Front-row (pdm Skin Mod) Options

[Sharpe]

Sharpe, let me know if u have the time for messing around with my custom icons yet?

Hi mate - hopefully I should have some in the new year to help you out - providing it's not too much of a big job! - I've got some leave coming.

Anyhow I've done a few little updates today that I thought I'd mention - prompted by djdafreund as always - cheers bud.

the main thing with the update has been trying to make the skin work at the TVshow level for banners and posters - personally I prefer banners but I know some like posters - the option in skin settings lets you toggle between which you're using and will alter the views accordingly. - Still working on it but it sort of works.

There's also a modified view that works with banners at the TVShow level.



And some slight graphical changes to the film strip in the original Fanart view.

[djdafreund]

That's VERY nice!!!! That's what i had in mind. Great job and thanks!!! Hopefully the other's will go nicely as well.

[FourTwentySmiles]

It has been a long time since I've checked the status of this skin. I applaude!!!! It is looking great. Have you thought of doing a fanart view that is just fanart, no movie posters at all. Maybe with a slide out description panel, that slides up from the bottom of the screen, once you stop on a movie.

Let's you have an "opened up" FanArt view ( the other Fanart views can have posters) allowing all the Fanart to be shown, then after you stop on the movie after 8-10 seconds the panel slides up giving you the Title,Genre, and description.

Similar in sorts to "Plot Wrap" with no filmstrip through the center, no Poster Icons and an animated Info Panel.

(This is not a request......it's conversation. )

[Sharpe]

Cheers mate!

That's a good idea - the more of the fanart you can see - the better I think.
I do think you'd still need to see what's coming up in the list some how but the yeah it sounds interesting.

Something to work on now that I'm finishing all the updates to the little annoying dialog screens.

All the best for the new year.

[Sharpe]

Happy new year everyone!

Bit of an update for you - I've now completed the current work on the info dialogs and incorporated the fanart wrap view to the tv show episode level (as below) - also there's been various other alterations and tweaks since I last posted.

Cheers

[djdafreund]

Yessir, looking great too. I think a tweak of the season numbers to the left of the thumbs really needs to be sized bigger though to be honest. From a few chairs distance away on a big HDTV screen it's kind of hard to make out the episode number.

A neat thing i am going to make, for those with WM6 and using touchflo or M2D, a Back-Row theme to keep the same look and feel as our skin. Just because i love it so much, and thought it would make a great theme replacement for windows mobile's new theme. It's for my HTC Mogul.

[superrrguy]

I'm new to this skin and it's beyond amazing. I love the different choices for views. It's all very user/wife friendly.

I was using MC360 to keep things consistent between the living room and bedroom but now that Microsoft updated the Xbox 360 I've been looking for a better skin for the XBMC.

The curtains are a super cool effect. Everything I love of this skin has been mentioned by other users so let me just add that I really like having the weather on the home screen. It's so simple but missing on a bunch of other skins.

Just some questions.

How do I tell if I have the latest version of the skin? (I'm having some minor issues which is why I'm asking.) All the screen shots look current but I just want to make sure.

1. The total play time seems to be cut off while watching a movie. The movies time line shows the current position time and the total movie time or length. On my screen it shows as 1:4.... with the minute getting cut off. I'm on a 4:3 TV with what looks like all the proper setting. Zoom is set to 0% and I don't see another option for font besides default. The same seems to happen for time on the home screen in double digits. 12:32.. The am or pm gets cut off.

2. I don't see an option to set the content of a source. When in a Movies or TV folder and I try to set content, I'm not given the option for IMDB or TVDB or any others like in other skins. So far I've been switching back to PM3 to do this.

3. I am experiencing more lock ups than usual.

4. What's a SVN? =) and where can I read about how to download the entire thing.

Thanks!

[TheEvilOne]

The new video tab is a little weak. No place to uncheck it and it doesn't have its own menu. Its shared with the movies and tv tab. If your going to add this it should have its own menu(sources added)

[Sharpe]

It's a way into the video file mode route level directly from the home screen whilst the Movies and TV links are really designed to be a direct link into the Library mode from the home screen. I suppose if you don't use the library then it might seem like duplication but if you name your file mode Movies source as "Movies" and TV source as "TV" then, even with the library mode disabled, the Movies and TV control in the home screen will take you to the file mode Movies and TV sources.

Also while I'm here - I've added an icon wall view to Music and Photos





This post has been edited by Sharpe: Feb 23 2009, 02:31 AM

[Sharpe]

Just some questions.

