What am I doing wrong? Help!

[BestRip]

Trying out a new skin (that is not complete), I get full processor load and cannot get out of that skin (OK it's not to tight or anything like that...:)).
I have done this a few times but the last time I had to flip the power switch on the PC and start in failsafe mode and reinstall another skin to get out of there.

Is there a possibility to try out the components or does the skin have to be complete?
I used "Update to dBpowerAMP" and then changed skin from the program. Should this work or is there another procedure?

[Razgo]

well whenever I made a half unfinished skin I could still hover the mouse over it and right click to select another skin.

it won't right click over it for you?

[BestRip]

Hi Razgo,

well it has been possible at times, but whatever is wrong takes so much processor time that it sticks the mouse and I mostly have to use the keyboard to get any response. (The last time it took me 1 hour to get out of there, back to normal!)

Is there a particular function that is doing this or is it all the unused ones adding up?

What I understand from your answer it will do this on an incomplete skin? When is it complete, does the whole equlizer have to be done? and the tray item?

Mainly what I'm trying to find out is what I have to put in there so that it won't act up on me like this.

[Razgo]

wow that is some serious problems. well I'm no skin expert so I start a skin based on a default skin. so for me all the components are already there. I just change the images etc...

But I have never tried to do a skin from scratch, which that sounds like what your are doing?

hmmm... have you read through Narler's skin tutorial? it might help track down where the problem is?

[BestRip]

Hi,

yes! it was really nasty the last time around. :happy:

I have tried baseing it on an existant skin erlier, and I guess that is a safer way to go so I'll use that again. Great idea!

I have read through the Narler's skin tutorial and it is really good, and I keep checking back in it for reference on details, but is there more documentation anywhere?

[Razgo]

the only other documentation I know of is Spoons "skin help" that comes with the skin designer.

the only other thing I can think of is when you are making your skin and you click "update dbpoweramp" and then fire up dap to see the skin while the skin designer window is still open, that will use a lot of processing power as the update is in real time.

So make sure you shut down skin designer and also maybe make sure you have "select a different skin" option enabled everytime you start dap. then if your in a pickle you could always ctrl+alt+del and shut down dap, then the next time you restart it will start with another skin.

I know thats not much help, but thats all I can think of at the moment.

[BestRip]

Thank you, great help actually!

Had a quick look but couldn't find: "select a different skin" option enabled...
Where do I look?

[Razgo]

just click on menu on the skin or right click over it, and then select click on skins. there you will see an option on what happens every time dap starts. you can even set a timer on it to change every so many minutes.


http://razgo.com/pics/skins.png

[BestRip]

Oh, how I love this program!!! :kiss:

It is working very well now that I'm basing the new skin on an old one, really great, so much easier.

I'm having a fantastic time with this, thank you Razgo for your help!
:happy:

[Razgo]

no worries. looking forward to seeing your skin creation :D

[BestRip]

I have a slide window with labels that won't update between tracks unless I use autoscroll or close and then reopen the window. (Track length/timers show correctly).

If I use "Autoscroll if text to large to display" then if next text is smaller and not scrolling it will not update but if long enugh so it's scrolling then it updates ok.

If I put the same labels on the main amp window it works ok.

Is this how it works or do I have a setting that's wrong?

[Spoon]

It might be a bug - I know of people who have said if you stick the graphic eq display line on a different windows to the scrollers it does not update either, I will hopefully fix it before release 2.

But saying that if you load the default skin, and have a look as userdefined Component #1, the track playing in on a window that is not the main window.

[BestRip]

Hi Spoon,

Yes, but the default one is set to "autoscroll" and that seems to work ok for me too.

It is when I want the text not to scroll that the problem starts.

Say for example I want the Track Number on a "wing" then to have the correct number appear the label has to autoscroll, and it looks kinda silly.
Closing and opening this wing-window updates it to the correct current Track Number (and all other label info as well).

[Spoon]

I will note it down as a bug.

[Narler]

well it has been possible at times, but whatever is wrong takes so much processor time that it sticks the mouse and I mostly have to use the keyboard to get any response. (The last time it took me 1 hour to get out of there, back to normal!)

Is there a particular function that is doing this or is it all the unused ones adding up?

What I understand from your answer it will do this on an incomplete skin? When is it complete, does the whole equlizer have to be done? and the tray item?

Mainly what I'm trying to find out is what I have to put in there so that it won't act up on me like this.

Hi,

Yes I've had that happen to me a few times also. I was never able to pinpoint out the exact sequence of events that causes it to occur. The only conclusion I could come up with is there is an element (object, button or label) that is not linked or has been incorrectly assigned.

Another reason where I've seen dBpowerAMP respond slowly, is if you assign the same picture to multiple object, and then in the skin designer delete one of those objects. This in effect removes the picture from the skin directory and therefore all other objects using that picture, display *nothing*.

