V I S I O N, im finally coming out of the closet! (my skin) Options

[NineT9mustang]

INTRODUCTION:
I had this skin in mockups for a couple years (For those that remember my old skin poll late 2004!), but I had no idea how to do any xml, so it never got made. Recently Jedi79 came in & said he would do nearly all the xml work, so this skin began on October 16th, 2006. I'm doing the graphics and some xml. With help from
Xbox-Classic creator Jezz_X
the clark kent of scripting Donno
smokemaniac aka Smokehead
kthxnpbrbananicoleih8mormonsbbqnotfunnyihadafriendthatdesignedaskinmattaarongeta
job jedi79
Now in the first screenshot... See that backround? Thats where this skin all started... that image was designed as a teaser for Windows Longhorn... The entire skin idea came from this image. I thought the backround was the most amazing design ive seen. So I wanted to implement a samiliar style... Sleek glass with blue streaks... And thats how I came up with what you see now.

THEME 1: Blue Streak (Default) EVERYTHING you see in all screenshots are possible and work in the current build. Some of these are in-xbmc screenshots, and the ones that aren't still give you an idea of the direction im heading.


THEME 2: Titanium Based off a skin I had in mind a couple years ago, I always wanted a smoke/black/chrome type of style. This mockup shows what to expect.


THEME 3: Project Mayhem Three What can I say, Project Mayhem 3! I think Choke is by far the best graphic artist here in the xbmc scene. Shame he had to retire! Anyway, I'll add key features from my skin to this PM3 Theme... Modified home, extra features such as the Hidden Sidebar, 'Show Current Folder Image, Movie Poster view, etc


THEME 4: Vista Ultimate Inspired by gorgous Vista. Will make more use of transparencies, glowing streaks, vista icons, and the vista sidebar. Just a concept theme for now, I won't be using any Microsoft Vista images, i'll design all my own to avoid any problems


THEMES 5,6,7,8 and more I'll be releasing other themes with the skin... Virtue, White Elegance, 360, Comic, & more... All will take advantage of the standard layout I have (Hidden Sidebar, Top bar showing folder's jpg, DVD Poster View, etc)

FEATURES: Most these idea's/features are currently part of the skin...(Click the underline for SCREENSHOTS of the feature):
Show Current Folder.jpg: Screenshot A lot of this skin was based around my Wide Icons idea in mind... Since my first few mockups, I always wanted the ability to SHOW the Wide Icon of the folder your in... This has officially & finally been added to xbmc today! So whenever your in any folder that contains a Wide Icon it will display that wide icon on the top of the screen. When your in TV Shows, it will show the folder of the TV Show your in... If your in NINTENDO it will show the Nintendo Wide Icon, etc... I think this is one of the most exciting things about this skin!!
Slider: Screenshot Already implemented into the skin. Very samiliar to Vista's sidebar, My goal here is to place Time/Date, Weather, Scripts, etc. With the ability to remove specific items.
Control Panel: I always felt a skin should have 1 control panel at the top. This would include the VideoPreview, Folder.jpg, Playlist info, etc... I just feel it'd make things easier and more organized. Potentially giving it a 'faceplate' feel with users being able to change the top panel like a cd-player faceplate. So users can create their own, and you can change it how you want. Another option is to keep this hidden until used (When media is playing or such).
New View (Music): Screenshot Nothing fancy, just an alternative way of viewing albums. Hopefully we can get a small visualization to play next to album art.
New View (DVD Posters): Screenshot This is what I wanted from the original concept drawings of the skin. I have already made 1,000+ DVD Posters, to be released with beta
Custom Icons: (Screenshot)... That screenshot shows the previous Wide Icons I made a month ago to match PM3, I'll be making icons specifically made to match the skin. Gotta have my Wide Icons! I'll be making every Wide Icon for every single xbox game/application/homebrew game & emulator (I'll spend a lot of time on it like I did with my older ones to be released with final
Custom Sounds: For now this is not possible, I think it would be beneficial to a lot of skins if we can assign sounds to specific controls. I'm hoping this will get added at some point!
Video & Game Trailers: Screenshot For now this is not possible, but hundreds of users have wanted this in xbmc... and I suuuuuuuure hope this screenshots shows its potential and maybe one day this will get added... <3 jm

