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My First Skin Help

Get help with creating, editing & fixing problems with skins
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Yincognito
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Re: My First Skin Help

Post by Yincognito »

MourningStar wrote: July 26th, 2021, 10:44 pm ^
OK - install failed, need latest RM version. Apparently a version change occurred. Thought this app was supposed to spit out a 'update available' smoke-signal. standby ...

:confused:
LOL, yeah. I never get those smoke-signals, and even if I did, I always update manually, when needed or when I remember.
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jsmorley
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Re: My First Skin Help

Post by jsmorley »

MourningStar wrote: July 26th, 2021, 10:44 pm ^
OK - install failed, need latest RM version. Apparently a version change occurred. Thought this app was supposed to spit out a 'update available' smoke-signal. standby ...

:confused:
Rainmeter only notifies you when a new "final" version is released. It doesn't try to keep track of the "beta" versions.

I will say that authors need to be careful when they create .rmskin files. There is often no need for an author to restrict installation to the "current" version of Rainmeter they are running. I generally just set mine to "4.4" and that is good enough.

Who knows, going forward Rainmeter might just pop up a dialog that tells you a new final or beta version is available, and you just click on a button, it goes out to WinGet, gets the new version, installs it, and you just carry on...
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Yincognito
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Re: My First Skin Help

Post by Yincognito »

jsmorley wrote: July 26th, 2021, 11:01 pmI will say that authors need to be careful when they create .rmskin files. There is often no need for an author to restrict installation to the "current" version of Rainmeter they are running. I generally just set mine to "4.4" and that is good enough.
I used to do the same, setting the bar even lower, but after the latest fixes (which I personally consider important), I gave up doing that. But I agree with the principle, naturally - I even was annoyed before when other authors didn't bother to lower the bar...
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MourningStar
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Re: My First Skin Help

Post by MourningStar »

Yincognito wrote: July 26th, 2021, 10:03 pm See if this is suitable: ...
Very slick, thx! - Upon initial load the icon area sequences very rapidly (is this what you refer to as 'animation'?) until I place the mouse cursor on it, then the rapid sequencing stops at the clock icon (the first icon in the Images folder). Moving the cursor away from it and moving it back on it changes the icon to a bar graph image (the last one in the images folder). Moving ithe cursor on and off repeatedly switches icons between these two only. All this I assume is the expected behavior. I will take the time to study the code and your descriptions to fully absorb these concepts.

Possible to relocate the icon to the center of the skin envelope (above the / character or thereabouts)?
Yincognito wrote: July 26th, 2021, 10:03 pm P.S. Rainmeter doesn't support animated GIFs, although a somewhat similar functionality is present by using a Bitmap meter (basically an image made of all the frames in the animation, placed as a "mozaic", aka sequentially one after another in the image; that requires a bit of photoshopping, obviously, but nothing complicated).
I think I understand this 'frame' layout to be referred to as a filmstrip? If so, no problem I have done this with Stardock (not-really)animated dock icons. Flashback to the days of Harryhausen and/or when the classic-era cartoons were created one drawing at a time.
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balala
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Re: My First Skin Help

Post by balala »

MourningStar wrote: July 26th, 2021, 10:44 pm OK - install failed, need latest RM version. Apparently a version change occurred.
The simplest way to fix this is to install the latest Rainmeter version (right now it's 4.4.3506) available on https://www.rainmeter.net/, whenever you get prompted for a newer version of Rainmeter, when installing a skin.
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balala
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Re: My First Skin Help

Post by balala »

Yincognito wrote: July 26th, 2021, 10:03 pm P.S. Rainmeter doesn't support animated GIFs, although a somewhat similar functionality is present by using a Bitmap meter (basically an image made of all the frames in the animation, placed as a "mozaic", aka sequentially one after another in the image; that requires a bit of photoshopping, obviously, but nothing complicated).
Or by an Image meter, using individual images of the frames of the animated GIF. Usually the images can be created even with online tools from the animated GIF, which is much more easier, especially for those who are not very familiar with image editing. The advantage is that the Image meter can be much easier resized for instance (with the W and H options), the disadvantage is a little bit more hard-drive and resources usage.
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Yincognito
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Re: My First Skin Help

Post by Yincognito »

balala wrote: July 27th, 2021, 7:17 am Or by an Image meter, using individual images of the frames of the animated GIF. Usually the images can be created even with online tools from the animated GIF, which is much more easier, especially for those who are not very familiar with image editing. The advantage is that the Image meter can be much easier resized for instance (with the W and H options), the disadvantage is a little bit more hard-drive and resources usage.
Indeed. I mentioned only the Bitmap meter because, just like a GIF, that's the only way you can have the animation in a single file. I suppose that was the thing MourningStar alluded to. ;-)
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Yincognito
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Re: My First Skin Help

Post by Yincognito »

MourningStar wrote: July 26th, 2021, 11:25 pm Possible to relocate the icon to the center of the skin envelope (above the / character or thereabouts)?
I would strongly recommend against it, for a couple of reasons:
- that would make a "vicious circle" out of the text and image positioning, since each one of them would depend on the other, meaning that you'll notice stuff moving until they reach their "final position"
- due to the data being received later by both the Image meter and the Webparser one, the above effect is further amplified, leading to unwanted visual "effects"
- although for the resizable nature of the skin there are no drawbacks, because the font is also changeable, placing the image above the / (or, to be accurate, at the middle of the text) would mean that almost everytime you scroll to change fonts, the image will move/jump to another horizontal position, corresponding to the said font particularities (that's what I meant with the image moving in my earlier replies too), making a very annoying task out of hovering over the image to change the font

