Help understanding overlays (Callout to senior skinners)

[Marbles_00]

After receiving excellent criticism from Colby, I decided to revamp my MayTV skin (screenshots to come). In the original skin I set up a movie page and when selecting the movie, would go to an info page where I had a button to play the movie. Going from one screen to the other though, Zoom Player would start and play the movie automatically, in which I would have to timely stop and sendfocus back to Xlobby. This all would take time and I’ve decided that it had to be better. In looking at Colby’s skin, I like the way he did his overlay to display the movie info, and able to select at that point to play, only then starting Zoom Player. I decided to try my luck at overlays and have something that pretty much works, only when the overlay is on the screen I still seem to have access to underlaying objects, which I don’t want to have happen. How do you prevent this?

Is there a good thread or some documentation that explains how to setup/create overlays?

Thanks in advance for your response

David

[rubbah]

use: show overlay new layer

[Marbles_00]

Thanks for the tip rubbah. I knew I was doing something silly. I think I set it up as a goto "overlay screen" as opposed to show overlay. Should have went back to Colby's Event Variable document for help.

[rubbah]

no prob..

[Colby]

use: show overlay new layer

This is for layering of overlays. Like in Steven's new default skin.

Originally there was only one way to show overlay, that would be a show overlay command. Now there are 4 ways. you could use overlay: overlayname in the categorys info screen page, or add an event to the category to show layers. You can use the show overlay new layer on the layer screen to layer another overlay over an existing one.

Basically a layer is a page, without a background that shows up over another page.

Layered overlays are overlays over layers. they allow you to use all depths of an overlay simultaneously and allow expansion of an overlay. I first used this in my search pages, then steven created a layer event, and uses it a lot in his skin.

Global overlays are overlays the same but they will open the screen on both client and server. Thus global.

Generally if you use the info screen= overlay: whatever method then your categorys will open the desired info screen and the selected item of the category will remain referenced to so is to extract additional details.

I hope this post helps a bit. I am thankful for overlays, I remember before we had them. I created my skin and talked steven into making overlays more flexible, with out them my skin would suck more than it does.

Marbles I still would like to fool around with your skin a bit if you got something.

[Marbles_00]

Thanks for the info Colby. I've been able to successfully setup a DVD info overlay, Offline play overlay and rating screen overlay. Zoom Player seems to behave now, only starting when I select the Play button.

As for the skin, I could send you a zip of my buttons (or at least a sample), and backgrounds/splash. I recreated all my buttons using Photoshop, and made a new splash screen. I've organized things better (I think). What's your email and I could send them too you.

I've got most of my screens complete, except for I'm working on navigation, sounds and then setting up XRemote. I then have to clean things up. I also have to clean up my skin directory and delete all the extra "crap" that's not being used.

I will be submitting screen shots soon to that website.

[Colby]

You can send me what you have. I understand its not complete, and there will be more tweaking of course. Xlobby@incolbyDOTcom

[Marbles_00]

Okay,

I've been playing around with the Colby skin the last few days to learn (by the way, it is a very impressive, clean skin - I really like it). I have a database of movies with a mix of offline and online DVD's. As stated, I can select an online move, which takes me to an info overlay where I can play the movie. How do I get it so when I select an offline movie, the info overlay will display, and when I select play, it will go to an additional overlay stating that the movie is offline, and I need to insert a DVD?

Is this where I will have to create two database (one online, one offline) and have two seperate info overlay screens (one online, one offline) and to have seperate play events for each overlay? The online play event will behave like it does now, while the offline play event will go to the offline play screen?

[rubbah]

http://www.xlobby.com/files/jowaldo/doc ... /index.htm

[Marbles_00]

RRRRGGGGGG!!! I figured it out.
I read that post rubbah, and was already doing all that. What I did wrong was I thought I would need two file types defined for Zoom Player. One to set up for online movies and the other for offline. The conditions for online viewing came first in the list so that was the only one ever used. Once I disabled that, everything worked great.

Oh man, big thanks for being patient with my sillyness.

David

[rubbah]

hehe.. well now u know