Windows > Third Party Plug-ins, Programs, and Skins

New Standard View Skin: Easy Grey

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Jappie:
EnglishTiger,

Button-images: All Player buttons have been 'clipped' from 5 to 3 states. Yesterday I noticed 2 buttons that do not like removing the 4th state: Slider_HorizontalHandle and Slider_VerticalHandle. Part of the graphic disappears. I also edited the window-system buttons. So far so good. I don't want to go 'overboard'.
From 170 images down to 105 images. I like cleaning.

Window-system buttons: thanks for the large, beautiful Mac-buttons. Updating the close/maximize/minimize/restore buttons was a puzzle. Also there is this second list in the main.xml in the Frame-section. Your main.xml (ET Easy Grey, update 3) shows quite different values for X and Y Offset compared to the Mainframe-list. For now I copied the Mainframe-list to the Frame section (and do not change the OffsetY and OffsetX). I thought the OffsetY  needed a "+1" because of the 1 pixel frame-border. But no, the buttons are already 'free' below the border. Looks good on Windows. I leave the OffsetX the same as in the Mainframe-list. If I change the Windows Close-button OffsetX from "0" to "5" it just disappears partly (5px) behind some dark border... the Frame_Rightborder.png!

Entry name 'Icon', what is it for? The settings can be removed without any visual effect, at least I tried it some time ago and did not notice any effect. I leave the 'default' settings (in case I missed something which needs those settings).

Images.xml: I understand that it would be 'best practice' to leave the 'SmallIcons' (and other Icon-resources) a default MC-resource instead of putting them in a Skin. But using the default Icons looks bad, both on the Mainframe and all the Options windows (Options-menu, Toolbar-menu). Icons that are "glued" to the border and/or vertically to other Icons is not my idea of 'nice'. I have a solution for that: a 'space' around every Icon. Unfortunately whenever a new Icon emerges I have to edit my SmallIcons.png...
Good for a wish list: ALL skins would benefit from an update that takes care of decent margins around the Icons.

WaveForm Bar: nice feature but a problem for skin-layout. Easy Grey's Volume-button, Volume slider, Progress slider, repeat, shuffle and DSP button are aligned, vertically positioned. Changing the skin-size is no problem. Turn on the WaveForm display, change the skin-size and see: the WaveForm gets 'out of line'... Tried changing the button-height, Yes, 1 skin-size can display the Waveform exactly in place of the progress slider. I have no real solution. Okay, this kind of precise positioning is a 'bridge to far' maybe.

Those rounded corners. Yes, a great challenge. I dropped them for the Options-windows (only 1 pixel border, no rounded corners). Above desktop resolution of 1920x1080 we get the automatic fullscreen Options windows... Borders will be invisible (on my LG Oled) or hardly noticeable. And if transparency is a problem on some systems or MC-View, better not use them at all. (It won't stop me from trying)
Rounded corners for the Mainframe (that is: around Tree + List-area): yes, I found a solution. Only a bit more complicated and limited compared to Blue Steel, Green Eyes and Thunderstorm skins. Left and Right border can only be small.

Easy Grey update? Soon...

EnglishTiger:
Jappie
Button-images - well done unless you use the same image in more than one section 105 images is as low as you can go.

Window-system buttons; the most likely reason for the differences in the OffsetY and OffsetX values in the MainFrame and Frame sections is probably down to the Mainframe Top Bar does not usually have borders but the Frame usually does; play the Frame Windows, and the Window-system buttons tend to be smaller than the Main MC Window.

Entry name 'Icon' - is probably obsolete and can safely be removed. However that instruction does appear to contain what may be a unique piece of code; it doesn't give any indication as to what image/images it sues but it does allow the skin creator to specify what size they should be presented at.

Images.xml and customised SmallIcons.png - having to redo the customisation every time a New Icon is introduced can be a pain in the proverbial; thankfully that does not happen very often. Since you customisation of the Small Icons set is on one of the skins USP's my recommendation would be to resist all temptations to switch to using the standard/default SmallIcon.png. I agree with you that it would be nice to be able have greater control over the placement of those Icons, I would love to have full control over the placement of every skin element but that may well remain just a dream since it would require a major rewrite of the Skin Engine and the skin.xml files; an action that would probably end up making every existing skin unusable.

