CommunitySkin 4 Open development thread.

[Fatman_do]

This is where gbpvr users interested in participating with the development of the next version should post ideas, changes, comments, ect.

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. (PopupList_Normal.png, _Selected.png and _SelectedInactive.png added
  
• Better documentation.
  
• Encourage greater community participation.
  
• Themes as separate individual downloads.
  
• Separate SD and HD versions.
  

>Done<.
>Dropped<.

Anything else?

[Hairy]

I think the above is spot on, but if we're in wishlist mode I'd like to tag on:

• Editable OSD. We probably spend 90% of our time looking at video so we see the OSD far more than the actual plugin pages.
  
• If it's possible, move the "views" placements to the base skin xml. That way the theme developer has access to every element on each of the main plugin pages.
  

Like I've said these are way down on the list though.

[Hairy]

Okay I thought I'd strike while the iron was hot

Below is a very rough idea for a default theme for the CS, with the relevant PSD files. This is the SD version and is just the bare bones graphics and formatting (the task images are older ones from "wave", I'll be redoing them). Again this is just to start the ball rolling, I'd really appreciate members of the community jumping in.

Hosted on rapidshare:
CS Blue Theme (2.4MB)
Some graphics and formatting to give an impression of the theme, extract to the community3 skin folder (don't forget to back up! ).

CS Blue PSD (1.3MB)
The photoshop files and a colour swatch for the basic RGB pallet.

Pic:

[Jaggy]

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.

[pBS]

i'd be happy with that...
would love a built-in skin downloader that would be able to download skins from remote..
[of course those skins would need to be 'approved' b4 inclusion, you know, checked for minimums,validity,plugins,etc.]
or rather 'themes'

and i second the vote for modularity, but not that high on list..
a stable package is more important than anything..

Hairy is da man! :p

[Fatman_do]

Link for the psd files does not work.

[Hairy]

Sorry about that try it now.

[Fatman_do]

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.

Pro's:

• Easier to add new colors by adding a new background color underneath the mask.
  

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

Con's:

• Mask must be matched in shape to background color.
  
• Different mask may be required for "Normal" selectors vs. "Selected" selectors.
  
• Additional work to skin.xml's are required.
  

Alternative options:

• Releasing .psd files of items (at creator's discretion).
  
• Someone can always create same effect using a layering compatible graphics program.
  

I still like the idea of masks, esp. how Sassari used them over icons ect. so I don't know.....

[Fatman_do]

I think the above is spot on, but if we're in wishlist mode I'd like to tag on:

• Editable OSD. We probably spend 90% of our time looking at video so we see the OSD far more than the actual plugin pages.
  
• If it's possible, move the "views" placements to the base skin xml. That way the theme developer has access to every element on each of the main plugin pages.
  

Like I've said these are way down on the list though.

Well, at least themes as separate download will help with osd changes. We can add OSD graphics to the Skinplugin Wishlist/Todo list.

As far as the placements are concerned. I would have to check this out. Not all placements worked when moved to the baseskin.xml (at least at the time I tested them).

[Hairy]

Well, at least themes as separate download will help with osd changes. We can add OSD graphics to the Skinplugin Wishlist/Todo list.

Yep, if we can sort out the package method, in theory you could alter "..Skin2\Community3" files with out any need to add the feature to the plugin.

As far as the placements are concerned. I would have to check this out. Not all placements worked when moved to the baseskin.xml (at least at the time I tested them).

Not a biggie really, all the important stuff is already in the baseskin xml