Community skin project

[MixMan]

I don't understand your proposal. It seems to focus on how to accomplish some specific goals, but I haven't a clue to what those goals are.

Please realize that if I had the experience with your how-to's that you have, I would probably realize the intent intuitively.

I am especially concerned about the references to batch files, executables, environmental variables, etc. I simply hope these are not things the end-user will need to contend with.

The goal as I see it......based upon Reboots initial statement, is to get a image based skin standard for plugins, that would work with most skins.
It is possible to creates rule for this, so that all plugins would get the same graphical look as a skin independent of its resolution.

The suggested "rules" are in the document i posted.

Sassari is good to test with, since it is a so different resolution.
It took me a couple minutes the get a handful of plugin skins to work with Sassari. Just some "rules" needs to be set.

[Fatman_do]

In my suggestions, the font style and color are supplied by baseskin.xml of whatever skin it is dropped into. You are right in the regards that it is an addition, but I was thinking somethings which tend to be common among plugins could be referenced there.

Are you suggesting only this for baseskin.xml?

Code:

<!-- Button and Title text styles 720x480 resolution -->
<TextStyle name="ScreenName" color="White" typeFace="Trebuchet MS" size="22" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ScreenNameShadow" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="22" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonText" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="14" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextShadow" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="14" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelected" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="14" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelectedShadow" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="14" style="bold"/>

<!-- Button and Title text styles 1280x720 resolution -->
<TextStyle name="ScreenNameWS" color="White" typeFace="Trebuchet MS" size="26" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ScreenNameShadowWS" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="26" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextWS" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="20" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextShadowWS" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="20" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelectedWS" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="20" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelectedShadowWS" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="20" style="bold"/>

<!-- Button and Title text styles 1024x768 and 1366x768 resolutions -->
<TextStyle name="ScreenNameHD" color="White" typeFace="Trebuchet MS" size="30" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ScreenNameShadowHD" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="30" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextHD" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="22" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextShadowHD" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="22" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelectedHD" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="22" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelectedShadowHD" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="22" style="bold"/>

Or does that include the other textstyles in your proposal document?

[Old Dog]

The goal as I see it......based upon Reboots initial statement, is to get a image based skin standard for plugins, that would work with most skins.
It is possible to creates rule for this, so that all plugins would get the same graphical look as a skin independent of its resolution.

We all tend to interpret things differently.

When I read Reboot's post, it says to me that he wants two or three skins that look good to his wife and kids and support every single plugin that he could ever want to use.

I don't beleive he mentions image based.

[MixMan]

We all tend to interpret things differently.

When I read Reboot's post, it says to me that he wants two or three skins that look good to his wife and kids and support every single plugin that he could ever want to use.

I don't beleive he mentions image based.

1+1=2
One thing leads to another.
We interpet things differently.
I immedeatly saw a plugin skin standard that would make any plugin work with any skin regardless of skin resolution, or plugi skin resolution.
And that the plugin skins would work with AM and ThemePacks.

This is the "goal" of the suggestion I'm "working" on.

[Old Dog]

Somewhere along the line the idea of combining MixMan's skinning system and my skinning system got thrown into the mix.

[Old Dog]

We all tend to interpret things differently.

When I read Reboot's post, it says to me that he wants two or three skins that look good to his wife and kids and support every single plugin that he could ever want to use.

I don't beleive he mentions image based.

1+1=2
One thing leads to another.
We interpet things differently.
I immedeatly saw a plugin skin standard that would make any plugin work with any skin regardless of skin resolution, or plugi skin resolution.
And that the plugin skins would work with AM and ThemePacks.

This is the "goal" of the suggestion I'm "working" on.

Well Reboot, I guess we could use some input here!

[MixMan]

In my suggestions, the font style and color are supplied by baseskin.xml of whatever skin it is dropped into. You are right in the regards that it is an addition, but I was thinking somethings which tend to be common among plugins could be referenced there.

Are you suggesting only this for baseskin.xml?

