INTRODUCTION:
I had this skin in mockups for a couple years (For those that remember my old skin poll late 2004!), but I had no idea how to do any xml, so it never got made. Recently Jedi79 came in & said he would do nearly all the xml work, so this skin began on October 16th, 2006. I'm doing the graphics and xml. I'm also getting XML help from "Xbox-Classic creator Jezz_X" "the clark kent of scripting Donno", "smokemaniac aka Smokehead" and "kthxnpbrbbbqananicoleih8mormonsnotfunnyihadafriendthatdesignedaskinmattaarongetajob jedi79" ... Now in the first screenshot... See that backround? Thats where this skin all started... that image was designed as a teaser for Windows Longhorn... The entire skin idea came from this image. I thought the backround was the most amazing design ive seen. So I wanted to implement a samiliar style... Sleek glass with blue streaks... And thats how I came up with what you see now.
THEME 1: Blue Streak (Default) EVERYTHING you see in all screenshots are possible and work in the current build. Some of these are in-xbmc screenshots, and the ones that aren't still give you an idea of the direction im heading.
THEME 2: Titanium Based off a skin I had in mind a couple years ago, I always wanted a smoke/black/chrome type of style. This mockup shows what to expect.
Screenshot2
THEME 3: Project Mayhem Three What can I say, Project Mayhem 3! I think Choke is by far the best graphic artist here in the xbmc scene. Shame he had to retire! Anyway, I'll add key features from my skin to this PM3 Theme... Modified home, extra features such as the Hidden Sidebar, 'Show Current Folder Image, Movie Poster view, etc
Screenshot 1
Screenshot 2
THEME 4: Vista Ultimate Inspired by gorgous Vista. Will make more use of transparencies, glowing streaks, vista icons, and the vista sidebar. Just a concept theme for now, I won't be using any Microsoft Vista images, i'll design all my own to avoid any problems
[size=1]Screenshot 1
THEMES 5,6,7,8 and more I'll be releasing other themes with the skin... Virtue, White Elegance, 360, Comic, & more... All will take advantage of the standard layout I have (Hidden Sidebar, Top bar showing folder's jpg, DVD Poster View, etc)
FEATURES: Most these idea's/features are currently part of the skin...(Click the underline for SCREENSHOTS of the feature):
Show Current Folder.jpg: Screenshot A lot of this skin was based around my Wide Icons idea in mind... Since my first few mockups, I always wanted the ability to SHOW the Wide Icon of the folder your in... This has officially & finally been added to xbmc today! So whenever your in any folder that contains a Wide Icon it will display that wide icon on the top of the screen. When your in TV Shows, it will show the folder of the TV Show your in... If your in NINTENDO it will show the Nintendo Wide Icon, etc... I think this is one of the most exciting things about this skin!!
Slider: Screenshot Already implemented into the skin. Very samiliar to Vista's sidebar, My goal here is to place Time/Date, Weather, Scripts, etc. With the ability to remove specific items.
Control Panel: I always felt a skin should have 1 control panel at the top. This would include the VideoPreview, Folder.jpg, Playlist info, etc... I just feel it'd make things easier and more organized. Potentially giving it a 'faceplate' feel with users being able to change the top panel like a cd-player faceplate. So users can create their own, and you can change it how you want. Another option is to keep this hidden until used (When media is playing or such).
New View (Music): Screenshot Nothing fancy, just an alternative way of viewing albums. Hopefully we can get a small visualization to play next to album art.
New View (DVD Posters): Screenshot This is what I wanted from the original concept drawings of the skin. I have already made 1,000+ DVD Posters, to be released with beta
Custom Icons: I'll be making icons specifically made to match the skin. Gotta have my Wide Icons! I'll be making every Wide Icon for every single xbox game/application/homebrew game & emulator... to be released with final
Custom Sounds: For now this is not possible, I think it would be beneficial to a lot of skins if we can assign sounds to specific controls. I'm hoping this will get added at some point!
Video & Game Trailers: Screenshot For now this is not possible, but hundreds of users have wanted this in xbmc... and I suuuuuuuure hope this screenshots shows its potential and maybe one day this will get added... <3 jm
PHASES:
1) Concept: Design the layout, come up with some mockups, design most the graphics.
2) Beta-1: Start the xml, see what features of the skin are possible with xbmc, what aren't & get a working skin.
3) Feedback: Once I have a working skin, give users screenshots/trailers/get feedback <-Where I am at now
4) Beta-2: Decide the best feedback, implement it, & release a beta to everyone.
5) Final: After we have all used it, found what we liked/disliked... ALL graphics will be redone, bugs cleaned, more wishes implemented, then final release
This skin will partially be made by you guys. We can all agree that those Vista skins, PSP/PS3 skins, Kaleidascope, mc360 & xTV are absoutly gorgous skins and visually stunning, but unlike them this is not a replica and we don't have layout guidelines we have to follow to match a certain way. This skin could look how we want and take advantage of all xbmc has to offer. What you see now will not be what you see in the final. It will only get better, This skin will change as most feedback is implemented. So, let's hear your feedback!!![/size]
-Matt AAron
