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Keifer · Mar 27, 2004, 11:03 AM

How possable would it be to reskin itunes in a way that that it would look as little like itunes as possable? Maybe what I have in mind wouldn't be called 'reskining'. Basicaly what I want to do is replace the interface with a semi-photorealistic intreface that isn't confined to a box, it would be round, sort of oblong, with a lcd like interface that will contain all the major action buttons (play, pause, etc). All the rest of the less used buttons would be contained in 'orb' like things that would be outside of the main window area.

How possable would this be to do? For a backup plan, instead of doing this to the actual aplication, I would code it in a Konfabulator widget. Or would I be better off just making a whole new app? (that's abit out of my coding talents at the moment.

)

-keifer

MorphOSX · Mar 27, 2004, 11:47 AM

you'll have to code a new app or make a konfabulator widget. you can replace all of the widgets in iTunes and change it's look, but the overall layout is hardcoded into the program and without support for skins (such as Audion has) you cannot completely alter the application's look and feel. Now, maybe if shapeshifter's app skinning allows you to get more drastic with your changes...(hint hint, jason ;-) )...you might be able to use that to eventually do what it is you're wanting to do.

Until then, if you're really needing to change the interface that much, go over to versiontracker and look up Audion or one of the other MP3 players for the mac that supports skins.

Dave

Holigen · Mar 27, 2004, 12:21 PM

No way, no how. Sorry but NEOS basically shows how far any skin can go. Thats a pretty full skin. Maybe Jason has something up his sleeve... Ive been hearing whispers of something to that effect...

Keifer · Mar 27, 2004, 12:44 PM

Looks like I'm going the konfabulator route. Although the prospects of SS seem promising.

-Keifer

TheSpaz · Mar 27, 2004, 03:29 PM

Has anyone else noticed that Apple has ALL of us using iTunes because it's soo easy and free. If Audion had the features that iTunes has, I'd definitly use it, but I can't seem to organize my music as well in Audion for some reason, but I did enjoy the skinning feature.

It's funny... every once in a while I'll download Audion again to see why I didn't like it (thinking maybe this time I'll like it) but, I use it for 10 minutes and switch back to iTunes.

Apple has a grip on us guys! We need an App that's LIKE iTunes, but REALLY REALLY skinnable. Does anyone know of any?

solidfox · 04:16 PM

What would be nice would be if the apps like Audion and Whamb made use of the iTunes Library, then you could simply use iTunes for organizing and Audion for playing the playlists (including smart playlists etc.) can't see why that wouldn't be possible for the Audion guys implement ...

bbxstudio · Mar 27, 2004, 04:00 PM

Originally posted by solidfox:
What would be nice would be if the apps like Audion and Whamb made use of the iTunes Library, then you could simply use iTunes for organizing and Audion for playing the playlists (including smart playlists etc.) can't see why that wouldn't be possible for the Audion guys implent...

I've suggested to them a thousand times that they should just make Audion a skinnable front-end for iTunes, but they've been hush hush about the next version. I really enjoyed making Audion skins, but there's no sense when nobody's using the app (including myself).

NetworkShadow · 02:10 AM

Originally posted by bbxstudio:
I've suggested to them a thousand times that they should just make Audion a skinnable front-end for iTunes, but they've been hush hush about the next version. I really enjoyed making Audion skins, but there's no sense when nobody's using the app (including myself).

Really though, I've been saying someone needs to make a skinnable iTunes controller to the Audion extent.

rhythmicmoose · Mar 28, 2004, 01:02 AM

Originally posted by NetworkShadow:
Really though, I've been saying someone needs to make a skiable iTunes controller to the Audion extent.

Skiable? I prefer snowboarding, myself.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

This would definitely be awesome. There are a couple remotes out now, but none are all that skinnable. Sofa comes close, but it still looks like Sofa, no matter what skin you use. Something that's as customizable as Audion faces with the ability to somehow show you your library and sources (if that's even possible) would, in my opinion, be absolutely perfect.

Oh yeah, and no extra Dock icon either. If it's a separate app, at least have the decency to not clog up the Dock with a remote icon in addition to the iTunes icon.

Oh, and it'd be nice if it still played through iTunes, so I'd still have my Volume Logic.

deej5871 · Mar 28, 2004, 05:35 PM

Yeah, definately something that runs through iTunes. I use VolumeLogic too and I can't live without it. Although it contains one of my few problems with dark themes--the text colors never change in the VolumeLogic window so it gets very hard to see. Then when I try and mod the .nib file it just doesn't work for me. Oh well.

idle · Mar 28, 2004, 05:47 PM

Originally posted by rhythmicmoose:
...

This would definitely be awesome. There are a couple remotes out now, but none are all that skinnable. Sofa comes close, but it still looks like Sofa, no matter what skin you use. Something that's as customizable as Audion faces with the ability to somehow show you your library and sources (if that's even possible) would, in my opinion, be absolutely perfect.

Oh yeah, and no extra Dock icon either. If it's a separate app, at least have the decency to not clog up the Dock with a remote icon in addition to the iTunes icon.

...

maybe an extensive controlling widget for Konfabulator?

just an idea that thousand others already had...

[ idle. ]

rhythmicmoose · Mar 28, 2004, 06:17 PM

Originally posted by idle:
maybe an extensive controlling widget for Konfabulator?

just an idea that thousand others already had...

[ idle. ]

Yeah, but something good enough that I never need to go into iTunes. I can use other remotes for a little while, but eventually I always have to go back to my library to pick something new.

Keifer · Mar 28, 2004, 06:34 PM

After thinking about it some, I've basicaly came up with two viable option(s).

Option number one would be to code the frontend as a widget for Konfabulator.

The drawbacks:
*I think it would be hard to develop a widget that can use 3rd party skins; mainly due to the fact that widget's have to be coded in javascript. I'll have to check that one out.
*The widget may require features that Konfabulator doesn't support at this time.
*Some functions that would be required have simply never been tried in a widget.

The advantages:
*All Konfabulator widget's have the option of having a shadow or not, which means that authors could use techniqes like beveling and fading for the edges of their windows.
*XML and javascript are fairly easy to learn.

The other option would be to code the frontend as a *opensource application.

The drawbacks:
*Coding the application from the ground up may take longer opposed to coding a widget.

The advantages:
*Developers could insure that the application would be able to acept 3rd party skins alot better.
*It would be applescript inter-facing with applescript- not javascript.

Those are just my ideas- I'll have to ask around and see which would be the better route to go. I'm probably leaning for option number 2, as option number one would be near impossable for some of the functions from what I'm told.

*opensource - I usualy prefer to go that route because of two things; 1. it is easier for development, because a larger base of developers is possable, and 2. It makes the project eliageable for sourceforge.

There's my 12 cents.

-keifer

Keifer · Mar 29, 2004, 07:09 PM

Well, I just went to the local bookstore, and they had some books on apple script. It was kind of expensive though, so I'll have to wait until the firemarshel comes in, and makes 'em sell the books by the pound because they are so much of a fire hazard.

I'm not too sure what to expect going into this- i've been told that it is both an easy and a hard project for a beginner, so go figure.

BBX, I may try to hit you up on email sometime, and ask for ideas on what needs to be done to make themeing easyer for the makers. (i.e. what ideas I sould barrow from other programs, and what ideas I should avoid.

I have no clue how the hell I got so far into this- but I'm on a mission now.

Name suggestions anyone? (i've never been to creative in that area...)