How do you go about creating a skin?
- Thread starter p17blo
- Start date
dsayers2014
VIP Member
I've been looking at creating plugin but it isn't as easy as I thought and a skin will be harder one thing I have learned is how to pack and unpack ipk files so you could use blue hd skin find the ipk file unpack it and edit from there editing the xml files.
Don't take my word for it though because I don't have anywhere as much experience as needed hopefully kiddac will give you a bit of advice
Don't take my word for it though because I don't have anywhere as much experience as needed hopefully kiddac will give you a bit of advice
kiddac
Newbie
It is very very complicated at first and massively time consuming. My slyk1hd skin took 3 months from beginning to end working on it every single evening. A lot of this was the learning process, but even now there is still minor bugs that need tweaking. I doesn't have to be as complicated as mine as I pretty much skinned every component individually and obviously I was trying to replicate the original as close as possible. I don't think any other sky skin went into so much detail as mine though so you never have to go into this much detail. And you will crash your box a lot. And I mean a lot. And the only way to test your skin is to install it on your box. This means rebooting your box literally hundreds of times in a day. oh not forgetting there will probably be an error in this...so you will bootlloop your box, so you have to keep amending your xml file until your box comes out of the bootloop... repeat..repeat again....ha
There isn't any real tool you can use other than a photoshop and google.
You need to mockup everything first in Photoshop, using losts of layers and lots guides.
Here is an example screen my skins epg.
The obvious way to start is to have a play around with an existing skin. Amending the main elements. This would be the epgs, channel select, info bars, menus, message boxes. But to skin everything is a major task. There are 1000s of elements to find and skin. (warning don't do it ;) )
You will constantly need to cross-reference existing skins. the default ones are just one big huge file. Metrix breaks it up a little. My slyk1hd breaks the individual elements up in to more organised files.
the default openatv skin
https://github.com/openatv/enigma2/blob/master/data/skin_default.xml
the default vix skin
https://github.com/oe-alliance/oe-alliance-e2-skindefault/blob/master/skin_default.xml
metrix skin is very complete, but massively over complicated. But a great reference for finding components.
https://github.com/openatv/MetrixHD/tree/master/usr/share/enigma2/MetrixHD
A good reference guide is this german guy who has tried to document a lot of the elements of the old enigma2 boxes.
Kategorie:BlueDreamHD – Gemini-Wiki
You also have to learn the names of every single screen component. This is a mission in itself. Finding where the bleeding thing appears.
There is also lots of legacy screens that are in the default skins that don't even exist anymore that you will try and find but don't exist. Which will drive you insane.
For each screen I went through the entire default skin and put a reference text label in it, then tried to find that screen on my box. Again a mission in itself.
<screen name="Menu" position="center,center" size="560,460" title="Main menu">
<eLabel text="Menu" position="0,0" size="200,20" font="skymed;10" foregroundColor="white" backgroundColor="red" zPosition="20" transparent="1"/>
<panel name="BasicTemplate" />
<widget source="menu" render="Listbox" position="10,55" size="520,350" scrollbarMode="showOnDemand" itemHeight="35" font="Regular;28">
<convert type="StringList"/>
</widget>
</screen>
Your first starting point is the skin.xml. This is where you set up the basics of the skin. Colors. Fonts. Menu structure etc. This is the heart of the skin.
http://wiki.blue-panel.com/index.php/First_basics_for_a_skin_(en)
You will also soon learn some graphics have to live in a particular folder or the root. These aren't referenced by you, but by the python elements themselves so they have to be in the correct location.
You also have to learn to cross reference the default py files to see what elements can be used in a particular screen. Again this is a needle in a haystack finding which screen references which python component. You will be constantly google enigma2 openatv py etc.
I have 20+ years as a graphic designer, I also have a programming background. But this was a very difficult task.
If you are still up for it, go for it. I will help with any questions you have. But believe me it isn't easy to do a full skin. Part skin of key elements shouldn't be too difficult if you are willing to put the effort in and do a lot of research.
Start by changing colours, changing fonts, changing the positions of a few things.
Good luck. You will need it.
---------- Post Merged at 12:59 PM ----------
and here is where my skinning journey began
http://www.techkings.org/zgemma-star-2s/77148-new-sky-skin-coming-soon-blue-hd-2-a.html
There isn't any real tool you can use other than a photoshop and google.
You need to mockup everything first in Photoshop, using losts of layers and lots guides.
Here is an example screen my skins epg.
The obvious way to start is to have a play around with an existing skin. Amending the main elements. This would be the epgs, channel select, info bars, menus, message boxes. But to skin everything is a major task. There are 1000s of elements to find and skin. (warning don't do it ;) )
You will constantly need to cross-reference existing skins. the default ones are just one big huge file. Metrix breaks it up a little. My slyk1hd breaks the individual elements up in to more organised files.
the default openatv skin
https://github.com/openatv/enigma2/blob/master/data/skin_default.xml
the default vix skin
https://github.com/oe-alliance/oe-alliance-e2-skindefault/blob/master/skin_default.xml
metrix skin is very complete, but massively over complicated. But a great reference for finding components.
https://github.com/openatv/MetrixHD/tree/master/usr/share/enigma2/MetrixHD
A good reference guide is this german guy who has tried to document a lot of the elements of the old enigma2 boxes.
