SkinFX development

I'd like to convert WinAmp/ANR/whatever skins to be used by TuneNet. Unfortunately i'm stuck as i'm a complete noob when it comes to XML (well, i copy&pasted a little so i'm learning, but a user guide on how-to-do with all the commands and options possible would be really nice to have.

Curty gave me a beta of such a guide but as it is still in early beta it is not much of help when it comes to tricky parts in the skin.

@bean & Curty

Would you be able to throw out such a guide for noobs like me that want to contribute to TuneNet, please?

@bean

I have some questions, suggestions and feature requests for the SkinFX part, if i may?

1. Is it possible to use KNOBS (based on animation frames in a png picture) for BASS, TREBLE and VOLUME. There is a second animation frame lying over the first (KNOB) which is a lit LED telling the user, the thing is working. Is it possible to use TWO animations one over the other AND on a user change basis?
2. How do i make odd shaped designs possible (like the one from ANR showcasing on your site? I tried to do one, but each part that is not used as background image is scaled to the size the background image is in and thus not useable (and i know i do something wrong)
3. As you can see in the shot there is a black part on the right edge of the skin, this part is defined as an ALPHA channel and erases everything i want to put there, unfortunately either i leave it out (which will stay as you now see it and look, eh, dumb and empty) or i edit the whole picture to erase the ALPHA mask on this part. Unfortunately i only have PPaint installed and it keeps crashing on me AND doesn't respect the ALPHA channel on saving
4. That skin has 5 different animations while a song is played (center). Is there a possibility to give the user the chance to switch between those on-the-fly?
5. The part on the right (the ALPHA channel mask thingie) would normally consist of a kind of a drawer thing, so that if a user clicks a knob or button from there it would slide out and give another options tablet. Pressing the knob or button again, would make it slide in again - possible and how?
6. Where and how do i skin the PlayList/RadioStation windows (also showcased on your site)
7. Is it possible to have a picture containing many buttons BUT not in the way it would work with the "frames" command, but rather be able to give the x/y and w/h positions from within such a picture and use the buttons (read it out one by one so to speak?
8. Is it possible to use a color theme switch as user base? Let's say i have three different color themes fro the skin display and want to give the user the chance to switch between them on-the-fly - possible?

Very often when i have an error in my scripts (typo, missing or erraneous spelled picture file) TuneNetSkinFX crashes on me instead of throwing an XML error window (which it does too, but not as often as it crashes). Would a crashlog be helpful to iron out those crashes? As it makes Skin Development kind of frustrating

Thanks a lot for taking the time

Here's a little teaser of what i'm working on.
PLAY, STOP, PAUSE, FF and REWIND arent working yet, as i have to rip the relevant pictures from a png (see point 7).

The volume display isn't working yet (see point 1)

BASS, TREBLE and VOLUME aren't working (see point 1)
Some bells and whistles need to be added.

Apart from that its working

@Raziel

Hi,

It's clear I need to get some proper documentation out there on the Skin system, and it's also clear that the current functionality is rather limited in some ways. I'll try and answer your questions below:

1. Is it possible to use KNOBS (based on animation frames in a png picture) for BASS, TREBLE and VOLUME. There is a second animation frame lying over the first (KNOB) which is a lit LED telling the user, the thing is working. Is it possible to use TWO animations one over the other AND on a user change basis?

You can certainly use animation frames for knobs and wheels. See the recently uploaded CogWheel conversion on OS4Depot for an example of how this is done. You can also overlay animations, the top one would not have a hit/movement reponse, but it's animation response would be based on the outcome of the hitable/moveable object below.

2. How do i make odd shaped designs possible (like the one from ANR showcasing on your site? I tried to do one, but each part that is not used as background image is scaled to the size the background image is in and thus not useable (and i know i do something wrong)

Odd shaped windows are mearly single background masks, but you'll have to make the window not sizeable, otherwise the mask will be scaled as well. I'll have to look at ways to add on non scalable odd window sections.

3. As you can see in the shot there is a black part on the right edge of the skin, this part is defined as an ALPHA channel and erases everything i want to put there, unfortunately either i leave it out (which will stay as you now see it and look, eh, dumb and empty) or i edit the whole picture to erase the ALPHA mask on this part. Unfortunately i only have PPaint installed and it keeps crashing on me AND doesn't respect the ALPHA channel on saving

I see what you mean, but this currently isn't possible with the current version. However, with OS4.1 I should be able to address this fairly easily.

4. That skin has 5 different animations while a song is played (center). Is there a possibility to give the user the chance to switch between those on-the-fly?

You can add animations but there is no way of switching between them - I'll add this to the list of enhancements.

5. The part on the right (the ALPHA channel mask thingie) would normally consist of a kind of a drawer thing, so that if a user clicks a knob or button from there it would slide out and give another options tablet. Pressing the knob or button again, would make it slide in again - possible and how?

As detailed in point number 2, I'd have to add this functionality in.

6. Where and how do i skin the PlayList/RadioStation windows (also showcased on your site)

Currently the playlist and radiostation windows call the Reaction GUI. I'm about half way through adding multiwindow skin functionality.

7. Is it possible to have a picture containing many buttons BUT not in the way it would work with the "frames" command, but rather be able to give the x/y and w/h positions from within such a picture and use the buttons (read it out one by one so to speak?

Yes, this is certainly possible, the font in the ANR_rect skin does this. However, I haven't extended this functionality to buttons yet. On the list...

8. Is it possible to use a color theme switch as user base? Let's say i have three different color themes fro the skin display and want to give the user the chance to switch between them on-the-fly - possible?

Ah ha! One that will soon be possible. I've got a colour filter option that I started on last year, which basically applies a colour filter to objects you can specify within the XML file. In a way you could do this now by including 3 different sets of coloured skin graphics, and then having a button switch between them - but this would be rather laborious.

.. As you can see I've got a lot of work to do.

Cheers,
Bean.

@Raziel

Dang it I forgot about you :)
my wifes back in work now after maternity leave and im getting a lot more spare time in the evenings. Perhaps I can meet up on irc one night and do a little talk thru with you?

@Curty

We certainly have to do this...unfortunately it?s me without the spare time now.

I?m in work, not on my miggy and only 2 or so hours of internet access per day (if i get to actually use this machine anyway)

But i will certainly bug you in the future a little more

OT: Have you thought/time to think about that docky idea i told you long ago?

@bean

Thats awesome, thanky ou very much, mate

I lost the whole beta release of that skin (the picture you see in my post is the only thing left) but i will start to work on it from scratch again and will use it to push your ideas and implementations to the limit ... err, if i?m allowed to?

Thanky ou very and i?m looking forward to more TuneNet enhancements aswell.

Keep on coding

@Raziel

Any progress on it btw ?:)

@kas1e

Read my prior post again...i lost everything in a HD crash and i doubt to start it again unless a few of the things i'd like to get working are implemented. Right now it wouldn't be more than a blender, a nice package with only 20% of the bells and whistles working ... not worth it, imho

Either way i don't have much time lately for my hobby anyways.
Real Life (tm) is certainly pushing me to the ground atm and i need to address more important things.

But i haven't given up on doing my own skin, just ... not right now ... keep reminding me though

@Raziel

I already read your post before asking, and i ask because of that your phrase: "but i will start to work on it from scratch again ". That was about "any progress" question. I know many ppls like to point about "Re-reading", but you can be sure, i read all before asking :)

Anyway, sadly that you have no progress from scratch with it.. That skin looks pretty nice..

@kas1e

Yeah well, as i pointed out i will wait for some new features to pop up

Maybe bean is able to throw a little guide or how-to for skins together, so you could try on one yourself