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Standard skin buttons, ideas and input.

Started by coffee, October 21, 2009, 08:18:12 PM

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ecbrad

Damn that looks awesome!

Not sure about adding refections though. It might be a little overkill.

I was looking for the ability to change the number of albums displayed though. Is that in your latest release?

Cheers,
Brad

dbeeks1

Lookin' good Coffee! I can't wait for this to get ironed out so BnR can come to life.   :beer
"Turn the jukebox up," he said dancing in irreverance, "Play C-3 let the song protest."

fordman

Quote from: ecbrad on October 27, 2009, 11:16:42 PM
Damn that looks awesome!

Not sure about adding refections though. It might be a little overkill.

I was looking for the ability to change the number of albums displayed though. Is that in your latest release?

Cheers,
Brad

It looks as if the ability to change the # of albums displayed is there!





:beer

Fordman

eist1

#63
Coffee,

Looking really nice the only other recommendations would be to actually slope the Volume background not just the text, and also keep the text the same size on each button rather than making the shorter words larger text and the longer words smaller text on the same button (other than the Filter button where there's not much choice). Here is a screenshot of the sloped volume background I edited quickly. And not sure if it's possible, but could the arrow buttons have more rounded edges rather than the pointed edges? I think they might blend in better with rounded edges. But again... Great job!


coffee

#64
Hi Eist

Your suggestions are quite difficult for me to answer and I had to think about how to answer them today, but here it goes.
Quoteonly other recommendations would be to actually slope the Volume background not just the text
I will do it if you want but I'll include it in the image file so you can just rename the image.
I have a few problems releasing the skin like that for general use. The first is, it is a bitmap image so there are no transparency for the part that will be black.
Second issue for me is the slider button sticking out on the slider back at lower volume settings.
Third issue is I'm still working on a way to get all the black backgrounds to be transparent and I think I've cracked it. Still have a lot of testing to do and a lot of work in the INI files if this where to succeed. If I succeed with this you will be able to add any background to your skin just by replacing the page_main image. The black would then stick out like the buttons did with the fanart on the older skins.
Quoteand also keep the text the same size on each button rather than making the shorter words larger text and the longer words smaller text on the same button
I will admit there are some buttons that is a problem especially the ones in the tracklisting screen. I had all the text the same size when I first attempt to redo the standard skins but it looked crappy to me. For example if you make the text on the video, audio and karaoke the same size the audio and video text looks like it's lost inside the button. It will also take a lot of time to redo all the button text from scratch. If you can identify the ones you think is very important I can redo them only. As I see it the ones that are a bit off is the 4 buttons in the playlist, 2 in history, 3 in tracklisting and some in the play options. Another option will be to use the text of the original buttons?   ??? Or someone can create the text for me and I'll redo all the buttons.
Quotenot sure if it's possible, but could the arrow buttons have more rounded edges rather than the pointed edges?
It is possible. I'll have to redo them as well but it is not a problem. Can you supply me with a clipart or just a black arrow of what you have in mind? I can then use that as an outline or basis for the arrows. Another option will be to use a blank round button and add the arrow inside it like I did in the CoffeShop skin?    ???

I would really like to have more time to work on the skins but the last two weeks I was really very busy. It will go better from next week I think.

Coffee

It's Coming:

    

bzpilot

To start I have to say this skin is definitely the best skin that's been produced for E-Touch ever ......of coarse my opinion.

I do like both the volume slider and arrows as they are.  The Filter box looks great now.  The back arrows being in the same place really makes the page transitions alot smoother I think - it was a small change but I think it makes a difference.


Just a few things I wanted to mention:
1) The white border around the slider circle - can that be removed ar at least changed to black maybe?
2) It appears that you left track length off the track listing page, although I don't ever use it you might want to have it in there for the standard skin.
3) There seems to be an artifact near/under the back button on the search results screen.
4) May want to think about some sort of paging on the Chart Years page.  In less than a couple months we will be at 2010 and need another line.  Possibly up/down arrows or maybe just rearranging the page around to allow 2010's  - but it's pretty crowded already.
5) I'd look at changing the font color / font brightness on the Charts pages.  It is hard to distinguish between database matching tracks and ones that don't match - maybe brighten matching a little and dim non-matching a little.

Lookin' good!  :beer


eist1

Coffee, no problem they were just suggestions. The sloping Volume background I guess is a hard one as it cannot be a transparent gif so the black sloping part would show while the Fan Art is showing (I made the sloping part black so it blended with the black background). The rounded edged arrows I was thinking of are like the ones in the current BnB skin. The rounded edges just go with the round/oval buttons better. I'm not sure about the other buttons, but the ones I was referring to were the ones on the Options page. I wasn't referring to any buttons that have single words on them like Audio, Video and Karaoke. Good job...

