CommunitySkin 4 Open development thread.

[McBainUK]

Items on the wishlist:

• Combined plugin & Skin installer.
  
• Smaller download packages instead of massive all-in-one.
  
• Have incremental updates availible.
  
• Ship with one default (or select few) themes, rest be downloads.
  
• Change selector composition to include masks for easier color change.
  
• Add new selector images for popup box lists.
  
• Better documentation.
  
• Encourage greater community participation.
  
• Themes as separate individual downloads.
  
• Separate SD and HD versions.

Are these in order of importance or just random? SD/HD versions would require a bit of work on the XML's and possibly the images.

[Hairy]

Just a general observation for Hairy that the above screen shot bought to mind (I have seen the same problem in other screens as well). The format for the way DateTime is displayed is controlled by the users Windows setup & for me this would be for example "Wednesday, 30 September 2008, 10:00 p.m." & as you can see that won't fit into the box you have for date/time.

This is a really good point and for me raises the fundamental question about how any default theme should be designed for the CS.

Should it be a single design with maximum compatibility or a design with many options?

Higher compatibility would probably mean sparser themes with larger spacing, and more choice leads to numerous layouts. Take the above mainmenu, you could easily have 4 options for 4 layouts with various combinations.

• No Taskimages
  
• No Menu frame
  
• No time/desc frame
  
• No CS Logo
  

• Align left
  
• Align right
  
• Align center
  
• Horizontal
  

For my money, more options is preferable but it makes it very difficult to do. The above example is 16 different layouts (graphically and formatting) and that's before any combinations! Those type of decisions are a little above my pay grade really

[Hairy]

I liked the proposal to use masks and multiple images to build up the buttons and selectors, but now I am starting to think it might add too much complexity.

I do like this idea but for me it does kind of fall in to what I posted about above. You'd probably need several different shapes, colours and masks and it's real benefit would depend on whether CS user are willing to choose shape-colour-mask for each of the sectable items (buttons, view selectors).

[Fatman_do]

Are these in order of importance or just random? SD/HD versions would require a bit of work.

Random and a wishlist. Not a todo list. I know HD/SD would be alot of work (I've tried :eek.

Hopefully there are only a few screens that call for HD.

[Hairy]

SD/HD versions would require a bit of work.

I think the SD/HD really refers to the themes and wouldn't require any changes to the plugin, I don't think.

Edit: I don't see where the plugin would have to be changed for HD graphics, everything I've done so far has been higher resolution (?)

[McBainUK]

I think the SD/HD really refers to the themes and wouldn't require any changes to the plugin, I don't think.

Edit: I don't see where the plugin would have to be changed for HD graphics, everything I've done so far has been higher resolution (?)

See edit.

[Hairy]

SD/HD versions would require a bit of work on the XML's and possibly the images.

"Lenny says that I'm a (laughs) get this ... (laughs) ... a little SLOW ... (laughs, pauses) ... how come you're not laughing?"

Changes to the skin plugin? would it be aspect ratio related? because as I said the graphical stuff I've done has been 4 times the resolution of the SD stuff.

Since this is technically my third comment on this you now have the Netiquette right to answer with "because I say so"

[McBainUK]

No changes to the plugin. "A bit of work" means you might have to make 2 lots of XML files for every GB-PVR screen & plugin. See post #14 from fatman_do - he knows what I'm talking about

[Hairy]

No changes to the plugin. "A bit of work" means you might have to make 2 lots of XML files for every GB-PVR screen & plugin. See post #14 from fatman_do - he knows what I'm talking about

Oh yes of course..... eh I knew that...........I was just testing you guys to keep you on your toes.

[McBainUK]

Question for Fatman_do:

"Would the move to 16x9 HD require two different xml layouts for the CS? I thought the move to a percentages layout (rather than pixel) would possibly negate that?"