INTRO
It was innevitable! I had to do a Vision2! So Microsoft inspired Vision1, This time around Sony inspired Vision2. I'm a big fag of Sony products. They are all black, sleek, shiny, simple and all around sexy. So I kept that in mind the whole time while coming up with ideas for Vision2.

FEATURES/IDEAS:
720p HD This skin was made for 720p from scratch. 4:3 will not be focused on. Simply because Jezz_X and I dont feel the need to focus on 4:3 since HDTV's are so common now (Both Jezz_X and I have one)
Navigation The one thing I concentrated on most was navigation & layout... You will notice this anywhere from Home, to Views, and all the way to the Keyboard.
Library Mode Library Mode has been kept in mind while designing the skin. So the layout will take advantage of all Library Mode has to offer.
FanArt (As I like to put it: Super Duper FullHD Wide Icons!). Skin will support FanArt, and future Music FanArt (Please Agathorn!)

VIEWS:
Note: These are Library Mode views. Offline views look more simple.

Custom Background


TV Shows, Seasons, Episodes & Info


DVD, Pictures, Games, Music


These links couldn't make it because Xbox-Scene only allows 10 pictures to be shown in a thread So click the links to see the pic
Music OSD This is the PM3 OSD. Re-Done to Hi-Def and ultra sexy
Music Info This shows information gathered from Library Mode

MISC:
Note: No pic for these next ones, sorry!
Keyboard Took a lot of time to think of the idea, but the layout is really good on navigation
MythTV Not sure if it will get added (Since neither Jezz_X or I use it), but I do want to support it for those that use it!
AMT I have a basic idea of the layout, not final yet...

PHASES:
There won't be any phases like Vision1. There will be no 'Beta', 'Alpha', or 'Final' build of Project Vision2. All minor & major updates will be done via SVN unless Jezz_X & I die

FEEDBACK:
I didn't want anyone to really know about this skin until I was comfortable enough to know it will be finished soon... Which is where we are at now. We still have things to do with the skin, but we are at the point where we need feedback from you guys. Let us know what we're doing wrong, what we're doing right...Both negative and positive feedback is wanted. So, what do you think?

B-E-A-Utiful!!!! Thanks a bunch for your hard work buddy. Looks fantastic!!!!!

1 word SWEEEEEET......hey let me test it out 4 u and tell how great it is

Hahahahah

Can't wait til my eyes see the next message (I'm psychic) "Ok everyone, the SVN link is ......."

lol ...... nah homie direct download link.

Looks very nice, as expected man... funny how your views with the wide icon on top and the text on the bottom like the games view can be so simple and yet totally different than any other skin... Good work. I like it alot. I think that your video info and picture views are especially well done.

I just got a macbook and as much as I love it, for the life of me I can't get any svn client to work... so for the first time in my life I'm seconding the direct download link idea...

apparently I clicked reply twice and a duplicate post was the result... sorry this whole thing is just an edit so I don't look like a dumbdumb who posted the same thing twice...

Ok let me step in here with all the talk of downloads this skin is only about 50% to 70% finshed (I havn't actually checked) first thing that will probably happen is it will go in the SVN (at some point not now)uncomplete but useable (for most stuff) so if people really want to try it they can.
If someone wants to zip it up for other people (non windows users) thats fine but I won't be providing an official download link until it is finished completely (execpt KAI ).

Wow.

WOW BEST SKIN EVEEER

That's gorgeous!

If I had to critique it, I'd say a couple of your gradients are a little off (the tv show view with the Battlestar Galactica banner, the dialog looks like it bends at the bottom about 3/4 of the way across) and in the music info view there is no artist thumb but I'm really searching hard for things to pick on to come up with those.

I love the main menu idea, it's really original!

The one thing about PMIII that I don't like is the OSD (it seems kinda cartoony in comparison with the rest of the skin), so it's a shame you decided to keep it (I can totally understand why though, recoding that thing is a bitch!)

Sexy.

Smooth.

Dark.

I love it!

that looks the bi22ni22! I cant wait to try it out.... Which resolutions will it support? 16x9? 4x3?

Looks really nice - great work

Wow a lot of good skins coming out, but this one I have to say has my attention the most. The only problem is all these new skins are leaving all of us 4:3 guys in the dust! Anyway skin looks awesome! I can't wait to try it out.

Sorry boring day at work (all day conference call) so you get to hear my thoughts.

