Help make new default skin

[gexi]

I just spent the last few hours redoing my latest skin for the new version, 0.95.11. I've yet to put it in production but it seems to work fine on my test box:

I really like this skin! It solves some of the major problems I have with the current skins (most only have 5 menu choices onscreen at a time and lots of empty space)

If this works on the MVP, I'm sold!

[nightwalker]

That looks pretty nice.

Wow, that almost bordered on excitment. I think you're on the right track.

[King Mob]

JDStarling's sci-fi gave me an idea I'd like to float out here: do we even need normal task images? We all know what the buttons do. Why not something with a common background, but have each button bring up an image that meshes with that background. Like JDs sci-fi skin could bring up different LOTR character against a forest lanscape background. Maybe you could even have a pool of like 20 LOTR character or other images, and have them displayed randomly whenever you select a button. Or have several backgrounds that the task images would work with and have a different one load up whenever you go back to the main menu.

I don't know. I'm afraid I'm not savvy enough to know how possible that is. I did experiment with using wallpapers as task images (changed the main menu skin xml to center the task image and have it fill the whole screen) and it worked fine on my PC,but took a sec to load on my MVP, for obvious reasons. I was using Pistons wallpapers, and each one was 800x600 and had a different member of the Detroit Pistons in a action shot. I don't have the software or the skill to crop out just the player to use against a background, so I was using the entire wallpaer as the task image.

Just an idea.

[reven]

i like it to, my only complaint is it doesnt seem to take overscan into consideration (which pretty much no skin does.....)

[sub]

That looks pretty nice.

Wow, that almost bordered on excitment.

lol

[j3flight]

i like it to, my only complaint is it doesnt seem to take overscan into consideration (which pretty much no skin does.....)

I agree. I really like it overall, but I would like to see the text elements pulled in from the edges just a bit. Gotta imagine about 5-10% of each edge being cropped and that'll be about right for most TVs.

[j3flight]

Now that I look at it again, you're actually pretty close, but a little bit more squeezing would be nice.

[Old Dog]

AWESOME!

Awesome doesn't say enough.

Incredible, outstanding and marvelous.

Torque, you obviously know what you're doing, and have REAL graphics design talent.

-David

[Old Dog]

I agree. I really like it overall, but I would like to see the text elements pulled in from the edges just a bit. Gotta imagine about 5-10% of each edge being cropped and that'll be about right for most TVs.

Attached is the background I use when laying out screens. If something is displayed in the black border region, it may not be visible on a standard TV with off-the-shelf overscan.

[stefan]

I've said it before, and I can say it again - Torque, you've got my vote =)