Thread: New Linux Project (windows maybe)

Yup, seems to skin nicely. Actually, it's all on the fly, not really skinned. Screens are created via XML files(see below). So far you can add buttons, text, images, and video.. please feel free to rip it apart if I missed anything major : I'll comment the best I can for now..

<GUI>
<Title>XCar Main Screem GUI</Title>
<Requirements>NULL</Requirements>
<DesignedAt>640x480</DesignedAd>
<ObjectScale>SCALEALL</ObjectScale>
<BGImage>NULL</BGImage>
<BGFillColor>#FFFFFF</BGFillColor>
<WindowMode>FULLSCREEN</WindowMode>
<SizeMethod>NULL</SizeMethod>

/* Main GUI information, lets XCar know what the "skin" was designed at, to allow for scaling to a larger screen size, etc. (SCALEALL) says to XCar, if this was designed at 640x480, and we're on 1024x* rescale all images, video, and bg images to match. For now, I am not loading an image for a background, just using #FFFFFF.. Windows Modes are "FULLSCREEN", "SET-X:200,Y:300", "MODAL", and "MINREQUIRED". SizeMethod is used for resizing windows, for those who use a mouse. "SET" means it cannot be resized. */

<Button>
<bTitle>MP3 Player</bTitle>
<bImage>/root/XCar/skins/main/maingui1.jpg</bImage>
<bImageLoc>X:0,Y:0</bImageLoc>
<bImageSize>NULL</bImageSize>
<bImageTransparency>0</bImageTransparency>
<bImageUseMask>0</bImageUseMask>
<bRequirements>NULL</bRequirements>
<bToolbarImage>/root/XCar/skins/main/maingui1-tlb.jpg</bToolbarImage>

/* This is just a button. Title of it(needed if an image is not used). The Image to be used, it's location on the screen, it's size(if needed), if it's transparent, if it should use a BitMask to seem "non-rectangular). This will take the bottom right corner of the image(last pixel), and make that a mask, useful for images u want to appear transparent w/ a solid background. Requirements is what modules/plugins are needed for this button to be enabled. (I am using a built in MP3 software, so it's set to NULL. And a toolbar image for OSD. This is just a smaller image that is used for almost what could be called a "taskbar".. */

<Actions>
<bExecute>NULL</bExecute>
<bExecuteArgs>NULL</bExecuteArgs>
<bLoadScreen>MP3Player</bLoadScreen>
<bRunXCarScript>NULL</bRunXCarScript>
</Actions>

/* These are the actions the button will take when pressed. Execute will execute a command, w/ it's arguments if needed. (several variables are available on the arguments, using %x like tags. ie. %is_lan_enabled ).. LoadScreen will go and spawn a new screen, in this case, it loads "MP3Player.xml", and begins doing what it's supposed to do. RunXCarScript will at some point run through a script, of which commands have yet to be determined. What I was thinking was simple perl scripts to do specific things. Like Sync to a Home PC via wireless. Maybe songs u wanted to D/L to your car or something.. Dunno, unsure of a good use for it yet.. */

</Button>
<Button>
<bTitle>Video Player</bTitle>
<bImage>/root/XCar/skins/main/maingui2.jpg</bImage>
<bImageLoc>X:0,Y:40</bImageLoc>
<bImageSize>NULL</bImageSize>
<bImageTransparency>0</bImageTransparency>
<bImageUseMask>0</bImageUseMask>
<bRequirements>NULL</bRequirements>
<bToolbarImage>/root/XCar/skins/main/maingui2-tlb.jpg</bToolbarImage>
<Actions>
<bExecute>NULL</bExecute>
<bExecuteArgs>NULL</bExecuteArgs>
<bLoadScreen>VideoPlayer</bLoadScreen>
<bRunXCarScript>NULL</bRunXCarScript>
</Actions>
</Button>

