Team Project

[OzObdrOl]

Hey there.

I am starting a team of coders and designers. I am hoping we can create a HUGE skin together. A central theme with MANY (at least 5) modes/shades, custom features such as custom visualizations, buttons etc.

There is no theme or anything yet, but I'm hoping that we can come to an agreement on that here on the forums. I have seen many people do this before, but usually it starts off as a person that made the base for a skin and wants someone to continue. That is not my idea. I want us to be able to discuss all of this in real-time (like on IRC or something) and work on it together.

My design skills are (compared to the rest of the people on the forums) "lacking", but I feel that my coding and ideas could make up for it. Newbies are more than welcome to join the team. Just drop a post here if you are interested.

Oh yeah... I guess we need a team name too. That can be discussed once the team is finalized.

Cheers
OzObdrOl

[OzObdrOl]

Ok, just a thought that I had now. Maybe do a kind of a "Company theme" like, lets say Creative Labs. Then 1 shade is like a Jukebox Mp3 player and another shade is like one of their speaker systems like 5.1 inspire system, another shade might be a webcam effect. And so forth.

Or maybe Nokia and do different phone models. Just a thought.

Cheers
OzObdrOl

[UUL]

count me in, but have you ever tought of copyrights? yes? well then, don't really like that idea, but anyway, i will help

[neoflox]

hire me!

[OzObdrOl]

Originally posted by UUL
count me in, but have you ever tought of copyrights? yes? well then, don't really like that idea, but anyway, i will help

I did actually think about copyrights. How hard can it be, we just ask. What's the worst they can say? No. Geez, hectic, then we get another idea. My question is, IF we got permission to do it, would that be a kewl theme, or would you rather do something else?

I guess we can start discussing themes etc here. If you would rather do it on IRC (like me) logon to lockdown.flamenet.za.net and join #thedrum.

Thanks
Oz

[OzObdrOl]

Yeah, and if you dont want to necessarily do a theme, thats kewl. Just tell me your ideas. If you wanna make a "WTF" skin, great. Just as long as we can do many shades I'm happy. I want to make a skin that people wont get bored with after a week or two.

Or if you want us to go on with a skin that you havent published that's incomplete, shweet. Whatever.

Neoflox, I'm not hiring you. We are a team, all equal say in what happens, so if you want to join the team, KEWL

I dont want the team to be too big tho. What do you guys think? 5 people?

Oz

[OzObdrOl]

While I've been sitting here waiting for any ideas I've been playing around with PhotoShop. If you think its worthy of the team effort, let me know.

Rough Draft

[UUL]

we could make a skin that totally fits in the winxp style, a shade mode, normal mode, fullscreen mode, stick mode etc.

[OzObdrOl]

What do you mean by WinXp Style? The blue/green thing with standard windows buttons? Fullscreen mode? Ouchies. That might be a tad hectic. Dont think its been done before tho. Interesting idea.

[neoflox]

it seems to be very - VERY - hard for this community to build up a group project that concludes in a avant-garde skin that does not base on known, boring and sucked out.
to be honest: you don't really believe that a WinXP ported skin would blast up the communities attention. and even if that is a first (rude) scribble, my opinion is that it is really nasty...sorry!
i am sure there are enough people to join your project,
good luck!

[OzObdrOl]

Like I said in my very first post: My design abilities are "lacking" at best. If you think its crap, just say so and its scrapped.

I take by your pessimistic tone that you are no longer interested in this project? If you still are, just tell me, coz honestly I was a bit confused by your last posting.

[UUL]

i'm just posting an idea, you don't have to attack me like that..

[neoflox]

ok, i am sorry for i was really upset in that moment cuz when i first read this thread i was happy to see that someone tries to start a team thing. my opinion is still that the wa-community should work together much closer an more frequent in teams, as you supposed OzObdrOl.
the point is that i also tried to get fellows who work together with me and other artists and scriptors on a skin but all i got in return were unfriendly harsh critics and no one would even think to reply seriously.
in the moment i wrote my last post here, i was just angry cuz i thought to see that a more promising start began to shift in a boring 'thing'.
it was not, is not and never will be my intent to attack anyone personaly and without constructive motives! sorry to both of you!
now i am back on earth an hope still to be accepted as a potential supporter of ideas and concepts for your project.

thx-neoflox

[OzObdrOl]

Well then, I guess its just us 3. UUL, Neoflox and I. The rest of the skinners are probably competing in the GUI Olympics.

If you got any ideas roosting, post em here.
I'll play around a bit in PS and see what happens.

