Quinto Black CT - New Winamp Modern skin

[libero]

Agree that on a black background LED indicators LED will look more contrast. Here is an option found on the Internet. The scale is larger, although there are no initial and peak LEDs.[IMG]
[/IMG]

[libero]

I propose this variant of the indicator. Each digit corresponds to 2 segments, which are equal to half the division of the scale of the analog indicator. At the bottom, added diodes with values of -12 and -15 for better transmission of a weak audio signal (classics, jazz).
[IMG][/IMG]

[libero]

A more accurate scale, the "0" sign is the signal transition into the red zone.

[IMG][/IMG]

[libero]

The last change in the scale.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Drakken]

Wicked!!! I want that !

[libero]

It looks like the QUINTO CT project is closed. It's a pity...

[Pef]

Hi,
an amazing skin, BUT....
Just one thing is missing for me, the " Toggle Windowshade mode " (CTRL+W), it's really very handy.
If there was way to add that in the next version of the skin it would be perfect (for me).

[libero]

If Peter had fulfilled all our wishes, then it would probably have been an ideal cover. Obviously, we tortured him with our requests. Especially I, because he disappeared ...

[PeterK.]

Originally Posted by libero

Hello, Peter! Will the work on this skin continue? It remains a little bit. Are there any new ideas?

In the matter of fact there are!
The most important one for the upcoming release is the detached Equalizer:



I think this component looks way too good to be hiding under the Main Player. And there is a new context menu option which allows you to set the color of the following LEDs:

- Button Mute
- Button Repeat
- Button Shuffle
- Equalizer Button On
- Equalizer Button Auto
- Equalizer Button Crossfade
- Playlist Editor Button FileInfo
- Visualization Button Random

And the colors are: blue, green, red and yellow.

[libero]

Excellent. However, it seems to me, except for those wishes that I wrote above (making an indicator for 12 LEDs is mandatory, otherwise the indication of the audio signal from -10 to +3 is displayed, this is not enough !!!), there are some more moments.
For the convenience of managing the settings (my opinion), you need to make a separate window called. The button is set in the equalizer window with the designation "settings". This window should not disappear after setting each individual parameter (spectrum analyzer, window shadows, background color, etc.). When the "Settings" button is pressed again, the settings window is closed. Another small request to adjust the size of all windows in width and height. Yes, and more the number of windows (my opinion) do not need. The window of the spectrum analyzer, if possible, is divided into channels (it would be cool).

[PeterK.]

Originally Posted by libero

When the "Settings" button is pressed again..."

Show me the "Settings" button.

Originally Posted by libero

The window of the spectrum analyzer, if possible, is divided into channels (it would be cool).

Read the additional notes to the release of 1.7 version. Everything is explained there.

[PeterK.]

As you probably noticed, there is a Quinto Black CT label on the Main Player. I thought it was time to give the skin a proper label, since all other components have one.



But as usual, I had troubles to decide which would be the best position for that object. Hence I created a Component Label slider which is responsible for the labels (and their position) of:

- Main Player (here Quinto Black CT)

- Equalizer

- Spectrum Analyzer (here Spectroscope)

- VU Meter (analog) (here Left and Right)

The slider window has a display, which shows the chosen label, and four buttons: LABEL, HIDE, SHOW, CENTER.



Once you chose the label you will notice whether the label is hidden (HIDE button active - clicked in - and no slider thumb) or shown. If the latter is the case the slider thumb jumps into the right position on the slider and you may choose between CENTER or move it wherever you want on the component.

Please bear in mind that the center of the slider is not the center of the component. And the reasons for that oddity are obvious:

- the label lengths are not the same

- the distances between left and right corner are also not the same

- Main Player has MIN and CLOSE button while all others only have CLOSE button (which should not be covered by the label or cover right parts of the label)

- the slider represents the x-values of a particular component. For example the Main Player has the range between x=54 (left corner) and x=364 (right corner). When we place the label in the middle of the Main Player, the x value will be x=241 which is not the middle value on the slider but on the Main Player.

Being honest I also have been hesitating whether to add the common windows' labels to this feature. I am talking about the Playlist Editor or Medialibrary component names. And the hesitation is caused by some "technical" difficulties:

- those windows are stretchable, ergo the position of the label would instantly change after resizing and you would have to reset it (it could also happen that parts of the label are cut off or not visible anymore)

- I could only add known windows to the drop-down-menu like PL, ML, Vid, Vis because I have no access to any 3-rd-party-plug-ins, which might be installed.

So yes, it is possible but with some limitations.

[libero]

Yes Yes. I read the instructions to version 1.7. But, firstly, I do not understand what the left and right channels mean. I, when I edit tracks in the program COOL EDIT PRO, I see that there are 2 different spectrograms, they differ significantly from each other. As for the button "Settings", it means, I understand, here the problem of the interconnection of windows with each other. It should be located in the main window, but at the same time activate the change when you open a specific window. This is a problem, I agree. But then you will need an easier way to make changes to the settings of visualization parameters than there is now. It is very inconvenient to change one parameter, and then again first go to the settings ladder.

