Break Map Help

[Cad]

Hello everyone!

I've just started using QCD because I got fed up having to strip out the frames that WMP adds to MP3 files when it plays them (!).

I've installed the OfficeXP skin because I don't want any fancy stuff, just a Dead Simple player GUI. I've made a few small changes (like removing all modes except Full) and I'm presently trying to get it to resize.

I've read the V5 manual on skin creation and I'm afraid the explanations of break maps in there are too brief and scant to be comprehensible. (As a technical author myself, that's rather disappointing!)

I've got it about 80% or so correct, but as you will see from the attached QSK file, it's not quite correct: the progress bar and volume control are getting corrupted by horizontal resizes. :(

Could a resident guru PLEASE tell me what I'm doing wrong, and how to correct my breakmapsH.bmp file? Many thanks in advance.

[Todd The Kiwi]

"QSD player" aye :laugh:

[squeege2]

From what I can see here...you'll need both a "mapbreakh.bmp" and a mapbreakv.bmp', maps. You'll also need a "set_resize.bmp", for the resizing arrow at the bottom right hand side of the player. This is variable state button, for mouse over, etc. The zip file can be changed to qsf, which is needed to be done, for QCD to open the skin. You'll also need a" skinkid .ini" file to indicate the name of the player and various other options, like visual resonators, if you want.
The maps for the breaks are easily done if you create new bitmaps, from your "map.bmp", so it's the exact size. Remember the "h" bitmap is actually a horizontal line, which gives you vertical adjustment. The "v" bitmap is a vertical line giving you the horizontal adjustment. If you remember this and set them to exactly where you want your skin to "break",and, keep them straight, you should be o.k. The "resize.bmp", is simply the pull part of the skin, to adjust its size.

[Cad]

From what I can see here...you'll need both a "mapbreakh.bmp" and a mapbreakv.bmp', maps. You'll also need a "set_resize.bmp",
Thanks for your suggestions, but I do already have those, and thought I had included them in my original ZIPfile?
I seem close to what I want to achieve but not completely there yet. Maybe posing my problems as questions will elicit the help I need, so here goes:
1) What do the different line colours in break maps specify? Are these breaks for different map numbers (map0, map1, etc.), or are they different kinds of break effects (e.g. stretch, tile, etc.), or are they used to specifiy different break positions across the screen (if that makes sense)?
2) The skin manual mentions different types of break 'effects' (stretch, tile, etc.) but does not include a list of these nor specifically how to achieve them.
3) Do break maps each need a single 'continuous' line or can one use discontinuous lines? If the latter, do I need to use different colours for each 'different' line or not?
Sorry if I'm being thick, but I just can't work out what to do to achieve the result I want!

[RobbieMc]

No, the zip file does not have mapbreakh, mapbreakv, or resizeset. The older version of the skinning guide covers resizing in more depth, though it can still be confusing. I've attached the resizing part of the old guide. It should answer your questions (and likely bring up more). In my experience, experimenting is the best way to learn how breakmaps work. If you could attach the qsk file that contains the resizing bitmaps we might be able to help more ;)

[fatal error]

fixed...

[squeege2]

Har...thanks fatal....much easier that way.:laugh:

[fatal error]

was skin that i put together any help?

[Cad]

No, the zip file does not have mapbreakh, mapbreakv, or resizeset.
Ah.

Well, here is one which does contain those files!

I'm about to read and digest both the manual and sample you posted (thanks!), will let you know how I get on.

[Cad]

was skin that i put together any help?Sorry, fatal, but not really!

Your version of the skin does work AOK, but what I want is for the track/artist area at the left of status bar to 'extend,' if that makes sense? And for all other controls to remain unaltered in size.

So, as the skin is dragged 'wider,' I want that track/artist control to become wider, and for all controls to the right of it in the status bar to be 'dragged' to the right. Does that explain it better?

