Blue3++ (a 4:3 skin mod) - 0.1.3 (24 Viewers)

[joz]

hmm, dunno what's going on here.
I do see this kind of screen from time to time but only after a refresh (using the refreshplugin for skinning purposes). Which MP version are you on? Any errors in log? Did you clear your cache (if you upgraded this skin)?

My skin should work out of the box on small 4:3 screens with every plugin (except for My Speedfan and ForTheRecord = not supported). At least that's what I'm trying to accomplish here
And well yeah, the extra/watch/music menu's still are based on my system

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I'm really clueless of this kind of error. I really need more specific info, such as did you for example have a long updating history of MP TVSeries or MP or both (can explain some things in my thinking). It might have something to do with a visibility bug I have read about (which is supposed to be in 1.0 final and screwing up fanart, which it doesn't for me so far)

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New release is out, mostly redid MyFilms and included some little TVSeries changes

 

[joz]

Any suggestions on what plugin should have the next facelift? I'm thinking MyShowTimes

 

[Dadeo]

You are releasing new versions faster than I can test them!!!

I just finished checking Blue3++ 0.0.3.2 and it looks pretty great. Yes, my cover image is in the right place now!

You never did answer why I don't have those beautiful backgrounds in TV Series.

Could you work on the TV Search (pressing button from main TV screen) and TV Guide Search (Selecing Search TV Guide from context menu while in TV Guide). As you can see from the screens I attached, TV Search is pretty useless since the player overlays the data! And some fields come up as missing.

I have also included screen shots of how they look in PureVision 1.5 (it isn't the one for MP 1.0 yet, so things are a little off). Of course, yours are the same as Blue3.

What do you think? I have just finished downloading Blue3++ 0.0.4 and will test that and get back to you.

 

[joz]

You are releasing new versions faster than I can test them!!!

Lots of free time and critics around me atm How do you like the new tvseries backdrop of listcontrol?

I just finished checking Blue3++ 0.0.3.2 and it looks pretty great. Yes, my cover image is in the right place now!

Nice! a little bug introduced by me regarding aspectratio stuff.

You never did answer why I don't have those beautiful backgrounds in TV Series.

It's called fanart. You'd have to download the images and configure TVSeries to use fanart (don't set it in series listing, it will look really bad with blue3++). The image have a imdbnumber prefix I believe (or tvdb ID or something) so tvseries can pick up which image to display for which series. the images are located in :
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\thumbs\Fan Art
If you want I could upload all my fanart. You could also have a look here and here
Blue3++ is specially adapted to use wide screen fanart, but 4:3 fanart could also work eventhough some (actually quite alot) of the image will not be visible.

Could you work on the TV Search (pressing button from main TV screen) and TV Guide Search (Selecing Search TV Guide from context menu while in TV Guide). As you can see from the screens I attached, TV Search is pretty useless since the player overlays the data! And some fields come up as missing.

I'll take a peak at it for next release, See if I can hide the tv overlay or something and see what's up with the variables being empty

Of course, yours are the same as Blue3.

Yep, used Blue3 as a starting point.

 

[Dadeo]

OK, I just checked out Blue3++ 0.0.4 and now I'll give you all the little details! But I think it is rivaling all the top skins! And I love your plus graphic! At lot of the stuff below is minor detail you can use as you like.

First off, what is the new Tvseries backdrop of listcontrol? My list of banners fades out but nothing happens!


TVSeries Main Screen:
1. I noticed you did not put Date and Time on. Was that intentional cuz there is so little room?
2. Title and Genre both need to be fadelabels as the data is often too long to fit.
3. The Title on the Main screen could be a little bigger or in a different colour, or both. I think it is smaller than the title on the Details screen.
4. The View Label at the top right (All, Unwatched, etc.) could be moved just before the TV Shows graphic (unless that affects the label on the Details Screen.)

TvSeries Season Screen:
1. The image is too low on the screen, and preview image overlaps it (see attached sample screen) But thanks for the large Cover Image!

TVSeries Details Screen:
1. I think the 'ticker tape' is showing the main actors on both the main and details screen and Guest Actors don't show anywhere.
2. The View Label at the top right (e.g. Unwatched - Dexter - Season 1, etc.) could be longer if it was moved left over the cover image.
3. Did you mean for the Description to be right justified? I think I find it a bit harder to read.
4. In the ticker tape (on both screens) you could shorten it up, you don't need the word minutes for example. Or you could abbreviate to mn like you did in MyFilms.

MyFilms Main Screen:
1. I find it odd that the Rating Stars go from right to left here (but not elsewhere). I know you inherited this from Blue3 (it's a minor point!)

MyFilms Detail Screen: (see attached sample)
1. My Translated Titles overlay the new position of rating stars and format details. I need the Translated Titles for foreign language films, which I have a lot of!
2. The Green box behind the cover image doesn't fit my images (my images are longer and narrower, is that just me?)
3. Country label is smaller text than the other labels. And the field is too wide, so when there are mutliple countries they start scrolling from off the edge of the screen. Also it has always bugged me that there is no colon after Country or Actors, but there is after all the other labels (Year, Genre, etc). I suspect this is in the dll though cuz all the skins are like this.
4. The Duration is too high on my screen it overlaps the media type.