[PeterK.]

Originally Posted by libero

Can I make it separately for the left and right channels?

Originally Posted by libero

But, firstly, I do not understand what the left and right channels mean.

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, libero.

And I am still waiting for the screenshot of the "Settings" button.

[libero]

If the separation of the spectrogram and the oscillograms into channels is hard to realize - God is with them. As for setting spectrogram options for color and visualization, I did not mean the button, but the realization of the ability to make all the settings at once (and not one at a time, as now). How to do it - through the main window or some other way - I do not know. I simply state that now this is not very convenient.

[PeterK.]

Just a short note. I am working on a new component called Frequency Response Graph and which might look like that:



Creating this feature would also mean a complete new challenge for me, namely knobs. And I am really looking forward to trying it.

[libero]

Peter, super. You make almost hi-fi components, but do not want to refine the main chip of this project - the diode indicator. At the moment he looks pale and little informative. By the way, will the frequency plotter be transformed from an equalizer? It would be cool. If this is an additional window, the skin will soon take up the entire screen.

[PeterK.]

I found a brilliant post made by Dr.O on FB regarding CPU- and Memory-usage while running Quinto (and other modern) skins:



In order to make things even more clear I would like to add a screenshot made on my 4-core/8GB laptop:


Running the Main Player, Playlist Editor with cover, VU Meters (both) and the Spectrum Anaylzer makes the processor barely sweat, which even do not change significantly after adding the Visualization window to that constellation (8-9%).

Running Main Player all alone reaches not even 1% (on four cores!):


To sum up these thoughts I would like to say, that the processor choice is and always will be THE crucial side of anything that is happening on the desktop. Even if I wanted I could not create a low-cpu-usage-skin, because I neither have access nor influence on the processor and its work. It is obvious that the more components (which include animations) run on the desktop at the same time the more cpu power is required.

[PeterK.]

I have a bad and a good news. Which one would you like to hear first? The bad one? O.K.
I am afraid we have to get rid of the balance knob on the Frequency Response Graph because the transformation of the horizontal balance slider into a knob seems not possible. The clicks on the knob and/or the click+dragging must be transferred onto the balance slider in order to hear either the left or the right speaker. But setting the value does not work here. I can set the position of the thumb (for example to the left) but after hitting play both speakers would play. Too bad, I really liked the knob.

So in case someone know a skin with working balance knob please share it.



And the good news is: both knobs: treble and bass work like a charm. The script file still need some cleaning and understanding (!) though - I implemented those parts from MMD3 and desperately need some time to go through those lines.

[PeterK.]

By the way: does someone know how to create such map bitmaps?

[Victhor]

Originally Posted by PeterK.

By the way: does someone know how to create such map bitmaps?

In Photoshop and most Graphic design applications there is a specific tool / gradient for that. This is a complete tutorial on that:

https://www.photoshopessentials.com/...-in-photoshop/

But it can be basically summed up on this:





Select the first gradient:

And finally, the magic button:

[PeterK.]

Originally Posted by Victhor

In Photoshop ...

And I was going to say: Please do not tell me that this is a Photoshop-Plug-In. It is a Photoshop Plug-In! Curses!

Would you please make one for me? 26x26 pixel? Pretty please ...

P.S. Does this gradient have a special name? Maybe I could find such an extension for Inkscape.

[Victhor]

That gradient is called Angle gradient, most apps has it, it's pretty common. I'm sure you'll find it before I can reach my pc with photoshop (at home) XD

[PeterK.]

Got it!

[PeterK.]

I just went one step further and cut out that area which (on the knob) lies between the min and max points and which, normally, is never clicked on.

[PeterK.]

This is an update regarding the post number 259 about the problems with the balance knob.



Well I got it done and would like to share with you what was the problem. The balance slider has a range going from -127 through 0 to +127, which is pretty common for Winamp. So normally I would use those values for moving the slider's thumb on the track. For example:

PHP Code:

mySlider.setPosition(0); 


would place the thumb in the middle of the track. But the odd thing about the balance slider is the fact that this range do not work for that particular slider. We have to use 0-255 in order to move the thumb. So the line above would look like this:

PHP Code:

mySlider.setPosition(127); 


And using this pattern I have managed to get the balance slider thumb moving while clicking on the balance knob.

BUT! While struggling with that balance feature I noticed how buggy it is. A short scenario to show one problem:

1) start Winamp
2) hit PLAY
3) move the balance thumb all the way to the left (left speaker should be playing alone).
4) now hit STOP and PLAY again
5) the thumb is still in the left corner while BOTH (!) loudspeakers play.

Huh?

Further more I would like to say, that adding the balance knob means, that the balance slider is going to vanish from the Equalizer leaving an empty spot. And I have been thinking if it was a good idea to move the EQ, AUTO and PRESETS buttons to the blue area and leave the Equalizer bands "alone", which would have the advantage that the values on the display would have more space horizontally.

What do you think?

P.S Thanks to Dr.O for clarifying words about the balance slider range.

[PeterK.]

And this is how the re-designed Equalizer might look like:

[Victhor]

I love the new EQ, I'm impressed, you're getting better and better with this =)

[PeterK.]

