[REQUEST] LCARS (Star Trek) inspired skin for XBMC possible? Any volunteers?
#16
So far, I've been keeping fairly private about my skin efforts, partly due to embarrassment of my lack of graphics skills. But, I do have a specific philosophy that I am following with my skin, which I'll describe here a little.

I've noticed that many LCARS implementations (almost all of the websites that I've seen as well) have useless animations and sound effects littered all over their interfaces. Take lcars.org.uk for example: first it makes you sit through an animated video that is loud and obtrusive, and really doesn't functionally do anything; then once you get to the main page of the site, there is no clear indication of which parts of it are links to click on, and the elements don't follow any sort of recognizable color scheme.

While this makes things look good when you stand back and glance at it, the result is not very easy to use for more than novelty factor. As Agathorn mentioned, LCARS usually doesn't work very well in reality. So my efforts thusfar have been aimed at making a skin which is first and foremost just as functionally useful as any other XBMC skin, and secondly follows LCARS conventions (such as they are).

Also of importance to me is avoiding useless graphics and animations. Every piece of text on my design actually gives you relevant information, and everything that looks like a button to activate is actually a button.

For colors, I'm using the color standards from lcarsdeveloper.com/ in the multidisplay category (oddly enough, they publish this color standard, but don't seem to follow it on their own site).
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#17
Image
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#18
Smile 
Hi, i would like to help out if i can. I am not good with graphics, however i have been skimming through the xml files to see how they work. I am interested in trying the LCARS skin "as is" on my XBMC-Linux. Can we get an alpha? with the soundpack?
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#19
My skin is only about halfway usable. There are no dialogs implemented at all, but all the windows are done. (with the exception of the xlink kai stuff, as I'm not even sure that anyone still uses xlink, so it's really low on the priority list)

I still have tons of tweaking left to do, but my free time is pretty much 100% dedicated to finding a job before I go completely destitute :/

I don't want to hijack NickyZero's thread; he and I haven't formally combined our efforts yet. (I probably shouldn't have posted the screenshot in your thread either, sorry NickyZero) So I'll restrict my comments to design issues which NickyZero can contemplate if he desires Smile
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#20
Its ok Killarny, We do need to discuss our "collabing". And dont worry about hijacking, This is a "LCARS development" Thread, not a "NickyZero's LCARS" thread, so anyone whose done any LCARS related thing, is welcome to post and discuss.

@littlebear1981: At the moment, the sound pack is EXTREMELY unstable, and im still trying too work out a few bugs, (not helped by blowing my speakers the other day Sad )

As for an alpha release, im afraid not, its not even anywhere near alpha at the mo, its just an assortment of graphics and hopes.

Also, I have a quick question for anyone who knows scripts well (I may post this in script development too), with regards to "ambient audio", would resumeX be any good?
NickyZero - Currently making LCARS for XBMC
All info can be found here and here

I am well aware that my grammer is poor, instead of flaming about it, help me with it... "Help me, to help you!"
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#21
NickyZero Wrote:Its ok Killarny, We do need to discuss our "collabing".

Yeah, I've been away for a while, busy with moving and trying unsuccessfully to find a job in my new area. But I do want to continue to discuss stuff - even if we don't end up combining our skins, we can all benefit from the discussion!

NickyZero Wrote:And dont worry about hijacking, This is a "LCARS development" Thread, not a "NickyZero's LCARS" thread, so anyone whose done any LCARS related thing, is welcome to post and discuss.

w00t!

NickyZero Wrote:Also, I have a quick question for anyone who knows scripts well (I may post this in script development too), with regards to "ambient audio", would resumeX be any good?

I don't know about ResumeX in particular, but I suspect that using a script for ambient audio would only work until the user launched another script - I'll have to do some investigating though. I could definately write a script for you that would loop an audio file, but I don't know how it would co-exist with the rest of xbmc. For example, what happens when the user plays a music file?
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#22
Killarny Wrote:I don't know about ResumeX in particular, but I suspect that using a script for ambient audio would only work until the user launched another script - I'll have to do some investigating though. I could definately write a script for you that would loop an audio file, but I don't know how it would co-exist with the rest of xbmc. For example, what happens when the user plays a music file?

Well i say ResumeX, Because I noticed (all be it by accident) that once a YTube vid had played, it "resumed" playing my startup m3u.

Maybe combining ResumeX with a skin based m3u file is the key?

Hope that makes sense.
NickyZero - Currently making LCARS for XBMC
All info can be found here and here

I am well aware that my grammer is poor, instead of flaming about it, help me with it... "Help me, to help you!"
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#23
I've packaged together an early alpha of my LCARS skin for anyone to check out. Please keep in mind that this is unfinished and still very much up in the air, but any comments or suggestions are welcomed!

Currently, I'm developing the skin in 720p, so the font might be a tad squished in any other resolution.

LCARS_2008-05-13.zip
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#24
Killarny Wrote:I've packaged together an early alpha of my LCARS skin for anyone to check out. Please keep in mind that this is unfinished and still very much up in the air, but any comments or suggestions are welcomed!

Currently, I'm developing the skin in 720p, so the font might be a tad squished in any other resolution.

LCARS_2008-05-13.zip

Nice job, Killarny, you beat me to alpha stage!Laugh

Ill check this out when I get home in about 2 hours time,

BTW, If it helps I should get into XBMC's IRC Chan Between 1230 - 1630, and 1800 - 2200 (Thats GMT btw.)
NickyZero - Currently making LCARS for XBMC
All info can be found here and here

I am well aware that my grammer is poor, instead of flaming about it, help me with it... "Help me, to help you!"
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#25
Thought you guys might wanna check this out, kinda cool!

http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/15/lcars...-trekkies/
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#26
NineT9mustang Wrote:Thought you guys might wanna check this out, kinda cool!

http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/15/lcars...-trekkies/

HA! thats awsome!

oh and killarny, Havent had a chance to test your skin yet, Forgot about how bugged my PC Build is. But from what I can see it looks good.
NickyZero - Currently making LCARS for XBMC
All info can be found here and here

I am well aware that my grammer is poor, instead of flaming about it, help me with it... "Help me, to help you!"
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#27
I'm going to remove the lcars skin (unfinished) from the Apple Movie Trailers script. if you want it let me know and i can save it for you.

How is the skin coming?
For python coding questions first see http://mirrors.xbmc.org/docs/python-docs/
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#28
I don't think I've made any progress on my skin since posting the alpha earlier in this thread. I hope to get back to it soon, but I've been working three jobs trying to make ends meet, so that leaves very little time for fun :/

Nuka, I think that AMT skin is in the repository, isn't it? If so, we should always be able to retrieve it from older revisions if you delete it. (or am I wrong?)
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#29
Sorry been a way for a while guys, been caught up in a few other projects around the net, as well as job hunting, but I think im about 80% off of figuring some kinda ambient audio idea, and 60% away from an alpha,

@Nuka; any chance you could send me a copy of the skin, it'll be a usefull resource to examine
NickyZero - Currently making LCARS for XBMC
All info can be found here and here

I am well aware that my grammer is poor, instead of flaming about it, help me with it... "Help me, to help you!"
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#30
Killarny true, didn't think about that. NickyZero, if you can't grab it from svn, i will package it up and email it to you.

Looking forward to the skin Smile

http://xbmc-scripting.googlecode.com/svn...kins/LCARS
For python coding questions first see http://mirrors.xbmc.org/docs/python-docs/
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[REQUEST] LCARS (Star Trek) inspired skin for XBMC possible? Any volunteers?0