Windows > Third Party Plug-ins, Programs, and Skins
New Standard View Skin: Easy Grey
Jappie:
I like to share a 'Standard View' skin. I tried to submit the skin but I am unable to login. So, I decided to publish it using this forum. Anyone: feel free to use it.
About the skin: it's based on Modern Cards Dark, Black on Black, Windows (dark theme) and Tidal. I tested on Windows 10 Pro, Windows Display resolution: 1920x1080 (Size 150%), 3840x2160 (Size 250% and 300%), JRiver MC32, Font Segoe UI 10 pt and larger. Skin sizing from 50% to 400% without problems (exempt navigation issues above 200% of course).
I used the skin for the past month and it works well. No suprise: it's my default skin now...
Look below in a message for Skin-updates:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,138750.msg962453.html#msg962453
marko:
First impressions are positive. Attention to detail is very high indeed, and, I've a fair idea how much time this will have taken. Really enjoying the "seamless" approach you have taken with this. Very good. I'll run with it a few days, see if I can break it ;)
I probably won't use it as-is full-time though because in some places, such as the tag window, the high black/white contrast is just too much for me.
comox:
Thank you! Looks very promising. I will test drive for a few days.
Jappie:
--- Quote from: marko on April 26, 2024, 11:53:56 am ---First impressions are positive. Attention to detail is very high indeed, and, I've a fair idea how much time this will have taken. Really enjoying the "seamless" approach you have taken with this. Very good. I'll run with it a few days, see if I can break it ;)
I probably won't use it as-is full-time though because in some places, such as the tag window, the high black/white contrast is just too much for me.
--- End quote ---
Hello Marko,
thanks for your response!
On March 1, I started editing an existing Skin. Just for fun. It's great to have a 'skinable' program and being able to change the looks (retired Webdesigner). I spend about 3 weeks learning, editing, testing (and repeating all that), resulting in a complete Skin. Complete? I hope so. Media Center is very complex, so many windows and views.
I am willing to make changes and of course correct errors, if any are discovered. I do not use every feature of Media Center so it's easy to miss something.
You mentioned:
"... in some places, such as the tag window, the high black/white contrast is just too much for me."
Could you explain more? Is it about Text-color? There are 2 editors, the 'modern' and the 'legacy' editor. The 'legacy editor' has different (darker white) text-colors. The 'modern' Tag-window is the only one with real white (#ffffff) Text.
Of course there was a reason for 'real white'. It's about focus and attention. Opening the Tag-window is kind of special. White Text will draw your attention from a List-item to the Tag-window.
I admit I like the text-colors of the 'legacy' editor more...
Jappie:
Update Easy Grey version 1.1
I made some changes, and created a new version of the Skin: Easy Grey version 1.1.
I put the version-number in the main.xml (About...), not in the Skin Name itself.
Changes:
1. Rating stars: I forgot about them because I never use them. They were still in color. Changed that to greyscale to match the 'mood' of the skin.
2. Increased the 'Status Text', above the progress bar. The Rating Stars looked bad next to the (very small) 'Status Text'. Those Rating Stars... Well, if anyone wants to use them: they are ready.
3. Changed the modern TAG Window Text color (very white). Less shining, more compatible with other text-colors. (Thanks: Marco)
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Update Skin Easy Grey version 1.2
A new version of the Skin: Easy Grey version 1.2.
I put the version-number in the main.xml (About...), not in the Skin Name itself.
Many small improvements. Seventeen images updated, sometimes just a pixel, some changes in background color and margins.
Examples:
1. Modern TAG Window: different background, improved text-color, it looks more compact, like an editor.
2. Action Window and Display window: removed many margins to get a clean look. An image in 'Display' fits perfectly, no top or bottom-line. Very nice view when you select: 3D Visualization: Oscilloscoop. See attached Printscreen.
3. Tree-menu: All background color-bars (mouse-over) perfectly sized and aligned with Tag-, Display- and Action-titlebars. All with 1 pixel between them vertically. Issues about 1 pixel? Yes, indeed.
4. Very small changes in the Viewheader. Horizontal aligning of color-bars (Tabs and Playing Now background), vertical dark lines between Tabs. One pixel line below the Tab-title. A new Tab shows the real background color of the main List-area.
5. Search menu: It looked nice with rounded corners but the same Search menu shows on different places. One left, below the Tree-menu, whenever the Tag-window is active, can stretch as wide as the Tag-window. Rounded corners start to look messy. Not acceptable. Rectangular looks better.
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Update: Easy Grey version 1.3
I put the version-number in the main.xml (About...), not in the Skin Name itself.
Update notes:
1. Playerbar_Search.png: stretching was not working properly. Changed Code. Now everything stays pixelperfect.
2. Updated Icons:
- SmallIcons.png, Options.png, ActionBarNavigation.png: a few new Icons. Added a transparent border. This slightly reduces Icon display-size and gives them some 'air' in Tree-menu and Options windows. Yes, it took some ingenuity with Photoshop actionscripts to automate Icon-size changes :)
Action-bar Icons were grey, now back to original colors.
3. Frame_Spotlight.png: changed design and changed size. Image was not so square at large Skin sizes (200+).
4. minor changes, not worth mentioning.
