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General => Developers => Topic started by: eNoodle on March 01, 2009, 02:54:44 pm

Title: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: eNoodle on March 01, 2009, 02:54:44 pm
Hi guys,

I want to share the progress of my new skin I'm developing for LMCE. Here are the first screenshots. The first one shows the main menu, which acts like the mainmenu from Basic. On the left hand side I realized a tabstrip, which will bring you from every screen to the according floorplan. On the right side is a nvaigation, which will be used for room and user selection, some basic tasks (sleeping, computing, power and advanced). The middle part of the right navigation will be used for screen dependent actions, like room selection on floorplans.

I plan to build a complete replacement for Basic skin, so this skin will support normal horizontal, pda and mobile orbiter. As a bonus I'll also build a skin for mythtv, which will have the same layout as the new skin. Of course, I'll also provide some photoshop templates for the floorplans, so they have also a unique look and feel.

For now the basics are done, the mainmenu is functioning, the first floorplan is ready and a lot of graphic work has been done already. Even the smaller bits, like floorplan icons and so on are ready.

So, let's get back to work, there is a lot to do and time is running. ;)

eNoodle
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: eNoodle on March 01, 2009, 03:08:10 pm
I'll also try to show you some tricks, which makes working with HA Designer much easier.

Floormap Buttons on each page

NoodleSkin has on every single page buttons for the floorplans (the buttons on the left side). Instead of adding "Set Floorplan" on every single screen, I build a group of buttons and added the "Set Floorplan" action to the startup section of this group, this saves some time and is much easier. I now only need to place the group of buttons on the left side and do not need to worry about "Set Floorplan" and "Show Floorplan", because everything is done within the group.

Tabstrip

I did several test trying to realize the Tabstrip on the left side. However, having single buttons and setting different backgrounds for normal and selected state is working, but sometimes you will get ugly borders. I guess this is due the fact, that the screen is resized while rendering. To avoid this, I recommend to use different backgrounds and use transparent buttons.

eNoodle
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: chriss on March 01, 2009, 03:09:28 pm
Great work, eNoodle. Really looking forward to have this included in LMCE, it looks much smoother than Basic skin.

br,
/chriss
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: jondecker76 on March 01, 2009, 05:06:59 pm
thats a nice refreshing look. Glad to see it coming together.
I wouldn't mind doing a little skin design myself, but I don't even own a Windows box, and quickdesigner isn't quite finished enough to use yet from what I've tried of it.

Good work!
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: tschak909 on March 01, 2009, 05:49:25 pm
Thank you so much for your work. :)

I can't wait to see what a V2 variation will hold.

When you get the skin closer to completion, we'll help you fold it into the release.

-Thom
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: eNoodle on March 01, 2009, 06:21:22 pm
Thank you so much for your work.

Thank you for your screencasts... ;)

eNoodle
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: Marie.O on March 01, 2009, 07:15:09 pm
jondecker,

[..] quickdesigner isn't quite finished enough to use yet from what I've tried of it.

what kind of shortcomings does QuickDesigner have for you? I like it so far (only been using it for a couple of month). I especially like the copy functionality.
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: Steve on March 01, 2009, 09:25:37 pm
Thats a very interesting look!
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: niz23 on March 01, 2009, 10:02:00 pm
eNoodle,

Very nice work!

/niz23
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: colinjones on March 01, 2009, 10:25:16 pm
Great work eNoodle! Thanks! Any chance of a UI2 version of the skin??
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: PlatypusPedersen on March 02, 2009, 03:26:09 am
Very nice design, excellent work. :)
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: eNoodle on March 02, 2009, 08:36:16 am
Thanks guys, I hope I get it done until 810 is released.
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: rages on March 02, 2009, 04:11:13 pm
really beautiful!!!
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: aussie on March 03, 2009, 08:07:59 am
TOP NOTCH JOB !!!! :) 
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: los93sol on March 03, 2009, 07:17:47 pm
Woot!  Very nicely done, I'd like to help out with this effort, I've been toying with HADesigner on and off now for quite awhile but was lacking the graphical ability to make something really nice.  It looks like you've got a good design going, shoot me a PM if you want some help getting things ready.
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: eNoodle on March 04, 2009, 06:00:48 pm
Hi los93sol,

I'm not a designer, and I feel my skills in Photoshop aren't perfect, but it is enough to design a skin for LMCE. I guess the harder part is digging into HA Designer and build a completly new skin. I recommend doing all the graphic stuff first (Mainmenu, Floorplans, Remotes, etc..) and do some testing with new objects first (for example, I like to have some kind of dropdown for User and Room selection instead of a seperate screen...).

Currently I'm building a bunch of Photoshop templates. Design single screens and elements and slice them according to my needs. With that done I only need to open a screen within Photoshop, press export and I get all the smaller bits exported into the correct location.

I hope to have the major part done the next weeks, I then suggest to move the templates to the linuxmce.org server, so people willing to help can jump in and help finish a completly new skin.

Greets,
eNoodle
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: tschak909 on March 04, 2009, 06:13:25 pm
Excellent! Thank you so much.

-Thom
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: fearingsept on March 04, 2009, 06:33:52 pm
Very Nice.. I like this skin a lot. I can hardly wait to see the finished product.
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: Linux_da on March 05, 2009, 10:05:25 am
WOW !!! so easy for you.. cool look.

Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: jimbodude on April 21, 2009, 11:22:49 pm
I'd like to get a copy of this skin.  I've pm'ed you details.
Title: Re: NoodleSkin: Progress and Screenshots
Post by: eNoodle on April 22, 2009, 08:51:53 am
Sorry for the late response, I sent you a PM jimbodude.

eNoodle