What you need to know to create a skin

**SjLucky** · 08-26-2009, 03:55 PM

Im so tempted to steal the honeycomb design from UnusuallyGenius... Its a neat concept and you can really use the real estate of the screen. Then I was thinking about a LCARS one just for the s&gs of it. LCARS shouldnt be too hard to pull off, I just don't know of anyone running around in a galaxy class star ship that would want it...

hmm just had a thought... I should get a 92 civic glass up some warp nacelle mount them to back... **** that.. Where's that dude with the Lebaron that doesnt even have a computer in it? Rename his water cannon to Phazers... hahahaha

BACK TO TOPIC: I guess my problem is I'm over thinking it. Like I want to make it where you dont loose basic functions like volume and playback control when you change windows. Thats one thing that gets under my skin with DF4. In the GPS window there isnt any volume controls. Sure you could hit the play button and pause it but what if I just want to turn it down? then I have to hit menu then turn it down then hit gps again... thats two screen touches too many. Like right now Im working on a bottom bar and a top bar. Bottom will be basic controls prev/play/pause/stop/forw/etc/etc. The top I was going to have the info bar with all that jazz up their. Thats up to tidder and malcome as to what goes up there. Those two bars I would like to keep through out the skin if possible or at least a facsimile or that.

The gps screen is another one that I've been going over and over about. That screen is the main reason why I quit using Void3. It worked, like crap. Dont misunderstand me, LS did a beautiful skin, and I loved it, just got fed up with it. Is there anyway I could make a button set for lets say the LEFT SIDE, that stays off screen until called upon by lets say taping the top left corner of the screen?transparent png? Anyway to do that all the way around the screen? Like one for bottom right and top? One of the biggest complaints I get from my installs (I dont charge for parts or software, just labor) is the gps screen. Its either the maps are too small/crowded by the interface or just plain didnt like it.

Too many people coming in here at work. I'll finish my rant later...

BTW..
wwckd? Who Would Capt. Kirk Do? Borg queen or the palmpre chik?

**meddler** · 08-26-2009, 04:16 PM

I know what you mean about the DFX4 skin. Plus it is way complicated if you want to do anything out of the norm with the skin. (Mal and I have already talked about this)

As for sliding panels, I asked for this ages ago and I am not sure if it is 100% implemented yet (well at least the way I want to have it)

I look forward to see what you come up with. Unfortunately my graphics skills aren't as good as what I would like, but that won't stop me making a skin when I get some time.

.... beam me up scotty.

**malcom2073** · 08-26-2009, 08:19 PM

I'm still working on a list, I swear!

Yes, sliding panels have been in there since before you (meddler) requested them. Look at the Rev skin included with RevFE0.41 for an example.

**malcom2073** · 08-26-2009, 08:55 PM

Please keep in mind, buttons don't HAVE to have text on them. RevFE can put text on buttons programatically, so the images can be re-used for multiple things. Such as having three menus where each menu image is the same, just the button labels are different.

Things each window of a skin could potentially have:

Main Menu
this screen is actually optional, as long as each window has a way to get to the next, you don't need a menu. I suggest actually having a menu (or two or three) for the time being, until I create a skin to demonstrate the menuless functionality. It's hard to explain.

AudioPlayer
Current Playlist
Up/Down/Page-up/Page-down buttons for list
Select button if you don't want "clicked" songs to auto-play
Play/pause/stop/next/prev buttons
Button to get to main menu, or playlist selector
Some kind of space to show the current song, and current time/total time

PlaylistManager
List for all playlists
Playlist editor button to show playlist editor window
Up/Down/Page-up/Page-down buttons for list
Select/Cancel buttons if needed.
You can either have the window select the "clicked" playlist, and hide, or have a "select" button that does this.

Playlist editor:
Button to add songs
Up/Down/Page-up/Page-down buttons for list
Button to delete song
MOve-up and Move-down buttons
Save button
Close-window button

File Browser (Used to add files to the playlist
List to show files
Up/Down/Page-up/Page-down buttons for list
Add and close window buttons

GPSwindow
Zoom in/out, Menu, and GPS info buttons
Space for the GPS window to be. In the default skin I believe this is 800x500, but can be any size

OSK.
Both numeric, Letters, and Date/Time OSK. Look at the default skin/fuel counter for examples of these

Fuel Counter
Again, look at the default skin for this.

Confirmation Box
Yes, No, and Cancel buttons, as well as space for user-settable text. This window can be smaller than the normal window (it will appear on top in the center)

HD Radio Window:
Look at the default skin for ideas for this one. Presets can either be buttons, or a list. If a list, you're gonna need add and remove buttons.

Generic Embedding window:
A window for embedding programs. It should have a button to open the program, close it, and hide the window.

This is all I can think of for now. If I edit it later to add stuff, I'll append the date down here.