/* Nothing new here.. same as above.. */

<Image>
<iFilename>/root/XCar/skins/main/logo1.jpg</iFilename>
<iImageLoc>X:300,Y:30<iImageLoc>
<iImageScaleMethod>NONSCALEABLE</iImageScaleMethod>
<iImageTransparency>50</iImageTransparency>
<iImageUseMask>0</iImageUseMask>
</Image>

/* This just puts an image on the screen. It's not a button, but that's what it does, same functions as above. Transparency is set to 50%, that's all. */

<Video>
<vFilename>/root/testvideo.mpg<vFilename>
<vVideoLoc>X:200,Y:200</vVideoLoc>
<vLoop>1<vLoop>
<vLoopDelay>200<vLoopDelay>
<vZOrder>-9</vZOrder>
</Video>

/* This spawns a video instance on the main screen, @ X200,Y200 coords. It will loop(1 = true, 0=false), and it will loop every 200 seconds. It's Z-Order(for u VB guys) is -9. -10 is the background. You can go -15 to 15. Though I don't see a purpose for it, it's there.. :-/

*/
</GUI>

Ok, that's all I got. haha.. So yea, it'll skin.

Ok, say you spawn an application in full screen mode (for instance a gps app running on wine), but then you want to go back to the media player and change songs, but don't want to exit the gps app. You can't get to the menu, because your screen is covered by the GPS app, you would need to have some sort of task manager running. I personally advocate the idea of having a dockable "quick launch" bar on the screen. It is not as pretty a solution, but functionally, it is superior. minimizing/maximazing/closing windows, can be controlled using Xlib.

Does Qt make it easy to "skin" applications? I have never seen this.

Well, yea. I'm kinda doing that, but I'm not using XLib, QT's OnTop code kinda sucks, but reparenting seems to get me where I need to be, I think I have OSD going pretty good. As far as Mplayer, I'm using a little trick. I'm not running Mplayer in it's own window, etc. I'm attaching it to a Widget(using -Wid command for mplayer), allowing me to "fake" fullscreen mode. Although the downside is I have to handle the ascpect ratio, etc, other than that I have no problems doing it this way.

And on Linux Hibernation : http://swsusp.sourceforge.net/Softwa...d-3.html#ss3.1

That should give some info on how it works. (though w/ the recomiling the kernel, this may be something that is better left to a distro package. (Hijinks would be the man on that one.. haha.. )

I guess the closest thing to what I had in mind is something like handhelds.org (only for car computers). Not in itself a software project, but just a meta-project designed to encourage coordination among individual project developers and to increase visibility. And we also wouldn't want to do all the CVS hosting and stuff at least to start with.

A project like yours could be something listed on the website.

I am also thinking about the legal issues of the GPS and I was wondering if you have looked at factfinder.census.gov The maps that it generates should be 100% legal to copy and distribute.

Originally Posted by s003apr

I guess the closest thing to what I had in mind is something like handhelds.org (only for car computers). Not in itself a software project, but just a meta-project designed to encourage coordination among individual project developers and to increase visibility. And we also wouldn't want to do all the CVS hosting and stuff at least to start with.

A project like yours could be something listed on the website.

I am also thinking about the legal issues of the GPS and I was wondering if you have looked at factfinder.census.gov The maps that it generates should be 100% legal to copy and distribute.

Would'nt that be something MP3Car.com would try to start? I wouldn't mind hosting CVS, or anything like that.. Project pages or whatever. I own several servers co-located in Austin, TX.. So things like that aren't a problem.

As far as the development. We're attempting to create something to this affect. That's what this project is about. Something that is extendable, programmable, and configurable. It's funny, bug I extern "C" like 90% of the variable that are used so far. Of course I'm going to have to cut down on those, and clean things up quite a bit. But still, I'd like this to be as easily configurable, and usable program for a CarPC that it can be.

I'm trying anyway.. :-/

Originally Posted by bigb

Would'nt that be something MP3Car.com would try to start? I wouldn't mind hosting CVS, or anything like that.. Project pages or whatever. I own several servers co-located in Austin, TX.. So things like that aren't a problem.

