System Plugin for nPVR - Early Beta

[imilne]

One thing I did want to do was put each chart & associated text in it's own background instead of a background for the whole lot but I can't think of any way to do it as it stands.

Like this? I just removed the main RoundedRect for the Drives_3 element, and added three separate ones instead.

[Jaggy]

The only problem with doing it that way if you only have two drives configured it will still show the three box's, not a huge thing but it just goes against the way I like things to be

[imilne]

I'm sure we'll be able to think of a way to do it...

[imilne]

I've updated the download in the first post with a new version (still treat as beta).

What's new:
- EPG updates should hopefully work now, although I need to check with sub about the best way of doing it
- Tuner activity is monitored too (eg, 3 recordings in progress, 2 tuners active)
- All settings can now be configured from the Settings dialog within nPVR
- You can enable/disable the menu buttons and rearrange them
- Changes to the skin: status element labels, support for customizing the gradient paints, and larger icons

Handy as the settings GUI is, it's taken longer to write that than the original plugin did

Enjoy...

Iain

[Jaggy]

er Iain sorry but I need to ask a favor :o With the way I display my skins (pic below) I need to be able to display the background picture in an element within the skin, I normally use something like this to display it

Code:

<!-- ListView -->
    <Element name="ListView" location="0,4.5" size="100,95" alpha="255" visibleRows="6">
    <!-- background Image -->
        <Image source="..\_BackgroundImages\MusicBackground.jpg" location="0,6" size="100,94"/>

& I have asked sub to make a mod allow the list control to have the old style buttons to display after it, which he has done for the next version, but unfortunately you don't use the list control element in your plugin as sub pointed out to me when I couldn't get it to work

I dont think the System plugin uses a List control, so wouldnt see the change I made - ie, it only effected the List control being shown over the Button controls. Anything else is just down to the way the plugin developers has done it, and they'd need to be the one to change it.

any chance you could change this for me?

[imilne]

any chance you could change this for me?

I would if I understood what it was you're asking me to change :confused:

Remember I'm new to plugin (and skin) development, so you'll need to explain as if talking to a 2 year old

Would I have to change the plugin to display the drives in a list control instead of their current custom rendering?

Actually, while we're on the topic - and not that I have any idea yet how to do it - would people prefer the System Plugin to use the new-style horizontal button rendering that seems to be the norm elsewhere in nPVR?

Iain

[Jaggy]

Unfortunately I am not a programmer so I'm not sure exactly what it is we need to do it?

What I require is an element that renders before the buttons so I can render the background picture in it, none of the current elements in the System plugin do this, I know I have tried them all..............help sub??

If you do change to the new hidden buttons (which as a side issue obviously render after everything else) you can also display them vertically as proved by mvallevand in WebRadio & the Meyham skin as I think you will struggle to get enough button when displaying them horizontally.

[Jaggy]

Update: Don't worry about the buttons problem I was having too much as with a bit of creative skinning & a friendly mouse that ate a hole through the background picture I have something that works ok I think.........now onto seeing how many of the ten drives view I can actually display with bigger fonts that old farts like me can read on the TV.

[imilne]

now onto seeing how many of the ten drives view I can actually display with bigger fonts that old farts like me can read on the TV.

I could add an option to only display a shortened version? Eg, (from your screenshot): "5.45 GB free" or "13.19 GB Used" or just the percentage: "29% free" or "71% full".

I'd hope most people were capable of remembering what size the hard drives they use are. Although maybe not if you have 10 of them

I see you've also managed a red/green split on the chart. Are you adding a background green element to do that? I could always add another <Color> setting that lets you define it if it'll make it easier.

Iain

[Jaggy]

I have managed to display eight drives but with the used-free space wrapping, if we could come up with a slightly shorter version I think I could get all ten in, currently most of them just wrap the "(xx%)" but my 1TB has "GB (16%)" wrapped, I would like to keep the total size as I always forget which drive letter is which drive with six drives in & attached to the server it does get confusing at times.....but it is late here now & the brain doesn't function quite so well at this time of night so I won't make any suggestions right now

Yeah for the green I am just displaying a rect with green background fill first before the drvRatio image & it does look a bit weird having a transparent blue box with a green bar in it showing when the number of drives is less than the total.....which I think will be a common occurrence for most people.