Also if in the skin designer you delete an object that another one is associated with, that to can cause some wierd results in dBpowerAMP.

There are two ways to get out of it (although i've never been tied up for the duration that you have suffered). First off if it's only dBpowerAMP player that is having trouble responding, and you still have the Skin Designer open and it's working ok, just choose load (select a working skin) and update dbpoweramp again. The other way is as razgo mentioned, to right click on the skin and try and select another skin.

To answer your other question:.. No there's no need to do things, or create objects in a selected order. You just have to remember that when you create a skin, and want an object to appear on that skin, that when you create the object you MUST put the object on the skin. If not your object could end up in limbo. Also any skin that you create, the last skin will always be the highest visible in the skin designer, so that can certainly influence your order of doing things, especially if you have skins that overlap.

With reference to basing skins on existing skins, I don't do that as you have to delete numerous objects in order to start work. What I did was make a blank skin (with no objects) and i always base any new skins I make on that one. You can download the Blank skin from my Skin Tutorial Web page.

On the question of labels, yes, any label that isn't set to auto scroll when the label is not associated with the main skin (IsAmpWindow) will not be updated. So if you wish them to be autoupdated you must set them to autoscroll, or only place them on the IsAmpWindow.

The main thing to look at though, is if all the labels are set to autoscroll it requires more processor usage, so that's not always a good solution. So with that in mind I still create skins where the labels don't update.

As Spoon mentioned you can make the skin with the labels under the userdefined Component #1, however in doing so, it can't be locked to the primary window (even though there is an option to do so, it seems to have no effect)

I mentioned this label problem earlier you can See this thread here (http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread.php?threadid=225).


All the best

[Spoon]

There is an update to the skin designer that fixes many if not all of these problems. 2 weeks.

[BestRip]

Thank you Narler,
and thanks for your very extensive and easy to follow skin tutorial, it's been great help. :thumbup:

I have downloaded and tried out your NTM amp skin, it looked really good! I had just read your warning on how it was taking a lot of processing power, but went there anyway and got into some more of my erlier trouble (no learning capacity whatsoever...):supersmil

I actually suspect a possibility there might be a little bug there, can't pinpoint where it should be. but I've noticed that the shaded VU or scope utils are rather processor demanding, and whenever it starts being a bit tough it seems to escalate? (Don't know really.)

But, I took the advice of basing the new skin on an old one and have not had any problems at all since then (on that part). Easy as I just start with the amp image and then continue to replace button by button, having most parameters already entered - I tend to forget some of them otherwise.

Thanks and cya

[BestRip]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the new Skin Designer version, not so much because of any problems with this one, but that it is a delight to se all the nice features and subtle ways you use solving things.
:supersmil

[Spoon]

I am / have nearly finished a new skin - it basically the same design as 'Default', but in a gold scheme. Anyway the point of this message is - I will be releasing the GoldenAmp Real Draw Pro file with the next skin designer - so creating a new custom skin can be as easy (if you can call it that) as Load skin into Real Draw Pro and mess about with the colours then grab the skin and buttons out.

[Narler]

I look forward to seeing the new skin designer version, although I prefer to use Adobe Photoshop for image generation, mainly because I can setup the skin using Adobe's awesome multi-layer abilities, so in effect I can generate the complete skin in adobe, then just select the layers and "savecopy as" to make the bmp's. that way I can change anything on the skin extremely easily.

Does Real Draw Pro have features like that?.. If so I might check it out?

To BestRip: I'm glad my tutorial was of some benefit to you. On the topic of visual displays, yes they do use quite a bit of processor time, especially the 256 spectrum, that is the most hungry of them all and as such i NEVER use that on the main skin. If I use the 256 spectrum it's always as a user option, so they can turn it on or off.

I'm glad you like the NTM skin. The best way to learn is to experiment with a working skin, so feel free to mess around with it in the skin designer. If you have any questions or queries on how (or why) I did something, just ask.

Have fun.

[Spoon]

Yes it can have layers, but I tend not to use them.

[BestRip]

Originally posted by Spoon
There is an update to the skin designer that fixes many if not all of these problems. 2 weeks.

Hi, :happy:

Who's counting... (Sorry, just kidding, but it feels like being really small waiting for Santa or something).

I cannot get different skin layers to be stable on my test skin. I've tried some solutions similar to Narlers NTM skin where more than one skin window layer shares the same area (covers each other if loaded at the same time). When moving the amp on the desktop it's skins separate up to 1 cm sideways. Also it will swap skin (without unactivating the toggle button for the command) if I grab the amp on another area than the latest loaded skin layer. Pressing that toggle button again, the skin appears and then directly does the deactivation.

A question: should it actually work ok to use for example 2 play buttons on 2 different overlays on the same amp? I have used it but I don't understand if it is supposed to work or if it just happened to do so in this case.