First off I really like the skin, looking really nice! I haven't found a skin yet that really does all the things I want, so I've just recently starting taking a few swipes at some xml and graphics work myself. I don't have anything yet that I really want to put out there, however after becoming bit more familiar with the process I have a few questions/suggestions.

First the home page looks great, I like the clean look. I read your thread on XBMC too, and I agree with szsori on a few things about the home page. I like less text. (my HDTV broke, and rather than fix it I plan to buy a new one.....someday. As a result I am running on a 4:3, 36 inch TV, and most text is always hard to read, I know this won't support 4:3 yet but I often think the less text the better.) Keeping the names simple like Watch vidoes, or Listen to music. I think that might help with the clean look.

A question on the home page is, I have 5 catagories of video: Movies, TV Shows, Kids Shows, Snowboard Movies, Skateboard Movies. I don't expect you to add those, but my question is if I go in and start working on the XML to add them myself, how would you see that working, would the list scroll in the "video" box? would the box expand?

Other suggestions, the TV show view, once again I like szori's comment about possible wide banners on the right, I think they could look good in that space.

I really like the Fan Art views, and it looks as though you are setting it up so we can choose the fan art, which I think is awesome! Also in your screen shots you have the shows title in "logo" form and in text on the fan art views, I'm not sure if you are just mocking these up or if you are really pulling the show logo's from somewhere. (I've seen rumblings about that ability in the XBMC.org forums) If you are getting the logo's I would love to see the logo go over the fan art, and the text be removed.

Movies - I don't know what other views you will have, but would definitely like some kind of cover flow or something, I like to view my movies in some poster form, and if I really want to read the info on them, hit the info button. when simply browsing for movies, I really only want the poster, and maybe the title displayed.

The OSD - not a big fan of the PMIII one, but at the same time I haven't seen one a whole lot better yet either. I think my favorite OSD design so far is Vinci.

Well there you have it, couple of my suggestions, take them or leave em, either way your work is so far ahead of what I could do, and this skin is looking really close to giving me what I am looking for.

wow, this is f****** impressive

Best skin ever made for xbmc, I LOVE IT

PLEASE reconsider the 4:3! I have a 50" 4:3 here.

Who the hell buys a 50" 4:3 tv??

JoeUser38 does LOL

Yeah it would be nice if it was 4:3 compatible as not every one in the UK has a HD TV as we don't all have £400+ fora TV as our country seems to be the bloody dearest.

i mean i have a 19inch monitor for my Xbox 360 and PC (KVG switch) and a 28inch widescreen TV non HD for TV and Xbox 1.

Also there isnt much point in a HD tv here the now as there isnt any good HD channels there is like 5 also we need to pay another £100+ for the damn box so we can get the HD channels lol.

Yep. Got it at Goodwill for $300 (USD) a year or two ago. It's a floor-standing rear-projection model (Pioneer).

Hell yeah! A Classic!

Dont you watch 16:9 movies? Dont you game in wide screen?
Just bite the blue pill and invest in a HDTV..

4:3 is so yesterday..

Yes, but... 4:3 is so much cheaper! Don't see the point in buying a 16:9 TV when I have this big guy working so well. I don't get the resolution of HD, but widescreen movies look fine with the black bars on the top and bottom.

Before I update my TV, I would update my sound system (my old Pioneer AV Receiver is going out, and my wife and son pretty much blew the speakers while I was at work). Can't even do that right now though, because I updated my computer instead.

4:3 is a dead format, I feel sorry for the guy who bought the 50" 4:3, they must have seen you coming a mile off

This and a lot of other recent HD quality skins will just not work on a 4:3 display

Maybe you missed the price... that was $300, not $3000.

BTW, sounds like the marketing is working quite well on you. (just a joke, but they really have been hyping it up)

That case, you can enjoy any XBMC 16:9 skin as it is. With those fine looking black bars on your big cheap guy which is working so well..

And since you dont go asking the movie makers for a 4:3 ver, you can help save some time for those skinners to polish their non4:3 skins..

Yal STOP bickering............every one cant jump on the HDTV right now.....but it is a good investment..

Getting a little off topic don't you think

Off-topic? Wasn't this the TV forum?

Hey, IS there a way to force a 720 skin to show up on a 4:3 screen in "letterbox" format? I would have absolutely no problem doing "letterbox" format if XBMC would let me.

