VLC Skin Editor // Current release: 0.8.5

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Ok, I uploaded a version with an exe in it.
I really need some testers to find bugs. One person has already been so kind to do some testing and to report bugs to me, which helped a lot, but one is not enough I appreciate your help.

Hi, I tried opening it but couldn't.

[3breadt]

What happened exactly? Did you unpack all files to one folder? Necessary are the DLL and the JAR file. They have to be in the same folder as the EXE. And do you have Java SE Runtime Environment 6 installed?

[crashed]

What happened exactly? Did you unpack all files to one folder? Necessary are the DLL and the JAR file. They have to be in the same folder as the EXE. And do you have Java SE Runtime Environment 6 installed?

I couldn't unpack the files before but it is now working. I think I had downloaded the wrong java version.
Thanks.

[CloudStalker]

Progress has been made; I testing it now. If all works our OK you may very well see a NEW skin from the CloudStalker.

[crashed]

I need help. I will try to explain what the problem is.
Image 1 -This is how it is suppoed to look like.


Image 2 - This is how it looks like in the skin editor


Image 3 - This is how it looks like when I test the skin in VLC


In any other program this image looks perfect but for some reason in the skin editor all the grey and silver lines are invisible(image 2) and so are the shadow effects. When I test it in VLC they are visible but it is all thick black(image 3). I think it has something to do with transparency. How can I fix this?

[3breadt]

VLC does not render alpha transparency but turns all semi-transparent parts to a certain degree black. I tried to imitate that behavior in the skin editor, but its not perfect at all. At the moment the skin designer just draws the parts which are totally visible, and everything else is omitted.
I could improve the accuracy of the skin designer to imitate VLC better, but as long as VLC doesn't support alpha transparency you'll have to use images that are mono-transparent.

EDIT: I uploaded a development build with improved rendering, should look now as it looks like in VLC

[crashed]

VLC does not render alpha transparency but turns all semi-transparent parts to a certain degree black. I tried to imitate that behavior in the skin editor, but its not perfect at all. At the moment the skin designer just draws the parts which are totally visible, and everything else is omitted.
I could improve the accuracy of the skin designer to imitate VLC better, but as long as VLC doesn't support alpha transparency you'll have to use images that are mono-transparent.]

Thanks for your help. It is too bad because I used alot of transparency and now it all looks bad.

EDIT: I uploaded a development build with improved rendering, should look now as it looks like in VLC

Thanks again. If you are planning on making more updates, I think it would be great if one could use the general keyboard shortcuts especially Ctrl+Z.
I noticed something else. I couldn't insert subBitmaps. Had to type in the XML file in another program, save it and reopen the skin editor.

[3breadt]

Thanks again. If you are planning on making more updates, I think it would be great if one could use the general keyboard shortcuts especially Ctrl+Z.
I noticed something else. I couldn't insert subBitmaps. Had to type in the XML file in another program, save it and reopen the skin editor.

SubBitmap adding has been fixed in the latest development build of today.
Undo/Redo functions would be quite difficult to do and would require a lot of work. If I do them at all, it will be after I finished the first real working release.

[crashed]

I just discovered something else. The comments and tooltiptext disappears whenever the skineditor is reopened.

[3breadt]

What do you mean with "comments"? You mean XML-comments (<!-- comment -->)? Those comments won't be loaded/saved because they are not relevant to the skin.
I found the bug concerning tooltiptext and ykeepratio, they'll be fixed in the next dev build this afternoon.

[crashed]

What do you mean with "comments"? You mean XML-comments (<!-- comment -->)? Those comments won't be loaded/saved because they are not relevant to the skin.

Yes, I mean XML comments. I just like adding my own comments. I find them very useful.

I think there is a bug with the sliderbackground image. Whenever I put a slider background and define "nbvert"
the images vanish. I can see the window bordline but none of the images. It is all blank except for the skin editor background.