WaveForm Bar - this is a "Cool New Features" that a lot of users, probably even the majority, wish had never been implemented. As you have discovered the only thing a Skin Creator can do is specify the colorus to be used for WaveformBarA and WaveformBarB; but not it's size and position; thankfully since it is only a minority of users that have it showing like every other skin creator it is safe to ignore the fact that you can't get it nicely aligned to the other elements in that part of the PlayerBar.

Please don't give up on Rounded Corners, even if you are only able to achieve it for the MainFrame Top Border; the Blue Steel, Green Eyes and Thunderstorm skins all prove it can be done so hopefully it won't take you too long to get it working with your Easy Grey skin.

Jappie:

--- Quote from: EnglishTiger on May 16, 2024, 07:01:24 am ---Please don't give up on Rounded Corners, even if you are only able to achieve it for the MainFrame Top Border; the Blue Steel, Green Eyes and Thunderstorm skins all prove it can be done so hopefully it won't take you too long to get it working with your Easy Grey skin.

--- End quote ---

I succeeded! The left- and right-border are 15 px wide. This is the code that finally works:

--- Code: ---    <Entry Name="TopBorder" Bitmap="MainFrame_TopBorder.png" Columns="8,6,?-Flex,6,8" Rows="?-Flex,6" Cells="A1-HTile,A2-HTile,A3-Tile,A4-HTile,A5-HTile,B3-VTile" />
    <Entry Name="BottomBorder" Bitmap="MainFrame_BottomBorder.png" Columns="8,6,?-Flex,6,8" Rows="6,?-Flex" Cells="A3-VTile,B1-HTile,B2-HTile,B3-Tile,B4-HTile,B5-HTile" />
    <Entry Name="LeftBorder" Bitmap="MainFrame_LeftBorder.png" Columns="8,1,?-Flex" Rows="?-Flex" Cells="A1-HTile,A2-HTile,A3-Tile" />
    <Entry Name="RightBorder" Bitmap="MainFrame_RightBorder.png" Columns="?-Flex,1,8" Rows="?-Flex" Cells="A1-Tile,A2-HTile,A3-HTile" />

--- End code ---
Simplifying this code? Not working...

The Final version of Easy Grey is ready. I am very happy with it.
But... the files...
Issue with uploading:
"The attachments upload directory is not writable. Your attachment or avatar cannot be saved."
Server maintenance?
I will try later.
Problem solved!

EnglishTiger:
Jappie - You cracked it, even though the image for MainFrame TopBorder looks very strange. Those rounded corners show up on my Win and Mac pcs and I like your subtle use of colour on some of the buttons.

Unfortunately there is a problem; the CARRADIO section is missing from the main.xml file in V1.7 resulting in MC using the default buttons instead of the ones for your skin.

P.S you can remove the "TheSkin.jpg" image from the skin folder, but don't delete it from you pc, that image used to be used on a now obsolete "Skin Manager" form/window.

If and when you are ready to upload it to the MC Servers send me a forum message and I'll go through what you need to do to be able to submit it, which will include supplying an Image hence the suggestion about not removing that "TheSkin.jpg" image from your pc.

Jappie:

--- Quote from: EnglishTiger on May 19, 2024, 07:09:25 am ---If and when you are ready to upload it to the MC Servers send me a forum message and I'll go through what you need to do to be able to submit it, which will include supplying an Image hence the suggestion about not removing that "TheSkin.jpg" image from your pc.

--- End quote ---

EnglishTiger,
I just made a new topic about the last versions of Easy Grey:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,138930.0.html
Unfortunately I decided to stop developing Skins.
I am grateful for all your responses and from others. It kept me going, making a good Standard Skin!
Hope someone picks up where I left. A Skin 'Easy White' was on my mind, to have a white counterpart of Easy Grey...

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