my opinion: way too much work for a program i dont even use. however, if i did use it...

hey nova! get back on msn for a sec!

seems like zillions of work. :D
My employer won't like that :p

It's not as complicated as you might think, a lot of the stuff can be left at defaults.

Just start by copying one of the skins and eliminate all the copy/tiling code... once you get the general concept it's pretty straight forward

Can't believe some of your behaviors !!
 

Shame on all of you first for NOT knowing what Zoom is, and also giving Blight crap !! For those ignorant "Winamp computer experts", Zoom is freeware and I ude it because it is the finest free player of DVDs, DIVX and other video formats.

Zoom is not "free to try", it is "free period" !! It had over 5,000 downloads last week at download.com.
It is small, incredibly functional and easy. I use it mostly for Dixv video playbacks, a feature most people don't even know it can do !! Most only know about it's DVD playback capability.

Those of us who like to promote freewhere should do all they can to help each other out and spread the word about other such products. It kicks the crap out of WMP and is a great product.

If there is a lack of skins on Zoom, I didn't notice. I am more into product features, quality and flexability of picture and sound.

Noone was having a go at blight was they!?

Just none of us use the prog so we don't wanna use up are time skinning for somthing when we don't have to, and then never see the skin again. But for Winamp we all use it (probally everyday for most of us) so we like to change the skin to are tastes, so we do.

jolo:
Thanks for standing up for me, but I don't really feel I was given crap. I don't like imposing myself, and frankly, I was expecting a lot worse considering this is a Winamp forum.

Zoom Player has a growing user base. Unlike players such as GDivX and certain others, I haven't been actively pushing my player all that much. I post betas to my forum and AVSForum, since they are actually quite target-oriented (at least in the high-end HTPC areas).

I also get decent exposure at doom9 and betanews as the people who read those sites like the innovations Zoom Player provides.

Zoom Player is slowly growing, I think it got around 100,000 downloads in a week from all the various mirrors and sites (a bit hard to judge since I don't actually own the mirrors don't have access to their logs).

There are a few people who've done some interesting skins for the player, but I was thinking that by tapping into the active artist community on this forum, I could nudge things along.

But I guess it'll come by itself as more people use their machines for video playback as that seems to be a growing trend.

Time will tell.

Blight's right, there is a growing trend to use pc's for video playback. As the average size of monitors grow, more people are using their pc to watch tv/dvd/vcd etc. And on a decent pc they can match or even beat the video quality of stand alone players, In fact when played back on a decent 21" monitor, DVD quality is a lot better than Tv playback on a screen the same size.

The only problem is that most video cards with tv out just arent up to scratch yet, but theyre improving.

Good luck with your program blight, it seems like a worthy piece of software to have. I might do a skin for it in the next few weeks when i get some spare time.

But i dont think i'll be using it all that much in the future, and thats not because i dont like it. WA3 will have full video playback functions, and i personally like to keep everything simple on my pc, so therefore that means an all in 1 player that can do everything.

jolo please read the whole thread before barging in, so you know what you are talking about. And keep in mind that these are the WINAMP forums and not the ZoomPlayer's. It's not that strange if we startout a bit hostile towards a stranger comming in and starting a thread about some player we don't know about and seems to be a competing program to our beloved and charised Winamp.

sorry to "barge in" to your clique
 

I'm sorry to "barge in" Snowfake to what you obviously think is your private club, made to promote your graphic business and a web site building business with the link on the bottom of your e-mails. But then again, you are a self named "forum king" a true legend. It says that this is a community Snowfake, not a private club. A place where we look to help each other. Even if we have the nerve to "barge in".

Amazing how Blight never promoted his remarkable product here. The link for the FREE download is here http://www.inmatrix.com/files/zoompl...ownload.shtml. A new version just came out that has an enormous amount of new features.

By the way the http://www.inmatrix.com/files/zoomplayer_download.shtml has lots of free advice and tips and tricks about various matters with PC problems not related to any particular product. Kind of like a .... community.

Most of you in this forum have been great, and I have a pet peave when a self chosen few get rude, crude and bully others. It removes so many honest, good people away.

In parting, let's be kind to each other and try to ignore those who obviously need to be ignored. This community is a place for all of us to share information and learn, even if it is not directly about Winamp. I've seen lots of discussions about other products in this community. People really seem genuine here with the usual few pompous egomanic exceptions.


--- Don't be a thief of Snowfake's life. Agree with him always, he needs it ---



[SIZE=4]

?

Is there any reason why your rounding on another member of this forum, or have I missed the obvious here?

