BaseSkin & Theme News

[Fatman_do]

Have a look in the support tread.....there is a fix for it there
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=15551

MixMan (and all other skinners and skin users out there).

I have been thinking about this for some time and wanted to bounce this idea out there.

Modular skin distribution.

In a skin (BaseSkin, Chameleon, Contour, High-Vis, whatever...) ,
the core GB-PVR plugins are the only thing in the main skin distribution.
The plugin skins are each a separate download found on that same skin's Wiki page.

I had thought of making individual plugin skin downloads so I could release plugin fixes without rolling out a whole new release everytime a plugin gets tweaked or added.

Saves having to upload and download large files for minor changes. It also allows users to only download what they want (for low bandwidth connections).

Users out there, does that sound like a plus or a minus? Having to download a skin file for whatever non-core plugin you want to use?

I know as a skinner, I could upload updates faster because I wait until I get enough changes before I roll out a update (and we all know I am the slowest skinner out there).

Comments from the peanut gallery?

[Fatman_do]

With hundreds of downloads for BaseSkin alone, and many un-registered "Guest" viewers of this thread (like you right now), go ahead and sign up and leave comments. You will be glad you did. (Ok, maybe MixMan and me)

[MixMan]

I will do a first "split" in next update. The BaseSkin will only contain the GBPVR sub menus. There will also be a Plugin Add-On that have the plugin skins....also prepared for enclosing the plugin DLL and other files.
The idea is that the complete plugin could be distributed with the skin....if there was a program "Plugin Manager" that could compare version, do backup and replace/install the plugin.
Sometimes a bad plugin can "screw" GBPVR function and then it is not enough to disable it, but remove it from the plugins dir.
I would say that 99.99% are lamers and can not modify a skin or do anything.
I guess it would be the plugin developers the would make "PluginPacks".
I have an idea to make it possible to transform the BaseSkin to any skin...im preparing that "structure" now.

[MixMan]

This is the idea for a PluginPack..... example enclosed.
The ZIP has the same name as the skin sub menu name,
Unzip it directly into the skin.
Use the "future" "Plugin Manager" to install the plugin and select skin.
InstallDir is the registry key that specifies GBPVRs install directory.
It very obvious where the files goes. I could almost make a bat file that installs the plugin with this structure.

[Fatman_do]

The idea is that the complete plugin could be distributed with the skin....if there was a program "Plugin Manager" that could compare version, do backup and replace/install the plugin.

Plugin authors would have to write in a "phone home" component to check for updates. Those updates would not be able to be installed until GBPVR is shut down (like the ThemesManager)

I would say that 99.99% are lamers and can not modify a skin or do anything.

Feedback is easy though.

I guess it would be the plugin developers the would make "PluginPacks".

They wouldn't have too, but if they did use a Wiki downloaded skin, they probably have a version they created.

I have an idea to make it possible to transform the BaseSkin to any skin...im preparing that "structure" now.

Uh-oh....Wan't to PM me with the details?

Sometimes a bad plugin can "screw" GBPVR function and then it is not enough to disable it, but remove it from the plugins dir.

Maybe that is something that could be put on the wishlist for the GB-PVR config utility. Right-click to give an option to delete a plugin? Maybe reading a Plugin"X".ini file that lists all the .dll files associated in the plugins directory (for plugins that have companion dll files).

The plugins that have un-install ablilities are great in that respect.
(Chameleon may have this ability soon)

[MixMan]

I just introduced.

Terms of usage
If you use the BaseSkin and the ThemePacks, you must give feedback or comments of what is good and what is not so good or bad. It is so boring just uploading stuff into a “black hole”

[Fatman_do]

This is the idea for a PluginPack..... example enclosed.
The ZIP has the same name as the skin sub menu name,
Unzip it directly into the skin.
Use the "future" "Plugin Manager" to install the plugin and select skin.
InstallDir is the registry key that specifies GBPVRs install directory.
It very obvious where the files goes. I could almost make a bat file that installs the plugin with this structure.

I would look into xcopy /d (if I remember correctly) to copy only what is newer so it wouldn't overwrite updated plugins that the plugin pack does not have.

[MixMan]

If there where and external program "Plugin Manager" it could compare file dates/sizes and copy the files into the right places. Also copy the preferred skin file. A plugin Pack like this could be applicable to any skin....the active skin and update the plugin.
The Plugin Manager could have a phone home function....and look for updates.

[MixMan]

Get BlueBee from the Wiki

[Fatman_do]

I have a GMail skin for BaseSkin in this post.

The "Button_Close" and "Screen Name" are from the Chameleon layout. It may need to be moved a little, but it should work as is ok.