Originally Posted by Victhor

I love the new EQ, I'm impressed, you're getting better and better with this =)

I am happy to hear that you like it, but I must confess that I am still not quite sold. Something is missing, something that would give that container a nice touch? Maybe a new background color? Hmm...

And I added two more frames to the <animatedLayer> so I have exactly the same amount of ticks on the knobs as I have on the scales, namely 25. Unfortunately, this leads to small chaos because I cannot use the formulas I found in the script file anymore. I will have to create new ones. And this is definitely combined with some additional work on that update.

[PeterK.]

Still making some improvements ...



Should we keep the blueish slider area?

[Victhor]

Which would be the "blueish slider area"? The light below the sliders? (I personally love that).

By the way, 2 notes about the spline on the upper window:
1. that blue on the horizontal line is too strong don't you think? Is it definitive?
2. Don't try to colorize it through color themes.. it doesn't work (Winamp bug... I've just found it while working on my EQ... )

[PeterK.]

Originally Posted by Victhor

Which would be the "blueish slider area"? The light below the sliders?

No, I mean the entire area where the sliders are placed.

Originally Posted by Victhor

1. that blue on the horizontal line is too strong don't you think? Is it definitive?

Do you mean the background for the frequency labels? (70, 180 etc)

Originally Posted by Victhor

2. Don't try to colorize it through color themes..

Well, the display backgrounds and the text within changes according to the chosen scheme. And what it is that does not work for you?

[PeterK.]

I think I will leave it like this:

[Victhor]

The new cyan color is a bit too vibrant if you ask me, but it is supposed to be a LED light coming from behind, so it looks fine I guess.

What I meant to not try to colorize with color themes are the spline lines, that's the blue and multi-color line depicting the position of the sliders. You probably have something like this:

<eqvis
id="xxxx" gamma="100"
x="87" y="23" h="110" w="459"
colortop="183,187,205"
colormiddle="183,187,205"
colorbottom="183,187,205"
colorpreamp="146,172,186"
gammagroup="xxxxxxx" alpha="100"/>

Well, that gammagroup is ignored by Winamp, old bug. You obviously won't stumble upon it if you aren't planning to change it according to the color theme..

[PeterK.]

Originally Posted by Victhor

Well, that gammagroup is ignored by Winamp, old bug. You obviously won't stumble upon it if you aren't planning to change it according to the color theme..

True, I have not thought about adding a gammagroup to that frequency graph. But I was tempted to add a MENU button with some colors for the top, center and bottom parts. And since I could not decide which colors to take I left this option.

A cool feature would be a color slider and a CHOOSE button like I did in the LABEL POSITION window: you would choose the component (top, center, bottom, preamp) and move the slider through a color palette. That should work.

[PeterK.]

I added a shadow to the Main Player, which looks nice, but is not a good idea, while running more than one component at the same time on the desktop:



As soon as you move the Main Player towards another window you will realize that the Main Player's shadow is on that window and not beneath it. Yes you could click on that particular window once again in order to "set focus" to it and send the Main Player (and its shadow) to the background. But! Again, as soon as you hit a button on the Main Player, the shadow will "jump" in the foreground and cover the top part of the other component.

Adding such a shadow could also mean that the snap feature will not work properly anymore because the bottom edge of such a window is moved many pixel below.

Edit: Due to all those limitations this feature is not going to make it into the upcoming update

[ariszlo]

Originally Posted by PeterK.

I added a shadow to the Main Player, which looks nice, but is not a good idea...

Then it was just an experiment, wasn't is?

[PeterK.]

Originally Posted by ariszlo

Then it was just an experiment, wasn't is?

Yes, although I must admit I like this shadow look a lot.

[Victhor]

Originally Posted by PeterK.

Adding such a shadow could also mean that the snap feature will not work properly anymore because the bottom edge of such a window is moved many pixel below.

I thought you´ve already found out about Snap points when working with the EQ and it's size. See this from the wiki:

The snappoint is an invisible point that will attract other snappoint objects with the same id in any other layout and make them want to dock, like little magnets. These objects have only the following subset of guiobject XML parameters:

• id - (id) All snappoint objects with the same id will snap to each other. Different ids ignore each other.
• x - (int) The x position of the snappoint, see: guiobject.
• y - (int) The y position of the snappoint, see: guiobject.
• relatx - (int) The horizontal coordinate space of the snappoint, see: guiobject.
• relaty - (int) The vertical coordinate space of the snappoint, see: guiobject.

[PeterK.]

Originally Posted by Victhor

I thought you´ve already found out about Snap points when working with the EQ and it's size. See this from the wiki:

And I thought you had remembered that I could not get it done as long as there were two drawers - vertical (Equalizer) and horizontal (Album) - because I did not manage to apply two snap points to the same container - or is it just not possible? As soon as I detached the Album drawer, applying a snap point was a piece of cake. And after detaching the Equalizer container from the Main Player snap points were not necessary anymore.

Adding a shadow to a container takes us back to square one - how do I apply two snap points to a container?