How do I tell if I have the latest version of the skin? (I'm having some minor issues which is why I'm asking.) All the screen shots look current but I just want to make sure.

1. The total play time seems to be cut off while watching a movie. The movies time line shows the current position time and the total movie time or length. On my screen it shows as 1:4.... with the minute getting cut off. I'm on a 4:3 TV with what looks like all the proper setting. Zoom is set to 0% and I don't see another option for font besides default. The same seems to happen for time on the home screen in double digits. 12:32.. The am or pm gets cut off.

2. I don't see an option to set the content of a source. When in a Movies or TV folder and I try to set content, I'm not given the option for IMDB or TVDB or any others like in other skins. So far I've been switching back to PM3 to do this.

3. I am experiencing more lock ups than usual.

4. What's a SVN? =) and where can I read about how to download the entire thing.

Thanks!

Hello mate sorry for not answering you sooner - The latest version can be grabbed from either the SVN link or the alt download link in my signiture.

1. I've not got a 4:3 set to test this on - only got the windows 4:3 version to go off, where it's not showing the same thing. I'll have a look at it when I next update the 4:3 version (soonish).

2. Hmmn That's a weird one - in the video file mode select a source and click the context menu then select "set content" - you should be able to choose the scraper "IMDB, TVDB etc" from there. - let me know if if still doesn't work.

3. Is this on an Xbox? It might be a build issue or a memory usage thing.

4. It's probably best if I point you to the XBMC forum for this:

Source Code and Development Version

The latest development version of XBMC, (often referred to as “SVN”), is updated as soon as developers commit any changes, and is hosted in Subversion kindly provided to us by by SourceForge. Development version of XBMC is recommended only for developers, experienced testers, or those otherwise interested in compiling from XBMC from source code. XBMC can be checked out using a Subversion client:

Linux, Mac OS X / Apple TV, and Windows branch of XBMC
# svn co http://xbmc.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/xb...ches/linuxport/

Xbox branch of XBMC
# svn co http://xbmc.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/xbmc/trunk/

Probably the easiest way to access skins from the SVN is via the XBMC skin manager:

http://s205077464.onlinehome.fr/index.php

Anyhow sorry for the delay in replying once again and all the best.

[TheEvilOne]

Quote:It's a way into the video file mode route level directly from the home screen whilst the Movies and TV links are really designed to be a direct link into the Library mode from the home screen. I suppose if you don't use the library then it might seem like duplication...

Sharpe I like the tab but only if it has a direct link(F:Video and Videos)...Can u make the adjustment? Also can u make a template for pictures in the view tab. Like make all pics have a picture frame around them?
I haven't seen this done before, except with movies and music cds....Thanks....Good work.

Also I don't like library mode because its to hard to setup...............

[djdafreund]

To hard to setup library???? Ah man, that IS one of the best things about XBMC. You add a source (naming it Movies or TV Shows), use the TVDB scraper for shows, and themoviedb.org scraper for movies, then scan. I would likely move to something else if XBMC didn't have library mode. TOTALLY automated, info, covers, cover art (3rd best part now of XBMC). PLUS, some views you aren't going to be able to use if not using library, and that's how a lot of skins are setup. You can PM me, i would be happy to help you out further. I love it!!
I like the picture overlay idea. Sharpe, i'll see about coming up with a nice looking image and e-mail ya more about that.

And i personally like the Video's new tab. I have a lot of video's that aren't going to show up in library because of the content isn't anything easily scanable, so this is a nice way get to those files without having to switch out of library and going to that directory. But if your not using library mode, i can kind of see why it's not as much a necessity for you.

This post has been edited by djdafreund: Feb 23 2009, 06:53 PM

[TheEvilOne]

djdafreund, always a pleasure to see you here. I will take you up on that offer tommorrow for the Library mode. But I don't think will get anywhere. I have tried at least a hundred times and finally gave up.

Also Sharpe I have a template I have been using since the creation of your skin.....For pictures

This post has been edited by TheEvilOne: Feb 23 2009, 11:29 PM

[TheEvilOne]

QUOTE:djdafreund, always a pleasure to see you here. I will take you up on that offer tommorrow for the Library mode. But I don't think will get anywhere. I have tried at least a hundred times and finally gave up..

??? I have PM you bro.....What happened to you and the help?

[djdafreund]

Huh? My PM's says "0 New Messages".