Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips

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RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Reynald - 2014-05-02

You are right Jeroen, and I can swear on god that I work in this direction, as you say ! There are many things to learn, and your skin has made me want to learn. I had not thought it was too complex and time consuming. This reminds me of me when I study the solfege and music theory. but then I did not 5 years old ! Thank you for your support and help!
cheers

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Madchester312 - 2014-06-11

Hi great work this had been a life saver. I spent so long searching for info and this had give me the ability to actually Learn the ins and ours of a skin.

Question if I like a view from another skin I.e wide.xml how do I import it I've tried loads of different things and still I can't make it show up. Any help would be great thanks

Regards

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Madchester312 - 2014-06-13

So is this thread now a ghost town no help us offered any more Huh

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Jeroen - 2014-06-13

(2014-06-13, 10:35)Madchester312 Wrote: So is this thread now a ghost town no help us offered any more??

Your question is impossible to answer effectively without knowing what you have tried already. Wide.xml is not some universal view, so it doesn't mean anything to most, it's skin specific. Post your code and we might get somewhere.

Have you looked at

http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=XBMC_Skinning_Manual#Windows

In any case, it's not going to be a "copy code from skin A" and "paste it in skin B". Different skins use different includes, variables, controls, colors, fonts, etc.

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Madchester312 - 2014-06-13

Hi thanks for the reply

Yes I understand that it won't be simple and is skin specific hence the reason am asking
For a little help from a seasoned skinner as this is all new to me. I also understand it annoying to answer the same question over and over. I have not looked at that link but will do now. I also upload the code. Is it the code of the skin you would like my freind.

Thank you again for your resource it's much appreciated I hope one day I can to give people advice on the matter
Once I've gained to experience.

Regards

Edit I have in fact read that page before I have checked threw the wiki as I am a newbi at this the wiki doesn't always make any sence. A lot of the wiki I feel is written to a audience with a little more know how on the subject than the average newbi

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Madchester312 - 2014-06-13

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2wpqxssn2gywbn1/ViewsWide.xml

Link to the wide.xml. Could I not just copy the dimension from one to the other but leave the actually structure intact. For example copy the height/width/posy from wide.xml and open up say banner.xml an just add the dimensions in to banner that way it is still using the includes. Or is there more to it. See this is what the wiki can't tell you my freind simple questions and answer.

Thanks

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Jeroen - 2014-06-13

That's only the actual code for the view itself. I can give you a start.

You need to make sure that view is included in the other skin by calling it in Includes.xml:

PHP Code:
<include file="ViewsWide.xml" /> 

They are usually at the top of Includes.xml, I am sure you will see more lines like this there.

And then you need to specify which windows you want it in. For example if you want to use it in MyVideoNav.xml:

PHP Code:
<views>50,51,509,510</views> 

(put the ID of the view there between the ones there already. Make sure the ID of the new view you are adding isn't already used)

Then you need to load the viewtype (still in MyVideoNav.xml) by calling the include you specified before:

PHP Code:
<include>ViewWide</include> 

These are the basics of adding a view. That said, this will not be enough and you will face many problems. Because there are many Aeon MQ specific includes, variables, colors and much more that will not be in the other skin.

I would never take this approach. I would rather get a good understanding about the various types of list containers and rebuild the view in the other skin. Ultimately I suspect this will take less time (and you will understand what you are actually doing) than copying it over from another skin and track down all the necessary code.

Not all that simple Wink

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Madchester312 - 2014-06-13

Ha ha oh trust my freind I have worked out it's not simple. This is in a fact a very complex thing to try and understand an I know it will be a long and bumpy road. Yes I had added the id and it to the view but now I've seem your code I may have done it wrong. I will in face take your advice and try from scratch although that is a daunting task.

Ok so if I was to try and build it my self do you have a good starting place. Is there such a thing as a view template or can I use the foundation skin view would that be a place to start.

I thank you for your time and help I just wish I knew what you know ha ha

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Amelandbor - 2014-06-13

Madchester312, best thing to do imo is edit an existing view from the skin you want to use. First make a copy and just edit stuff there and you will get a feeling for how a skin works. Read the first post in this thread and setup a custom keymap which is helpful while skinning.

Then if you have edited it to your liking, you could add it as an extra view to the original skin.

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Jeroen - 2014-06-13

(2014-06-13, 12:18)Madchester312 Wrote: Ha ha oh trust my freind I have worked out it's not simple. This is in a fact a very complex thing to try and understand an I know it will be a long and bumpy road. Yes I had added the id and it to the view but now I've seem your code I may have done it wrong. I will in face take your advice and try from scratch although that is a daunting task.

Ok so if I was to try and build it my self do you have a good starting place. Is there such a thing as a view template or can I use the foundation skin view would that be a place to start.

I thank you for your time and help I just wish I knew what you know ha ha

There are templates for all the different viewtypes starting here:

http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=XBMC_Skinning_Manual#List_Container

(all the "container" controls)

These containers are the base of any view in any skin, but of course skin developers all put their unique things into them and combine them with other controls.

Understanding the various types of controls are key to understanding the other aspects of skinning imo. It might seem daunting at first but once you have some of the basic clear, it will get easier every step.

The foundation skin does provide a great start but do keep in mind it is not compatible with Gotham as far as I know. And some fundamental things have changed in Gotham (for instance <posx> and <posy> have changed to <left> and <top>

good luck Smile

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Madchester312 - 2014-06-13

Lol well that makes sence only reason I knew what posy posx ment was because I work on a xyz machine other wise I would have just thought it was some weird and wonderful control.

Question if I make a skin how do I update it to work on say gothem because you said then posy had changed his would I know what changes there are in order to update my skin. I was aware the skin us in fact not compatible with gothem I am still using frodo anyhow.

Ok I will look at the template see that was not clear on where these were I've never seem anything to do with view templates lol thanks for your help would I be ok to ask advice when needed as your are very clear and patient in what you say an I find you very helpful and not as obnoxious as a lot of people in these forums are. WY I see it is if u can't it don't want to help don't comment simple.

Thanks

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Kib - 2014-06-13

You might want to look at the stickied threads in this skin development forum.
"Changes for XBMC Gotham skin development", etc

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Madchester312 - 2014-06-13

Thanks guys for the help kib I shall take a look.
Amel I shall look in to that also cheers

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Madchester312 - 2014-06-14

Amel you said add key maps do just drop that code in to keyboard xml

RE: Skinning for beginners - Foundation skin, skinning tools, and tips - Amelandbor - 2014-06-14

Yeah, so you can press F5 and see immediately how your code changes work out.