Heck no... I love the skins you and 99 work on but to not support 4:3 format is a bad deal. First off, if you have enough money to have nice HD tv's then there really isnt any reason to have an old Out dated box when there are plenty full HD media centers out there on the market. Think about it, most of us mod our OLD XBOX's b/c we are limited on funds and no doubt have an older tv. Myself i have a 2001 36" Sony Wega that i got off craigslist for free b/c it didnt work. I opened it up and found a broken mainbaord so i soldered some jumpers on it and it works great. Only thing is its 4:3. THe state of CA takes half my income so i cant exactly go out and get a fancy dangled 16:9 HD tv. And wont for many years to come. Not a damn thing i can do about it either. So I will no doubt use my xbox as a media center til it dies as well. So come on guys, please do a 4:3 version. It only makes sense.

Exactly. Just because HDTV is so available doesn't mean it's AFFORDABLE. Now, if I didn't have to worry about a wife and kid, MAYBE (Food... HDTV... Food... HDTV... all, what the hell, I can survive on peanut butter! ).

Just a small question : Are we looking at the Project Mayhem 3 theme preview?

There seems to be alot other themes in the Pictures view.

As always NineT9 (& Jezz_X) , your skin is looking great!. Looking forward to an SVN Beta.

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Good to see theres a couple that like it!
Now I'll do my best answering you

Project Vision 2 Download & Release
Like Jezz_X said the skin isn't finished. The basics are done (Home/Views/Important Dialogs/OSD), but theres still more minor things that need to be finished. When Vision1 reached this point last year I made a thread like this & let everyone know a skin was in the works... a few weeks later the skin was released. Unlike Sony's products, this won't get delayed again and again

Project Vision 2 Music OSD
I do have an alternate Music/Video OSD... I'll post it here some time and you tell me which you prefer... I enjoy the OSD it currently has, but I also like the other one... you'll see soon

Wide Banners on Right for TV Shows
Agreed, I do like the Wide Icon list idea a lot, would be nice to see. This would be up to Jezz_X if he wants to add it to the skin. I understand if he doesn't, I'm fine either way.

4:3
Please listen carefully I completly understand where you guys are coming from, I have been using 4x3 for the past 5 years! I recently switched to HD/16:9 a few months ago. I know what its like wanting a skin for 4x3, and trust me, I would love to cater to you guys but:

Like mentioned in my original post, This skin was designed from the ground up in 720p & Library Mode (aka The best part of XBMC). With this said, theres so much information on the screen, the fonts are small, and everything fits perfect for 720p. IF we WERE to convert this skin for 4x3, the skin will not work or atleast look right.



Take that DVD View for example You have so much information on the left hand side, then you have a full blown dvd poster in the middle, and then a big list to the right. If this were to be viewed on a 4x3 TV, things would go completly wrong. The fonts would be larger, the information would be bigger, and the layout would be cut off, thus not looking right. So its not really about us not caring about 4x3, or simply not wanting to put effort because we dont use it... The simply fact is, it wont look right.

BUT theres good news... The XBMC community is large, theres people always modding skins to cater their own personal needs. I can guarentee you someone out there will rework the xml needed and get 4x3 working... because theres so many of you 4x3 users. Ive already had a few PM's from people saying they will attempt to get 4x3 working... I dont know if it will look right, but hopefully. Either way, you will get your 4x3 Vision2

In Conclusion
I apreciate every persons feedback on the skin. They are all great ideas, some I know will get added
Just remember this is what the skin looks like now. This isn't final. Things will change with all the feedback, for the better

I'm not sure if you remember, but Vision1 saw change from the original screenshots to the release build. Then it saw even more change as you guys all tried the skin out and gave more feedback.

So we need feedback before the release, during the release, and after the release...So keep those comments flowing

Just don't re-retire before the skin get release..

wow@StrictPuppet... I didn't see that typo at all! At first I didnt' understand why you would laugh at me being a FAN of Sony Products! I even asked a few people what would be so funny about being a fan of Sony... Then a few days later (After reading your comment like 5 times), I realized... I had said FAG of Sony products! Wow...That is quiet the typo, I promise I wasn't thinking of men at the time!


