[Software] SkinViewer

update April 28, 2007: Version 0.91: Support for the "new new" 2.003.2. This version is indicated as 2.003.2b. Sorry about the complicated things but its not my fault... :P
update April 26, 2007: Version 0.90: New version supports recent firmware version 2.003.1 and 2.003.2.



WHAT IS SKINVIEWER
==================

SkinViewer is a small tool to view your created skin for the Meizu Miniplayer M6. SkinViewer automatically arranges the different images and uses transparency like the GUI of the Miniplayer. This makes it an easy tool to quickly view the skin you are creating just like it would on the Miniplayer itself. SkinViewer caneven export your skin to a resource file (resource.bin) file. SkinViewer also supports the exporting of the image to JPEG or PNG to make it easy to show off your skin on the forum.


FEATURES
========

- The current version lets you view the Music screen, FM Tuner screen, Record screen, Menu screen, USB images and Boot images.
- Compatible with firmware version 1.010, 1.010.3 Dane-Elec and the new 2.001
- Default skin loaded up on startup
- Interaction with the screens to cycle through different images (play status, lock icon, battery, progress bar, repeat icon, menu bar)
- Importing skin folders
- Quickly reloading images from folder for easier skinning
- Importing resource.bin
- Exporting resource.bin (There needs to be a resource.bin importing first)
- Exporting the different views to JPEG or PNG
- Extracting all images of the skin to a folder
- Specify different backgrounds for the different screens
- Change transparency of Foreground images and text
- Change text color like on the M6
- Ability to set music song information yourself (title, artist, album)
- Settings are saved in an xml file
- Other languages supported (English, Chinese, Dutch)


REMARKS
=======

Usage:
- SkinViewer requires at least .NET Framework 2.0 to function correctly.

About skin folders:
- All the images need to be in PNG format or in BMP format.
- The images have to have to exact same number as they are presented in the resource.bin file.


CREDITS
=======

Special thanks to the people/person of http://hi.baidu.com/lovenet that made it possible to edit the resource files.
Also special thanks to DChronos for creating the skin templates which SkinViewer is based on. (Skin Templates)
Also thanks to all the people of the www.MeizuMe.com community!

All suggestions are welcome.

Lovely, I've been waiting for this a long time!!
Hope next version come out soon with the other screen-prewievs!

Really good job! Thanks!

Wow! Really cool software, I'll test it out ASAP.

One thing: Transparency should be set on all images except for background.

This soft is a very very good idea !!!

Thank you

Love the idea!

Please do keep developing it

wounderful job... thx... been waiting for something like this... please continue your devekopment... love it... :D

Wow, nice job dude.

I will test it now

SCHWEEET! This will save a buttload of time! Thanks!!!

WooW thx maaaan!!!

Thanks for your nice comments! I hope this small tool can be useful to you all but it sure can make skinning much faster
Something else: can I change the thread title everytime I have a new version? It's version 0.31 now, and the title is still 0.1.

Originally Posted by Thusti

Something else: can I change the thread title everytime I have a new version? It's version 0.31 now, and the title is still 0.1.

Basically, it only works for Moderators and Administrators in vBulletin. I have edited your thread and removed the version, which is better than having wrong version stated.

Amazing! Nice Idea^^

What language did you use to code this? I could help out if it is delphi ..

Anyway, awesome tool. Thank you!

Originally Posted by puffel

What language did you use to code this? I could help out if it is delphi ..

I'm using Visual Basic in .Net Framework 2.0.
I'm not a .Net fan, I like C++ and Java most, but for this little program I can program faster in Visual Basic .Net because I find it easier to do. (And transparency is quite easy in .net)

I disappear for awhile and when I come back, there is a major break through in skinning! Fantastic...Great Job

Awesome program! I have a suggestion about transperency, if you can implement this: 3 layers, one for background, one for all other images, and one for text on top of all layers, and the text and foreground image layers each have a slider for transperency, in case you wanna make the text completely disappear, and have the foreground at 50%, or something like that.

I have to check more, but I think you still need to work on alignment a bit. If that screenshot is a curent view of it, then the antenna pic is off to the right by 1 pixel, the Mhz image is off to the right by 1 pixel, and the volume text isn't the right size (though it's hard to get without the real font) and is slightly off, and also, the FM Tuner text is short by a few pixels (again, hard without the right font). Same with the Ch01 text, 1 pixel short on the top side.

(Image removed since changes had been made to the program.)

All English text, at least, is always lined up with the top line of the boxes representing them, and is 3 pixels short of the bottom, unless it's a j or p or something, then it extends to the bottom line. It's lined up on the line, not just short of it, too. I made all boxes the exact size of everything.

Glad my templates helped! ^_^

I'll help check out the program to make sure you've got it all aligned right and stuff.

Originally Posted by DChronos

I'll help check out the program to make sure you've got it all aligned right and stuff.

Thanks for the suggestions! I know it's not totally 100% correct right now, but I'm working on it
If you want, you can also check out the other 2 screens. But I'll also look into them.

The normal text is hard to make it correctly, but I'll try to experiment a bit later.

Originally Posted by DChronos

I have a suggestion about transperency, if you can implement this: 3 layers, one for background, one for all other images, and one for text on top of all layers, and the text and foreground image layers each have a slider for transperency, in case you wanna make the text completely disappear, and have the foreground at 50%, or something like that.

I'll look it into this It's a nice suggestion and it will be not too difficult to implement.

i know this software is supposed to be for skinners to have an idea of how thier skins are going along. but can i also use this to preview the skins before using them in my m6?

Originally Posted by glacier

i know this software is supposed to be for skinners to have an idea of how thier skins are going along. but can i also use this to preview the skins before using them in my m6?

You can do this only by exporting all the images of the downloaded resource.bin. You have to use the Resource Editor program for this. After that just simply load the folder in SkinViewer where you exported all the images to.
SkinViewer might support resource.bin files in the future if I figure out how to do it
Edit: I know how to read the resource.bin files now, so I might do it in the near future.

Originally Posted by Thusti

You can do this only by exporting all the images of the downloaded resource.bin. You have to use the Resource Editor program for this. After that just simply load the folder in SkinViewer where you exported all the images to.
SkinViewer might support resource.bin files in the future if I figure out how to do it
Edit: I know how to read the resource.bin files now, so I might do it in the near future.

cool! it'll be a big help, especially for people like me who loves changing skins but hates the hassle. good job!