Code:

<!-- Button and Title text styles 720x480 resolution -->
<TextStyle name="ScreenName" color="White" typeFace="Trebuchet MS" size="22" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ScreenNameShadow" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="22" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonText" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="14" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextShadow" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="14" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelected" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="14" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelectedShadow" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="14" style="bold"/>

<!-- Button and Title text styles 1280x720 resolution -->
<TextStyle name="ScreenNameWS" color="White" typeFace="Trebuchet MS" size="26" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ScreenNameShadowWS" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="26" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextWS" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="20" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextShadowWS" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="20" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelectedWS" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="20" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelectedShadowWS" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="20" style="bold"/>

<!-- Button and Title text styles 1024x768 and 1366x768 resolutions -->
<TextStyle name="ScreenNameHD" color="White" typeFace="Trebuchet MS" size="30" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ScreenNameShadowHD" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="30" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextHD" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="22" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextShadowHD" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="22" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelectedHD" color="White" typeFace="Arial" size="22" style="bold"/>
<TextStyle name="ButtonTextSelectedShadowHD" color="Grey" typeFace="Blank" size="22" style="bold"/>

Or does that include the other textstyles in your proposal document?

No other textstyles for the plugins. If plugins would be skinned to other resolutions this could cause problems with incompatible baseskin.xmls

Perhaps recommend font sizes for the 3 different resolutions.
But look at the current plugins.....the text size vary much.
Let the plugin developer decide the intial skinning and if somebody make a better skin design....fine.
There will be many different XML designs for a plugin.....but it would be nice if it was possible to just drop any XML design into a skin......and it would work.

Minimal common images and textstyles....just to get the "feeling" of the current skin is enough... I think.

I have started to move mages away from the baseskin root....for news and weather.

[Old Dog]

Well Reboot, I guess we could use some input here!

Actually anyone can put in their 2 cents!

[MixMan]

I posted the DesignerGuide as a complete skin, on the wiki today.
I always use the Designerguide theme when I'm skinning a plugin.

I have automated the batch files more, so now I can generated a complete skin and upload it with one button click.
I could post 35 different skins instead of themepacks....but that would mean a lot of updating for small XML changes, so I won't

[Fatman_do]

Well tonite ends my freetime. Working most of weekend and family.

MixMan,
You inquired about my xml's earlier for a look into them to help you figure something out, as well as stating this.

I have sent Dottore a working sample of the "standard skin" proposal for him to review.

Is this what is in the last document you published here or is this something new. I would like to print it out and reveiw it when I have time. Is this what you said you posted on the wiki?

Also, about standard images, there are sample images in the Blue+ skin demo I posted in the other thread. They are very close to the xml images used in blue. I did add images for icon backgrounds. There are some from you, me and Old Dog in there (at least I think that is what I did, if I didn't, I have them somewhere together). All that can be revisited.

Old Dog,

Would you mind, if you had time, to outline in more detail what you are thinking. I am not sure I have a grasp on all the specifics that you may have in mind. I have an abstract, but I don't want to assume I know the details. You can put in a post, it doesn't have to be anything formal. I like to print things out and run thru them and highlight things and make notations. I can do this easier off-line.

I am going to take a break from posting (not lurking) here to encourage others to jump in. I want to sit back and re-read everything stated in the two similar threads here and put something together myself that I can tear apart and rebuild.

We may have talked this one out. Maybe by Monday I will have comments or an idea to float. I haven't really outlined everything I am thinking in one coherent form. Lets take time to sharpen our pencils and see what all three of us, along with any other suggestions are, and actually run through them point by point and actually come to a resolution.

Time to sharpen "Occam's Razor"

Otherwise it seems we have the answer to "Reboot's Riddle" (TM Fatman_do).

Three skins that are complete.
#1 Blue
#2 TipStir will beat us all (or if you are fortunate to use the skin most developers use)
#3 Community skin that is by the only two declarations, either Chameleon (McBainUK) or a new skin that we draft Torque is moderator of (Old Dog).

However, I see this question being raised again.....

Absolutely, without a doubt, any resolution that comes of this will be ignored by some. Maybe everyone will ignore it.

It appears what has gone here has made some plugin developers revisit their plugins and think on their own what can they do. Leaving all this skinning nonsense to us lunatics.

I am not ready to abandon these ideas put foward in some way.