QCD Skin Tool

[drewkeller]

here's what i've been working on for the last 4 weeks:

www.drewkeller.com/download/QCDSkinTool.zip (http://www.drewkeller.com/download/QCDSkinTool.zip)

This is very pre-alpha, i'm posting so i can get your comments based on this demonstration (and then i can start finalizing some of my datastructures hopefully). I've hardcoded some files into it so you can see how it works.

IMPORTANT -> Mainly what i would like to know is what workflow makes sense to you.

This demonstration is based on the way i would do it, which is not necessarily the way other skinners might do it. I create my buttons in place on the skin body in different layers for the different button states. So creating the five files as used by the demonstration below is as easy as turning off/on a few layers.

Anyway, to see how it works...
1. Unzip all files to a folder.
2. After running QCDSkinCreator.exe, right click on the checkered area and select Load Bitmap. I've hardcoded this command to load map.bmp, normal.bmp, hover.bmp, click.bmp, and down.bmp into the appropriate tabs for the Main extension
3. Right click in work area again and select Find Skin Controls. This searches the bitmaps that were loaded and recognizes the buttons and so forth.
5. Click File/Save. This writes the test.qsk file with bitmaps containing the buttons. (I have not done the playlist bars, etc. yet, so some of the files aren't exactly to spec.)

Don't do anything with the Inspector. Since i haven't finished the datastructures, i haven't done any debugging on that thing at all.

[drewkeller]

P.S.
I should probably say what the main goal of this program is....
To relieve the tediousness of a lot of copying and pasting into x number of skin files (which would otherwise have to be memorized). And then debugging and copying and pasting ad infinitum until all the pieces are finally in exaclty the right places for the skin to actually work. and then discovering that you forgot a button and then repeat all of the above.

I would say 85% of the tedium headaches are from the buttons, so i'm focusing on them mainly to begin with

[Xymantix]

Wow, what a great idea! This should save me a lot of time based on the way that I do the buttons in layers in PS. Maybe my cutting/pasting fingers won't go numb now :) I'll take it out for a spin tonight.

[chicubs]

Finally!!...havent tried it yet, but Ill report back soon.

[chicubs]

just tried it for a minute...i cant load any .bmp/body files :mad: :confused: :p

[drewkeller]

just tried it for a minute...i cant load any .bmp/body files :mad: :confused: :p
does it give you an error?
the bitmaps actually load in the map/normal/etc tabs which are behind the preview tab that is on top.

[chicubs]

does it give you an error?
the bitmaps actually load in the map/normal/etc tabs which are behind the preview tab that is on top.

its nowhere...a get no error message.

[regener8ed]

*gasp*

that would have come in handy for prizm.... almost 4000 individual images...

[Young Twig]

just tried it for a minute...i cant load any .bmp/body files :mad: :confused: :p
ditto. plus i'm just about done with Snow... A little late. :)

[drewkeller]

well, i suppose that's enough response that i'll go ahead with the method i've been using.

the first thing i'll do is allow the user to choose a bitmap to open using the open dialog and the same for saving to a skin file. it should only take a few minutes so tomorrow morning - or maybe tonight if i feel like working on it.

i still haven't thought of a way i'm really happy with to incorporate the playlist and encoder bars. here are the options i've thought of....

1) create my own bitmap protocol using a single bitmap file containing both playlist and encoder bars in it along with the 5 states for each. <- this is what i'm tring to get away from

2) leave it like it is. i would only output the buttons and the skinner would have to add the bars in after.

3) let the skinner create the trackset.bmp and encoderset.bmp and i add the buttons to the existing file. somewhat like 2) except a little better.

4) ask for dimensions of the bars in whatever extension has the playlist/encoder areas and then read the button states from the normal, hover, click, etc. bitmaps for that extension (with a 5th state)

5) treat the bar information like another extension with their own normal, hover, click, etc (5 states) bitmaps.

option 4 is looking the best to me

[drewkeller]

the first thing i'll do is allow the user to choose a bitmap to open using the open dialog and the same for saving to a skin file.
i uploaded the modified files. you can use the same link above to download.

i added an option to load default bitmaps which are based off the bottom tab names and prefixed with either _ (for main) or 0..9 (for extensions). the default bitmaps for the main ext are included in my zip file.

[ace2701]

i uploaded the modified files. you can use the same link above to download.

i added an option to load default bitmaps which are based off the bottom tab names and prefixed with either _ (for main) or 0..9 (for extensions). the default bitmaps for the main ext are included in my zip file.
OK, I've got it. Now, should I just extract all of it to my QCD skintool folder, and overwrite any files that are already there, or delete certain older files before I extract? The first version didn't work for me, either.