As I said a lot of these are minor details, and maybe particular to my screen size, I just listed them in case they are relevant.

One thing I would really love in TVSeries, is if you could have a large cover displayed if there is no fan art. Or a way to have it overlay the fan art by clicking on the left (like the menus display). Is that possible?

for all the great work.

P.S. I shrunk the samples so the upload would be faster but they are from 1024x768 Hope they are big enough for you to see.

 

[joz]

Hey Dadeo, thx again for some feedback.

1. I noticed you did not put Date and Time on. Was that intentional cuz there is so little room?

added to roadmap

2. Title and Genre both need to be fadelabels as the data is often too long to fit.

Genre is already a fadelabel on main screen. I don't think the title is, but then that show would have to have a really really long name

3. The Title on the Main screen could be a little bigger or in a different colour, or both. I think it is smaller than the title on the Details screen.

Agreed but no priority

4. The View Label at the top right (All, Unwatched, etc.) could be moved just before the TV Shows graphic (unless that affects the label on the Details Screen.)

It could, I kinda like it where it is though.

1. The image is too low on the screen, and preview image overlaps it (see attached sample screen) But thanks for the large Cover Image!

You're right about that. I'm looking for a way to not have this show on certain plugin windows. Just want it to show on windows where there's still room (such as the basicmenu's)

1. I think the 'ticker tape' is showing the main actors on both the main and details screen and Guest Actors don't show anywhere.

True, have to look for the gueststar variable name. See what I can do

I find it odd that the Rating Stars go from right to left here (but not elsewhere). I know you inherited this from Blue3 (it's a minor point!)

Yep me too, probably easily changed.

1. My Translated Titles overlay the new position of rating stars and format details. I need the Translated Titles for foreign language films, which I have a lot of!

Never used the translated titles, just original ones. Have to make some test file.

2. The Green box behind the cover image doesn't fit my images (my images are longer and narrower, is that just me?)

Kinda losing you here, what green box?

3. Country label is smaller text than the other labels. And the field is too wide, so when there are mutliple countries they start scrolling from off the edge of the screen. Also it has always bugged me that there is no colon after Country or Actors, but there is after all the other labels (Year, Genre, etc). I suspect this is in the dll though cuz all the skins are like this.

Will look at this. The colon not being there is indeed a dll issue

4. The Duration is too high on my screen it overlaps the media type.

Have to make a better test file and look at it.

One thing I would really love in TVSeries, is if you could have a large cover displayed if there is no fan art.

Hmm. I based everything on there being fanart. Maybe it's possible don't know.

Or a way to have it overlay the fan art by clicking on the left (like the menus display). Is that possible?

I can't really "see" what you mean by doing. The left and right buttons are disabled in TVSeries plugin on purpose so I guess not.

 

[Dadeo]

Blue3++ 0.0.4 feedback clarified

Wow, thanks for the great response!

Genre is already a fadelabel on main screen. I don't think the title is, but then that show would have to have a really really long name

In TVSeries.xml Genre is just a label, not a fadelabel. Long Title: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles!

The Green box behind the cover image doesn't fit my images (my images are longer and narrower, is that just me?)

Kinda losing you here, what green box?

It shows up grey on the sample image I sent in my previous post, just to the right of the cover image, for some images it shows on both left and right of the image. It is there when I first open the details screen, or if I click on the image. Otherwise it is fine.

Or a way to have it overlay the fan art by clicking on the left (like the menus display). Is that possible?

I can't really "see" what you mean by doing. The left and right buttons are disabled in TVSeries plugin on purpose so I guess not.

I didn't mean buttons, I meant dragging the mouse to the left of the screen. Like in MyFilms, when you do that, the animation effect makes the Menu show up.

 

[joz]

I didn't mean buttons, I meant dragging the mouse to the left of the screen. Like in MyFilms, when you do that, the animation effect makes the Menu show up.

I think I know what you mean but I have two things that make me think it won't work to good:
- In my opinion this will just look really weird when fanart will just popup all of a sudden. Why not just leave it here always.
- The left and right buttons (so onleft and onright tags) won't work. So this functionality is just not really getting in there if you are using a remote.

So sorry this won't be added but ofcourse you can give it a try yourself. If you do be sure to post. Maybe other people will like this too.

Still looking for your green box. Can't find it

You were right about genre and title

 

[Dadeo]

I was thinking the fan art could be there and the cover pop up, but I get what you mean about it looking weird, and you are right about the remote. I forgot about the left and right buttons being disabled. Maybe that will change in the next version.

Here is a new image with my 'green box' shown when I click on the image.

 

[joz]

Is there any reason why you would want to click on the image? I see know what you're talking about and I can remove it. Don't know if it's supposed to be doing something but for me it isn't