Kategorie:BlueDreamHD – Gemini-Wiki
You also have to learn the names of every single screen component. This is a mission in itself. Finding where the bleeding thing appears.
There is also lots of legacy screens that are in the default skins that don't even exist anymore that you will try and find but don't exist. Which will drive you insane.
For each screen I went through the entire default skin and put a reference text label in it, then tried to find that screen on my box. Again a mission in itself.
<screen name="Menu" position="center,center" size="560,460" title="Main menu">
<eLabel text="Menu" position="0,0" size="200,20" font="skymed;10" foregroundColor="white" backgroundColor="red" zPosition="20" transparent="1"/>
<panel name="BasicTemplate" />
<widget source="menu" render="Listbox" position="10,55" size="520,350" scrollbarMode="showOnDemand" itemHeight="35" font="Regular;28">
<convert type="StringList"/>
</widget>
</screen>
Your first starting point is the skin.xml. This is where you set up the basics of the skin. Colors. Fonts. Menu structure etc. This is the heart of the skin.
http://wiki.blue-panel.com/index.php/First_basics_for_a_skin_(en)
You will also soon learn some graphics have to live in a particular folder or the root. These aren't referenced by you, but by the python elements themselves so they have to be in the correct location.
You also have to learn to cross reference the default py files to see what elements can be used in a particular screen. Again this is a needle in a haystack finding which screen references which python component. You will be constantly google enigma2 openatv py etc.
I have 20+ years as a graphic designer, I also have a programming background. But this was a very difficult task.
If you are still up for it, go for it. I will help with any questions you have. But believe me it isn't easy to do a full skin. Part skin of key elements shouldn't be too difficult if you are willing to put the effort in and do a lot of research.
Start by changing colours, changing fonts, changing the positions of a few things.
Good luck. You will need it.
---------- Post Merged at 12:59 PM ----------
and here is where my skinning journey began
http://www.techkings.org/zgemma-star-2s/77148-new-sky-skin-coming-soon-blue-hd-2-a.html
Last edited:
Chabs
TK Veteran
Hi mate, it is not easy to create a skin from base. And it is not as hard as kiddac claims.
It is very time consuming and you need to have a base layout in your mind. This is how you would want you skin to look like.
These are the different screens you need to display. Screens like 1st and 2nd infobars, epg screens, menu screens etc.
You cannot screen components as reference by kiddac, you only skin screens and some plugins. These are called screen names.
There are some tools you can use which might help you out in terms of positioning objects, graphics and widgets. Google about E2 Skinner tools to help you out.
Kiddac, sorry mate, I do not need to offend you but you do not need to keep comparing your sky skin with other sky skins every time you make comments.
These sky skins you keep referring to came way before even when you knew what skinning is. You need to give those people who put efforts into these skins respect.
You want to talk about your skin that is fair enough mate, it is your right, you have worked hard for it but you dont need to mention other peoples work or compare yours to them.
How would you know that they didnt put as much work into those skin as you did? These skinners build the foundation and idea that made you create your skin.
Learn to give people like abell, fraggle, rossi2000 and myself some respect. This is not sum kind of competitions, so no need to diss other sky skins just because u think yours is better.
Like I said, I dont mean to offend you. Keep up the good work mate.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
It is very time consuming and you need to have a base layout in your mind. This is how you would want you skin to look like.
These are the different screens you need to display. Screens like 1st and 2nd infobars, epg screens, menu screens etc.
You cannot screen components as reference by kiddac, you only skin screens and some plugins. These are called screen names.
There are some tools you can use which might help you out in terms of positioning objects, graphics and widgets. Google about E2 Skinner tools to help you out.
Kiddac, sorry mate, I do not need to offend you but you do not need to keep comparing your sky skin with other sky skins every time you make comments.
These sky skins you keep referring to came way before even when you knew what skinning is. You need to give those people who put efforts into these skins respect.
You want to talk about your skin that is fair enough mate, it is your right, you have worked hard for it but you dont need to mention other peoples work or compare yours to them.
How would you know that they didnt put as much work into those skin as you did? These skinners build the foundation and idea that made you create your skin.
Learn to give people like abell, fraggle, rossi2000 and myself some respect. This is not sum kind of competitions, so no need to diss other sky skins just because u think yours is better.
