[pkscout]

hi pkscout, it would be great if you can add less background transparency to e.g. DialogPVRChannelsOSD.

even if i set "Darker with dark dialogs" i find that the text is hard to read. (the background has to much transparency)

best regards

I'm at a point where I'm just focusing on making sure this works in Matrix for people who want to keep using Arctic Zephry2 when Matrix moves to release (whenever that is).  Honestly, for my own use, I switched over to Arctic Horizon.  The skin is much simpler and cleaner (both for use and trying to understand the code).

Arctic Horizon doesn't work with Matrix though, does it? I tried installing it through the Jurial beta Matrix depo, but that throws a dependency error.

It does if you change the dependency for xbmc.gui. With that everything works (at least as far as I can tell) with no other modifications.  Matrix is currently pre-alpha, so I don't think there is necessarily a big rush to have two branches of the same skin just for the dependency change.

[Aemstel]

I'm at a point where I'm just focusing on making sure this works in Matrix for people who want to keep using Arctic Zephry2 when Matrix moves to release (whenever that is).  Honestly, for my own use, I switched over to Arctic Horizon.  The skin is much simpler and cleaner (both for use and trying to understand the code).

Arctic Horizon doesn't work with Matrix though, does it? I tried installing it through the Jurial beta Matrix depo, but that throws a dependency error.

It does if you change the dependency for xbmc.gui. With that everything works (at least as far as I can tell) with no other modifications.  Matrix is currently pre-alpha, so I don't think there is necessarily a big rush to have two branches of the same skin just for the dependency change.

Thanks @pkscout. Bit of a late reply, but I finally did what you suggested and it installed fine in Matrix. I had not used Horizon before. Haven't noticed any issues yet and it seems like a great skin. Think this will be my main from now on.

[terpsarlington]

Pkscout can you please create a mod for Arctic horizon, that works on Matrix, now that we have alpha 1.

[pkscout]

Pkscout can you please create a mod for Arctic horizon, that works on Matrix, now that we have alpha 1.

I have a functioning prototype, but to get everything working in Matrix is a bit more work than I wish it was:

1. You have to install two addons from zip files (the Matrix versions of TheMovieDB Helper and Skin Variables).
   
2. On Mac OSX TheMovieDB Helper crashes every few seconds because of a build error with Alpha 1 (I reported it, and it will be fixed for Alpha 2).
   
3. I had to change the powermenu file that Arctic Horizon uses to tell skin shortcuts how to build the power menu, and the only way I've found to get that change to stick is to delete the powermenu data in the skin shortcuts addondata folder. (I'll be doing a PR for this since the change works in both Leia and Matrix)
   

And as a last thing, what I have is a mod of the skin, not the actual skin.  I'm running a couple updates (one for music visualization and one for slightly larger fonts) that haven't been merged into the AH main branch yet.  So if you use it now you likely will have to recreate all your skin shortcut settings, and you'll definitely have to redo all your settings.

Given all of that, I won't be doing a repo release, won't be maintaining this long term (once the last two PRs I submitted are merged into main, the skin will do what I want without modification), and won't be doing any support for this AH mod. But if you really want to try it, you can download a zip of it here:

https://github.com/pkscout/skin.arctic.h...ree/matrix

I cannot stress enough that you SHOULD NOT do this unless every one of the things I mentioned above makes complete sense to you AND you can complete the tasks successfully with no further information.

[Leeonn]

Hi - one further comment re. skin.helper

I used skin.helper.widgets to create a "Next Episodes" menu item that I found worked well on Kodi 18. I created a custom library node that accessed the widget. I found a version of skin.helper.widgets at https://github.com/kodi-community-addons...er.widgets that installed on Matrix and the menu item still works.

Also, I've installed the  skin.helper.service modules from here as I was using it for PVR artwork but get an error. I think this is due to the cherrypy modulenot being compatible with Matrix.

