But there is still the question when the animation will start. Will it be started anew each time the window/layout is shown, or will it just be starte when the skin is loaded and never restarted?
The workaround is simple. Just create several layouts..
Here is how I see things :
Let's say we have several background images, one for each layout.
Background A :
Background B :
The skin loads and shows the Main Window - layout_1 (with background A).
This layout_1 contains an "intro animation" which is played only once (loop=1), showing some flashing lights, or blinking neon lights (whatever).
The "intro animation" (placed somewhere over the background A) ends after 10 seconds (approximatively). The animation (which is a vertical sequence of frames in the image file, everybody knows that) ends with an empty frame. Since this animation is only played once, the last frame is the image that will be shown, transforming this animated bitmap into a static bitmap (as erwan10 said). But erwan10 suggested to use the first frame for the static image, I would prefer the last one. It sounds more logical to me (imo).
Then, since the animation is now over, the skin can be used normaly.
The user opens the EQ window, which is in fact, ... a drawer. So the skin loads the layout_2 (with background B). This layout doesn't contain any animation (but it might also.. it depends on what the author of the skin wants.. but nevermind. In this example, layout_2 doesn't contain any).
The user closes the EQ window. And at this moment, the skin loads layout_3, which is almost the same as layout_1, without the "intro animation".
Layout_3 loads the same background A image as layout_1.
This workaround is VERY simple to use. It's just up to the "skin author" just to create another layout_3 (so.. just a copy-paste to do in the xml file).
@ erwan10 :
Could you please, explain me this sentense (it would help me much if you could translate it to french, thanks) :
- the timer start time is not changed (which means that some animated bitmaps may never be seen as such if part of an invisible window/layout). That also means that a special care must be given to the first subimage (must carry a meaningful content in case animation is not seen)
-- xanax