Simon's views are not neccesarily shared by all people here :D God, someone kill me if a software media player ever becomes beloved and cherished by me! I just like skinning it. Which is why to me it is strange that people were hostile to Blight. Don't take it personally, Simon, just sharing my opinion. That's your opinion up there, and this is mine down here. :)


But Jolo,


That's not really relevant here at the Winamp 2 skins forum, is it? Neither we nor Blight are here to discuss much more than the skinning aspect of ZoomPlayer

I think this was meant to be in the zoom player thread...

By the way, simons not a 'self titled forum king'. That title is given to anyone with 2000+ posts...

Well in that case....MERGED!


Oh and for future reference... it's this button http://forums.winamp.com/images/postreply.gif when replying to existing threads.

This merge and point out service was brought to you by the letters D & A, and the number 2.

Don't think I've abandoned you guys, one of the ZP users is working on a skin editor which should hopefully make it easier to use without actually having to write scripting code.

I've also been adding a few more skinning features for the next version.

sounds interesting.
I hope it will be a bit more accesable (is that the right word?)
maybe in the future if I feel like it I'll make ya a skin.

The scripting code is where i got stuck.

A program that does that for ya (like a region.txt editor or something) would be great.

The scripting code isn't really that complex. It's simpler than HTML and well documented. But hopefully this editor will make it more "put-what-you-see" sort of thing.

I've a question, maybe it's allready said, but I don't feel like reading the whole thread again.

Ok here comes:
The background image (assuming it uses one) is it tilled or stretched when resizing?

Tiled, Gradiented or color fillted.

It's not really one image, you sort of build it, set the offset and size of the graphics, areas to tile, bitmaps to copy, everything is done relatively since the window is resized.

There's quite a few sample skins which are documented so you can see what is being copied where, not that difficult.

one of the moderators check his ip with blights..

Woah, aren't we paranoid.

Sorry to tell you this, but I don't stoop so low as to talk with myself on a forum. I have better things to do with my time.

And go ahead check IPs if you want to.

dont get so defencive, if you didnt do it then you didnt do it, damn.
if i offended you im sorry, but the quoted post to me sounds like a blatent advert, and it seems strange that users join and thier first post instantly is in here supporting the software and its features.

if i'm wrong then my deepest apologies, but god help you if im right..

lol, what measures we take to survive.

heh, i actualy had the same feeling raydream... no worries tho... i dont see much of a purpose for him to do that.

I'm with Raydream.
I wanted to say it, but because he was saying bad things about me I did not, because that would mean he actually had results of his flaming.
And at that time I expected Blight to be a one-day-fly.

But all is fine now.

Now that thats all sorted out how many of you are trying to skin zp?
I'm out.

Just for perspective...

I've been on the internet since 1989. I've seen it all. The scams, the schemes and lets not forget the flames.

I've written countless free software over that time. I think DVD Genie is possibly the more well-known program I've written. But I'm always trying out new things and following my interests. This is why I've built Zoom Player. It wasn't because I thought "hey I want to write a kewl program". It was because at the time there wasn't a media player suited for TV viewing of computer content (there's all sort of issues dealing with overscan and such). I wrote it for myself, and as it grew, I took on user requests.

Never did I take the low-road. I haven't spammed, I haven't shipped spyware, I've included countless user-requested features.

You may consider this post somewhat defensive, but I don't really appriciate being thought of in this way.

you have to understand, we two have seen it ALL before, so we are rather cautios of members who peddle non-winamp goods in their infancy of membership, and people joining and instantly adding to the "sales" effect, further plays on that, you may not have done anything, that use may have just really liked zoom player, or maybe it was one of your friends who came to help the sales pitch, either way, my askin for an ip check was nothing more then precaution.

to be totally honest though, when i bought my dvd drive, i got powerdvd 4 bundled with it, it does everything i need so regaurdless or anything, i dont need something i wont use, as dam said, i'm not either, going to skin for a program i will not be using, thats pretty much like detailing a strangers car, if you see my line of thought.
i may in future try zoom player, or one day skin for it, who knows, all i ask is that you understand our situation, and dont fire balls of molten anger at the slightest sign of questioning, this is a nice forum, if treated well, the members will treat you well in return.

No spam zone
 

Just wanted to say that zplayer is one of the best freeware products I have ever seen.

How do you promote sales on a product that's free ? There is no "Pro Zplayer" which you need to pay for which has the "usefull features".

As someone who wants to promote winamp, zplayer and other exceptional freeware applications it should be noted that I feel that zpplayer is superior to the the commercial Power DVD product which cost $69.95. Power DVD also gives a free demo which lasts ...... a full 5 minutes.

Point is not to put down commercial products like Power DVD, but to promote products like Zplayer and winamp that are developed with the same freeware philosohpy as winamp.

Jolo (Jon)

i dont think you get my point, when its "bundled" with the drive, its free, and updates do work on it :P

Wrong, it is NOT FREE
 

I'm afraid raydream that you have fallen for a marketing ploy.