But then, if you still want it:

Code: Select all

[FontName]
Meter=Image
X=([MeterTemperature:W]/2-[FontName:W]/2)
Y=(5)
ImageName=#@#Images\#Index#.png
UpdateDivider=-1
MouseOverAction=[!CommandMeasure Slider "Stop 1"][!CommandMeasure Slider "Stop 2"][!CommandMeasure Slider "Execute 1"]
MouseLeaveAction=[!CommandMeasure Slider "Stop 1"][!CommandMeasure Slider "Stop 2"][!SetVariable Index 1][!UpdateMeasure Slider][!UpdateMeter *][!Redraw]
MouseScrollUpAction=[!SetVariable FontIndex (([FontCount]+#FontIndex#+1)%[FontCount])][!WriteKeyValue Variables FontIndex "[#FontIndex]" "#@#Variables.inc"][!UpdateMeasure FontFace][!UpdateMeter *][!Redraw]
MouseScrollDownAction=[!SetVariable FontIndex (([FontCount]+#FontIndex#-1)%[FontCount])][!WriteKeyValue Variables FontIndex "[#FontIndex]" "#@#Variables.inc"][!UpdateMeasure FontFace][!UpdateMeter *][!Redraw]
DynamicVariables=1

[MeterTemperature]
MeasureName=@CurrentTemperature
MeasureName2=CurrentTemperatureF
;MeasureName2=@UnitsTemperature
Meter=String
X=(0*#Scale#)
Y=(5*#Scale#)R
FontFace=[FontFace]
FontSize=(55*#Scale#)
FontColor=#FontColor#
StringStyle=Normal
StringAlign=Left
StringEffect=Shadow
FontEffectColor=0,0,0,50
Antialias=1
DynamicVariables=1
Text=%1°C / %2°F
; Added to change the text size by scrolling the mouse wheel up or down
SolidColor=0,0,0,1
MiddleMouseUpAction=[!ToggleMeter FontName][!Redraw]
MouseScrollUpAction=[!SetVariable Scale (Clamp(#Scale#+0.05,0.1,3))][!WriteKeyValue Variables Scale (Clamp(#Scale#+0.05,0.1,3))][!UpdateMeter *][!Redraw]
MouseScrollDownAction=[!SetVariable Scale (Clamp(#Scale#-0.05,0.1,3))][!WriteKeyValue Variables Scale (Clamp(#Scale#-0.05,0.1,3))][!UpdateMeter *][!Redraw]
Basicaly, it's all about using the W or H of the other meter in the current meter's X and Y options, coupled with updating all meters instead of just the temperature one when scrolling to change the size.
MourningStar wrote: July 26th, 2021, 11:25 pm Very slick, thx! - Upon initial load the icon area sequences very rapidly (is this what you refer to as 'animation'?) until I place the mouse cursor on it, then the rapid sequencing stops at the clock icon (the first icon in the Images folder). Moving the cursor away from it and moving it back on it changes the icon to a bar graph image (the last one in the images folder). Moving ithe cursor on and off repeatedly switches icons between these two only. All this I assume is the expected behavior. I will take the time to study the code and your descriptions to fully absorb these concepts.

I think I understand this 'frame' layout to be referred to as a filmstrip? If so, no problem I have done this with Stardock (not-really)animated dock icons. Flashback to the days of Harryhausen and/or when the classic-era cartoons were created one drawing at a time.
First, it doesn't only switch between the 2 only. It iterates between 1.png and 5.png, but since you don't give it time to reach a full iteration, it will look like only 2 images are shown on very quick mouse over / leave and back.

Yes, that's how animations are made: a sequence of slightly different images iterating very quickly before the user eyes, so it creates the illusion of "animation" (because of the similarity between the - adjacent - images in the sequence). Just like a filmstrip, where the individual images of the filmstrip are called "frames" (that's where FPS, aka Frames Per Second, used in computing and film, comes from).

The idea in the code is that:
- you'd have to choose similar but slightly different images for the animation effect to create the proper illusion for the eye (the images of a star shape made in Photoshop and successively rotated at 360 / number of frames in the animation angle is a good example)
- you'd have to choose which animation you prefer (i.e. N = 1 or N = 2 in my previous reply); I only included both at the same time for better illustrating the effect, not necessarily because I thought they should be used both at the same time
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MourningStar
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Re: My First Skin Help

Post by MourningStar »

Yincognito wrote: July 27th, 2021, 11:09 am... But then, if you still want it: ...
With the images you supplied, I am very happy with result. Hopefully, once I replace them with my image/s no issues surface.

Regarding the filmstrip/frame 'animation'. Does the frame-based graphic have to be individual frame pngs in sequence or can it be a single graphic with the 'frame' images next to each other thus:
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SilverAzide
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Re: My First Skin Help

Post by SilverAzide »

MourningStar wrote: July 27th, 2021, 10:22 pm Regarding the filmstrip/frame 'animation'. Does the frame-based graphic have to be individual frame pngs in sequence or can it be a single graphic with the 'frame' images next to each other thus:
A single graphic as you have shown is best. The ImageCrop option on an Image meter can be used to show a specific frame. When using a Loop or ActionTimer measure in conjunction with the Image meter, you can cycle through the frames to animate the image.

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]
AccurateText=1
DynamicWindowSize=1
Update=33

[MeasureLoop]
Measure=Loop
StartValue=0
EndValue=22
Increment=1

[MeterImage]
Meter=Image
ImageName="camera.png"
ImageCrop=(160 * ([MeasureLoop])),0,160,160,1
Antialias=1
X=0
Y=0
W=160
H=160
DynamicVariables=1
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