Thanks again

I was trying to Install skin.helper.widgets on kodi Matrix but its not working yet. How did you do it?
I was trying to Change the Python Version to 3.0.0 but it didnt Help. Im really not an expert. Wish I could use this next episode Widget.

[berkhornet]

Hi - one further comment re. skin.helper

I used skin.helper.widgets to create a "Next Episodes" menu item that I found worked well on Kodi 18. I created a custom library node that accessed the widget. I found a version of skin.helper.widgets at https://github.com/kodi-community-addons...er.widgets that installed on Matrix and the menu item still works.

Also, I've installed the  skin.helper.service modules from here as I was using it for PVR artwork but get an error. I think this is due to the cherrypy modulenot being compatible with Matrix.

Thanks again

I was trying to Install skin.helper.widgets on kodi Matrix but its not working yet. How did you do it?
I was trying to Change the Python Version to 3.0.0 but it didnt Help. Im really not an expert. Wish I could use this next episode Widget.

Hi. I think the link in my original post was incorrect. I have checked again and I'm pretty sure I downloaded the addon from here - https://github.com/AnonTester/script.ski...er.widgets

[Leeonn]

Hi - one further comment re. skin.helper

I used skin.helper.widgets to create a "Next Episodes" menu item that I found worked well on Kodi 18. I created a custom library node that accessed the widget. I found a version of skin.helper.widgets at https://github.com/kodi-community-addons...er.widgets that installed on Matrix and the menu item still works.

Also, I've installed the  skin.helper.service modules from here as I was using it for PVR artwork but get an error. I think this is due to the cherrypy modulenot being compatible with Matrix.

Thanks again

I was trying to Install skin.helper.widgets on kodi Matrix but its not working yet. How did you do it?
I was trying to Change the Python Version to 3.0.0 but it didnt Help. Im really not an expert. Wish I could use this next episode Widget.

Hi. I think the link in my original post was incorrect. I have checked again and I'm pretty sure I downloaded the addon from here - https://github.com/AnonTester/script.ski...er.widgets

Thanks a lot! Its working now. I didn't have all the addon dependencies.

[Leeonn]

Is there a way to make the background more colorful or brighter? In AZ2 it was brighter when I used blur but now the blur effect is not working.
I was trying to change every color in the color folder and couldn't find it. Is there an image overlay?
thanks in advance!
this is the best skin by far

[pkscout]

Is there a way to make the background more colorful or brighter? In AZ2 it was brighter when I used blur but now the blur effect is not working.
I was trying to change every color in the color folder and couldn't find it. Is there an image overlay?
thanks in advance!
this is the best skin by far

I didn't change anything in the skin around background display. So if you could do it with AZ2, you should be able to do it with this mod.

[DiscoRage]

Is it possible to get the music OSD to have large, centered album artwork instead of a little icon in the lower left hand corner so that it looks more like Spotify's music playback screen? And get rid of the artist circle on the bottom right? Kind of like this:



And maybe an option for the background to be blurred album artwork that fills the screen like in SiLVO? I've tried fiddling with a couple different xml files, and other than being able to resize the lower left's artwork, I'm not getting anywhere.

[pkscout]

Is it possible to get the music OSD to have large, centered album artwork instead of a little icon in the lower left hand corner so that it looks more like Spotify's music playback screen? And get rid of the artist circle on the bottom right? Kind of like this:



And maybe an option for the background to be blurred album artwork that fills the screen like in SiLVO? I've tried fiddling with a couple different xml files, and other than being able to resize the lower left's artwork, I'm not getting anywhere.

Sorry, no. I'm not doing any further work on this mod. The point was mostly just to get it working in Matrix plus a couple other niggling issues.  Arctic Horizon has that option.  I'd suggest you take a look at that skin.  It looks like that's the real path forward from Arctic Zephyr 2.

[DiscoRage]

Fair enough. I checked out Horizon. It looks nice but I'm not really feeling it.