Barcrest

I too think the arrows need to be smoothed/rounded off. The points are too sharp and they don't seem to the look of everything else. This is still an awsome skin though, the gif's really make the fan art look a lot better.
Keep on Rocking in the Free World \m/ ;D\m/



Jukebox Stats...

coffee

#68
Hi Bzpilot and Eist

Bzpilot
Quote1) The white border around the slider circle - can that be removed ar at least changed to black maybe?
I got it black and it looks a lot better. It only shows a narrow white border while pressing the button, otherwise it's nice and clean now. There's a lot of limitations when it gets to that button.
Quote2) It appears that you left track length off the track listing page, although I don't ever use it you might want to have it in there for the standard skin.
Yeap, I didn't notice that. I will have to change the settings in the INI file to get that to work again.
Quote3) There seems to be an artifact near/under the back button on the search results screen.
Fixed.
Quote4) May want to think about some sort of paging on the Chart Years page.  In less than a couple months we will be at 2010 and need another line.  Possibly up/down arrows or maybe just rearranging the page around to allow 2010's  - but it's pretty crowded already.
I think that Barry might need to take a look at that. Not sure if I can change that in the INI file. I'll have to take a look.
Quote5) I'd look at changing the font color / font brightness on the Charts pages.  It is hard to distinguish between database matching tracks and ones that don't match - maybe brighten matching a little and dim non-matching a little.
That's a tough one. Also have to take a look at the INI cause from the skintool there's not a lot I can do except change the font colour. I would like to have it bold text.

Eist
QuoteThe sloping Volume background I guess is a hard one as it cannot be a transparent gif so the black sloping part would show while the Fan Art is showing
This is also bugging me and I wanted to change it to GIF but it is hard coded in freebox according to Barry. I have asked him once about it somewhere on the forum.
The only thing I think would make it a bit better is to make it narrower from top to bottom maybe?? ???
QuoteThe rounded edged arrows I was thinking of are like the ones in the current BnB skin. The rounded edges just go with the round/oval buttons better.
I see where you're going with this. I'll use those as a templet, maybe I can come up with something nice.  ;)
QuoteI'm not sure about the other buttons, but the ones I was referring to were the ones on the Options page.
That has never been on top of my list cause that is the owners or operators section but I have some text to sort out.

Question
Are you guys OK with the Button layout of the play_options page? I'm still waiting for feedback on this.

I'm really excited to start with the BnR skin. It is going to be a fire hazard. ;D
Coffee
    

Barcrest

I will add another row of buttons for the decades years to keep us going past 2010 and then maybe i'll find a better way to do it some point in 2010.
Keep on Rocking in the Free World \m/ ;D\m/



Jukebox Stats...

coffee

Hi Barry and Eist

Quote from: Barcrest on October 28, 2009, 08:58:40 PM
I will add another row of buttons for the decades years to keep us going past 2010 and then maybe i'll find a better way to do it some point in 2010.
Thanks.

I've made up a sample arrow which I think would work better with this skin. I have looked at the standard skin arrows to see it is actually sharper than the one I did. It has a rounded front edge and it is only the blue shadow that rounds it out. Please give me some feedback on this.

Here are the original one with the one I made.
    

dbeeks1

Coffee - I don't use a lot of the features of E-Touch, but here are shots of my current button layout.  Not sure if it will help, just my two cents.








"Turn the jukebox up," he said dancing in irreverance, "Play C-3 let the song protest."

coffee

Hi Beeks

Thanks for your input. We are having issues with available space.  :D  I did move the play options buttons like that, just on the left side of the screen. I'm still waiting for feedback on that.
A small button like the option button is becoming an issue now.

Coffee
    

eist1

Coffe,

The rounded arrows look good, a little better than the pointed edges. I think with the original arrows, the glow kind of gave the edges a rounded feel. I know you are trying to stay similar to how the current skin looks but you may want to try using the pop up menu option for the Album Page, as then the album frames could be spread out a little more and it would give it a cleaner look, not as crowded. That's probably something you could look at after you get everything figured out. Great job as always...

bzpilot

#74
I've been playing with this for awhile and I'm running out of change suggestions!

As for the "Play Options" new button positions I like it.  I think it also makes room for a Audio / Video / Karaoke label to placed underneath the track.  I think it's been needed for awhile, but now with the "Video Available" option implemented it's almost necessary.  I'm pretty sure Barry would need to add that label option to the page.

Audio:


Video:



A couple ideas:
1) History screen - I think it would look better if it was cut back to say 6 tracks per page.  The 9 tracks is awfully crowded and album art looks pretty bad that small.  With six on the page it'll allow for around a 70x70 album art (like the Queue) and more room to spread out text.  Since there is already Paging & More buttons on the page you can still get through it quickly.

2) Queue Screen Option Request - (again this is more on Barry's programing side) To add an option to show the "Time Before Play".  Might not be something that people on the commercial side would want but I think it would be a nice option for some. When the option is selected instead of just showing track length in the queue it would say something like  "(3:55) Plays In (45:28)".  I think adding paging buttons to the queue page would be good also.

3) Show time and date hasn't been available on the standard skin for awile , you could add that option back.  Not much room anywhere but maybe placing it where the show credits is and non-commercial users can use one or the other or neither.  Not sure if commercial users would want this option anyway, just like the "time before play" above.

4) On the Filter page it would be nice to have a Slider as on the Album page for at least the Artist Filter.  If you do that you'd probably want to move the buttons to the right side of the screen and call them page up and down (rather than more which I think makes more since when it is moving a line at a time and not a full page).  I think you might want to change the more buttons to page up and down an the "Album Page" too, to better represent what they do.