[queeup]

Hi,

I know skinners are using text editor for development. VLC also use xml skins(different then XBMC xml tho). Maybe we can hack VLC skin editor for XBMC skins. What do you think about it? Do we need skin editor or is it possible to port from VLC to XBMC?

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/skineditor.html

[Jezz_X]

The problem is our skinning engine updates and changes to often that the GUI editors get left behind.

The easiest thing to do is use a text editor and have xbmc running in a window and bind a key to reload skin. And you get an instant real life preview with all your data

[Hitcher]

The problem is our skinning engine updates and changes to often that the GUI editors get left behind.

The easiest thing to do is use a text editor and have xbmc running in a window and bind a key to reload skin. And you get an instant real life preview with all your data

Which is how most of do it I'd imagine.

[XBMCG33K]

Yup it's how Xperience is done.

[ronie]

ditto.

[Waffa]

Lol

[EqUiNoX]

As the developer of XBMC Skin Editor and then starting work on a actual skinning, I started to realise that as jezz says a overall editor tool was not maintainable / feasible.

However I have come to realise and have been taking a new approach. This new approach is to create a suite of tools that will aid skin development.

For this purpose so far I have created and been creating tools such as..

A localizer tool (automates creating translation files)
XML tidier
XML validator
A tool to create the majority of the code needed to create a carousel scroller, GUI driven.
XPR Express to unpack xpr's
XBT Express to unpack xbt's

also various other tools i cant think of at the moment

and all of this centered around my favourite text editor Notepad++

[Sranshaft]

As the developer of XBMC Skin Editor and then starting work on a actual skinning, I started to realise that as jezz says a overall editor tool was not maintainable / feasible.

However I have come to realise and have been taking a new approach. This new approach is to create a suite of tools that will aid skin development.

For this purpose so far I have created and been creating tools such as..

A tool to create the majority of the code needed to create a carousel scroller, GUI driven.

This could be expanded to include all controls normally used. I've scraped together a hackish macro when adding wraplists, fixedlists and whatnot that adds a generic control that just needs the values filled in but a dedicated tool for this would be a great addition.

[wyrm]

As the developer of XBMC Skin Editor and then starting work on a actual skinning, I started to realise that as jezz says a overall editor tool was not maintainable / feasible.

However I have come to realise and have been taking a new approach. This new approach is to create a suite of tools that will aid skin development.

For this purpose so far I have created and been creating tools such as..

A localizer tool (automates creating translation files)
XML tidier
XML validator
A tool to create the majority of the code needed to create a carousel scroller, GUI driven.
XPR Express to unpack xpr's
XBT Express to unpack xbt's

also various other tools i cant think of at the moment

and all of this centered around my favourite text editor Notepad++

EqUiNoX,

OK I'll bite, what's a 'carousel scroller' ? Is it something that only Team Blackbolt are using?

More importantly, what sort of donation could get your development suite heading in my direction. Could see a real use for at least half of what you mentioned. And Yes, Notepad++ is my favourite editor too.

Wyrm (xTV SAF)

[Jeroen]

VLC skinning is hardly comparable to XBMC in terms of functions and flexibility. I suppose such a tool would seem to cater the unexperienced looking for a quick creation, but in reality I think you'll get a much much better understanding of the skinning engine's inner workings, creating better and more innovative skins, and WYSIWYG like editors will eventually only cost you more time and hold you back.
The beauty of XBMC skinning is the near total freedom in creation. You think of something, and you create it. XBMC skinning is very much so a "constantly thinking out of the box" process.

[eumel]

I created in dreamweaver code snippets, I can insert per click, which greatly simplifies

[MacGyver]

queeup, Don't forget to build your screen without includes at first though.
Meaning put your control group in "MyVideos.xml" instead of as an include in "CommonViews.xml" until you get it finished.
Unless it's just me, when I "Reload", it never updates code in "includes". Only changing from one skin to another and back, or a full XBMC reload, updates to include changed "includes".

[EqUiNoX]

EqUiNoX,

OK I'll bite, what's a 'carousel scroller' ? Is it something that only Team Blackbolt are using?

More importantly, what sort of donation could get your development suite heading in my direction. Could see a real use for at least half of what you mentioned. And Yes, Notepad++ is my favourite editor too.

Wyrm (xTV SAF)

I dont have a screnshot to hand but the idea is you add images to the project, then place them in layers (you can size and offset appropritely and apply flipping) this builds up a single poster.

The next step is you paste the posters on a empty screen by specifying size and x,y.

After that its just the case of clicking a create button and it generates the xml needed to do a typical coverflow / carousel scroller, complete with all needed anim code.

I havent quite finished the application yet as been so busy with ellipsis.

You will start to see the applications ive made slowly appear on our site. Please note we use a pledgie icon per application/skin which helps us direct donations to the relevant team member(s)

[wyrm]

I dont have a screnshot to hand but the idea is you add images to the project, then place them in layers (you can size and offset appropritely and apply flipping) this builds up a single poster.

The next step is you paste the posters on a empty screen by specifying size and x,y.

After that its just the case of clicking a create button and it generates the xml needed to do a typical coverflow / carousel scroller, complete with all needed anim code.

I havent quite finished the application yet as been so busy with ellipsis.

You will start to see the applications ive made slowly appear on our site. Please note we use a pledgie icon per application/skin which helps us direct donations to the relevant team member(s)

EqUiNoX,

So a carousel is a form of coverflow, that's cool. Probably not something to add to SAF, but cool none the less.

Will keep an eye on your site for a release of some of your tools. Probably would have given my left nut for the translation tool a couple of days ago, but hopefully I will not be doing a major renumbering of strings.xml any time soon.

Thanks again
Wyrm (xTV SAF)

[Hitcher]

I'm looking forward to pretty much all these tools, thanks in advance EqUiNoX.