Testing: I have a 55 inch LG Oled. Never used it at 3840x2160 resolution and 100% size (Windows-setting). 100% makes text very small... My eyes are usually 2.00 meters (78 inch) away with a Windows-setting of 300%. With 100% I needed to get up close: 70 centimeter (27 inch). Anything for a test... It was nice to play with Font-size and Skin-size. Font 8pt and Skin 400% looks good! Mainframe borders and images stay perfect. Set font to 8pt and Skin 200% and enjoy editing your database. Impressive.
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Learned about better organizing all the Skin-information on the forum. Thanks: SkGe
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Update: Easy Grey version 1.4
I put the version-number in the main.xml (About...), not in the Skin Name itself.
Update notes:
1. Update Player Control-buttons. Re-created the buttons,just a tiny bit different: thicker lines, the buttons gained weight. Most important: at some skin-sizes the vertical/horizontal lines are pixel-sharp ('hard lines'). Typical: Windows resolution 1920x1080, size 100%, Skin-size 150% (or Windows size 150% and Skin-size 100%): Player buttons are really sharp-edged.
2. MainFrame with the rounded corners kept me busy. At small Skin-sizes (50%, 60%), the corners looked bad. Improved images and xml-coding.
3. Frames of popup-windows (Options) with border and rounded corners also had problems with small Skin-sizes (50%, 60%): right-border disappeared. In the end: removed rounded corners. Just a 1 pixel border remains. (and disappears again as soon as the popup-windows go 'overboard' and the 'maximize' has to jump in to cure the issue...)
4. Some things are not possible: the button to Maximize the mainframe-window (Frame_FullScreenArrowsExpand), is very close to the horizontal Slider (adjust thumbnail-size). I can change that but at larger Skin-sizes (150% +) the maximize-button gets distorted (not square).
5. Put the 'old' (but improved) Spotlight-button back.
6. Some minor changes, and xml-code cleaning/updating. 26 images changed.
I am happy with the current 'state'. For me this Skin is about limiting distractions and placing the most important assets at the center: video/audio/images. Album Art is visually essential and database-selections should be clear and helpful. And yes, I like clean, well-made icons and 'skin-Art'.
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Update: Easy Grey version 1.5
I put the version-number in the main.xml (About...), not in the Skin Name itself.
Update notes:
1. The MainFrame with the rounded corners is not looking good at small skin-sizes (50% - 80%). Not acceptable. Kept me busy for some hours. In the end: replaced it with a rectangular field, one color.
This is quite a change, unfortunately. Well, it does make the layout-elements more consistent in the design.
2. minor changes.
That's it. Don't know what else to do. Maybe (re)create some icons?
Version 1 is ready?
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Update Easy Grey version 1.6
I put the version-number in the main.xml (About...), not in the Skin Name itself.
Update notes:
1. The MainFrame with the rounded corners is not coming back despite experiments with special coding (... BorderMaximized). Below Skin-size 100% Mainframe_LeftBorder and Mainframe_RightBorder do not resize equal compared to Top- and BottomBorder.
2. Minor improvement of a few Player Control-buttons.
3. SmallIcons: All colored Icons (150) are back. Video/Audio/Images: no grey Icons anymore.
4. Some code cleanup.
That's it. Maybe (re)create some icons in the future..
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Update Easy Grey version 1.7
I put the version-number in the main.xml (About...), not in the Skin Name itself.
Update notes:
1. The MainFrame with the rounded corners is back! I finally succeeded, even with Skin-size 50%.
2. 82 image improvements. Less 'minimalism', some buttons have 1 special color: Volume Mute, DSP-Direct, Fullscreen Expand, and Spotlight. And (most) buttons have 3 color states (default, mouse-over, click) with different colors for each state. The 'click' gives a little 'kick' :)
3. Volume slider improved. Lighter color, useful markings per 10% Volume change. Yes, this works: each click on the keyboard (Media-button, F11) changes Volume with 1%.
3. Updated window system buttons (close, maximize, minimize, restore) and new, large MAC images (thanks EnglishTiger).
4. Main.xml: improved coding and better, extended comments (thanks EnglishTiger for code-review, examples, and the extended comments!).
It was my intention to give images/coverart from any media-collection the most attention, with less distraction from all the shapes and colors that make up most Skins. I hope I succeeded.
An unexpected effect: changing Skin-size is 'fluent'. Everything on the page scales proportional and balanced. Only need to select a good font-size once, after that: just resize the Skin whenever you need a special scaling.
Enjoy!
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Update Easy Grey version 1.8
I put the version-number in the main.xml (About...), not in the Skin Name itself.
Update notes:
There is no such thing as a 'final version' when it comes to Skins. This is not a quote, just a thought.
Her we go:
1. I forgot completely about the THUMBS on the Volume Slider and Progress bar. These little things ARE useful. Some users understand that a Thumb-image might/can be used to change the Volume. They are right. A nice thing happens when they click on thumb: it reacts! I don't want to remove these little thumbs just for the sake of a minimalistic design, so they are back. Although a bit tiny... But then again: you don't NEED to click on the thumb. Just anywhere on the Volume bar or Progress slider will make the thumb lighten up and jump to its new location, shining bright. And the User is happy to experience that MC has Volume protection :)
2. The Spotlight got so dim, so small, no wonder I overlooked it. I put a new battery in it and now it's putting on a great show. It should, it's a great feature!
3. There was something missing in all kind of options frames and popup windows. Mostly faint and in the background. I found it! Just a few mixed up dark colours...
That's it.
Pentecost tomorrow and the day after. For most of us in the Netherlands: holidays!
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