[drewkeller]

OK, I've got it. Now, should I just extract all of it to my QCD skintool folder, and overwrite any files that are already there, or delete certain older files before I extract? The first version didn't work for me, either.
go ahead and delete all the old files first (or overwrite if they exist). if they aren't in the new zip, i don't use them by default.

i don't know why there seem to be problems with reading from bitmap files. i'm using borland's own Bitmap.LoadFromFile routine for that and there's nothing about needing any special windows version for it to work. i'm wondering if they are actually loading but not getting displayed properly. what happens if you perform the right click > Find Skin Controls after attempting to load the default bitmaps? If the bitmaps didn't actually load, you'll get an error -- List index out of bounds (0). If you don't get that error, try saving and see what ends up in the qsk file.

[ace2701]

go ahead and delete all the old files first (or overwrite if they exist). if they aren't in the new zip, i don't use them by default.

i don't know why there seem to be problems with reading from bitmap files. i'm using borland's own Bitmap.LoadFromFile routine for that and there's nothing about needing any special windows version for it to work. i'm wondering if they are actually loading but not getting displayed properly. what happens if you perform the right click > Find Skin Controls after attempting to load the default bitmaps? If the bitmaps didn't actually load, you'll get an error -- List index out of bounds (0). If you don't get that error, try saving and see what ends up in the qsk file.
I guess I'm doing SOMETHING wrong. I now get the default bitmap (I guess), but when I try to go further ( find skin controls), I get all kinds of errors. Like "divide by zero","can't find the right files" and finally all kinds of critical errors. Then when I try to exit, The 'pooter goes bonkers and gives me an exception error in the main .exe. Then my IE explorer no longer works, and I have to give it the "three fingered salute" and start up all over again. This vague description probably won't help you, but it's the best I can do. I'll try to read your instructions again at another time, but in the meantime, keep up the good work. Maybe the other guru skinners will be able to figure it out, but this old man still has a lot to learn :o .

[drewkeller]

I guess I'm doing SOMETHING wrong. I now get the default bitmap (I guess), but when I try to go further ( find skin controls), I get all kinds of errors.
hmm
it runs without any errors on my computer. i'll try it out on my computer at work tomorrow. out of curiosity, what version of windows are you using?

[ace2701]

hmm
it runs without any errors on my computer. i'll try it out on my computer at work tomorrow. out of curiosity, what version of windows are you using?
Win 98SE.

Oops, I just got caught with the "10 character" nastygram :D .

[chicubs]

"List index out of bounds" :confused:

[drewkeller]

"List index out of bounds" :confused: if it said "out of bounds (0)" i'm thinking you tried to do something before it actually had the bitmaps loaded. otherwise, i'll need some more information in order to try to fix, for example, what you were trying to do when it gave you the error.

[chicubs]

all I try to do is load a bitmap and immediatly it pops up (the message).

[drewkeller]

what steps are you doing to load a bitmap?

[lukeprog]

This is a great idea for a tool. Keep up the good work! I haven't tried it yet, as I have no graphics for a skin created yet, but it sounds very nice (if it works).

[Neo]

here's what i've been working on for the last 4 weeks:

www.drewkeller.com/download/QCDSkinTool.zip (http://www.drewkeller.com/download/QCDSkinTool.zip)
Does this still exist? Anywhere?

[FRY]

Does this still exist? Anywhere?
Nice :dead: very nice... :depressed
Link is - :dead:

[drewkeller]

sorry, i switched to a new host recently... i ftp'ed it back up

i added a readme with instructions in the zip file. if you have errors, please be specific with what the error tells you and how you got the error (which extension tab and which state tab, etc).

i should also mention that this was designed for QCD 4.11, release version. It will not work for resizable playlist etc. i haven't read the new skin docs for QCD 4.50 so i have no idea which 4.50 controls will work or not work with this.

thanks.

[chicubs]

I always get this error

List Index Out of Bounds (0)

when following instructions. Fixable?

[drewkeller]

I always get this error

List Index Out of Bounds (0)

when following instructions. Fixable? on which step of the instructions? and are you loading the default bitmaps or your own?

[chicubs]

on which step of the instructions? and are you loading the default bitmaps or your own?

Just when I right click and choose one of the two....either way it crashes.

[drewkeller]

Just when I right click and choose one of the two....either way it crashes.
it's not a crash, it's an error message... at least if this is the same problem we've been discussing.
-A crash happens when the program loses control of itself (this is bad programming).
-An error message happens when the program detects an error ...detecting errors is necessary for preventing a crashes... and the program still HAS control of itself (this is good programming).

I'm assuming your problem is ocurring in step 2 of loading the default bitmaps, since you still didn't specify.

I uploaded a new version with an added error message to figure out where the error message is being generated. Try it out.

[chicubs]

Yah, i was being stupid, sorry, but step 2 still fails and gives that error message.

[l-courni]

got to try that tomorrow, sounds nice :)

[chicubs]

Whats going on L-Courni?