Since you're not working on Zephyr 2 anymore, can you at least point me in the right direction regarding which XML file I would need to edit to achieve the look I want? I'm willing to learn but I can't figure out where to start.


Thanks!

[pkscout]

Fair enough. I checked out Horizon. It looks nice but I'm not really feeling it.

Since you're not working on Zephyr 2 anymore, can you at least point me in the right direction regarding which XML file I would need to edit to achieve the look I want? I'm willing to learn but I can't figure out where to start.


Thanks!

I can only give you a qualified yes. Arctic Zephyr 2 is a very complex skin, so often things you think will be handled in one place are handled in include files (or multiple include files).  The starting point will be MusicVisualization.xml, but I think it's likely that the actual display code lives somewhere else.

[DiscoRage]

Fair enough. I checked out Horizon. It looks nice but I'm not really feeling it.

Since you're not working on Zephyr 2 anymore, can you at least point me in the right direction regarding which XML file I would need to edit to achieve the look I want? I'm willing to learn but I can't figure out where to start.


Thanks!

I can only give you a qualified yes. Arctic Zephyr 2 is a very complex skin, so often things you think will be handled in one place are handled in include files (or multiple include files).  The starting point will be MusicVisualization.xml, but I think it's likely that the actual display code lives somewhere else.

Nah, I found it. It's in Includes_OSD.xml in this section:

    <include name="OSD_Music_Info_Image_Square">
        <param name="side" default="OSD_LeftSide" />
        <definition>
            <control type="group">
                <bottom>view_pad</bottom>
                <include>$PARAM[side]</include>
                <width>218</width>
                <height>218</height>
                <control type="image">
                    <aspectratio scalediffuse="true">scale</aspectratio>
                    <include condition="!Skin.HasSetting(DisableShadows)">Defs_Shadow_24</include>
                    <texture diffuse="diffuse/square-musicosd.png">$INFO[$PARAM[artwork]]</texture>
                </control>
            </control>
        </definition>
    </include>


If I increase <width> and <height> it'll scale up the album artwork. Now I just need to figure out how to get it centered and above the player controls. <align>center</align> doesn't seem to do anything.

Here it is at 800x800. 

[horizons1]

Fair enough. I checked out Horizon. It looks nice but I'm not really feeling it.

Since you're not working on Zephyr 2 anymore, can you at least point me in the right direction regarding which XML file I would need to edit to achieve the look I want? I'm willing to learn but I can't figure out where to start.


Thanks!

I can only give you a qualified yes. Arctic Zephyr 2 is a very complex skin, so often things you think will be handled in one place are handled in include files (or multiple include files).  The starting point will be MusicVisualization.xml, but I think it's likely that the actual display code lives somewhere else.

Nah, I found it. It's in Includes_OSD.xml in this section:

    <include name="OSD_Music_Info_Image_Square">
        <param name="side" default="OSD_LeftSide" />
        <definition>
            <control type="group">
                <bottom>view_pad</bottom>
                <include>$PARAM[side]</include>
                <width>218</width>
                <height>218</height>
                <control type="image">
                    <aspectratio scalediffuse="true">scale</aspectratio>
                    <include condition="!Skin.HasSetting(DisableShadows)">Defs_Shadow_24</include>
                    <texture diffuse="diffuse/square-musicosd.png">$INFO[$PARAM[artwork]]</texture>
                </control>
            </control>
        </definition>
    </include>


If I increase <width> and <height> it'll scale up the album artwork. Now I just need to figure out how to get it centered and above the player controls. <align>center</align> doesn't seem to do anything.

Here it is at 800x800. 

Disco, you probably want to modify includes_osd.xml instead of the one you changed. includes_osd has all the parameters for the playback screen including artist info, album art, title, etc. You can more easily resize and move the album art in this file.

For instance, with the changes I was able to make in that file my now playing looks like this: