** MJSG RR - NEW SIRIUS, NEW XM, (semi) NEW HD - Page 5

Batmaninls · 12-14-2008, 11:52 AM

MGD... are you telling me I can't do what I want to do? I have different skins for them. I wanted to have this at bottom of all my skins as all skins have the player now. I wanted to click on the PY to play Mp3; SR to listen to Sirius radio. Is that possible?
I still would have the skins to set the songs and pick channels and stuff... But I want it the graphic to allow me to switch or turn on the music... like channels... I think that's what they are called..

Let me know if it can be done..

Machinehead · 12-15-2008, 08:45 AM

Actually what you want to do is easy enough to do. You just need to have that "player" graphic is every screen. Much like pretty much every skin that has audio controls at the bottom.

Batmaninls · 12-15-2008, 09:24 AM

I have the graphic at the bottom of all the skins. So how to a switch it between the mp3 playing to Sirius Radio?
I have added buttons to the graphic to allow switching from one to the other just not sure how to make it do it.

Machinehead · 12-15-2008, 09:27 AM

The only tricky part is if let's say for example you're in the navigation screen and you want to switch from MP3 to Sirius but you don't want it to switch the Sirius screen. I would think a script would solve that problem.

Batmaninls · 12-15-2008, 09:45 AM

Well I'm not sure what your meaning. But I believe your correct in what I want to do.
But I'm not sure what parameters I would use to change it.

If you could just give me some idea of what your referring to. I think I could accomplish what I want it to do.

I might even have to build a plugin or something...

Any help just a point in the right direction so I can get started would be great.

Thanks
Troy

Machinehead · 12-15-2008, 10:07 AM

What I'm inferring is that I'd think the slick way to do this would be to make the "radio" controls completely independent from whatever is showing on the rest of the screen. I'm just not sure how to do it as I'm not a skinner.

This skin is somewhat similar to what you're trying to do: http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/rr-s...-released.html

Batmaninls · 12-15-2008, 10:42 PM

Ok it appears there might be a need for something like what I want to do.
Can someone help me figure this out?

mitchjs · 12-15-2008, 10:59 PM

batmaninls, basically you're asking someone to help you make a skin
a quality skin takes weeks, if not months of work...
a level of skincode skills are needed
you need to start at the begining, and look how an existing skin works
and go from there

good luck

Batmaninls · 12-15-2008, 11:42 PM

mitchjs,
I'm a programmer by trade and have been doing programming for about 15 years. I have built my entire skin with a little help from a few other members on here. It's been great learning some new stuff. I have also helped out by writing a manual for the RRF. I understand the level of effort needed to complete the job I'm inquiring about and the effort is the least of my problems. I have a 60+k car I'm putting this system into. I will also be showing this car off all over the Midwest.

What I needed to know is if this requires a separate plugin to get all the graphics to communicate with the calls from within RR. In the web world I could do it by writing a few functions in some objects. In this application its not as simple.... or I'm sure it is but your right I don't know the RR back end as well as many on on here.
I have written a couple of small plugin so far and they seem to work ok.

I was not sure if there was a command you knew of that would allow the information to change when clicked but it sound like there is not. I was told you were the guy when it came to Sirius info so I ask the question.

Maybe I can build a Flash version that would change from one to the other. Flash can read all the var's so that might be a starting place.

I will see what I can do to come up with something.
Thanks for the feed back.

Troy

Batmaninls · 12-16-2008, 01:32 AM

Ok I have begun a flash version. I think it might be just what the doctor ordered. I can make all the calls to get the information and then allow it to show different layouts based on the selection made.

Thanks for making the spark Mitch. I will keep you up to date on how it goes.

guino · 12-16-2008, 08:14 AM

I'll describe two ways you can do what you want:

Option 1:

-Put the graphics of your "headunit" on the bottom of your Audio_player.skin, sirius.skin and radio_player.skin
-For each screen above, place the corresponding commands/labels to control/display the information about MP3 , Sirius and Radio respectively.
-For switching between the operating modes, you would simply execute "AUDIO", "SIRIUS" or "RADIO" -- which would LOAD the screen for controlling the respective input -- and since the bottom part looks the same, it would appear it was "unchanged"
-If you want to display the bottom part on a common screen such as the main menu, you can make 2 extra menus for radio and sirius (call them menu2.skin and menu3.skin for instance) then instead of "EXIT" use "MAIN" to exit from audio_player.skin, radio_player.skin and sirius.skin and add this to exectbl.ini:

"MAIN","LOAD;menu2.skin",fm
"MAIN","LOAD;menu3.skin",sr

The above will make it load menu2.skin while in HD and menu3.skin while in SIRIUS -- that is, when exiting either one of the 3 screens above. All of this is to give the user the impression that the bottom is common to all those 4 screens by keeping the same "image" at the bottom that has different commands and labels for each different input type.

