what do you use to make a skin...

2005-01-06, 17:31

HI All,

I really would like to make a skin!! Is there any tool you would recommend. Something like FrontPage and other such HTML Editors where you can preview what you are doing? Upload XML files and you can see how they would look?

Anything to help or is really a case of line by line xmling?

Any web sites you can recommend for tutorials, help, etc.. on XML and skinning etc.. would be great!!

Thanks

MrMario64 · 2005-01-06, 19:50

so far, you make the design in a gfx application to determine the look.
Then it's a matter of making the graphics and making the xml's manually.
Load MP and see how it looks.
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
etc etc etc etc

2005-01-06, 20:48

thanks for this MrMario64 ..

I actually tried exactly as you said for fun and to understand a little how xml works. I think I can get aroud this, but I thought there was somekind of sml editor one could use to pre-view things, or even something that allows writin xml graphically much like HTML .. guess not :cry:

Any Web sites you can suggest to learn xml and so?
Thanks

2005-01-06, 21:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrMario64

Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
Make changes and restart
etc etc etc etc

make changes then rescale the window... is a bit faster... not much

2005-01-06, 22:20

to sum it up: got to be done the hard way :?

Ah well.... guess I better get going... A few questions 8)

-I am guessing that any changes need to be made to ALL xml files in the skin folder, right?
-Any resources for xml tags? like this does that and all that?

Really no programs I can use... really really....

2005-01-06, 22:33

ok seriously: for instance, what is the xml file for the actual first screen of MP.. i.e where all the modules listed, etc.... I thought it was home.xml but does not look like it..

Please let me know what file it is so I can play with this first..

CoolHammer · 2005-01-07, 07:25

ok the way i understand it .. there is no naming standard. It is up to coder what is the xml filename used for plugin. Skin file is loaded from code and it is hardcoded. So to look whitch xml file is used by plugin (home page is also some kind of plugin) you need to look it from code. Actually that is not as hard as one could think.

CoolHammer

2005-01-07, 18:22

ok..
I figured out how to change the background for each module, soe each one can have a different one and I can also change the graph on the home page when you highlight modules.. so basically I know how to swap graphics.. up to a certain extend.

However, how do you change the font.. I tried and did not work
What is the reference.xml file for? It looks like a kind of master file for the skin where positions of all the graph are set for ALL the other xml files? From what I can see of the lines, this is the file where it is all happening..

Please HELP!

Mr.Mitchell · 2005-01-07, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by ****mm

ok seriously: for instance, what is the xml file for the actual first screen of MP.. i.e where all the modules listed, etc.... I thought it was home.xml but does not look like it..

Please let me know what file it is so I can play with this first..

It is home.xml. The skin names are quite recognizable so finding the correct skin file is doable.

The reason that you do not recognize the home screen is probably because it is a bit "special". For the home screen some templates are defined that are used by code to build the home screen. So you see only on button defined where you might have expected 7. A more easy to understand screen could be for example MyRadio.xml.

Harley · 2005-01-07, 19:00

hi,

...for working with the xml´s i think the best programm is Proton.

with this you can "dateiübergreifend suchen" and
"dateiübergreifend ersetzen". also you can make your steps back if it is wrong.

..sorry i don´t know the " " word´s in English.

..the other work is best to make like MrMario64 Version
(change and restart, change and restart.... ) :wink:

Greetings 8) Harley

2005-01-06, 17:31	#1 (permalink)
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	what do you use to make a skin... HI All, I really would like to make a skin!! Is there any tool you would recommend. Something like FrontPage and other such HTML Editors where you can preview what you are doing? Upload XML files and you can see how they would look? Anything to help or is really a case of line by line xmling? Any web sites you can recommend for tutorials, help, etc.. on XML and skinning etc.. would be great!! Thanks

2005-01-06, 19:50	#2 (permalink)
MrMario64 Retired Team Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Age: 34 Posts: 822 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	so far, you make the design in a gfx application to determine the look. Then it's a matter of making the graphics and making the xml's manually. Load MP and see how it looks. Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart Make changes and restart etc etc etc etc __________________

2005-01-07, 07:25	#7 (permalink)
CoolHammer Retired Team Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Finland Posts: 174 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	ok the way i understand it .. there is no naming standard. It is up to coder what is the xml filename used for plugin. Skin file is loaded from code and it is hardcoded. So to look whitch xml file is used by plugin (home page is also some kind of plugin) you need to look it from code. Actually that is not as hard as one could think. CoolHammer __________________ AMD Sempron 2400+ / ATI AIW 9000 Pro / Samsung 120Gb / Asus A7N8X-VM/400 / Windows XP pro Fi /LG 32LP1 LCD TV connected with DVI /Sony amp connected with S/PDIF

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2005-01-06, 20:48	#3 (permalink)
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	thanks for this MrMario64 .. I actually tried exactly as you said for fun and to understand a little how xml works. I think I can get aroud this, but I thought there was somekind of sml editor one could use to pre-view things, or even something that allows writin xml graphically much like HTML .. guess not :cry: Any Web sites you can suggest to learn xml and so? Thanks

2005-01-06, 22:20	#5 (permalink)
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	to sum it up: got to be done the hard way :? Ah well.... guess I better get going... A few questions 8) -I am guessing that any changes need to be made to ALL xml files in the skin folder, right? -Any resources for xml tags? like this does that and all that? Really no programs I can use... really really....

2005-01-06, 22:33	#6 (permalink)
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	ok seriously: for instance, what is the xml file for the actual first screen of MP.. i.e where all the modules listed, etc.... I thought it was home.xml but does not look like it.. Please let me know what file it is so I can play with this first..

2005-01-07, 18:22	#8 (permalink)
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	ok.. I figured out how to change the background for each module, soe each one can have a different one and I can also change the graph on the home page when you highlight modules.. so basically I know how to swap graphics.. up to a certain extend. However, how do you change the font.. I tried and did not work What is the reference.xml file for? It looks like a kind of master file for the skin where positions of all the graph are set for ALL the other xml files? From what I can see of the lines, this is the file where it is all happening.. Please HELP!

2005-01-07, 19:00	#10 (permalink)
Harley Portal Designer Join Date: May 2004 Location: Germany Posts: 1,132 Thanks: 177 Thanked 291 Times in 75 Posts Country:	hi, ...for working with the xml´s i think the best programm is Proton. with this you can "dateiübergreifend suchen" and "dateiübergreifend ersetzen". also you can make your steps back if it is wrong. ..sorry i don´t know the " " word´s in English. ..the other work is best to make like MrMario64 Version (change and restart, change and restart.... ) :wink: Greetings 8) Harley