Community skin project

[McBainUK]

My goals together with reasons as a user/developer:

* More images, less XML so they can be swapped out like BaseSkin/AM
* A skin that uses images which are supplied "broken up" to encourage reuse.
* A skin which is distributed as a GBPVR core (zip) and then as individual "plugin packs" for each plugin. The wiki entries are kept up to date with the verson of GBPVR / plugin they are compatiable with. So if a user is running a new version of.
* A community skin which is updated by the community (each has a number of screens/ plugins to "look afer"). This would go someway to stop skins not supporting plugins and/or becoming out of date.
* Standard common images with defined names which can be used by new plugin developers. Like ButtonNormal is used now.
* A combined effort to get plugin developers to use the "fallback method" sub has explained here. And also to post source so if forced to retire for whatever reason, myself and/or others can "take the reins" and update the plugin if/when required.

[Fatman_do]

Sounds intersting I am in!

I am thinking of a wiki page for this so attachments can be centralized.

Kicking around names (for a working title, can be changed to maybe 'Default' if sub adopts it).

"Blue+"

"Community"

"BlueImage"

any other ideas?

[Fatman_do]

We really need to know from active developers here, are there any plugins on the wiki that you are not looking to develop further and are obsolete?

Basically, what is the status of your plugins?

This is considered obvious for all on the wiki that indicate 97+ support. What about others. We need a list to go off of.

Active?
Discontinuing development?
On hold intill you find time? (will be considered inactive for this project?)

[McBainUK]

Don't see any goals there. :p Unless a goal is to only include all GBPVR core screens and plugins which are relevent and work with 0.97+

[Fatman_do]

Don't see any goals there. :p Unless a goal is to only include all GBPVR core screens and plugins which are relevent and work with 0.97+

Well that is a start.

Most plugins that say they work with 0.97+ are because they needed to be fixed to do so. Some make no claim and work fine (Appearance Manager is one).

Some I can't tell. I don't use many others and only downloaded for skinning. I didn't spend alot of time using them.

[McBainUK]

I proprose a survey of all GBPVR core and plugin screens in order to make a list of "elements". An obvious start are Buttons, selected and normal. (naming scheme to be discussed later). Details like do we need to include different height width images so skiner/plugin dev can choose most suitable image to avoid scalling - esp true for item lists (small, mediam, large would probably be enough-again naming to be decided later).

Once you have a collection of elements it will be a case of just "dragging and dropping" them in to the right place on the skin to suit the individual screen / plugin. Then if, for example, you replace a "Popup background" image it will filter through the whole skin. This approach is similar to BaseSkin but I think it needs to be taken further.

[McBainUK]

Wiki page here. All users feel free to update. So come on MixMan, OldDog, dahpahty and the rest - get your thinking and opinion caps on!

How do you think AM/Themes/Chameleon would work/complement this. Is it worth not making a new skin but just mergeing these ideas? All of you what do you think are the drawbacks to your system? What would you like to change?

Just been reading up on the Chameleon skin and it seems to do everything! What will a community devolpment do to help it? Can it be altered to reduce use of xml?

I would like to see an intergration of ThemePacks (to change the whole look of GBPVR) and AM (to customise the look). Can the ThemeManager and Appearance plugins mergre?

[Fatman_do]

I proprose a survey of all GBPVR core and plugin screens in order to make a list of "elements". An obvious start are Buttons, selected and normal. (naming scheme to be discussed later). Details like do we need to include different height width images so skiner/plugin dev can choose most suitable image to avoid scalling - esp true for item lists (small, mediam, large would probably be enough-again naming to be decided later).

Once you have a collection of elements it will be a case of just "dragging and dropping" them in to the right place on the skin to suit the individual screen / plugin. Then if, for example, you replace a "Popup background" image it will filter through the whole skin. This approach is similar to BaseSkin but I think it needs to be taken further.

I created a spreadsheet that did something like this when I was starting Chameleon. The problem with it, they are filled with Chameleon values now and is organized in what you may think is un-Fatman_do like manner.

I listed sizes for list boxes, list item selections, ect. I was able to work out ratio's that told me when to step up to a larger popup background or use a wider ones.

I have a freeware app (I posted a link on the wiki link page a while ago) that I can search an entire directory for a text string. The results are displayed in a fashion that shows the line in it.

I searched DrawRoundedRect and it showed me every instance in every directory. Real handy. I could go through it again, but maybe I should wait for our list to grow before adding 3rd party plugins.

As far as buttons go, that is the easier one to do. Many plugins can use the baseskin.xml file some don't work with that at all (or well). The E-Mail plugin is one.

[McBainUK]

Looking critically at your Chameleon project what would you like to change? What would you like to expand on? I noticed you can change Buttons and backgrounds but not anything to do with lists (a very common screen element). Would this be possible?

How would changes (if reqd) to AM/ThemesManger help you and/or Chameleon users.

And what can the community do to help the project? Just trying to get all of us talking, working together.

[daphatty]

I propose a merger of the "skin management" tools into one, cohesive unit. Of course, this means that you guys have to swallow your pride and be open to each other's ideas but the end result will be far better than what you've been able to achieve individually.

One common platform will make it easier for you to create and set standards for/with plugin developers. Come up with a beta and recruit some plugin developers to give you feedback on ways to make their efforts easier/seamless.