When powerdvd is "bundled" into your DVD drive, you did pay for it, it is just that you didn't realize it. You certainly don't get it for free, it is just that the DVD vendor worked a deal with powerdvd to get more profit out of it.

If you check pricewatch.com and look for the OEM version of your DVD drive, compared to the retail version, you will see that you are paying for the "bundled" in software and packaging. I just saved $85 on the cost of my Teac 540E CD burner that way.

It is quite a discount when you can buy the DVD or CD player and/or recorder when you just can get the unit alone in a package, without all of that unneccesary software, packaging, etc. Drivers are always available on-line, and 90% of the time I have purchased hardware, the drivers that come with it are obsolete already.

Jolo (Jon)

no jon, it is you that are wrong, i bought the dvd drive, and as i was leaving i asked the store clerk if he had any dvd player software i could use since the player i bought ame only with connectors and screws, his reply was "yeah, i tell you what, you can have this", and slipped the cd into the box
i know thats probably ilegal, but its not exactly uncommon :) (especially if your friend is the store clerk)

[edit] P.s , kazaa 0wnz j00 [/edit]
[edit2] Also, on a last note, if you buy OEM hardware, they dont just "take away cd's packaging and manuals", the hardware itself is factory set, and usually slower than retail spec, take gfx cards for instance, before you give me jive on how ive been duped again, listen.

both me and my friend, a two years and a bit ago, went to the same store at the same time intent on buying the newest gfx card available, at the time it was a geforce 2 GTS, however, since we didnt have that much cash, we both bought a geforce 2 mx, however, he had less money then me, so he bought the oem version (65.50), and i bought the Retail (72.97), thinking, as ytou said, that the oem will just be the same without packaging and such, well werent we (and in essance, you), wrong, his card felt slightly slower compared to mine, so much so, we ended up doing this, i ran quake 2 frametest, oo, nice, 156fps (back then, that 0wned), then i shutdown the pc, and swapped the cards over, booted up and ran the exact test again, oh now would you look at that, 139fps, the moral of the story is, oem hardware uses factory tested (safemode) components, such as winbond ram and low frequency capacitors, retail hardware uses slightly more expensive, but hella worth it components. so who, praytell, got cheated? [/edit2]

AMEN :D

Abit off topic, but ...

There are several "types" of OEM. Some OEM are factory identical to the retail version.

Some OEM are bios-modified to be slower. Such is the case with certain ATI cards. The thing is ... flash the bios with the one from the retail version and ... same card.

As for the GF2MX, there are so many varients of this cards, each with a different memory and gpu clock speeds. These can be adjusted through various tweaking tools, but essentially, the hardware is the same.

You say "i get pirated software for free, so why do I need freeware", which is a flawed argument. Not everyone does that. Not to mention that as a user interface, Zoom Player is far superior to PowerDVD. Even though PowerDVD has more eye-candy, Zoom Player has a lot more features. While you may feel you don't need them, I somehow doubt you even looked at them to make a calculated decision.

But I bet that if your friends tell you that it's the best thing since sliced bread, you would take a look at it. It's just a matter of perception vs. laziness. Which amazingly enough, is one of the unwritten rules of software updates these days.

I think the basis of Raydream's point is that he doesn't need ZoomPlayer because he already has software. Regardless of how he got it, this is the fact. Thus he won't be getting Zoom.

Lalala, this is a skins forum for Winamp2 not a hardware discussion forum. You've made your point. We all now know about Zoom. Now can we stop the flaming and misdirection of our forum.

Also, this usually is the kindest forum around, provided you play by the rules.

We? hah. Don't go including yourself just because you barged in.

Please someone lock this thread and copy the useful posts to a new one (i.e. "Hey, people, do you know Zoom Player? It's skinnable, if anyone is interested look here and here")

this thread is so ridiculous. first, we have people jumping in defending blight's product when no one was saying it was bad or anything. then raydream says he wont use it cuz he already has good softwear and someone else gets pissed over that. just give it a rest. we've all get a link to zoom player and we know that if we want, skins would be appreciated by blight. end of story. as a major dude, i now deem this thread useless. there is nothing more to discuss.

and with a whole 15 posts under my name, i agree

Well im still working on a mock up design, and im starting to figure out the coding for it. It's actually not as hard as i thought.

I dont think this thread should be locked. Its gone off topic and has had some heated conversation, however everyones entitled to their own opinion. I dont see any point splitting it into a new thread in this forum as its not really on forum topic anyway.

Just a question though, is there somewhere where zoom player skins can be discussed blight?? Like a zoom player forum or something??

:eek: :blah: :weird: :igor: lol
my friend uses zoom player, says its great, so good work blight.
Atmo, if you skin zoom player, i may be tempted to download it ;)