As far as the development. We're attempting to create something to this affect. That's what this project is about. Something that is extendable, programmable, and configurable. It's funny, bug I extern "C" like 90% of the variable that are used so far. Of course I'm going to have to cut down on those, and clean things up quite a bit. But still, I'd like this to be as easily configurable, and usable program for a CarPC that it can be.

I'm trying anyway.. :-/

Mp3car.com would be okay, but I think it kind of gives the impression that we are only interested in playing mp3s, which is actually only a small portion of the number of goals that most of us have in mind, and it is really one of the least challenging problems that we have to solve. There is also an advantage to getting these projects started on something like SourceForge. We can even put up help wanted advertisements on their site. If someone get the GPS apps up and started as it's own project then I think there are a number of folks that will be attracted who are interested in developing a solution for desktops, laptops and handhelds as well.

also, what did you think about the factfinder maps? They should be public domain which means we will not get in trouble.

I hear what your saying. I registered a new project on SF, just waiting on approval.

As far as factfinder, they look good, but ya think they are detailed enough?

I was just looking around for possible map sources and I realized that all of this stuff is paid for. It's the government that does all of the mapping on this stuff, you don't see Microsoft or Rand Mcnally doing the survey's. So if the government is doing the surveying and the map making then it must be available for free somewhere. So I started looking around and this is what I found.

http://nationalmap.usgs.gov/nmjump.html

The button at the top of the page "go to the national map viewer" takes you to the mapping system. If you read the text below this button there is some good info about the maps and how you can download them and stuff. This is what was said on one part of that page.

Seamless Data Distribution System Viewer
The Seamless Data Distribution System Viewer allows you to browse and download USGS national datasets and high-resolution orthoimagery of selected major urban areas. This viewer offers enhanced data download capabilities for USGS datasets.

So perhaps it wouldn't be that hard to develop GPS software. If you can figure out how the USGS system works it's pretty powerfull. I spent about a half hour playing with all of the options. About the only thing I can see though is the detail level changes when zooming in. For instance if you view a map of California it will show a nice map that includes all of the mountains, vallyes, and such but when you zoom in to street level you will see pixelization of the overlayed mountains and stuff (hard to describe but you'l know what I'm talking about when you play with it). However you can turn off the moutains and stuff if you want to eliminate this problem. I think most mapping software already does this.

Anyway, this could be a great start. I found on the site mention of being able to download or order a CD of the info and I think it is all public domain. What do you guys think?

Originally Posted by adamis

I was just looking around for possible map sources and I realized that all of this stuff is paid for. It's the government that does all of the mapping on this stuff, you don't see Microsoft or Rand Mcnally doing the survey's. So if the government is doing the surveying and the map making then it must be available for free somewhere. So I started looking around and this is what I found.

http://nationalmap.usgs.gov/nmjump.html

The button at the top of the page "go to the national map viewer" takes you to the mapping system. If you read the text below this button there is some good info about the maps and how you can download them and stuff. This is what was said on one part of that page.

Seamless Data Distribution System Viewer
The Seamless Data Distribution System Viewer allows you to browse and download USGS national datasets and high-resolution orthoimagery of selected major urban areas. This viewer offers enhanced data download capabilities for USGS datasets.

So perhaps it wouldn't be that hard to develop GPS software. If you can figure out how the USGS system works it's pretty powerfull. I spent about a half hour playing with all of the options. About the only thing I can see though is the detail level changes when zooming in. For instance if you view a map of California it will show a nice map that includes all of the mountains, vallyes, and such but when you zoom in to street level you will see pixelization of the overlayed mountains and stuff (hard to describe but you'l know what I'm talking about when you play with it). However you can turn off the moutains and stuff if you want to eliminate this problem. I think most mapping software already does this.

Anyway, this could be a great start. I found on the site mention of being able to download or order a CD of the info and I think it is all public domain. What do you guys think?

your right, most of it comes from the government, but since they distribute it as public source, a company like Navtech can take that data, add a few changes and sell it. Most of the mapping software uses Navtech's database.