Upcoming Skinning Features, Sneak Peek Options

[BenJeremy]

Can anybody tell me what they are looking at?

(Yes, it's a mess... it's a test skin... and yes, the effects are intentional)

This post has been edited by BenJeremy: Jan 7 2004, 02:54 AM

[BenJeremy]

For those interested, the skin file (Right-click, Save As)

[ub312g0d]

hmm, seems like transparency on text(not sure if thats new), Angle's on picture's/vids, some new image resizing or something? how does the image angle's work? Hmm, what does the different variables on the image skew do? (Z, tu...) it also seems as though you can set conditions depending on what section your in. like having certain things light up when youre in apps, or games or whatnot.

This post has been edited by ub312g0d: Jan 7 2004, 03:11 AM

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (ub312g0d @ Jan 6 2004, 11:06 PM)

hmm, seems like transparency on text(not sure if thats new), Angle's on picture's/vids, some new image resizing or something? how does the image angle's work? will you have to set each corner's xy co-ordinates?

Close.... it's "ZPoints" X, Y, Z, and Normal plus Texture placement on 4 points, instead of a normal position.

I had the idea stuck in my head tonight, so I put it into practice. The twisted image above is really two image gadgets, using different ZPoint sets.

You create a named set of points, then use those in the element. elements can share ZPoint sets (needed when I get a tweening modifier for smooth scroll of an element, textured onto a quad moving in 3-D space.

[ub312g0d]

Any eta on when alpha masking will be enabled? That(aside from 3d skinning) is the feature im most looking foward to in the future. The image skewing must be good for something...

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (ub312g0d @ Jan 6 2004, 11:15 PM)

Any eta on when alpha masking will be enabled? That(aside from 3d skinning) is the feature im most looking foward to in the future. The image skewing must be good for something...

Well, technically, it's not just skewing, it's moving all four corners in 3-D... if I add a tweening modifier tied to the smooth-scroll ticker, you'll be able to move text elements and image elements around in 3-D (think about it for a moment).

As for alpha masking, I really need to bang on the rendering stuff for that... I'm always scanning for information on how it might be done. It should be simple - but I'm thinking I'll have to write a pixel shader to do it (something new for me) if I can find a standard set of operators to do it. It's low priority compared to the other things I'm doing for the new release. .7 will be 'significant' - and the skins will add some impressive capabilities. I might also dabble with 3-D objects.

[koldfuzion]

damn awesome! i see you have the previously mentioned pinwheel menu working too.. very nice!

what are the 1 2 3 4 5 for?

QUOTE

The image skewing must be good for something...

What if you had a kick ass layout with a tv in it (think the RING skin) but the TV was at a slant, so much that you couldnt create a skin with it because the perspective would look all FU.

thats what makes it incredibly delicious.

[fLEx7325]

Nice! I can imagine the possibilities.. That new menu feature can make skins look more 3d and it looks like u could probably use it to look like the ms dash. Could those point modifiers (skew) also be used on preview vids, and text? I was just thinking of a skin that could use that feature. Oh, and do u have an ETA for the public release?

[DBZRacer]

OOOOHHHH!!! ZPoints!!! And that pinwheel menu looks awesome!

To add to KF's question, why is it that Futuram is selected but Conflict Desert Storm is the preview vid?

[koldfuzion]

geniusalz better quit playing tetris and get hot on some dx programming, gonna be hard for MXM Skinner to keep up.

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (koldfuzion @ Jan 6 2004, 11:25 PM)

damn awesome! i see you have the previously mentioned pinwheel menu working too.. very nice! what are the 1 2 3 4 5 for? QUOTE The image skewing must be good for something... What if you had a kick ass layout with a tv in it (think the RING skin) but the TV was at a slant, so much that you couldnt create a skin with it because the perspective would look all FU. thats what makes it incredibly delicious.

The 1 2 3 4 5 is using conditionals to enable/disable a numeric selection based on the displayed values.

Basically, it's possible to make a custom menu/skin combo, for example, that features hotspot-type selection.

The pinwheel arrangement are text fields using offsets into what's selected. There is also no stop on either end - the menu cycles from bottom to top and vice-versa.

The ZPoints need to be calculated, if shifting through the "Z" values... but that should be a trivial exercise for somebody who knows what they are doing. My example isn't too careful about handling that, thus the ugly placement and skewing.

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (DBZRacer @ Jan 7 2004, 02:21 AM)

OOOOHHHH!!! ZPoints!!! And that pinwheel menu looks awesome! To add to KF's question, why is it that Futuram is selected but Conflict Desert Storm is the preview vid?

That's because it's using an offset value to show the "previous" preview video.

The "WIP" has the ability to do a CIRKULAR-type menu layout in a more direct manner.

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (fLEx7325 @ Jan 7 2004, 02:10 AM)

Nice! I can imagine the possibilities.. That new menu feature can make skins look more 3d and it looks like u could probably use it to look like the ms dash. Could those point modifiers (skew) also be used on preview vids, and text? I was just thinking of a skin that could use that feature. Oh, and do u have an ETA for the public release?

Yes, I have ZPoints working on image elements (which means static or video), and I'll also add the capability to text elements and maybe even the menu. Once the "tween" modifier is in place, you'll be able to create very sophisticated pseudo-menu blocks using text fields, though...


As for an ETA, well, I have to finish the System UI, Plug-In system, and remove the need for MXM.xml in "Dash mode" (user will edit all settings from the system menu) before it goes "public"

[geniusalz]

Oh wow, where have I been? Tweening is good, actually, great. I always wanted that. 3d is good too

KF: I actually was looking over some directx stuff recently to use in skinner, but right now I don't have anything figured out.
MY motivation was the awful slowness of alpha-blended PNG files, that can have a much higher framerate using directx. Also, I'd be able to do semitransparent boxes and such.

Yeah, and if you know anyone that can do directx in vb (or even c++, as long as they make an activex object out of it), refer them to this thread

[BenJeremy]

I'll post an update to MXM tonight, probably, with the ZPoints capability.

I wished I had time to get on those ActiveX components for you, geniusalz... I really want to get the FontBundler stuff moved out of the "illegal" status and into a nice cohesive tool.