Hellp with creating a skin (1 Viewer)

[luissm]

Hi everyone,

I am trying to create a skin similar to the xtv for the xbox. I am basing the layout on the monochrome skin.

I have a few questions and I was hoping someone can help:

1) Which code should I use if I want to display a logo on the home screen?

2) How do I remove some items from the main menu (home screen) and how do I rename some other items from the main menu?

3) Is it possible not to have the menu scrolling but rather have the focus bar going up and down?

Thanks in advance

 

[luissm]

* bump *

 

[joz]

Question 1 shouldn't really have to be asked, you can find that out yourself easily.

question 2 depends on which homescreen. Basichome is adjustable from skinfiles, myhome is not (regarding the menu). MyHome can only be adjusted by MP config.

question 3 I´m not really sure about.

 

[luissm]

Hi joz,

Thanks for your answer.

Could you please point me in where I can find the answer to question 1. I looked at the skinning manual available here (which did not help) and I have googled it and nothing came up.

I am really struggling

If you could point me in the right direction I would appreciate.

 

[joz]

try opening a xml file and look?

You mean a static image right? A logo usually is...

If you mean a dynamic one (which is actually called a hover). They are picked up this way:

- all hovers are located in the media folder of the skin
- the hover filename = "hover" + "pluginname" + ".png";

for example the button "My Plugins" has a hover called:
"hover_my_plugins.png".

again also something you could have easily figured out by spending a little time yourself.
Be prepared, there will be a lot of these "questions" when your doing a skin in MP.
Just take a look at stuff and think about what logic may lay behind it!

It's easy just asking stuff on the forums and spending only 5 minutes typing a post.

 

[luissm]

Dear Joz,

Just to make things straight, long before I decided to post this here I have looked at the XML files of the Monochrome Skin and Xface. So do not assume I am just lazy and am trying the easy way out. First of all I am a designer not a programmer so what may be obvious to you and other in this forum is not for me. Second the documentation on skining for MP is absolutely ludicrous and does not help at all (or maybe considering your posts I am too stupid to understand it).

So take it easy my friend and if you do not know the answer to a post or are not willing to help do not insinuate that people are not putting an effort into it.

Just to keep your mind at rest, from the codes I have looked at I have tried the following on myhome.xml:

<control>
<description>Logo</description>
<type>image</type>
<posX>950</posX>
<posY>200</posY>
<width>128</width>
<height>128</height>
<image>home-logo.png</image>
</control>

And it just does nothing. Then I assumed of course, it is not a control, it is an image. BUT THERE IS NO DOCUMENTATION ON HOW TO INSERT AN IMAGE ANYWHERE THAT I LOOKED.

I am sorry if I thought that the purpose of this forum was to help people and improve MediaPortal. But considering your attitude it is no wonder there is not enough plugins and skins available for this wonderful software.

 

[joz]

Ok first of all, sorry for my blunt reply (we're all cranky sometimes ey) and yes you are most certainly right about the documentation.
Did you know overlaying in MP is kinda lineair? Try putting it in the bottom of the file inside the <controls> tag.

I'm creating my own skin and bump into problems time to time. So far I have created a couple of threads asking help with this sort of thing and had no reply, so just started tinkering myself and figured it all out so far.

And well, maybe I assume too much people don't put any effort into it...

oh right, stupid remark but you put the image in the media folder of the skin right?

 

[emphatic]

Easiest way is if you provide screenshots of the skin you're trying to replicate so we can see if it works like any of the current skins. If it does, it's all about converting an already working skin into a new one (layout and graphics). Much easier for you as well.

Emph

 

[luissm]

Ok first of all, sorry for my blunt reply (we're all cranky sometimes ey) and yes you are most certainly right about the documentation.
Did you know overlaying in MP is kinda lineair? Try putting it in the bottom of the file inside the <controls> tag.

I'm creating my own skin and bump into problems time to time. So far I have created a couple of threads asking help with this sort of thing and had no reply, so just started tinkering myself and figured it all out so far.

And well, maybe I assume too much people don't put any effort into it...

oh right, stupid remark but you put the image in the media folder of the skin right?

That is ok joz, I am glad you have answered my question, no matter how silly my question was.
I have managed to sort the problem out. I do not know for sure what I was doing wrong, but based on your comment about the hover image I changed the logo image name from home-logo.png to home_logo.png and instead of using the <image> tag I used <texture> tag.

I believe it was a conjunction of both factors that may have solved the problem because I have tried the <texture> tag b4 and it had not worked.

Easiest way is if you provide screenshots of the skin you're trying to replicate so we can see if it works like any of the current skins. If it does, it's all about converting an already working skin into a new one (layout and graphics). Much easier for you as well.

Emph

Emph, below is a link from YouTube to the skin I am trying to make a port for MediaPortal.
It was originally done for the XBMC and most of it is coded in XML.

I am also including a screen capture of how my MP home screen is looking so far.

Original xtv skin (YouTube video)
YouTube - xTV Preview

My port (home screen)

 

[explodedk]

I believe it was a conjunction of both factors that may have solved the problem because I have tried the <texture> tag b4 and it had not worked.

i dont think its a conjunction of both. i use images with or without underscores in mine. but texture is the way to go..
post some screenshots of what you come up with. maybe your small tweaks will be just what someone else need