Changing skin

[GVOLTT]

I'm having a problem with using skins. I go to the preferences, change it to a skinnable interface, select the skin I want, and save. However, when I restart VLC Media Player (I'm using 0.8.6i, by the way), it doesn't restart in a skinnable interface, and seems to use the default skin. I go to the preferences, and notice that the skinnable interface is unchecked. Why does this happen, and how can I fix this problem so that these changed settings don't reset themselves after restarting?

[CloudStalker]

One way CloudStalker got it to work is by going through the Start menu. While VLC is closed, go to Start -> All Programs -> VideoLAN -> Quick Settings -> Interface -> Set Main Interface to Skinnable. Once you start VLC it should open with the default skin, all of the time.

[GVOLTT]

Hmm...thanks, it seems to work now. I guess I missed the "Quick Settings" part in the start menu.

[archiebald]

I am new here, just downloaded VideoLAN 0.9.2 and it works great but the skinning procedure really does not work for me, even following the advice in this thread.

For reference
VideoLAN 0.9.2 running under Windows XP SP3.

VideoLAN is installed in the default directory, C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC
Procedure
> Open Preferences - Show Settings - ALL
> Main Interface - select "Skinnable Interface" from the drop down box
> Skins - browse to skins directory and select optional skin (Note - the default location always browses to \Documents & Settings\All Users\Application Data for some reason)
> Click on SAVE, exit VLC
> On Re-start, VLC is always in the Default Skin (Black and White) and if I go to the preferences, the selected skin has jumped back to default. If I repeat the process, the skin just keeps jumping back to the default.
> Right clicking on the VLC window DOES NOT open any context menu for me.
> I even tried checking the "Skinnable Interfa

Tried "Eminance" and "WMP11", the result is the same in all cases.

Is it a bug, or is it something I am doing wrong??

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

It is a bug, and release in a couple of day of 0.9.3 will fix this.

[archiebald]

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll wait a bit then......

[lordcenzin]

Hi all,
i'm using vlc on archlinux, i've always used it, but never changed skin. Today I decided to change, and I was looking for some cute skin on the website http://www.videolan.org/vlc/skins.php. I saw the one that is named "Home Cinema" I downloaded it, i went in preferences etc. and when it was set I thought it was very nice. The problem is that I can't return to the default one. If i select the default interface, it shows always the same home cinema. The problem is that I can't find the preferences menu, with all caracteristics that were in the original interface. I tried also to select it manually, or anyother interface...but it gaves me always the same error:

Code: Select all

main libvlc debug: translation test: code is "C" [00000403] skins2 interface: skin: VLC OSX Interface author: BigBen [00000403] skins2 interface error: unknown bitmap id: barrenoir [00000608] xml xml error: XML parser error (line 1) : failed to load external entity "skin.dtd" [00000608] xml xml error: XML parser error (line 12) : Validation failed: no DTD found ! [00000403] skins2 interface error: failed to parse /tmp/vlthSO4KE/theme.xml [00000403] skins2 interface error: error while parsing /tmp/vlthSO4KE/theme.xml [00000611] xml xml error: XML parser error (line 1) : Document is empty [00000403] skins2 interface error: failed to parse /home/virus/look&feel/vlcSkins/WMP11.vlt

What can I do? I tried also to uninstall and reinstall vlc, but nothing change! I can't undeerstand. I deleted also the .vlc folder in my home. Nothing to do!

Please help me

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

vlc -Iqt

[jdhaines]

I recently downloaded version 0.9.4. I tried for the first time to install a skin tonight, and I realized that every time I set the program to "skinnable" it will not start. There is an immediate "VLC media player has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." instance. The error signature associated with it is "AppName: vlc.exe AppVer: 0.9.4.0 ModName: msvcrt.dll ModVer: 7.0.2600.5512 Offset: 0002554a" if that helps. This happens whether I turn on the ability to skin through the start menu or the interface. It makes no difference. When I set it back to the Qt4 default interface, the crashing stops and the program starts and runs normally. I hope this helps.

~Josh

AMD Dual Core
XP Pro SP3
2 GB ram

PS: Moved this to here from the main forum. Makes more sense here.

[sling-shot]

I am experiencing same problem. After I select Skins in Preferences and try to restart VLC, it simply does not come up.
In fact it does show up for a brief period as flicker on the taskbar. Then I have to reinstall VLC 0.9.4 to get it back up.
WindowsXP SP2/AMD X2
-SS.

[jdhaines]

@Sling-Shot

See if going to VLC through the start menu and selecting the default skin setting will fix it without re-installing. I can do that. It will be broken with immediate crashing or not showing up while in "skinnable" mode, but once the default mode is re-selected through the start menu, the program goes back to working fine. I only had to re-install until I figured out the start-menu quick-options thing. If it works by switching back to default, then it sounds like an identical problem. If it doesn't come up, then we may have two separate but similar problems.

[howdthattaste]

not to beat a dead horse, but i'm experiencing the same problem as jhaines and sling-shot. i just installed 0.9.4 (windows xp sp2) and download the skins pack. i choose "Set Main Interface to Skinable" from the start menus, and immediately it returns the "...encounted a problem..." message. VLC wont start up after that. I have to use the 'Reset vlc..." menu item to reset everything. It works with the default skin after that.

the help on the skins webpage seems outdated as well. what is the 'skin' file? is the app looking for .xml, .dtd, .vlt?
after unzipping the skins pack (to the \prog.files\vlc\skins\...), i am left with one, default.vlt. Maybe the skin pack is corrupt or missing some files?

i have yet to try lildjrich's steps.


p

[3breadt]

Skins2 in 0.9.4 crashes on all skins which use PNGs with transparent parts. That is a bug. Before switching to skins mode you can try selecting in the preferences another skin than the default one. For example the hx skins work or Airflow works, too.