Chuz
Oz

[OzObdrOl]

UUL, I just saw about 10 WinXp skins. I dont think we should do that since it has already been done, ten times. But I'm browsing skins and hoping for inspiration right now.

Keep ya updated.

[OzObdrOl]

ok, well, this is a disappointment... I guess you were right neoflox... Team Spirit is lacking in the WinAmp Community.

--- Team Project Ceased ---

[Icegod]

You shouldn't give up that fast. Not everybody has time to come to the forums and post all the time.
Well I'd joint he team but I don't have any real skill, not in designing nor coding.

And if you're still looking for idea's. Why not make a skin that is themed to different movies. 5 or 6 modes from all different movies. Or maybe just 1 movies. but different modes for the main characters(like 1 mode for every different member in the fellowship of the ring).

[neoflox]

BTW, i actually have a skin... the gfx is almost complete, but the scripting part is patched by many simple stuff. i did it for winamp 3, but there are many problems with v5!

Screenshot: http://mitglied.tripod.de/neoflox/neovingt_shot00.jpg
Winamp3.wal:http://mitglied.tripod.de/neoflox/neoflox_1.wal

(2 min later)
there could be some connection probs with the links...trying to fix...
(10 min later)...fixed!

*gladtobeonboard*

[dlinkwit27]

idea started and stopped before I even got out of bed and had a chance to read. Give people a minimum of 48 hours to at least see the thread, let alone post in it.

[inthegray]

well, i hope you guys keep with the project and get more members. i'd lend a hand, but i lack both time and any skinning abilities. have you tried getting some support at 1001winampskins or maybe some other sites?


neoflox, i really like the screenshot of the skin you psoted up. the typefaces look really good with that background. i'd suggest making the playback symbols on the buttons a tad larger, if possible.

[UUL]

well i'm thinking off joining the gui olympics too, sorry, will help tough just come up with an idea

[OzObdrOl]

OK, I see I was a bit hasty and all...

Let's put it this way: If you are willing to actually create a new skin, send me a private message. I'm lazy I know... but I'm not going to design and script everything. The posts I see all say: "I am not a coder or designer" Guess what? Neither am I. I am a programmer, I code in C++ and similiar languages. Web languages are not my thing, but I'm hoping I can learn new things while doing this.

As for design: I already had a *certain* person say my designs are "nasty", so what, TRY AGAIN.

Neoflox: I saw your skin, it looks good and all, but similiar to your owl & leech skins, I have to agree with the rest of the comments: Making pure text buttons does not work.

IceGod: Thanks for the theme ideas, I'll hear what the rest of the "team" (whomever that may be) say.

inthegray: We all lack the time and skinning abilities, thus the reason for a team. 3500 heads are better than one? I dunno... I am new to skinning and do not yet know all the resources you guys do, so if anyone in the team is willing to submit a similiar thread on other forums, plz do so. If there is someone in specific that you would want to join the team, send them an email or something.

I guess this means I can end off with good news?

--- Team Project Restarted ---

[Icegod]

Originally posted by OzObdrOl
I'm hoping I can learn new things while doing this.

IceGod: Thanks for the theme ideas, I'll hear what the rest of the "team" (whomever that may be) say.

First off all nice to see you concidered my idea

And I all with you on learning new things. That's why I'm here. I'm working on my first skin right now. Unlike most I do have all the time in the world, for the moment at least. That's actually why I started to learn the basic coding and basic desgning for modern skins.

[neoflox]

...shutdown...reboot...stand-by..."hello world!"

at the moment i have no concrete ideas. the theme stuff is interesting indeed! i will observe...

[OzObdrOl]

Another question...

If we are to do a movie theme, what movie? Lord Of The Rings has already been done, Smallville, Spiderman, Hulk, etc etc. There are many movie themes out there. If you can just suggest a movie for now, I'll appreciate it.

Neoflox: As a programmer, I really enjoyed that last post. Laughed my ass off for a while at the "Hello World!" But observing isnt quite enough right now. We are 3 people working on this and we dont even have an idea. If you see anything of interest, post it here. It may be a stupid idea, but maybe we can make it into a good one.

I just received and email from rpeterclark (I asked him if he had the time and patience to join the team, since I really love his work), but bad news, he's too busy and cant help out

Chuz
Oz

[Icegod]

I took a quick look through my movie collection and well here are a few ideas.
-every Band of Brothers episodes(very difficult imo)
-Every Stargate main character
-americain pie(the trilogy)
-Bad Boys 1 & 2
-you could pick a director, say Steven Spielberg, and make modes for different of his movies
-even a company for that matter(all of the latest disney movies)
-Or a movie legend like James Bond.