EDITED:
Was it intentional not to have an option for creating a "group"?
- Can't choose "preamp" as a value in the slider settings.
- I think there is a bug with the "y" attributes in the window settings general attributes box. The value for Y is not saved. In order to add it, you have to write it in the XML code save it and reopen the skin editor.

[3breadt]

Groups are deprecated and replaced by panels afaik, thus should not be used anymore.
Preamp fixed. Window Y fixed, too.
I don't think I'll support comments to complicated now, also VLC misinterprets comments in certain places.

SliderBackground drawing worked for me when created by hand, but I improved the drawing anyway with some checks. Try the new build.

[CloudStalker]

Hey aLtgLasS are you open to a somewhat different way of adding skin functionality from this program? This is just an idea: how about the most simple way of creating skins: import the PNG file of your finished skin then using square, rounded edge square and circular selecting areas you can then add a specific function to that area (Play, Pause, Previous, Next, Playlist, ect).

There would probably be a lot of coding necessary to make this work but it's for sure a way of creating skin that anyone could learn to use. I can make some screenshots later better describing how it might work. If you think it's a lame idea then that's understandable. This is not to say that there's something wrong with the way that you've made this program at all, just interjecting a different idea here.

[3breadt]

I have already thought about something like a sub bitmap wizard to easily create them. That could be somehow combined with your idea. Maybe someday in the future after 1.0 or so is finished. But only rectangular selections would be possible (otherwise a totally new png has to be created).

I personally think the designer should create the separate images with his designing program, Photoshop etc. Because these softwares already have such function you are talking about (square selection, rounded square selection, oval selection etc.).

[CloudStalker]

Ok That sounds pretty good. So basically a user could create a skin (via Paint.NET, PhotoShop), export its various layers into separate PNG files, import the individual PNGs into your program then apply a function (Play Pause ect) one by one without having to describe an area for each one since the PNG's width and height will be enough. So would this be possible to do in future version and maybe a little easier to do?

[3breadt]

PNG adding is already as easy as it can get I think. You just have to create Image/Button/Checkbox/etc. items out of them, so basically you just have to tell the position of the png (can also be done by dragging the added item on the preview) and what action should be fired by a click on it. If you have any concrete ideas on how to "easify" that please tell me.

[crashed]

After saving the file in the VLT format, the time and artist/song title name aren't shown on the player.

[3breadt]

After saving the file in the VLT format, the time and artist/song title name aren't shown on the player.

Strange, for me it works.
But anyway I released a new development build fixing a new AlphaColor bug, and a SubBitmap bug.

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I downloaded the new version and saved it again in the VLT format but it still doesn't show the artist's name or or the time. I currently have my skin as a ZIP file and it plays well. I just wish I could convert it to the VLT format. Since I can't use the skin editor, can you pleae explain to me how to change it into a VLT file?

Thanks

[3breadt]

That is a very strange behavior, the VLT exportation process doesn't modify the skin XML, its the same as when you just save it separately. Could you upload the generated VLT file?
VLC also supports ZIP-VLTs just rename the .ZIP to .VLT.
The usual VLT files are .tar.gz archives.

EDIT: I started developing the history function that was requested. For now Resources editing, SubBitmap adding, Window/Layout adding/editing events can be un/redone. Please test its functionality. New Development Build up.

[3breadt]

I finished the visual SubBitmap editor now. Just click and drag in the editing preview window that pops up when you edit the SubBitmap. The red border is an inner outline on the actual subbitmap. New dev-build up including this new feature.

0.6 final will be released when all major actions are un/redoable.
0.7 will include the Slider Background Wizard
Thereafter the program should be fully usable/"ready for production"/released as officially stable. I hope so at least

[CloudStalker]

Nice. Looking forward to it.

[CobrA_4cS]

Good Job. I wiil try the new version

[size=0][/size]

[3breadt]

Ét voila, version 0.6.0b est fini.

Enjoy v.0.6.0.b and please report any bugs you find, 10q all!

[3breadt]

Shame on me Overlooked a huge bug when releasing 0.6.0.b. Now fixed together with another minor bug in v.0.6.1.b.