Like I said, I dont mean to offend you. Keep up the good work mate.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
kiddac
Newbie
Where exactly i am slagging other skins off in this thread? Rossi in particular makes some awesome skins and my skin would never of happened without be inspired from his. i have never been a fan of fraggles and i have always said that from day one. But thats just an opinion, just like plenty of people dont like mine. I admire anyone that tries to make a full skin because its hardwork and does take up a big chunk of your spare time. And of course i am always going to blow my own trumpet, just like you were on every sat forum going when you were contributing to that skin.
Chabs
TK Veteran
I am sorry mate. I think you have confused me with someone else. Contributing to what skin? I dont contribute to any skin.
You will never see me comparing any of projects or dissing anyones work. I appreciate anyones work as little as it may be.
Arent you the one who claimed that rossi's skin and other sky skins were "all over the place"? And thats why you had to make yours?
Anyways mate, like I mentioned above, you do not have to compare your skin with others.
The guy asked for advice on skinning from base. You can say on how much effort you had put into your skin but you dont have to compare with how others did in theirs.
Doesnt matter how little or much efforts someone puts in their projects, you should learn to either give credits where its due or just keep quiet.
This is your 1st project, i know it is exciting you at the moment but you should know how hard it is to skin so at least appreciate other peoples work.
You dont like something, fair enough, it is your opinion and you are entitle to it just dont diss it. No one forces any one to use any other persons skin they do it by choice.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
You will never see me comparing any of projects or dissing anyones work. I appreciate anyones work as little as it may be.
Arent you the one who claimed that rossi's skin and other sky skins were "all over the place"? And thats why you had to make yours?
Anyways mate, like I mentioned above, you do not have to compare your skin with others.
The guy asked for advice on skinning from base. You can say on how much effort you had put into your skin but you dont have to compare with how others did in theirs.
Doesnt matter how little or much efforts someone puts in their projects, you should learn to either give credits where its due or just keep quiet.
This is your 1st project, i know it is exciting you at the moment but you should know how hard it is to skin so at least appreciate other peoples work.
You dont like something, fair enough, it is your opinion and you are entitle to it just dont diss it. No one forces any one to use any other persons skin they do it by choice.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
lilvfr400boy
Member
My advice although I'm inexperienced with enigma and these skins I am experienced with skins for Android phones etc is start with someone else's skin I.e kiddacs should he not mind as its very well organised and learn how to change elements first I.e edit the spinning loading circle, it's fairly simple to do , then move onto other items, bit by bit you will change the skin look. Just remember to name everything exactly as is so the xml files will match the png or other img files to it . Obviously never repost even an entirely re edited skin as your own as it is their work that made it unless they allow you to hope this helps a little
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
lilvfr400boy
Member
I more meant that as a safety net pal in case anyone changed anything relating to anything within the xml files plus gives people chance to view the XML files in folders and see what relevance they have to the images within a skin
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Hi everyone great post for those venturing into the skinning world.
Some of the tools i have used with creating skins is getting a good grapics programme such as Adobe fireworks which is now unfortunatly redundant but you can still get the portable version.
Adobe Fireworks CS6 Portable Lite Edition download | AppNee Freeware Picks, Reviews & Downloads
Another tool which im now getting to grips with is Gravit https://gravit.io/tutorials here you can create your own mockups of your skin, import images work with png files etc and yet its free and as almost as good as fireworks and its onlne so you can access it for your web browser etc.
For xml ive been using xmlspy which is probably a overkill for skin modding as its about £399 but it allowed you to view the xml in a tree structure so you can see every screen at once and go to that screen asap instead of using ctrl+F to find the screen name.
Im sure theres plenty of xml editors out there which are free which do the same job.
Ive created a few skins on the wos vix forum site but i find it hard to commit the time now as its fun skinning the infobar epg screens etc but a headache doing the other menu setting screens thats why its important to get a layout like rossie2000 in his confluence skin which uses templates for the countess 100 differant screens.
Hope the above helps and if anyone know of any great free or low cost software for skin editing let know.
Best of luck
M :p
Some of the tools i have used with creating skins is getting a good grapics programme such as Adobe fireworks which is now unfortunatly redundant but you can still get the portable version.
Adobe Fireworks CS6 Portable Lite Edition download | AppNee Freeware Picks, Reviews & Downloads
Another tool which im now getting to grips with is Gravit https://gravit.io/tutorials here you can create your own mockups of your skin, import images work with png files etc and yet its free and as almost as good as fireworks and its onlne so you can access it for your web browser etc.
For xml ive been using xmlspy which is probably a overkill for skin modding as its about £399 but it allowed you to view the xml in a tree structure so you can see every screen at once and go to that screen asap instead of using ctrl+F to find the screen name.
Im sure theres plenty of xml editors out there which are free which do the same job.
Ive created a few skins on the wos vix forum site but i find it hard to commit the time now as its fun skinning the infobar epg screens etc but a headache doing the other menu setting screens thats why its important to get a layout like rossie2000 in his confluence skin which uses templates for the countess 100 differant screens.
Hope the above helps and if anyone know of any great free or low cost software for skin editing let know.
Best of luck
M :p
Similar threads
