View Full Version : Universal skin-system for Xbox apps and dashboards
how many of you haven't tried to download and port different skins over different applications? or perhaps just tried to create your own skins for all of the applications? i would like to see a standardisation similar to xport's applications for all the xbox software! and the feature to change one skin on all applications! i think, that this would make the xbox feel like a media/game center rather than a computer! share your opinions!
:kickass:
onkel bouncy
2004-07-11, 21:16
this is nearly impossibel.
every application has it's own programmer, features and skins.
you need hundreds of graphics and characteristics for menus, settings, games, ...
if you want an universal gui, try to make a skin for xbmc first.
*???
um you didn't include an option along the lines of:
"don't be stupid this is an impossibility"
nothing is impossible with opensource! sure, it'd take long time before perfection and alot of work would be needed - but hey, it's possible. teamwork is the keyword we're looking for here. :)
lol ok another question since you seem to think open source is relevant. exactly how many of all these apps and emulators your talking about are open source?
don't you realise that the vast majority aren't? that's stops it happening right there.
Gamester17
2004-07-12, 14:30
it isn't possible in practice
nice idea though. one of the reasons why people keep asking for so many non media related features in xbmc is to keep it all in one neat consistant package that looks good. a standard skin system although not practial would help to keep a consistant look and feel when using different apps.
shame that there are just too many obstacles in the way of it happening.
making a skin for xbmc is not like making one for evox or avalaunch or any other apps, take a look on how many xml files and how many images there are in a xbmc skin.
i believe it's much better to add features to xbmc to make it the main and only application for xbox.
if it has eeprom and flashing tools and cd\dvd copy tools then you'll not need any other application for your xbox.
onkel bouncy
2004-07-12, 23:41
that's right.
:d
instead of a "universal skin system", why not make a skin "standard" that hopefully most people would go by. maybe even a library. you would have to be really careful to not hard code anything about the ui, since it would be a multi-program standard...
us linux people have been fighting for a qt and gtk skin integration/standard for years. it's a real bitch when half of your apps look nothing like the other half. a project on freedesktop that uses qt to draw the gtk apps is a start, but loading two window toolkits for the price of one makes the word hack come to mind, and not solution. think about it. you're loading twice what you should have to.
it's damn near impossible with all the old and new xbox applications. but if it has floating image, text ( with fonts ), input, dialog, animation, ( scripting would be a must... but it would also be a must that scripting support should let the devs have the flexibility they may need, without losing compatibility with other applications. ) etc. then it should make developing the ui less of a hassle for the devs, which would make them want to use it to begin with.
webMASTER_P
2004-10-05, 22:08
as much as i would love it, yeah, that would be pretty hard to do. first, all the developers would have to agree on a skinning engine, and that's not happening. even if they did, applications would become less customizable. i absolutley love chokemaniac's work, seeing how project mayhem is being ported to a lot of other apps.
this is probably the best way to achieve uniformity on your xbox.
i would love to see more skinners do that. once i get off my ass and begin updating xbmatik, i do plan to port it to a few more apps.