Option 2:

Basically, this option is to use VARIABLES for everything. This is the best choice if you want your "headunit" graphics in more than just the 4 screens above. For this, you'll assign a variable to each button and label in the graphics of the bottom section. So instead of having "TAGARTIST" for a label, you'd have "$MYARTIST$" (or any variable name you like) and instead of having a button code "PLAY" you'd have a button code "$CMD1$" then when loading the skin you should check the ACTIVESOURCE and set the variables CMD1 and MYARTIST (and all other variables) according to the current input source (Audio, HD , SIRIUS), like for AUDIO, you may want CMD1 to be PLAY and the label MYARTIST to be TAGARTIST so you'd execute "SETVAR;CMD1;PLAY||SETVAR;MYARTIST;TAGARTIST" and similarly to any other labels/commands you may have there. The only thing left to do is, whenever you load the audio_player.skin, radio_player.skin or sirius,skin (which could potentially be changing the input source), that you would do the same check for the ACTIVESOURCE in order to update the variables according to the selected input -- this all can be done easily by making custom commands in exectbl.ini -- below is a rough example:

"MYAUDIO","AUDIOVARS||AUDIO"
"MYRADIO","RADIOVARS||RADIO"
"MYSIRIUS","SIRIUSVARS||SIRIUS"
"AUDIOVARS","SETVAR;CMD1;NEXT||SETVAR;MYARTIST;TAG ARTIST"
"RADIOVARS","SETVAR;CMD1;SEEKUP||SETVAR;MYARTIST;H DARTIST1"
"SIRIUSVARS","SETVAR;CMD1;TUNE||SETVAR;MYARTIST;SR STATION"

Then make sure on your skin you don't use "AUDIO" and use "MYAUDIO", and then MYRADIO and MYSIRIUS instead of RADIO and SIRIUS respectively. Of course the above example is just for 1 button and 1 label, so you'd be adding plenty of stuff to AUDIOVARS/RADIOVARS/SIRIUSVARS but it shouldn't matter as long as it works -- and it should.

REGARDLESS of using option 1 or 2:

You can use INC files to simplify editing the skin code for the bottom of the screens (in one single file) -- read skin commands.txt to see how to use INC definitions (similar to #include of C++). Moreover it is possible to use the same separate graphics file to load the ON/OFF/DOWN/EMPTY layers of the bottom section of each screen, but I think that's actually more complex than making it part of the original images for each screen.

PS: Flash is also a good way of changing the buttons and labels by code.

Batmaninls · 12-16-2008, 08:33 AM

Thank you so much.... This will help out greatly... I have already begun the Flash version using an INC and it does seem like the way to go to make the radio react in a more real fashion.

I will integrate what you are providing me into my Flash environment.
I will keep everyone in the loop as to my progress on this...

Guino, Thanks a million..

Troy

Batmaninls · 12-16-2008, 05:52 PM

lol well its working...
I need a bit of info... On a slider inside of the flash app? I added the Sprite to the Movie to try and pull the data. Sat Count... I'm using "_root.GPSSAT" it works to pull the number of Sats but I want to loop through the Sprite like the Speedometer and have it display those bars to the right of the Sat: you can't see them unless you have it setup in RR with the label on the skin.

Can you help me get through that part?

Other than that... I think I got it under control. I looked at the thread and some other stuff online but no real answers. Sonic if you know how to do it give me a yell please.

Let me know what you think...

Thanks
Troy

-----UPDATE-----

I have been able to get a slider and the SAT Slider to work. Still having problems with the set variables part.

pointers anyone?

Looking for help to understand the ini file ExecTBL.ini I have added what was told of me. I don't want the radio to go to that skin I want it to load the correct tags and run... The tags I understand but can't get them to work. Labels are correct... It has to be in flash...

Lend me a hand....

Take a peak at my radio...

guino · 12-17-2008, 07:12 AM

You may have to post some more of what you have in order for us to understand it.. I mean, Exectbl.ini, what you're reading/trying to get in flash, and what is on your .skin files to call the skins and such...

Batmaninls · 12-21-2008, 04:16 PM

Mitch,
I purchased a SC-C1 from the MP3 store to run my Sirius receiver. I also want to run the HD radio.

I'm on ebay as we speak trying to get a
DIRECTED DMHD1000 Car Connect HD Radio Receiver HDRADIO.

My question is do I have to buy another SC-C1 part to hook it up or is the HD cable all I need.

Let me know thanks
Troy.

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