My best effort at this does 'enlarge' the control I want but the 'bar' above the status bar goes haywire (see my QSK file). Also for some bizarre reason, dragging the skin 'wider' adds some weird vertical line 'artefacts' in the top toolbar area as the skin gets wider :confused:.

All help appreciated on these issues, and thanks for your ideas and help so far.

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

There's a break in your breakline which I know from experience is never going to work properly. Try and make it continuous by shifting some controls around (you just need that 1 pixel gap!).

Also you are missing mapbreaksV.bmp. You need that horizontal breakline too.

You are also missing skinkid.ini but im sure you realised that already. The rest looks fine. Good work! Keep it up! :)

[squeege2]

Would this help? Just for an idea.....2343

[Cad]

There's a break in your breakline which I know from experience is never going to work properly. Try and make it continuous by shifting some controls around (you just need that 1 pixel gap!).
Rex, thanks for your reply, but I'm not quite understanding you. When you say 'there's a break in your line,' do you mean that the line HAS to be continuous from top to bottom? That was not my understanding from the examples in the documentation. If that is what you mean, then I don't think I'll be able to achieve the effect I want. :depressed:

If that isn't what you meant, could you please explain it another way? I had thought/assumed/hoped one could create an L-shaped 'break' if you see what I mean?

Also you are missing mapbreaksV.bmp.
I just downloaded and checked the file I attached in #9 of this thread and it does contain a mapbreaksV.bmp; is it possible you're looking at the original file I sent in #1?

You need that horizontal breakline too.

You are also missing skinkid.ini but im sure you realised that already. The rest looks fine. Good work! Keep it up! :)
Thanks for the encouragement! I thought skinkid.ini wasn't necessary if a skin has only one 'full' window and no extensions etc.: am I wrong?

Many thanks again for your suggestions and help!

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

You understood me correctly. I'm just saying from experience breaklines that make jumps and are not continuous create problems. A skinning limitation as Fatal might point out ;) Like I said, just move some of the controls one pixel to the right and shove that vertical breakline between them.

Skinkid.ini just provides the name of the skin, some notes. It's just good to have it there as well as a thumbnail.bmp, a 60*60 bitmap. So people can identify your skin in the skin list in qmp.

[Tokelil]

You understood me correctly. I'm just saying from experience breaklines that make jumps and are not continuous create problems. A skinning limitation as Fatal might point out ;) Like I said, just move some of the controls one pixel to the right and shove that vertical breakline between them.I thought you could make breaklines jump as long as they are straight through the controls?

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

I thought you could make breaklines jump as long as they are straight through the controls?

Yeah I would wish that too. Maybe Paul knows something we don't...

[Tokelil]

Yeah I would wish that too. Maybe Paul knows something we don't...But this is already the case according to the skinning docs.
A break line must be straight through each control or extension it passes, but it does not need to
remain in the same straight line for all controls. Thus it can jump about dividing controls along
different lines.
Break lines are not required to be contiguous and don’t have to go completely through a control.
You can leave chunks out of a break line to allow for resizing of subsections of extensions or
controls. Implementing non-contiguous break lines will produce odd effects in most scenarios, but
you can do it. Using this property effectively will require extra testing.Also I have used break lines that aren't continuous in modded skins before. (Unless I'm missing the whole point in the last few posts...)

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

But this is already the case according to the skinning docs.
Also I have used break lines that aren't continuous in modded skins before. (Unless I'm missing the whole point in the last few posts...)

So why don't you have a go then? By all means if you can pull it off i'd be curious to know how you do it.

[squeege2]

I was able to get very close to CAD's request on this one. However, I still had to switch, the "sys message" area and the "Track /artist" area on his map....? This version is similar to the other, except that the "breakmaph" line, is no longer continuous, but is broken , or jumps, as it were. So, is it just with the track/artist control...? Not sure yet , but please confirm these results. thanks.
2346

[squeege2]

Sorry...here in .qsk

2347

[fatal error]

this is as close as i got without moving any controls or display areas.

[fatal error]

got this skin fixed now. ignore previous version.