Additions to the skinning module

[Morten]

Although I have a long list of things I want to put into the skinning module, there are some things that are more important. The things are;

1) Centering of objects (both on a pixel basis, but maybe also on a global basis)
2) Right alligning of objects (so that the text could be expanded left and have a spot right where the text doesn't pass)

Is it or can it be made possible in the next alpha?

Examples in the design;



1) Look at the "7 of 11"-text. I want it centered beneath the Album Art.
2) Look at "I Sleep Alone", "Richard Hawley" etc. text-areas. It's not supposed to go past the right side of the SeekBar.

---

More wishes:

3) Also if you look at the text, I've created a shadow (1px vertical and horisontal off-set) by displaying the information "Song Title" 2x. This is however not possible in the skinning module when I tried it. Could you make that possible? (Look at 5b also for another solution)

4) Support of spectrum analyzer.

5) This is not an important request. But with time I would love to see these additions to the skinning-module;
a) Possible to both define image-area, but also press-area. This will allow the skin to have objects which expand past it's press-area.
b) Possible for the skinners to make easy use of effects, like glow and shadow, within the ini-file. This will make it easier and it should be possible with .NET 3.0.

6) Support of information about what the player's doing. Like "Playing", "Paused". This will enhance the user experience.

7) Support of playlist elements. (I have a skin which requires so)

I have requested some of these things over email before, but I just wanted to share it with the community for their thoughts also.

Regards,
Morten

[Peke]

Have you tried to use ThemeEditor on RoyalBlue skin? If you have I'll try to explain some steps to you.

1. Direct Centering on pixel basics can be done inside ThemeEditor to mark areas which will be sizable which will be static size and Global for skin you do in [PlayerSkin] Resizable=1,1,1,0 also for each object you have Resizable=1,1,0,0 which control Pos and sizable values

2. Same as above can be controlled with Resizable=1,1,0,0 for each Object

Design:
1. For Now you can't add "x of xx" (Petr correct me if I'm wrong)

2. Like said above using Resizable=1,1,0,0 can be accomplished and also you can center it inside Theme Editor.

More Wishes:

3. Every Text in skin Have settings for Text_effect

4. Check How it is done in Royal blue skin

5.
a) Allready possible check PlayButton in Royal Blue skin
b) Check Royal Bkue skin to see how images and effects are used

6. Not sure what you reffer to

7. Extended Skin Elements are planned when basics are stable enough

[Morten]

Great answer Peke. I will try these things today and come back to you.

[DaledeSilva]

6. Not sure what you reffer to

I believe he means that he would like to display in image based on what status the player is in... eg. if it's paused... an image shows which says "player paused" and if its playing, one shows which says "playing"

this is possible with the play pause button obviously.. but he doesn't want a button.. he just wants dynamic contol of other images or text based on that info.


yes, it's possible to centre objects in the theme editor.. but text objects cannot be, their reference point is always at the left... this is the same thing that prevents right alignment, also mentioned. I think this is 'top priority' - a great request!

realistically.. you can define the left most point of the text"box" and the size of it... therefore.. you just need an option to control the alignment of the text inside that box.

1. For Now you can't add "x of xx"

that's true... but not because you can't combine masks...
you can write:

%S by %A

(which would actually give you "song name by artist name"
but yes.. unfortunately, there isn't a mask code for "total album tracks" or "track no." or "total playlist tracks"

there is, however, "Temporary order" (%D) - which would do half of it.
(I thought "playlist position" (%P) would do the other half but it does something else)

Dale.

[Morten]

@Dale de Silva;

Yeah, Peke misunderstood me. I've tried to code my skin and I've bumped into some problems;

1) Why isn't it possible to have a semi-transparent skin? Because of that my skin looks very edgy*, yeah actually unusable. This is because the pixels are either transparent or not. Screen;

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/8549 ... yercv9.jpg
(JPEG-compression has nothing to do with the edgyness)

*When dragging my skin it has a black background (where it's supposed to be transparent). The player gets redrawn at mouse-release and goes back to "normal" state (with the edgyness).

2) Right aligning of text is a high-priority wish to make this skin complete

3) Where do I change the font used by "Title", "Artist" and "Album"? I want to use Segoe UI.

4) Why does Mini-player always trigger the playlist to show? This is not nice and a irritating moment for me. I want to see my skin!

I have coded a functionally player, but I will not beta-release it before the first point has been fixed. It looks very bugly!

[DaledeSilva]

3) Where do I change the font used by "Title", "Artist" and "Album"? I want to use Segoe UI.

don't know the answer... but I also don't know the font... remember that if the user doesn't have the font.. it won't look the same. It doesn't get embedded.

[Morten]

Yeah I know, but everyone with Vista will have it. It's the default system font.

[Morten]

Have you tried to use ThemeEditor on RoyalBlue skin? If you have I'll try to explain some steps to you.

1. Direct Centering on pixel basics can be done inside ThemeEditor to mark areas which will be sizable which will be static size and Global for skin you do in [PlayerSkin] Resizable=1,1,1,0 also for each object you have Resizable=1,1,0,0 which control Pos and sizable values

Will this distribute the text as shown in my skin? If I define the middle pixel of the album-art can I then distribute a text-area equally on both side of this?

2. Same as above can be controlled with Resizable=1,1,0,0 for each Object

But then the text-area will follow the left side of the player. I want it to follow the right side. (Try Microsoft Office Word and you'll see what I mean)

Design:
1. For Now you can't add "x of xx" (Petr correct me if I'm wrong)

2. Like said above using Resizable=1,1,0,0 can be accomplished and also you can center it inside Theme Editor.

1. That's too bad. Add it on the wishlist. Better/wider support for Playlist elements.

2. Can you show me how I can accomplish that? I will send you the skin if you really can do it.

3. Every Text in skin Have settings for Text_effect

4. Check How it is done in Royal blue skin

5.
a) Allready possible check PlayButton in Royal Blue skin
b) Check Royal Bkue skin to see how images and effects are used

6. Not sure what you reffer to

7. Extended Skin Elements are planned when basics are stable enough

3. What, to take one example, are the parameters for shadow? It isn't explained in the documentations I got from Petr.

4. The problem is that that is only L/R-parameters, not a spectrum analyzer (which goes after the hertz scale).

5. The press-area get's widened with the defining of the image-area. I'm not sure you understand my point. The idea is to have a SMALLER pressing-area (responding-area) than the visual reaction. Look at how WMP11's glow effect expands over the next-buttons.

6. Just to give the user more information about what the player's doing.

7. Look at this player;



It will need the name of the nine songs currently in the playlist. Remember that this wish isn't a most important one, but it would enhance the skinners possibilty and the users experience alot.

Regards,
Morten

[PetrCBR]

Hi Morten.

Please, mail me all your suggestions.

[Peke]

And CC me mail when you send it to Petr, I wanna look at it also.

[Morten]

@Peke and Petr; Will do. Tomorrow. I'll give you the mini-player skin also, so that you could fix the problems which occurs.

Regards,
Morten

[Peke]

Greatly appreciated, I want to see your design working finally. It just have personal touch that I like.

[Morten]

I need your email-adress Peke.

[Peke]

Pavle at mm