New innovation in GBPVR skin design

[Old Dog]

Tonight I completed the last element in a skin design concept that I have been working on for the past several months. Before introducing the new skin to the general community, I would like to introduce the concept to all the regular developers.

I will take some liberty and make the introduction in two parts, one tonight and part two sometime within the next 48 hours.

I actually have a valid point to make by doing this and hope that you find the intro and the concept intriguing. If not, at least mildly amusing.

For those that simply cannot wait for part two, be advised that I have already posted it somewhere in the forums.

My new skin, "Plain Jane"...
[SIZE="2"]Download to your GBPVR directory and unzip there.[/SIZE]
http://starling07.home.mindspring.com/PlainJane.zip

-David

[Old Dog]

As I mentioned, I have been working on this concept for months. It should be easy for anyone to look at my past posts and workout the timeline in the development of the concept.

• Indigo Goes Schizo
  
• The Color Collection
  
• The various theme collections
  
• Dynamically change background image
  
• Background Image Rotation
  
• The Collection: Reorganizing
  
• Imagine this... The Appearance Manager custom task
  
• Sleepless nights... The Appearance Manger Plugin
  

It has been a long, challenging process and I have enjoyed it.

However, all along the way there has been one significant deficiency--my own lack of artistic ability. Perhaps I should of taken other more artistic creations and adapted them to the collection concept, I'm sure it would have made a much bigger impression. Maybe then, more people would have taken up the mantra.

It only take a few hours to convert other skins. I know, I have done so with some of our most favorite skins.

In fact, for the past few weeks, it has been publicly possible to create a system that allows the end-user to switch between the likes of these skins, even XBox skins--using their remote control--in an integrated network including your PC and multiple MVPs.

Should you look closely, I doubt that you will find any other system that offers any functionality that is not available with the collection / appearance manager. Indeed, I suspect you will find some that are lacking.

I only have a couple more enhancements to go before the appearance manager is functionally ready for general release (more than just alpha). It has been my intention to release the source code for AM at general release.

Unfortunately, circumstances have influenced me to reconsider that option.


Best Regards,
-David

[smeghead]

Unfortunately, circumstances have influenced me to reconsider that option.

Can we ask what circumstances you are reffering to?

[Old Dog]

Of course.

To quote an old time project engineer: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The Appearance manger had to define (standardize) a few file names. Although I was careful not to require standard names where not neccesary, it seems my few choices do conflict with new, just emerging standards.

Should I release the code for AM, someone might take it upon themselves to "fix" this incompatibility.

AM is not broken. Fixing it can create problems in existing installations. It is my responsibility to prevent this.

Can you see a better way?

[Old Dog]

Please note that Plain Jane kind of assumes support for VA-Panel and even includes some VA-Panel files in the distribution.

I am not sure that I have implemented this correctly but felt it was okay because this is the Developer's forum.

If you find any problems, please post them here. Maybe I can clean some things up before posting in the other forums.

Thanks,
David

[smeghead]

Beyond TV, Sage TV etc. mandate their way of doing things, if you don't do it their way then you don't do it at all. That is one way of doing it although not the only way.

I think sub believes more in free enterprise (and that there isn't 26 hours in a day), therefore gbpvr is more open, with several different ways of doing things. The disadvantage of this is that it can cause more diverse setups, with different plugins, skins, tools etc and therefore more questions on the forum!!

If AM has conflicts with "just emerging standards" is there a way to migrate to a single standard way of doing it that is agreed by all concerned or are there fundamental differences that cannot be resolved?

As for releasing the code, that is your decision. You've obviousely worked hard on it and, as you say, you feel obligated to support AM yourself.

[MixMan]

Old Dog is talking about the Advisor Tutorial skin that i have been working on.
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=13700

I got tired of the "lack of support" for other languages than English to fit in the buttons. (I make the "LanguagePlugin" that makes translation easier)
Therfor I have made sub skin XMLs with flexibility for the buttons and graphic elements.
I have named the buttons eg. Button_Normal.png instead Button135x28.png that the Collection uses. I am just stubborn and will not change to the names that AM uses. They are to "specific" and non-describing in my opinion.
I can see that Old Dog has put a lot of work into the AM, and I really like the Backgrounds and the functionality that AM has, but not the XMLs that are to inconsistent in the "object" placement.

I am not a programmer or skin designer, just an ordianry user, so I have made the Skin and Tutorial so it will be as easy as possible for an "End User" to create new designs.
Anybody will be free to use my work for their skin. You can use my skin files and convert them for AM if you want to.

[smeghead]

Old Dog, you talk about the key difference of AM as "The Appearance manger had to define (standardize) a few file names" yet MixMan talks of button definitions (as his example). These seem completely different aspects to me and therefore can not be in conflict. Is there a simple way to resolve this?

MixMan talks about "You can use my skin files and convert them for AM if you want to." Is this the way forward that incorporates the benefits of both techniques?

I realise that if we were all sat in a single office (where the likes of Beyond TV have the advantage) we could easily resolve this but it is difficult through a forum. Come on please, don't let the fact that we are half way around the world mean that we (you) can not resolve this.

[Old Dog]

AM has defined a few file names that it is dependent on:

1. Background.jpg
   
2. MainBackground.jpg
   
3. MainButtonSelected.png
   
4. MainButtonNormal.png
   
5. se.png
   

Notice that "ButtonDn135x28.png" is not in this list. The AM documentation clearly states that this name is arbitrary, any name could be used for this file. AM doesn't care about this name, why has MixMan used this as an example?

One the other hand, the names in the above list are required by AM. MixMan has implied that he has some authority to establish standard file names and that he will not use these names. As I see it, he is attempting to standardize incompatibility. His work is not established, he has the opportunity to avoid incompatibility, instead he chooses not to.

I believe him when he says he is just being stuborn. I reject him as an authority, and I simply do not trust him. In short, I no longer see a need to discuss these issues with him.

[MixMan]

Old Dog

I have actually no idea how AM works, (because there is no documentation ?), but I have a high respect for the work you have done.
Do you mean that if renamed the files in my skin to the names in you list, then the AM would work with my skin files ?
Why do you talk more about standard, autority, mistrust, than explaining how AM works and make skins that works for it ?