Playing with the LCD Skin Media Display

[MrQuade]

The topic of the progress indicator size on the T4 front panel came up on a whirlpool thread recently.

I thought I would try a simple edit of the front panel skin.
Editing the file:
/share/enigma2/display/skin_display_picon.xml

Then going down to the "movieplayer" section, you find this:

Code: Select all

	<screen name="InfoBarMoviePlayerSummary" position="0,0" size="255,64">
		<widget name="statusicon_summary" position="0,0" zPosition="3" size="23,20" pixmaps="play.png,pause.png,stop.png,forward.png,backward.png,slow.png" />
		<widget source="speed_summary" render="Label" position="30,0" size="160,22" font="FdLcD;18" halign="left" noWrap="1" />
		<widget source="session.CurrentService" render="Label" position="0,22" size="255,20" font="FdLcD;17" halign="left" noWrap="1">
			<convert type="ServiceName">Name</convert>
		</widget>
		<widget source="session.CurrentService" render="Progress" position="0,44" size="140,5" borderWidth="1">
			<convert type="ServicePosition">VFDPosition</convert>
		</widget>
		<widget source="session.CurrentService" render="Label" position="0,51" size="140,18" font="FdLcD;17" halign="left" valign="bottom" noWrap="1">
			<convert type="ServicePosition">VFDPosition</convert>
		</widget>

Just tweaking the "size", "position", and "font" fields thusly:

Code: Select all

	<screen name="InfoBarMoviePlayerSummary" position="0,0" size="255,64">
		<widget name="statusicon_summary" position="0,20" zPosition="3" size="23,20" pixmaps="play.png,pause.png,stop.png,forward.png,backward.png,slow.png" />
		<widget source="speed_summary" render="Label" position="0,44" size="160,20" font="FdLcD;18" halign="left" noWrap="1" />
		<widget source="session.CurrentService" render="Label" position="0,0" size="255,20" font="FdLcD;17" halign="left" noWrap="1">
			<convert type="ServiceName">Name</convert>
		</widget>
		<widget source="session.CurrentService" render="Progress" position="30,20" size="140,5" borderWidth="1">
			<convert type="ServicePosition">VFDPosition</convert>
		</widget>
		<widget source="session.CurrentService" render="Label" position="35,26" size="140,40" font="FdLcD;35" halign="left" valign="bottom" noWrap="1">
			<convert type="ServicePosition">VFDPosition</convert>
		</widget>

Produces the following result (apologies for the poor quality photo):

(I felt that the movie choice was apt given the fiddly nature of editing the layout)

This provides the full width of the screen to the movie title, and greatly enlarges the playback position (which is something the Whirlpool poster requested).
The speed_summary field is a bit of a mystery though. The xml specifies a field width of 160, but I am not sure that extra width is ever required. In any case, the overlap doesn't appear to bother the display.

As prl pointed out, the VFDPosition converter (label) could be changed to VFDRemaining if you prefer time remaining instead. A shame that it is not configurable from the GUI like the T3 though (or is it?).

[prl]

I read the Whirlpool request as the user wanting both elapsed and remaining time (but perhaps that was wrong), in which case a larger font could still be used, but not quite so large

While you're playing around with the front panel skins, you might like to think about the size, alignment and wraparound settings in the SetupValue field of the SetupSummary screen in skin_display_picon.xml. A good example of the problem is for some of the values in MENU>Setup>TV>Recording settings>Behaviour when a movie is selected. It's a good example, because it demonstrates the problems of truncation at either end of the string, especially in "wrap" mode.

There also doesn't seem to be any good reason why the same screen in skin_display.xml doesn't show the value at all.

[MrQuade]

I read the Whirlpool request as the user wanting both elapsed and remaining time (but perhaps that was wrong), in which case a larger font could still be used, but not quite so large

Manc phrased it as "elapsed or remaining" which I interpreted to mean that he was using the default skin that shows neither.

While you're playing around with the front panel skins, you might like to think about the size, alignment and wraparound settings in the SetupValue field of the SetupSummary screen in skin_display_picon.xml. A good example of the problem is for some of the values in MENU>Setup>TV>Recording settings>behaviour when a movie is selected. It's a good example, because it demonstrates the problems of truncation at either end of the string, especially in "wrap" mode.

There also doesn't seem to be any good reason why the same screen in skin_display.xml doesn't show the value at all.

I could probably have a look at cleaning up all of the sections for both skins a little bit. It would give me something productive, if somewhat annoying fiddly, to do .

I had only tinkered with the movieplayer section as a muck-around and an example of what Manc was asking for.

What would be your recommendation for a starting point for discovering the various widgets that are available?

I could probably work this out with a bit of trial and error, but what are the full dimensions of the panel anyway, 200x65 or therabouts?

[prl]

... Manc phrased it as "elapsed or remaining" which I interpreted to mean that he was using the default skin that shows neither.

I hadn't thought of that possibility.

... What would be your recommendation for a starting point for discovering the various widgets that are available?

The same as for the screen displays: the files in Components/{Sources,Converter,Renderer}. The VFDRemaining converter is in the same converter as VFDPosition: Components/Converter/ServicePosition.py. You don't need to restrict yourself to VFD* converters, they may just give a slightly more compact string.

I could probably work this out with a bit of trial and error, but what are the full dimensions of the panel anyway, 200x65 or therabouts?

It tells you in each screen definition:
<screen name="InfoBarMoviePlayerSummary" position="0,0" size="255,64">

(And no, I don't know why 255 width and not 256, though I think I have checked it and it's in fact not 256.)

[MrQuade]

(And no, I don't know why 255 width and not 256, though I think I have checked it and it's in fact not 256.)

Whoops, I probably should have spotted that!