PHASES:
1) Concept: Design the layout, come up with some mockups, design most the graphics.
2) Beta-1: Start the xml, see what features of the skin are possible with xbmc, what aren't & get a working skin.
3) Feedback: Once I have a working skin, give users screenshots/trailers/get feedback <-Where I am at now
4) Beta-2: Decide the best feedback, implement it, & release a beta to everyone.
5) Final: After we have all used it, found what we liked/disliked... ALL graphics will be redone, bugs cleaned, more wishes implemented, then final release

This skin will partially be made by you guys. We can all agree that those Vista skins, PSP/PS3 skins, Kaleidascope, mc360 & xTV are absoutly gorgous skins and visually stunning, but unlike them this is not a replica and we don't have layout guidelines we have to follow to match a certain way. This skin could look how we want and take advantage of all xbmc has to offer. What you see now will not be what you see in the final. It will only get better, This skin will change as most feedback is implemented. So, let's hear your feedback!!!

-Matt AAron

[edwinmcdunlap]

Looks sweet

Can't wait for a beta

This post has been edited by edwinmcdunlap: Feb 27 2007, 02:39 AM

[k@iserex]

Was just posting in lawdawg0931`s thread about a sneak peak and here it is lol!!
Looks really nice, men I love this glossy, blackish, blueish neon glow touch!!
Please do continue your work over this one!!!

This post has been edited by k@iserex: Feb 27 2007, 02:57 AM

[TheLos]

Wow, its obvious a lot of time has been put into this skin. It's almost hard to believe that all of those themes came from the same skin. Great work!

[phistyle]

yea can't wait for a beta...loving that clean, high-res, and shiny look

[lawdawg0931]

Glad to get a look at it, finally. Everything looks awesome & you have quite the team helping out on this one. Should be nothing short of amazing. Blue streak & Titanium are sharp, looking forward to a Beta.

This post has been edited by lawdawg0931: Feb 27 2007, 02:54 AM

[Jezz_X]

Since the Cat is out of the bag here are some actual in Xbox screenshots

[manturafs]

wow, that looks niiiice. the only thing i see wrong with it is that i don't have it yet.

nice job guys!

[BecomethemonsteR]

wow, that looks niiiice. the only thing i see wrong with it is that i don't have it yet.

nice job guys!

FUCK! Thats hot! I completely agree with the above poster! I am in absolute love with this skin and cannot wait for a beta! This is by far the nicest, cleanest most sophisticated looking skin for XBMC I have seen yet!

This post has been edited by BecomethemonsteR: Feb 27 2007, 03:49 AM

[edwinmcdunlap]

Wow, the home screen looks awesome!

[k@iserex]

Well I`m impressed whit the looks of it Jezz!!!

[Nubbs]

Jezz?

[Jezz_X]

Jezz?

Indeed Its NineT9mustangs skin I'm just helping out so all credit goes to him for how it looks
But I think he was refering to it was me that posted the second lot of screenshots

[djdafreund]

Very beautifully done guys!!! So in the one picture of PM3 them, it look slike an idea i've been wanting to do about a horizontal type of pm3 skin, whereas it looks like the picture shows you might be able to display a bunch of icons in the entire screen, while staying with the overall pm3 skin look style, as well as maybe even keeping a wrap mode like a lot of new skins have been adapting. Is this true??? That will save me a lot of time not having to make it, as that looks like it's the same skin i was thinking about doing (look at PM3 Horizons post). Thanks BIG TIME ahead if it is mostly the same kind of skin.

[Nubbs]

looks awesome so far, maybe i would be lucky enough to get a little help from the master Jezz_X too.