Appearance Manager

[Old Dog]

Unbelieveable!

You guys are doing some really neat things!

[Fatman_do]

Unbelieveable!

You guys are doing some really neat things!

Ha! I have been playing around with AM and images so much my skin development really has slowed down. I kick the tires and find work arounds for my "opportunities".

(An engineer that I worked under would say "Hey, come here! I have an opportunity for ya." His problems were always my opportunity )

[dottore]

that's nice! will adopt it after the holyday....

[Fatman_do]

If you use a system derived from the Advisor method where you include listbar and all other images in the skin root. You can create theme buttons that match menu buttons and place those in the proper AM buttons directory.

An example is I copied all chameleon's default listbuttons and other images, besides the backgrounds, into the AM ButtonSets Chameleon_default directory. That way, no matter what changes I do down the road, selecting the default buttons restores all buttons, listboxes, tv grid, ect. to the default (an example of this in action is in the latest chameleon release).

I am creating Pirates-Water and Pirates-Wood buttons that will change the other buttons to match this theme. I still have to process the images and change a few more xml files to implement this.

I wouldn't go crazy with this for all buttons, but it is a nice way for your skin to restore itself by selecting default buttons.

[Old Dog]

I guess one could

• have a single base folder
  
• use a batch file to copy all the xml files for a skin into that folder
  
• use another batch file to copy graphics sets into that folder
  

or one could

• use the GBPVR config program to select the skin directly
  
• use AM to change the appearance of the skin with your remote control
  

Yep, I quess there is more than one way to skin a cat.

-David

P.S. I wonder which the end-user would prefer?

[nemulate]

If thats a question then option 2 sounds neater

[MixMan]

I guess it's a way to say that AM is a superior way to change a skin appearence.
Hopefully Old Dog will add more flexibility to the AM so I can add more support for it.
Today it is the ButtonSets function, that have a similar function that I use, except that my theme change functionality with batch files can change the main menu, the baseskin.xml the OSDs and the panels, task images and the rest of the images + update buttons and list view stuff for BlueMCE2 resoureces. I don't want to maintain lots of XML files That take too much time, so a skin would die because I don't have the time.
I focus on high quality and flexilble XML files instead. The BaseSkin is more a flexible XML design, not a skin with a grapical design. But this is difficult to communicate to the users.
So, there are many ways to skin a skin

[Old Dog]

There is also a philosophical difference...

I oppose Big Brother; instead I promote individuality, creativity, and diversity. I provide a component/tool for other skin developers. I'm not trying to replace other developers.

In case you hadn't noticed, my own skins aren't exactly the hot ticket around here!

Besides, AM is neater.

Best Regards,
David

If thats a question then option 2 sounds neater

[MixMan]

It is sad that you don't understand what I am trying to do for skin and design development from a long term perspective.
It is also sad that you are accusing me to do or enforce things upon the community, said things that are not true at all. Not nice at all, but I guess you think attack is the best defence.
It is also sad that you are so unwilling implement configuration flexibility into AM.
I dont see that any further discussion with you will lead to anything constructive. It is a pity, because I really like the AM concept.

[Fatman_do]

There is no wrong or right way to approach this. Each method has its benefits and limitations.

Functionality is solely at the whim of the skinner. Ideas and mechanics that may seem "better" under one set of eyes, is not the scope or course the other wants to take.

Let us respect one another and each others differences here. It is better in a community like this to move foward with positive ideas and methods instead of pumping up chests and egos.

My skinny...