[Release] SKINbedder V3 - Preview

**12Vsystems** · 10-01-2005, 03:56 PM

Just started working on the keyboard glad I took at look at this post before mapping everything out.

I agree the other keyboard looks a lot better.

**m2x0p9x** · 10-02-2005, 07:07 AM

justintimes keyboard looks good but way too big and your have 2 back buttons and a clear...all buttons doing the same thing...size that keyboard down to the size of the original png that came with V3 and remove the unused buttons and should be ok..IMO it would look better with the blue highlights instead of the red...

**mercury7** · 10-02-2005, 04:15 PM

I'm making a transparent version, Centafuse style. It'll overlay the map area. I'm busy this week, but I should have it done by next weekend.

**justintime** · 10-02-2005, 04:32 PM

What is it with the transparency? It is not useful at all, I just don't get it. I think people need to get over the 'coolness' factor! :P

**RPM_VR4** · 10-02-2005, 07:20 PM

hehe... I love it though!

I think the glass side-buttons look totally sweet. No reason the OSK should be any different. Hopefully some one will make a skin that is just big and easy-to-use like iGMod is, but I've already started on my transparent-headunit-overlay-style skin and I plan on completing that first.

The interface has a menu system driven purely by 8 "soft-keys" (4 on each side). This made doing the graphics easier for me (I have only very basic skills in PhotoShop) and it is very head-unit like. The OSK has to be different because of all the keys, but its style should match. I think of it as a cable-boxes menu interface... The best ones are transparent guides overlayed on top of the video. I want to always see the map, just because that is the main function of the application. ...and it looks very cool (if someone was buying a Nav system at Best-Buy, the transparent-overlay style would earn big points over the competition [Don't you agree JIT?]).

**justintime** · 10-02-2005, 08:34 PM

Agreed that transparency is useful for SOME things, and not for OTHERs.

Example: Buttons are permanently on screen. It makes sense to have them transparent, to see what is underneath. I really like the transparency there, it just belongs there.

OSK: transparency is a niusance here. You don't really need to see what's behind when typing in the OSK, and it can in fact get confusing. And it is only going to be up there momentaritly.

Satellite compass 'circle': Yes, it is permanently up there, so it would make sense to have transparency. But in this case, it makes things hard to read on the satellitle compass itself, defeating the purpose of having it there in the first place. In this situation, usability needs to take precedence over 'coolness'.

In short, every situation needs to be analysed. It will make sense to have transparency in some cases, and it's great that we have that ability.

Hey, it's your skin, do what you want

Great job with the app, BTW.

**RPM_VR4** · 10-02-2005, 08:50 PM

Hummm... I suppose I could agree that the OSK should be less alpha-blended then the buttons (but for that matter, I think the buttons should be a little less alpha-blended as well).

I don't really see how a slight alpha-blend could hurt any window. I also don't see how a solid background between the keys of the OSK would be better than a transparent one.

As far as totally removing the solid background from windows goes, you are right... in iGuidance it does make text hard to read (the compass looks fine to me though?). I still want to see it with the background removed at 2x zoom. I think the text might be a lot better even with a transparent background. I may give up on that and just stick with a slight alpha-blend though. I don't think I will be able to do the cut-out compass like iGMod because it would be too hard to define anything other than a square window through the INI files.

I appreciate your comments JIT.

I am always looking for feedback. We will just have to wait and see how it all turns out once I get the re-paint bugs out of the .exe.

**justintime** · 10-02-2005, 09:05 PM

Well, not to beat a dead horse, but the real point here is, you need to put transparency WHEN THERE IS A BENEFIT.

Buttons: benefit is that you can see what's behind... you actually want to see what's behind, especially because they are on top permanently.

Ask yourself why you are putting alpha blend on each element, and for what reason it is better than a non-transparent version. If there is a clear answer to the question, it probably needs to be transparent. If the answer is "it looks cool", that would usually not be a good argument -- but it is an especially bad argument if it also gets in the way of usuability/readability.

Ok, really trying to help out here. I do happen to have some experience in User Interface design guidelines. I can tell you are taking my comments as constructive feedback, so thanks for not bashing me

**PURDooM** · 10-02-2005, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by justintime

but it is an especially bad argument if it also gets in the way of usuability/readability.

I cut this feature for that reason:
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/3583/snshot52ym.jpg
Looked cool, but no practical use.

**m2x0p9x** · 10-02-2005, 10:54 PM

Transparency for the menus is cool...but i agree the OSK is not practical for one reason...the map is not updated when using the OSK...so there is no reason to see the map when using the OSK...plus it was very hard to see the buttons too distracting..and think about it...are u really looking at whats behind the OSK when u are entering a street or city? Just my own opinion...to make every body happy just make it configurable in the ini's....