[bdude4]

Thanks! Thought I was the only one. Will the skin developers update the skins, or will there be a fix to work around the png image format glitch? Just curious.

[sling-shot]

[jdhaines]

Thanks for that tip. That allowed VLC to start up in default mode without reinstalling.
-SS.

[talindva]

I am experiencing the earlier mentioned problem with transparent png icons in 0.9.4 Is this problem corrected in 0.9.5?

Regs Tarmo

[3breadt]

I am experiencing the earlier mentioned problem with transparent png icons in 0.9.4 Is this problem corrected in 0.9.5?

Regs Tarmo

Should be

[arun]

Hi, I have the same problem. I am using Linux Mandriva 2009 and the last version of VLC. I don't even know the version number because since I installed one of the skins, the menus disappeared. I am stuck in this stupid skin with a skull in the progress bar.

Can you help me? It is a total mess the whole skins thing in VLC.

I also have another question. Is it possible to have the screen integrated with the controls bar? I mean one only window for movie and controls oinstead of two? I tried many times but never managed to get it done.

I would also like to know how to install the skin pack in linux (mandriva) which comes in a zip pack. It is incredibly complicated everything. I could only use the 7 skins pack that is in the Mandriva repositories but I would prefer to use other skins in the big pack of VLC skins page.

Thanks

[3breadt]

Hi, I have the same problem. I am using Linux Mandriva 2009 and the last version of VLC. I don't even know the version number because since I installed one of the skins, the menus disappeared. I am stuck in this stupid skin with a skull in the progress bar.

Can you help me? It is a total mess the whole skins thing in VLC.

I also have another question. Is it possible to have the screen integrated with the controls bar? I mean one only window for movie and controls oinstead of two? I tried many times but never managed to get it done.

I would also like to know how to install the skin pack in linux (mandriva) which comes in a zip pack. It is incredibly complicated everything. I could only use the 7 skins pack that is in the Mandriva repositories but I would prefer to use other skins in the big pack of VLC skins page.

Thanks

Just delete your VLC preferences to go back to the normal interface or start vlc with -Iqt4 (it's an i not an L) as command line option. than you can access the preferences etc.

In VLC 0.9.6 default interface the video is always in the same window as the controls. If not you might also go to the preferences and under native interface change the mode from classic to complete/full mode. When using skins it is different with each skin whether the video is integrated.

Installing the skin pack is far from complicated. Just unzip all the VLT files in there to ~/.share/vlc/skins2

[arun]

Thanks for your help but it's not like that.

1- I don't know how to delete the preferences. No clue. I am new at Linux. In any case it happens from a fresh install of Mandriva and VLC.
2- Opening it with -Iqt4 just opens the player. If I drag and drop a file it opens in TWO MORE WINDOWS making it three in total.
3- I have the latest 0.9.6 version and by default it opens it two windows. DOing what you suggest does not fix the problem.
4- Unzipping the skins to that folder doesn't mean that I can use the skins. It is terrbly deffective in many ways. Mostly if you get stuck in a bad skin (they shoulc check them well befre letting them being downloaded) like my case.

[3breadt]

Thanks for your help but it's not like that.

1- I don't know how to delete the preferences. No clue. I am new at Linux. In any case it happens from a fresh install of Mandriva and VLC.
2- Opening it with -Iqt4 just opens the player. If I drag and drop a file it opens in TWO MORE WINDOWS making it three in total.
3- I have the latest 0.9.6 version and by default it opens it two windows. DOing what you suggest does not fix the problem.
4- Unzipping the skins to that folder doesn't mean that I can use the skins. It is terrbly deffective in many ways. Mostly if you get stuck in a bad skin (they shoulc check them well befre letting them being downloaded) like my case.

To 2: Now you're at lest not anymore stuck in the skin.
To 2&3: Why does it open 2 more windows? I tried it on WinXP and there was no new window opened, video played fine inside the player. Which two windows are opened when you drag a file into the player? Video and Playlist? I thought the Qt4 interface behaviour was more or less cross-platform, so normally that should not be the case.
To 4: I just checked most of the skins in 0.9.6 on WinXP and they work fine.
Maybe the Mandriva build is broken somehow?

[arun]

Who and why has deleted the reply I posted here?

[acernativerocks]

Hello! Maybe there's a problem in the version of VLC because when I tried also to change the skin of VLC there is an error comes up. Well, It depends of version of your VLC. Or you did'nt put the VLC skins in the skin's folder of the VLC. The versions that I've tried that has no errors in changing the skin was 0.8.4 or 0.8.6 and 0.9.6. And then I tried to put all the VLC skin's in the skin folder then presto! I can change the skin.. To change the skin just right click on the VLC player, then go to interface>> skins>> then you can choose what skin you will like.. I hope it helps a little to you..

[Adanur]

hi
i've just downloaded and installed the version 0.9.8a
and the skins pack
then i've changed from the default skin to another skin just to try
going to preferences >interface settings >chose skins in the checkbox >chose a skin
now i can't change skin... :S
i chose default e b o n y (-- please stay polite -- ) and the current skin turned black

please, help

[3breadt]

Well the default e-bony skin is just the default skin in black, just try out another.