Thread: Android-ish Theme Request

Thanks for the images... I'll see if I can re-create the layout to start with.

I'm just gonna take a guess and say that the top and bottom bar are the parts that are always going to be visible no matter what plugin or other stuff you're doing?

Yep top and bottom bar are always visible along with the icons on each of them. If I need to tell you what any of the icons do let me know and I will label the Layout Image.

That will come at a later date - the button functionality...

Here's a quick screeny to see how layouts look (ignore the main menu buttons). If you use the top bar for volume buttons, it's a little small if you think touch screen. The bottom bar looks good, I just gotta space it out a little more.

I was worred about top bar and was thinking of making it 100 pixels like bottom. Then I could make icons 75 pixels instead of 50. I can make that change if you think I need to. Or should we just move Volume to bottom bar and use top for displaying info only.

It depends what kind of info you are looking to display on the top bar... If you are doing artist/title/album/pictures, along with wifi, clocks and others, the 50 pixels is way to small and will get way to crowded... unless we just scroll some of that stuff one line at a time maybe?

I like the smaller top bar, leaves more screen estate for plugin dev's and whatnot. I think volume buttons on the bottom would be ok, since that height/width is already pretty well for touch screen. I'm not sure of the + / - type though, hold down to increase or decrease? Does that work ok while driving?

The one other question is the buttons on the bottom, do you want those pre-defined, or do you want them to be interchangable so users can define a plugin to associate with them? The association is how the default main menu works...

It's a cool concept, and I like seeing things come together!!!

I was kinda thinking making bottom bar pre defined but it can be interchangable I guess. Center home one shold be pre defined atleast. What is the best way to do the Volume up. I've been out of Carputers since 2009. I think scrolling Artist and Title would be good. On home screen I was wanting Album art and song info in the little media player widget on screen.

Great progress!! Love it!

Remember that anything can be animated / moved in OM so the top bar can be re sized to whatever you need on the fly.

Remember that anything can be animated / moved in OM so the top bar can be re sized to whatever you need on the fly.

Ya, I was trying to think of something like that, but too be honest, can't come up with a good thought for the top bar. Considering the other info that is on there, I think it's better to stay smaller and just display that.

I'd like some opinions on the volume / media buttons though.

Default OM has a sliding volume bar that drops down. What if we use a volume button in the very bottom left, when clicked, pops up a horizontal sliding bar above the bottom bar. It would pop back down behind the bottom bar after a period of inactivity. I know it probably goes against android design, but it combines the 3 volume buttons into 1. Or we can use the 3 as originally planned?

Media buttons, are the useful outside the media player plugin?

Remember, I'm just coding the stuff to make it work, I'm in no way a designer and all options are up to you and anybody else that chimes in. I won't code it my way just 'cause, but I will make suggestions.

On the point of keeping the home button pre-defined, done. The other buttons, I will need a blank button image (I'm thinking maybe semi-transparent gray?) to put in the other button places so people know they can assign them.

Originally Posted by andrewfblack

I think the main menu is best place to start. Here are the updated images please tell me what other buttons or information we need for the Main menu when we finish that we will move on.

I totally agree. So with the main menu, what is your vision for the behavior of the media box shown? Is it permanent on the main menu? When you swipe/scroll the pages of the menu, does it move according to the page it is on?

I ask because, like Android, that media box can be a "widget" that is updatable by the media player plugin. However, updatable (live) menu items is not something OM can do right now. So I would think (for now) we can leave that off the menu pages, scroll "now playing" stuff in the top bar , and when top bar is swiped down you get the media player page.

Originally Posted by detlion1643

Default OM has a sliding volume bar that drops down. What if we use a volume button in the very bottom left, when clicked, pops up a horizontal sliding bar above the bottom bar. It would pop back down behind the bottom bar after a period of inactivity. I know it probably goes against android design, but it combines the 3 volume buttons into 1. Or we can use the 3 as originally planned?

Media buttons, are the useful outside the media player plugin?

Remember, I'm just coding the stuff to make it work, I'm in no way a designer and all options are up to you and anybody else that chimes in. I won't code it my way just 'cause, but I will make suggestions.

On the point of keeping the home button predefined, done. The other buttons, I will need a blank button image (I'm thinking maybe semi-transparent gray?) to put in the other button places so people know they can assign them.

Andrew's idea of the volume knob in the bottom corner with the behavior you mention works for me. A couple media buttons on the bottom bar (prev/next, play/pause) or, like the default skin, press a single button to bring up media controls. Maybe, as long as there is media playing, the bottom bar shows media buttons?

As for other predefined buttons on the bottom, I'm sure there are only a couple items that would be frequently used enough to keep there. But plugins can change what is there also, so maybe the user could select what to keep in that bar in settings.

John