Currently, I don't think it works like that... That is something I would absolutly love, but I dont' think its possible. The only reason 'TV Show / DVD Movies' is possible in that menu is due to Library Mode...Jezz_X can go into more detail about this... Hey it might be possible, but he would be the man to know


Coverflow... I'm pretty sure (I can be wrong) that this will never get added. Ask Jezz_X about it


I do not know what your talking about


I did all the logo's myself I actual spent days finding the exact font used for each TV Show logo (To maintain highest quality logo), and applied any effects if needed. I made TV Show Logo's for over 100+ TV Shows... As you can see here below (There are more I have done then whats shown below):


Basically its just an alternate way of viewing Wide Icons...Instead of the normal 'picture' wide icons your used to, you can use the Logo Wide Icons as shown above, and from the screenshots in Vision2, they fit very nicely. I plan on releasing these logo's soon...

*Mouth dropping further and further*

I'm stunned at this skin I even put the screenshot as my background to remember every second to check the topic

good work

Information Overload!

Thanks for the update NineT9, only got one question.



Seeing you used 16:9 as example to show how much there will be cut off, does this means there will be a 16:9 version next to the 720p version?

Very nice skin...i love PV1...wish i t worked on xbmc version 2.0

Sorry if this has been asked already but when do you think this skin will be released? A rough estimate would be fine like "in a few weeks" or "months from now", hopefully not "next year".

here is an actual screenshot of it running in PAL16x9 open it up on your xbox sit back and see if you can read it then that will answer your question

Hey, Jezz, I've been searching all over the web for the answer to this, figured you might know... Is there a way to have XBMC scale a 720P skin for a 4:3 screen, using "letterbox" format? Seems it should be possible, since XBMC can already do scaling. If not, might this be a feasible request to be added to XBMC?

Understood. But what about just not including this new library view you have created for the 4:3 version? THe rest of the skin can be cropped for 4:3 couldnt it? Just not the library view you have shown. Seems simple enough lol But then again i dont fully understand the fundamentals behind your skin or XBMC for that matter lol.
Basically I love your work, I havent stopped using V1 since you released it, and the same would happen with V2 provided i could get it to work on my tv lol.
If anything maybe I gave somone an idea so if you do it, Jezz does it, or somone else... Thanks!



You know what, that looks like 16:9 squished to 4:3... not to bad.

I just tryed it on my tv, it is squished to 4:3... and you know what... I can read the words too... THat could work too.

No other than mucking around with screen calibration why would you want half the screen black anyway ? just use a modern 4x3 skin like say PM3 or mc360 or Basics-Vision



Thats because thats exactly what 16x9 is 4x3 stretched out let me explain the pixel size stuff

PAL 4x3 = 720x576

PAL 16x9 = 720x576 with a width pixel ascpectratio of about 1.3 from 4x3(meaning each pixel gets stretched out it 1.3 times it original size)

NTSC 4x3 = 720x480

NTSC 16x9 = 720x480 with a width pixel ascpectratio of about 1.3 from 4x3(meaning each pixel gets stretched out it 1.3 times it original size)

720p = 1280x720 Pixel aspect ratio of 1 so everything is exactly as it should be
1080i/1080p = 1920x1080 same as 720p


DVD's are the same all PAL dvd's are 720x576 and all NTSC ones are 720x480 no matter if they are 4x3 or 16x9 the only difference is when showing them on your 16x9 TV your player stretches out the aspectratio
So in real life you actually get a crisper picture in standard defintition 4x3 than you would ever get in 16x9 because its not stretched out. Problem is less width which is why 720p is the next best step up because its true 16x9 not just stretched out 4x3

Think I ranted too much

I have that exact TV, not sure the year though so I guess I shouldn't say exact. Anyway I have been using it in the 16:9"Enhanced Mode"(in the setup menu) Most of my movies/TV are wide screen anyway. Dont know if that helps you or not. Oh and here's kind of a crappy pic of it in action, black bars and all.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/DavidAPowell/SDI1I9cV....JPG?imgmax=576

Oh... Well thats suckie... lol



Well poop... I think yours is newer. Mine has the buttons on the top and has no 16:9 Enhanced Mode. :-/

Well, it would be a way to test out the 720P skins. Unfortunately, I can't do it by mucking around with the calibration, because I can't figure out how to force it to let me pick the 720P version of a skin (I believe my only options are "NTSC 4:3" and "Auto"). Think about it, it would get rid of nearly all the "please support 4:3" posts if we could "emulate" 720P by scaling. And half the screen being black never bothered me on wide-screen movies. Obviously we wouldn't get the resolution, and some skins might not look great scaled down, but it would be nice to have the option.