2010-12-18, 10:57
I think patience is the best tool in skinning XBMC. I have built a couple of websites and used HTML, Flash, and XML. That took patience and was very frustrating at times. But I learned quite a bit. I thought since I was familiar with XML I could easily pick up skinning skills. I was wrong about that. XML is not a set in stone way to tag usually. In my opinion you can't glance at a page that describes XML and begin skinning. HTML has rules for tags. If you change them your code will not work. When using XML for web design it has been my experience that you create your own tags . When skinning XBMC the tags have been set up for you . I think of it as XBHTML.
For two years I would glance at the xml files in the skin folders and think. "I just don't see how they have the knowledge, skill, or time to do this!" Eventually I began to dabble in skinning. First by modifying very small things. Changing an icon, then changing where it is placed,then animating it and so on... Kid stuff to most, but at first a big achievement to me.
I kept modding and started fooling with the Empty skin and that taught me a great deal. Googling the forum and reading the wiki may not always be an immediate answer for every specific problem. Be patient and move on to something else in the skin. A skin is a huge undertaking there is always something to do.
For two years I would glance at the xml files in the skin folders and think. "I just don't see how they have the knowledge, skill, or time to do this!" Eventually I began to dabble in skinning. First by modifying very small things. Changing an icon, then changing where it is placed,then animating it and so on... Kid stuff to most, but at first a big achievement to me.
I kept modding and started fooling with the Empty skin and that taught me a great deal. Googling the forum and reading the wiki may not always be an immediate answer for every specific problem. Be patient and move on to something else in the skin. A skin is a huge undertaking there is always something to do.