've got them disabled in the skin files. I'm not an artist and find it difficult to find good artwork.
Have a look in the main menu skin.xml file:
<SpecialElement name="TaskImage" visible="false" loc="260,100" size="300,300"/>
Change the visible setting to enable them.

[sub]

Quote[/b] ]As for Plugins: Id like to see a Caller ID plugin, something to popup on the screen telling whos calling, like Tivo.

how about a RSS news feed plugin.

Or mabe have a plugin where it shows new movie trailers that streams from the net, and updates itself.

A plugin to stream my cable across the net in WMV format so my PPC can play channels?

My biggest problem is really time. I dont have much available. I'm hopeful other users would write these types of plugins.

[sub]

I do have some more plugins on the way. I'll also release the source code for the comics plugin and some other new ones I'm working. Hopefully this will give some good examples for people wanting to create their own, and with any luck will inspire some more community development.

[DaWulf]

Quote[/b] (sub @ July 31 2004,01:44)]I do have some more plugins on the way. I'll also release the source code for the comics plugin and some other new ones I'm working. Hopefully this will give some good examples for people wanting to create their own, and with any luck will inspire some more community development.

@sub:

I'm new to your product (in fact it's not even installed yet, lol, just picked up my first mvp yesterday). Anyway, I was wondering if there is a api available for the plugins? I don't do c# but delphi, vb, vb.net and several other not so common languages. With a good little api I have a few ideas for several plugins I;d like to give a shot at.

Wulf

[sub]

Hi Wulf.

Yes, there is an API available that allows you to write your own plugins. Theres not really any formal documentation of the API, but there is some brief descriptions in the Developers forum. There is also several examples on the plugins page http://www.gbpvr.com/plugins.html.

The plugins need to be written for .net, so vb.net from your list will be fine.

Most of the examples were written in c#, but the original weather plugin is provided in vb.net. Any of the other samples would be relatively easy to convert to vb.net using one of the available translators.