[UUL]

Let's put it this way: If you are willing to actually create a new skin, send me a private message. I'm lazy I know... but I'm not going to design and script everything. The posts I see all say: "I am not a coder or designer" Guess what? Neither am I. I am a programmer, I code in C++ and similiar languages. Web languages are not my thing, but I'm hoping I can learn new things while doing this.

hey, i'm a designer, see my sig, and i can code aswell

[inthegray]

not that i would ever expect to see it but...

i want a "The Passion of the Winamp" skin

[UUL]

and what would that look like?

[Icegod]

I can't imagine something called "the passion of the winamp".
Great title though
I'll continue to be eluded by the mystery until you explain it offcourse

[inthegray]

i am going to hell for this...

[inthegray]

i would've added playback buttons and other stuff, but i was too lazy.

let's just say the buttons are there, but are hidden/blended in. you have to poke and click jesus, to figure out how it works.

[neoflox]

First:
It's been a long time, since I was rolling over my floor...*rofl* Please don't be angry, but I am very amused about the draft - just great!^^

Second:
I doubt, that the christian wa_users will be amused about it as I am.(>'heretics'?, hope it's the right word...)
Another point is that if we do a 'Jesus skin', wouldn't it be just fair to do skins of other main religions, too?
I can also imagine that atheists (like me) will try hard to keep things like a jesus skin off their harddisc.

Third:
I had some ideas to do movie skins, but I see a major problem with it: If we do a movie that played across the world months ago, there probably is already a skin for it. And if we do a very popular movie-port, we have to produce something that can fight/measure with 'petrol'-stuff...

Fourth:
My suggestions: a skin that is as ergonomic as a skin can be. which means that all buttons have the right position, look and size. That project would include some statistics like polls to get an average view about the users needs/behaviour.

Hope to be constructive......!

[Icegod]

quite amusing draft indeed.
Not that great for a skin though.

As for the movie-themed skin idea. Use a director or actor. Maybe make one for the oscar-winners of this year(not that much seeing lotr rotk won 11).
Or use something different like different games or mouses or even drinks.
There are loads of things that can be used for a themed skin.

[OzObdrOl]

Ok, good ideas. Jesus skin I'd hafta say no, I'm atheist and found it hilarious... but thats just me.

Movie theme, good idea, but as I posted on another thread: I hate skins that have the picture of a character and 7 buttons. Thats just lame. See the "Man Apart" skin if you dont know what I mean.

Also, by theme, I didnt actually mean "THEME" I meant... uhm... how should i put it... Every shade has the same IDEA behind it. All the shades can have the same feel to each other but different shapes etc.

Sorry for my lack of posting, coz I live in Taiwan and I'm awake when u sleep and sleeping when u'r awake, so I miss all the postings as they happen.

Neoflox: I really liked the feel to your leech skin, do you think we can do the same kind of texture (not necessarily the style)? I'm just thinking of shapes right now, cant get a themed skin into my head as of yet.

Chuz
Oz

[inthegray]

i never intended my "jesus skin" to be a serious effort--just something i thought would be a funny picture. please, ignore my posts, and continue on...

[OzObdrOl]

nah, it was a good post. I havent laughed like that in a while. I know you werent SERIOUS SERIOUS about it...

[neoflox]

Fine, I think we're on a flow...

@OzObdrOl: Of course could my texture (it is a custom photoshop effect by me), 'leech' is frozen...

@all: so do we have an agreement on making a 'theme skin'? then i could save my others ideas...
i still stick to the plan, taking a theme that...(in german we say 'zeitlos')..that has no actual meaning and fits to any time period, not like blockbuster movies no one remembers two years later...hope you know what i am pointing at!

[UUL]

timeless would that be (i know german ), yes i know where you are pointing at, but it's very difficult to come up with an idea, so, any suggestions are welcome

[OzObdrOl]

Yeah, I think the textured idea is best. As neoflox said: Movies people forget or even dislike. What if we did a theme on "Spiderman" and there are 20 people that like spiderman but 4million that like batman, if you understand what im getting at.

Also, if we do a "texture" skin instead of "themed" there are plenty more possibilities. We have no limits as to shape etc. We can do anything. Which might actually be a problem since we cant make our minds up. So, tell me if you agree on the texture thing. If you dont, tell me and we'll do something else.

Otherwise, play around in photoshop or whatever and create shapes. Not entire designs. Just shapes that you think will work well for a theme. Make rough sketches. I'll do the same (even tho i suck).