Help on creating my own skin: where would I start?

[Chefynoodles]

I am trying to create a rainmeter app/skin (I don't know the proper terminology) because apps that provide similar functions are usually missing out on one or two aspects I'm looking for, and have decided it's likely best if I try to make my own. However, I have no idea where to go in order to learn how to create my own app from scratch, and am looking for sources. I have yet to check the unofficial discord server, as I am more so looking for something in a video format I would be able to follow, since that is how I learn best.

For context, here is what I am aiming the app to do: Connect with Spotify to pull the name of the track, the artist of the track, and the album art and display it all on my desktop. I would also like to have one of those timers that counts how long the song has been playing and how long the song is. I would also like to add some simple controls, like skip, rewind, and pause/play buttons. Ideally, there would be a bar visualizer as well that would sit on top of this all, and I would be able to have everything I would want in one app.

I have a very quick, very low-quality sketch of what I am aiming for, but I don't know how to include it in this post, so here is a link to an image sharing site that has my mockup (if the link doesn't work, let me know and I can update it or figure out how to actually post the image or something): https://ibb.co/cLrvn8r

Please let me know if you have any resources that can help, or would like to help me make this come to fruition.

[eclectic-tech]

Since you are new to Rainmeter creating a skin as desribed will take a bit of time learning the coding.

It would be better for you to look at an existing skin that has the features you need and modifying the appearance.
Advasity suite by Xenium has a player that meets most of your criteria.


There may be other skins in "Share your creations" forum here or on DeviantArt that capture all of the info you want, so all you need to do is to create meters to display the info.

We can help you with those steps in this forum.

A good starting point would be "Getting Started | Creating Skins" in the Rainmeter documentation.

[balala]

There may be other skins in "Share your creations" forum here

In fact this kind of skins most probably should be looked for in the Sound, Music and Visualizers section of Share Your Creations.

[Chefynoodles]

It would be better for you to look at an existing skin that has the features you need and modifying the appearance.
Advasity suite by Xenium has a player that meets most of your criteria.

Thank you for the advice, I'll definitely look into it. Do you think I'd be able to achieve the same layout that my sketch had through modifying that advansity skin? That was one of the main things holding me back from doing that in the first place. Being unable to have the same layout isn't a deal breaker, personally, but it would be ideal for my uses.

[Yincognito]

Thank you for the advice, I'll definitely look into it. Do you think I'd be able to achieve the same layout that my sketch had through modifying that advansity skin? That was one of the main things holding me back from doing that in the first place. Being unable to have the same layout isn't a deal breaker, personally, but it would be ideal for my uses.

Depending on the skin's simplicity, it would typically be just about the meters' positioning and size (the X, Y, W, H), as well as their colors, possibly about the way the background is made.

P.S. I also like to start from scratch to achieve the customization I want.

[CodeCode]

Reverse engineering is the way to go.

Find something close then start cutting out unwanted bits until you hasve the functions you like.

Having a good text editor makes a huge difference. Popular favorites are Notepad++ and Sublimetext3. Both have add-in capability with third party rainmeter support.

Good luck, and have fun!

[Chefynoodles]

Having a good text editor makes a huge difference. Popular favorites are Notepad++ and Sublimetext3. Both have add-in capability with third party rainmeter support.

Is there a decent enough difference that makes switching to one of these worthwhile? I don't know how one text editor could be more favorable than another, but that's likely because I don't understand the function of any third party add ons to these text editors.

[balala]

Is there a decent enough difference that makes switching to one of these worthwhile? I don't know how one text editor could be more favorable than another, but that's likely because I don't understand the function of any third party add ons to these text editors.

Choosing any of the text editors which have a plugin to highlight elements of Rainmeter (and lua - why not?) codes is more a manner of personal preferences, I think. I'm using Notepad++, but don't think either SublimeText, or Atom would be better or worse in any way. It's just that I chose Notepad++ when I had started working, and I keep using this software.
Classic Windows Notepad is definitely a much worse option, not having the possibility of using plugins, to highlight elements of code. It is extremely simple and as such, has not too many options. I definitely wouldn1t use it anymore.

[Chefynoodles]

Classic Windows Notepad is definitely a much worse option, not having the possibility of using plugins, to highlight elements of code. It is extremely simple and as such, has not too many options. I definitely wouldn1t use it anymore.

I finally decided to start actually messing around with the skin in normal notepad anyways which, you're right, was very difficult to start off. I constantly had to use the find function to help me find certain lines of code that I was looking for, hoping I wasn't screwing up the lines while editing them, etc., but I managed to get it figured out eventually and got everything looking how I wanted it to! I plan to share the final look after I put my finishing aesthetic touches on it, but this whole experience has opened my eyes to potentially editing future skins in order to achieve my ideal desktop

If I do end up making/editing more skins, do you have any suggestions for names of notepad++ add ons which will highlight rainmeter code?

[balala]

If I do end up making/editing more skins, do you have any suggestions for names of notepad++ add ons which will highlight rainmeter code?

Obviously, I have. It is the RainLexer, which can be downloaded here. If you have installed Notepad++, take care to read the descriptions available on the above link, then install the downloaded RainLexer-2.21.0.exe file accordingly to your options. From there you got Rainmeter codes highlighted, as described on the above link.