Thread: Coding Basics??

This really depends on what you are trying to do. Are you trying to write a script to do a certain function, or are you trying to add buttons and indicators, labels ect

If you are looking to just add something to s akin, have a look at the skincommands.txt file in the root of the Road Runner directory, that in invaluable when working with skins.

Hi MacFlurry,

Within the help file, their are the basics of using rr. Their are also two stickies at the top the skins forum that helps explain skinning, then its a case of getting your hands dirty.

I would suggest that you download a number of skins, try them and see what you like and don't like, and what controls are used on each page, as they are all similar, (its the graphics that makes the big difference).

Then search and ask questions. Expect a few flames occasionally if you haven't researched !

Oh and you also need 33 hour days to pack in all the things you need to do, and also to play with this stuff !

Anyything you want to know, drop me a line, or post in here. there are a lot of helpful folk around.

cheers
KPJUK

At the minute I'm trying to design my own skin from scratch, I've got several skins downloaded with components that I like and I'm trying to transfer the functions over but for parts that don't quite work how you want even the .txt file isn't that clear unless you already know what you're talking about and know how to use the commands.

Even with the skin editor, you have to find what you need to use on someone elses skin, then try to recreate the effect on your own but if you don't understand the parameters or how to use the parts of the code for the various commands then you get as far as putting a box on your screen that doesn't work and then you're buggered.

For example there's a therap about directory play lists that practically gives a step by step guide but if you don't fully understand the instructions then you're stuck from step 1.

Originally Posted by kpjuk

Hi MacFlurry,

Within the help file, their are the basics of using rr. Their are also two stickies at the top the skins forum that helps explain skinning, then its a case of getting your hands dirty.

I would suggest that you download a number of skins, try them and see what you like and don't like, and what controls are used on each page, as they are all similar, (its the graphics that makes the big difference).

Then search and ask questions. Expect a few flames occasionally if you haven't researched !

Oh and you also need 33 hour days to pack in all the things you need to do, and also to play with this stuff !

Anyything you want to know, drop me a line, or post in here. there are a lot of helpful folk around.

cheers
KPJUK

Cheers mate, I'm just trying to do it with causing the least amount of inconvenience for people and maybe learn something on the way rather than just doing things step by step as I've been told and not really understanding the workings.

Cheers for the offer, you may get 1 or 2 PM's at some point.

No probs mate,

The best and worst thing about road runner is that it isn't a commercial product. This gives us all the chance to dabble, which is really rewarding when you do something you wanted to see ! The problem is its also very frustrating, as the documentation just isn't in one place and structure so you can learn it all yourself. I am trying to gather bits together to expand on the help file, so that becomes a good reference tome but I am still learning, and trying to develop skins as well as trying to have a life !

Your point is well made, sometimes the explanations of how things work, put you back further than the point you started at lol, well for me anyway. The good thing here is that people are prepared to help. Guino does tons of development, but has never failed to answer any queries I have had so far. Chuck will lose you on the science of ExecTbl.ini (I think he sometimes loses Guino !) But ask these guys a question or help on where you are going wrong, and they are there for you.

They are not the only ones on here either, many will help out if they can. Any ways, if you need help the offer is there.

cheers
KPJUK

That is spot on, from what I have seen the guys here are excellent for help and advice and I haven't found a thread yet that hasn't been constructive for the original poster.

I do enjoy a challenge hence why I've jumped in at the deep end trying to go from scratch rather than just ammend another skin. I think everyone here could be put into that category otherwise they'd have just made do with a car stereo rather than the PC!!

I'll admit I've sat here grinning like a child when I got the simplest of buttons to work for the first time but as you said, it can get frustrating when you hit a wall and I think it's a habbit picked up from work that where possible you overcome your own problems rather having to slow down other people.

I'm guessing most of the guys that bring the solutions to the threads, and there is a noticeable group of people, have picked up there skills somewhere else and are developing them and learning through RR. I was justwondereing where the best place to learn would be so that maybe one day I could be more of a help than one of the users that comes up with endless lists of questions.

Starting completely from scratch is a daunting task!

Another option is to find a skin you like, then load that skin into the skin editor, change the images out for your own, and then move the buttons to the correct places. This is a basic way to start, and to see the inner workings on how they made all of the functions for the indicators, buttons ect. As you go along, it will start to make more and more sense to you.

I started my first skin just about 2 months ago, and it has been rough at times, and very rewarding at other times. I started, as mentioned above with the BMV2 skin included with RR. What I have learned along the way is amazing, and faster than I thought would be possible! I had never skinned anything before this, so it was all new to me. This is NOT an advertisement for my skin, but have a look, the link is in my signature. It has just about every skin for software and hardware that I can think of, so it would be a good place to have a look and see how some of the stuff is done.

Oh, and BTW, you screen name makes me want to go out for ice cream

just echoing what he^^ said, I knew nothing about skinning, started playing.... next thing I knew I was skinning.... just play for hours & hours... you'll get it in no time...

LOL @ John, cheers guys. The only trouble I had is that all the features I wanted were spread across several skins hence starting from scratch but I think I may have just found a way around my latest problem so onwards and upwards!!