Appearance Manager

[sub]

I just implemented the GetTemporaryBitmap() method and it worked fine. Then I realized I didn't know the syntax for returning it.

What is the syntax for returning a temporary bitmap

What do you mean?

better still where can I find the documentation?

There isnt any. I've started writing some guidelines, that'll show how to use these temporary bitmaps.

[Old Dog]

Some of this should work it's way out as Sub gets his skinning/plugin guidelines document out. Without a set of rules or best practices on how things should be done, there is no way to get the compatibility established.

All you can do is set the guidelines on how the Appearance Manager is going to work, and what it expects. It is then up to the various Skins to conform to that, so that they work with it.

1. Have an "Appearance" folder (with sub-folders) that act as a depository for background images, task images, button images, ect.

2. Appearance manager reads config.xml to identify current skin. Then read baseskin.xml for a tag like <AppearanceManager>True</AppearanceManager> to check for skin compatibility (relies on skinner using defined guidelines).

3. Changes then could be done (which is so far file moving & renaming?) in that skin directory.

Copied from another thread.
-David

[Old Dog]

I'll take Fatman_do's second idea another step. Instead of an entry in the BaseSkin.xml, create an Appearance.xml in the same place. Compatibility items could be defined in it allowing for more flexible or partial implementations.

-David

[Old Dog]

This morning I posted three new button sets for The Collection (http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...#post82060)

These are fully opaque, colorful (green, brown, and steel blue). I have stayed away from these types of buttons because I use alot of wallpaper backgrounds.

It took about half-an-hour to make the buttons and a few more minutes to zip them up and post them.

After that, I actually tried them out and was amazed at the impact such a small change can make.

The appearance manager made this so simple.

Even if you don't use The Collection, or are into creating your own skins, I suggest you download it just to play with the appearance manager for a little while.

[Jeff]

I downloaded the zip and unzipped it but it doesn't seem to do anything (that is, the appearance doesn't change and selected the various button options doesn't do anything). Any ideas what I should look at to figure out why it is not working for me?

Thanks

Jeff

[Old Dog]

Assuming you have the collection and the appearance manager and that they have worked for you before...

The new button sets (ColorfulButtons.zip) need to be unzipped from the GBPVR directory and should end up in GBPVR\skin\collection\buttonsets\green ... & \brown... & \lightsteelblue

I could have messed up the zip. I'll take a look.

If the assumptions are wrong, let me know what stage you're at.

[Old Dog]

The zip file seems okay.

[Jeff]

They've never worked for me. I've tried each rev thus far. I've looked in the gbpvr.exe.log file and I don;t see anything obvious there. I would like to be able to use it. it sounds like a great system.

Jeff

[Old Dog]

Where do CommonGBPVRUtilities.dll & GBPVRPublic.dll belong?

For some reason, on my system they are in both GBPVR & GBPVR\Plugins.

P.S. I'm putting together a new zip from scratch.

[Jeff]

I think they only need to be in the main gbpvr directpry. They probably get copied to the plugins directory because you are building your dll directly there, in which cases the compiler copies the dependent dll to the target directory.

Jeff