[Abstract] Same added icons with any skin ?

[Clo]

Hello All !

• A while ago, I started this French thread because the girls and guys who don't know English were deprived of the new Alpha version, also because the bugs reports in the special first “Alpha” section were not possible yet…

- So, on the first page there are bug-reports, in example about the "Import Clipboard" in "View" when starting the programme :
- When the C.B. contains text, the button is enabled, and if you press it you get a crash !

• I groused about the icons one can add now : Pierre didn't think that :

1. The SAME added icons stay for any skin when you change the skin !

2. He didn't plan requests to the designers (yet ?), in order they draw a minimal set of icons to add, matching with their skins, as well as style as for the sizes ! I did, though… I have a distributed skin.

- If you would wish to see by yourself, there is a test-skin available HERE.

- It's not nice and just to test, but you can recognize the icons from the bitmap - they have a number-order (0 –>32), while the *.ico to add have not. That allows to discover some bugs too…:P

• Unfortunately, Pierre didn't get the issue on the moment…:(
- He said that a user keeps the same skin for ever, that indeed is rarely true…
- He plans the ability to rename the (single) default.bar, but we guess that it's not sufficient to change the skin and its matching added icons as one go…

- Paul-Ouistiti and I pointed out that the most average users either don't know to draw icons, or have no time to waste at this when using the programme at work, or both reasons.
- In my last message, the master-phrase as an example is :

If you have “WinAmp”, you have skins coming with. But WinAmp doesn't tell you :
«Some parts are missing in all skins, you ought draw them once by yourself, and then you'll get the same in all skins !»

• Some weeks ago out the forum, I proposed again -as a temporary solution- to add a second bitmap main2.bmp in all skins (in the same size¦style) to allow the icons adding… waiting to code a nicer¦better feature. Not considered…

- Currently, Paul-Ouistiti and I propose a file name_skin.bar per skin in each skin-folder, the related icons one can add, and later to resign the bitmaps totally.
- As a workaround, I use *.bat files ( ! ) to change the skins and their appropriate added icons… A pretty mess, since I had to configure each skin, then save the files in the sub-dirs of the skins, including the whole corresponding INI !

What do you think about that lacuna and the proposed solutions ?

• Glad to hear your feed-back, if you wish more details about the messages in that French thread, please just ask for !

KR
Claude
Clo

XnView 1.90 <x>

[marsh]

- Currently, Paul-Ouistiti and I propose a file name_skin.bar per skin in each skin-folder, the related icons one can add, and later to resign the bitmaps totally.
- As a workaround, I use *.bat files ( ! ) to change the skins and their appropriate added icons… A pretty mess, since I had to configure each skin, then save the files in the sub-dirs of the skins, including the whole corresponding INI !

Thank you for translating. I understand that you want a structured way of distributing extra icons along with skins.
Placing settings in 'skins' directories might be a problem for those wanting to use MS's "user" directories though.

[Clo]

Hi B. !

Placing settings in 'skins' directories might be a problem for those wanting to use MS's "user" directories though.

• Not really… Whether that feature should be coded in the programme, then the location of the INI no longer does matter :
1. Each xxx.bar file defines only the bar contents. It can be written always at the same location - thus the selected skin sub-folder- whether you wish to modify the current bar (any).

2. Then, the programme states which xxx.bar is used if you have chosen another skin, this is saved in the INI like currently; hence, the INI can be located at any place, according to the user's choice.

3. The only difference is that the programme must be planned to look for the stated skin (so, the needed xxx.bar file) in the same sub-dir than the concerned skin, instead the various locations we have currently…

• I used several INIs with *.bat files because indeed nothing in that painting exists yet, it's just a workaround…
• Another point is to know whether the icons (bitmap ones + *.ico added) are cached…
- Like you can see in the French topic (in English), it seems that no cache helps to solve
some display issues we have currently with some icon-sizes…

• Thank you for your interest, you have got the main issue

KR
Claude
Clo

[marsh]

Hi B. !

Placing settings in 'skins' directories might be a problem for those wanting to use MS's "user" directories though.

• Not really… Whether that feature should be coded in the programme, then the location of the INI no longer does matter :

I think it matters because of multiple users sharing same machine, but not wanting to share same toolbar configuration file. If I understand it, the idea would need some modification. A text file in 'skins' directory could establish the available icon set, but not buttons chosen by each user.

[Clo]

Hello B. !

• The multiple users thing is always a thorn in a toe…

- However, it's possible to get different bars with different skins in the way I describe.
- And workarounds are easy to set when several users want for the same skin with different buttons.

- Which new files and what they ought contain, how they must work is indeed to discuss here,
this is also the goal of that topic !
- I guess that a minimal change could be coded, in order to allow the (single) user to change a skin and its extra-icons as one go for a first step.
- Then, along testing and discussing this here, bring improvements to use that in all cases…

KR
Claude
Clo

[marsh]

I'm convinced. If new 'skins' were distributed by sets of individual icons, then proposals like this might help make transition. It would also allow me to mix and match parts.

[Clo]

marsh

Hello B. !

I'm convinced. …

Very nice to hear !

• You understood the problem quite rightly.
- Currently, we are bound to use an hybrid lame feature, and of course separate icons for all buttons
will be mandatory, sooner or later.

• Like I told you already HERE, each designer can make easily a set of separate *.ico from his¦her skin-bitmap, or an *.ICL …
- I even asked for a *.TIFF support, 'cause the TIFF can be compressed.
- Just a talking of that : The multi-page libraries *.ico we can create with XnView don't work to add icons !
Only the first frame is reachable…

• Besides, I noticed that the number of commands we can add as buttons is a bit limited currently.
- For instance, we have not any command to access the Options categories directly, like I showed in the French forum more than two months ago, so before the first 1.90 Alpha 1…
- In the start message, the image shows that we can get in Total Commander for that use.
- Further, an example for XnView.
- I pointed out too that we might get too the internal command-numbers, because they allow to use some tricks while drawing the icons (colour code…).
- Unfortunately, Pierre didn't make the commands in that way…
- He uses the same syntax than TC : cm_xxxxx but the numbers are missing and unknown.
In TC, one may use either the command as text-string, or the number.
Hence, any existing command can be assigned to a button.
- Indeed, here it's slightly different since some commands are not available in all modes of display…
However, a bunch of commands for the main categories of the Options should be welcome !

• We have some work cut out still ! { In French : “We have some bread (to cut) on the planck !” }

KR
Claude
Clo