Skin engine enhancements (themes, guide colors, skin functions, weather settings...) (2 Viewers)

[ajp8164]

Hi all -

I have dramatically improved (IMHO ;-) how skin settings are managed within MP Config. Please see attached screen shots. I posted a new build in post 3. Please test this out and if all is good I can merge to the 1.3 alpha branch.

I need to update the wiki to match these changes. Here is a quick summary...

• I have separated the genre mapping (database genres to tv guide genres) from the tv guide color setup. This is step 1, step 2 is to move the genre mapping capability into the tv server settings. For the moment the genre mapping function is still located in MP Configuration.exe at "TV->TV Client->Guide settings". The genremap and genreoptions sections are still stored in MediaPortal.xml.
• I have added a button called "Edit Skin Settings" in MP Configuration.exe at GUI, underneath the skin preview. This button provides access to a new dialog that provides for managing settings for the selected skin.
• I have created a new dialog that manages skin settings (accessed as described above). All skin settings are stored in the skins SkinSettings.xml file.
  • You can browse and choose a skin theme for the selected skin (similar to browsing and choosing a skin).
    • If there is a preview.png in the theme media folder then that image will appear when you choose the theme. If a theme preview.png is not found then the skin preview.png is used. If a skin preview.png is not found then a default generic MP image is used.
  • You can set the colors for the tv guide (genre colors and default colors).
    • All tv guide colors are now stored in SkinSettings.xml, not in MediaPortal.xml. Please delete the "tvguidecolors" section from your MediaPortal.xml (not doing so will not cause harm).

 

[elliottmc]

All looking good. A definite improvement, and hopefully this can be tested during the alpha phase and included as a refinement of the new feature.

Again though, how does a skin designer know what genres you will be using? We can assume that the skin designer is the best person to choose the colours to go with the skin, but you may want to remap/rename the genres. We need to take this possibility into account.

Just a quick thought and in no way a criticism.

 

[azzuro]

Hi Ajp;
For change Date format in skin, Monday, January 1st 2010 -> Monday 1 January 2010 ?
it can be integrated? unless it already exists

 

[Spragleknas]

You can change this in MediaPortal Configuration > Plugins > Home
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...ion/MediaPortal_Configuration/95_Plugins/Home

 

[MrCrabs]

Shouldn't the date setting be under general settings? I remember that it took me two or three times till I remembered that the date setting is part of home plugin's configuration.

 

[azzuro]

You can change this in MediaPortal Configuration > Plugins > Home
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...ion/MediaPortal_Configuration/95_Plugins/Home

Oops, i have never opened Home in plugin section .

 

[doveman]

Whilst the skin engine's being re-designed can I make a couple of suggestions for your consideration.

1. Change the Power Menu (or make it editable). At the moment it shows "Shutdown, Restart, Sleep, Hibernate" and defaults to Shutdown. As I use my PC as an HTPC, Sleep is the only option I ever use here (and what I will advise others I'm building HTPC's for to always use), but I fear it's too easy for the user to accidentally select the wrong option and Shutdown or Restart their system, so I think it would be better if it only showed Sleep (I have EventGhost setup to start MP when pressing my remote's Power button if MP isn't running, and to show the Power menu if it is and sometimes it's useful to Close MP to do something else, or just to clear a buggy situation). I would suggest moving the Shutdown, Restart and Hibernate options to under the Settings menu so that they're available on the rare occassions they might be needed, although Hibernate isn't so bad and could be left on the Power menu, as long as Standby is first and the default as this is what I imagine most people use, so making it the default would mean the user wouldn't need to move through the list, thus reducing the chance of accidentally selecting the wrong option.

2. This is related to 1. I have no use for the Topbar but have to have it enabled so that I can have access to the Close button. I've edited the topbar.xml so that it only shows this button, but it seems a bit of a waste of resources to have to use a plugin just to show one button, so if Close could be incorporated into the Power menu, I could disable the topbar completely and it would be simpler for the user (and tidier) to have Close in the same menu as Sleep.

 

[elliottmc]

Whilst the skin engine's being re-designed can I make a couple of suggestions for your consideration.

1. Change the Power Menu (or make it editable). At the moment it shows "Shutdown, Restart, Sleep, Hibernate" and defaults to Shutdown. As I use my PC as an HTPC, Sleep is the only option I ever use here (and what I will advise others I'm building HTPC's for to always use), but I fear it's too easy for the user to accidentally select the wrong option and Shutdown or Restart their system, so I think it would be better if it only showed Sleep (I have EventGhost setup to start MP when pressing my remote's Power button if MP isn't running, and to show the Power menu if it is and sometimes it's useful to Close MP to do something else, or just to clear a buggy situation). I would suggest moving the Shutdown, Restart and Hibernate options to under the Settings menu so that they're available on the rare occassions they might be needed, although Hibernate isn't so bad and could be left on the Power menu, as long as Standby is first and the default as this is what I imagine most people use, so making it the default would mean the user wouldn't need to move through the list, thus reducing the chance of accidentally selecting the wrong option.

2. This is related to 1. I have no use for the Topbar but have to have it enabled so that I can have access to the Close button. I've edited the topbar.xml so that it only shows this button, but it seems a bit of a waste of resources to have to use a plugin just to show one button, so if Close could be incorporated into the Power menu, I could disable the topbar completely and it would be simpler for the user (and tidier) to have Close in the same menu as Sleep.

- 0003757: [MediaPortal 1] Expand shutdown menu with "Restart MediaPortal" and "Exit MediaPortal" choices (SilentException) - merge pending.

but did not make it into 1.3.0alpha.

 

[doveman]

- 0003757: [MediaPortal 1] Expand shutdown menu with "Restart MediaPortal" and "Exit MediaPortal" choices (SilentException) - merge pending.

but did not make it into 1.3.0alpha.

Thanks, that's great news. If the "dangerous" Restart and Shutdown options can't be hidden somewhere else, I'd at least like to see Sleep be the default though to help avoid users accidentally selecting those options.

 

[elliottmc]

- 0003757: [MediaPortal 1] Expand shutdown menu with "Restart MediaPortal" and "Exit MediaPortal" choices (SilentException) - merge pending.

but did not make it into 1.3.0alpha.

Thanks, that's great news. If the "dangerous" Restart and Shutdown options can't be hidden somewhere else, I'd at least like to see Sleep be the default though to help avoid users accidentally selecting those options.

Well, the bottom line is that they can be hidden by editing the xml, which isn't too difficult and there are plenty of people who can help.

The trouble is, if we change something that has always been there, many people will demand that we put it straight back.