Thread: RELEASE: iGuidance 3.0 UMPC Skin

Hummm... I'll check it out, maybe this would be a good opportunity to improve my PhotoShop skills (...but yes, it's just 4 pngs, LEFT, RIGHT, 5 buttons in the lower left are one png and the 5 in the lower right another one.)

Even with your template I'm sure you could do a better job with designing icons or anything if you want to have a go at it for me. Just 4 pngs (plus 4 more down-image ones)

Ok JIT, I downloaded your photoshop template and started working on my iGNexus SKIN for SKINbedder. The fonts are good, but it doesn't help with symbols (like arrows), so I went back to chopping up screen-shots again (all I really know how to do in PhotoShop).

I just know you could do so much better a job with iGNexus. I was thinking we could put a column of buttons on either side rather than overlaying on top of the map. I would also probably want to res-hack the existing zoom, menu, and mute buttons off the map. This way you would have a clean square map with all the control via the skin on either side, just like an RR skin that uses SendKey.

I was also thinking you could put a thin boarder around the top and bottom with a shadow effect to make the who think look really built-in to CF.

Are you with me on this project, or should I keep hacking it together myself?

I did some more work on concept. Will you make side buttons and a frame like this? (We will have to be careful when designing the break in the buttons as it has to look good in full-screen and windowed modes). We could make 4 graphics in order to keep the bottom portion aligned with the bottom street/info bars, and then extend that transparancy effect across the entire SKINbedder frame (making it look like those bars extend over the map from our interface). What do you think? I don't know how to do that stuff in photoshop though. That's why I need your help (and because it is your skin).

EDIT: Note, in the screen-shot below I would remove all buttons from the map (including the built-in menu/mute/voom). I would then make buttons on the left for Menu/Dest/Save/Clear/Left and buttons on the right for Zoom+/-/3D/North/Right (listed top-to-bottom). In windowed mode, the left/right buttons (and possibly that highlight bar that extends across iG) would remain on the bottom along with Menu/Dest and Zoom+/- on the top, but you would lose Save/Clear and 3D/North.

I played a bit with extending the transparent bar so you can see what I mean (I guess I know more PhotoShop than I had though , I'd still love your help though). I did the left side under the button and the right side over. I would only want one button on each side behind (or in front of) the bar, the LEFT and RIGHT buttons. Then you just design it so there are 4 buttons above each of those in full-screen mode and only two buttons in windowed mode (two lower buttons would have to be smaller than top two buttons).

Using these two screen's (one in fullscreen, one in windowed), you should be able to do the buttons in no time when it would take me hours and my gradients would still not be perfect.

RPM,

I don't have time right now to create the buttons, but a couple of thoughts:

1) I don't think it is a good idea to reduce the map viewable area, and put the buttons on the sides. Better idea to overlay them on the map as you had before. Just my opinion. Otherwise you are reduvicing the map way too much (it's pretty small as is already!)

2) Don't even bother with reduced screen mode. Only work with Fullscreen layout. iG3 is not meant to fit in a regular window within CF... not even close to fitting!!!

Well, I did it anyway and I happen to like it a lot. I lost 200 pixels of horizontal map area, but on a wide screen I think there is still plenty of horizontal area left. Plus I was able to remove all of the buttons off the map leaving it very clean looking.

I would prefer buttons over the map, but only if the could have real alpha-blended shadows and such. Otherwise it just doesn't look right. I never got SKINbedder to support per-pixel alpha blends over another app correctly.

Anyway, check it out: http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/show...876#post894876

I'd be really surprized if you didn't want to use this in your car with your CF-Nexus JIT. Give it a shot and tell me if you really still think you need a wider map.

I have been watching this thread, and I like the look and feel going on here so far....

I do have a couple suggestions though. I really do not like the "tan status bar" going behind or in front of the buttons. I think use could be made of this bar, and extended right into the skin with making the ends of the bar zoom controls.

As for the buttons taking up too much space, and making the map too small, they can be reduced and still be QUITE large enough to be pressed. The only sacrafice is the clock in the top right, it would need to be made much smaller, items removed, or just removed completely.

I have attached a screen shot of what I mean. It is a hatch job, as I didnt have the background image from the skin, and just spent a few minutes on it to give an idea of what I mean.

I ditched the idea of extending the bar. The colors behind it change too much and it doesn't look right. I like your screen-shot though .

Look at the skin in that link I posted (or I also added it to my signature below). There are 4 pics of the final release. I may do an update or I may be able to get JIT or someone else to take it over (my PhotoShop skills suck and I hate adjusting graphics for hours in order to get it to fit together right with the CF skin).

FYI: It is not really possible to have the top of the map overlap the CF-Nexus titlebar area (not unless JIT totally changed his CF skin and I know he agrees that it is good to have an always-up title-bar... that's why he finally released his skin )