Another question: are there many changes to expect in the Skin Designer v2?
:smile2:

[Spoon]

The next skin release has been released. One thing to be sure is that when adding a component when there are multiple windows is that the window where it is going is selected, so it gets placed on the right window. You might also want to post your skin so one of us could take a look at it.

[Narler]

I cannot get different skin layers to be stable on my test skin. I've tried some solutions similar to Narlers NTM skin where more than one skin window layer shares the same area (covers each other if loaded at the same time). When moving the amp on the desktop it's skins separate up to 1 cm sideways.

This could be due to the skins being to complex and using to much CPU time, you get what looks like "tearing", the skins can't stay together. Either that, or just make sure you have selected "Locked to Primary Window" from the Object Properties, for each skin.


Also it will swap skin (without unactivating the toggle button for the command) if I grab the amp on another area than the latest loaded skin layer. Pressing that toggle button again, the skin appears and then directly does the deactivation.

This sounds like a Z-Order problem, I made a post about some of the hassles I've had with Z-Order.

You can Read this post HERE (http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=223) I also made a test skin that just looks at how Z-Order works, and if you test it, then move the skin, you'll see which window (skin) takes priority. (in the above link, is the link to download this test Z-Order Skin).

However the way skins operate (almost irrespective of the Z-Order setting) is completely different when these skins are placed ontop of the main (IsAmpWindow) skin. For the NTM skin I had to do something tricky in order to get them to display as I wanted, and not change when the IsAmpWindow is moved around the screen. So while you're getting use to the Z-Order setting etc. I would suggest not trying to put the skins ontop of the IsAmpWindow. maybe just put them on the right of the skin, then you can experiment with the Z-Order without having to worry about what happens with IsAmpWindow. Hope that makes sense.

For example, say you set the IsAmpWindow to Z-Order 10, and then make a new skin that sits over the top (activated by a button) and you set that skin to Z-Order 1, the moment you click anywhere on the IsAmpWindow (even though it's set to Z-Order 10 (which is lower than Z-Order 1), it will still take priority (focus). There is a way around this and I can detail how to do that if you wish. I have done this workaround in the NTM skin, but I didn't do the workaround in the Narler's X Skin. You will see on that skin, if you open the EQ, the moment you click anywhere on the IsAmpWindow, the eq disappears.

One quick workaround for this is do what I did in the Narler's X Skin, and that is put a tab (or leave part of the window exposed) that way the user can click on the tab, and that window will come back into focus (ontop), this is especially good if you have multiple skins (windows) overlayed. You can see that in the Narler's Tie Fighter Skin. I have 5 skins that overlay and each has a quick tab that hangs out. Now with the NTM skin i put these tabs inside the skin (the tabs have the green writing on them on the left), so you can quickly select a window if you have all of them open.

Now if you check that Z-Order test skin I made you'll see how multiple skins (without the IsAmpWindow being in the way) react when you move the skin. So the best way to make sure that whichever skin the user opened last remains ontop of the other open skins, is to make sure all those skins have the exact same Z-Order number.

If you wish me to detail how I got the windows to display correctly in the NTM skin, lets know and I can go through that. It's a little more work than creating the tabs, but as you've probably noticed, it looks better.


A question: should it actually work ok to use for example 2 play buttons on 2 different overlays on the same amp? I have used it but I don't understand if it is supposed to work or if it just happened to do so in this case.

I'm not 100% sure what you mean, but I think you're asking if you put a play button on each skin (say you have 5 skins that would = a total of 5 play buttons). What will happen is every play button (irrespective of how many you have) will all ONLY operate as one play button. This is because all of them are set to perform the same function "evtdBPlay". So if you click on one of the play buttons, ALL of the play buttons will be set to play. This goes for every button you create. If you check the Narler's NTM skin, you will see about 6 buttons that can turn the EQ On or Off. If you click on one of those buttons to turn the EQ on, All the other buttons will also show the EQ is on.

Hope some of that info is helpful.

[BestRip]

Thanks again Narler,

It was quite enlightening. I have now fooled around a bit with some test parts and gotten a better idea how it all works. (It's really great how fast you can test a new idea, about 1-2 seconds on my machine :supersmil )

I understand why the skin part that you activate by mouse clicking on it really should become the active (and top most) part, it would be kinda odd if not. Also the function of "magnetic" sticking of parts that can be moved around separately is good, but making the idea of building with separate parts a little difficult as some parts can tear apart the others (hope this is understandable).
I feel that it should be great to have an option to lock parts together or something similar.
Well I don't know really all that is lying behind the coding and what is easy to do and not, but I have replanned a bit of the design and I think I'm going to get by with what is at the moment.

Maybe we should think this issue through a bit more and try to come up with a good suggestion to Spoon on the Wishlist for the Skin Designer. For now I just wish him a great vacation.

Thanks and cya