While we are waiting...

[rika]

Great!!
I actually haven´t checked xPerT yet. I will now

Rika

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Ok ive tested it and actually it is currently working as u specified here. It works for both png and gifs and u can have buttons and text on the top.

However im sure it doesnt still provide all features u might need, but i can implement them as needed, also its not much tested so it can be buggy.

I tested it with my current xperimental version of xPerT, however i havent made any changes to animation part since original release, so u can download first version and test with it. If it appears that response is generally slow within that version. I can provide u my current experimental version, if u just provide contact information, but u can test old one first just to see if it works and to familiarize yourself with commands, since all animation functionality is same in old version anyway.

Here is usage:

to place animation in scene (screen) u create text element and type its contents:

plugin>xPerT>loadanimation>filename.png>name>fps

where filename.png is filename of your animation complete with whole path. name is whatever name u decide to give to animation, that same name is used to refer it when its launched or stopped. fps is integer which is framerate of animation.

to launch animation u use xPerT command "animate" with two parameters, '>' character separates parameters:

name>fps

Where name is same name u gave to animation u want to start on its loadanimation text element. and fps is same than above (why i ask it twice? beats me, i cant remember, mayby u can run same animation on different speed, but im not sure)

to stop animation, simply use command "stop" in xPerT. It takes one parameter:

name

which is again the name attribute u gave within the animation text element.


As u can now clearly see it doesnt provide much functionality, i never needed it anyway so it kind of just stayed behind, but if u decide to test it and find it suitable, i would be honored to work with u to make skin possible...

[rika]

Ok, i have tested the "old" version. I don´t know if it just load slowly or if i dont get it right. If i use a 5 frame gif it dosent seem to mather if i set fps to 5 or 5000 it just dont animate more then max 1 frame.
But gif:s are not that usefull for animations anyway.
What i like is to be able to load a png animation. A png animation is a set of png:s thats needed to be loaded one at a time. I need to be able to use a comande like:
plugin>xPerT>loadanimation>img001.png-img005.png>name>fps
(for a 5 png:s animation) Like a fast picture slide show.
One thing to look at is cpu use. If you run a gif with xPerT how much cpu does it take now?
I know that post with statement like "i need" "want" is not that popular so i fully respect if this is some thing that you end up not willing to do...

My Best

Rika

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Ok, i have tested the "old" version. I don´t know if it just load slowly or if i dont get it right. If i use a 5 frame gif it dosent seem to mather if i set fps to 5 or 5000 it just dont animate more then max 1 frame.

Hmmm, i guess i need to test old version myself too... just checking to make sure that u r using "animate"-command too and not only load animation variable by itself? This actually sounds very much like problem i was having it with myself, but its so long time ago cant quite remember what fixed that, but i think the fix should be already within implementation.

But gif:s are not that usefull for animations anyway.
What i like is to be able to load a png animation. A png animation is a set of png:s thats needed to be loaded one at a time. I need to be able to use a comande like:
plugin>xPerT>loadanimation>img001.png-img005.png>name>fps
(for a 5 png:s animation) Like a fast picture slide show.

I think its doable.

One thing to look at is cpu use. If you run a gif with xPerT how much cpu does it take now?

prolly much atleast currently. I only planned it for running small animations, and i didnt even try any optimations... but if im not mistaken youre planning to run whole screen animations. Ill just have to go trough code and see what i can do, if any, to make it better.

I know that post with statement like "i need" "want" is not that popular so i fully respect if this is some thing that you end up not willing to do...

I very much aprociate the favor uve done to this community and myself personally (as user of dragon) by releasing those beautiful skins. So if i can be any assistance ill do it gladly, and if i can't i won't stress over it.

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

I tested the old version and got atleast some animations run, mayby u could put that particular .gif available so i can experiment with it. One thing i notice it seems i dont do much input validation in old version so i better supply u with new more stable one, nevermind about contact info, ill put it publicly available tomorrow.

[dalanik]

Hm, just read u guys talking about .png's, and I was wondering - do png's support transparent backgrounds like gifs?

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Yes they do. Well not like gifs, pngs support several degrees of transparency trough alpha value, which specifies amount of transparency, while in gif pixel can only be either fully transparent or opaque.

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Ok Rika,

I realised what is wrong, i gave u incomplete instructions, sorry about that, its fault of my rotten memory. Besides using "loadanimation" variable and "animate" command to start it. U also need to give ID for your loadanimation text element, and that ID value should be the same u use as name together with "loadanimation" and "animate".

U could try to add this ID-value for your animation with old xPerT, it might be its that which solves problem. Its obviously needed so XLobby will update picture at all, cant figure out how i forget it. Anyway after adding it to my test animations it made them run much smooter, mine did run anyway, but i think its because im running so many plugins so mayby some of them did periodic calls to invalidate().

In anycase im working on new variable, called "loadslides" and its modelled along your wishes, so i will hold putting new release out till i got it ready.

[rika]

Great, thanks
The ID did the trick, loads fine now. (5 frame gif takes 35% cpu though)
HERE
you can download a 30 frame png animation to play with.

I´m a little bit worried about xlobby and Stevens future plans, i can´t upload to the xlobby server anymore...

Edit:
HERE
you can download a much more usefull png animation. (In first the png is not the same size)

Rika

[Marbles_00]

I´m a little bit worried about xlobby and Stevens future plans, i can´t upload to the xlobby server anymore...

That's strange, I just uploaded an update to my Zoneskin2 last night. Maybe the ftp server is down?

[Naylia]

I just logged in to the ftp server without any issues....

Rika,

Is there an easy way to use your backgrounds on a preexisting skin and if so would you be willing to post the images?

[rika]

Hmm, now the server is fine. Yesterday i could log in but not upload.

Is there an easy way to use your backgrounds on a preexisting skin and if so would you be willing to post the images?

Yes it´s easy, you just have to change your weather imgs to these ones.
And resize your weather icon to fill the screen in your skin.
The problem is that i haven´t change the size of them (now 275 MB) I will try to fix this soon.

Rika

[rika]

Ok, weather png:s can be downloaded
[url=http://]HERE[/url]

I have got them down from 275 mb to 30 mb, if i make them smaller i thing you will lose to much in sharpness.

Exstract to your weather icons folder.
If you want to run thease as backgrounds i would select one png as a ordinary background and palace your favorite weather plugin screen ontop of that to run the weather forecast. That way you don´t get a black screen if your weather for some reason don´t get loaded.

You are free to change, copy or do what ever you want with thease weather img:s as long as you dont use them for comersial use.
As allways share good stuff with us here.

Rika

[dalanik]

Cool! Thanx!

[Naylia]

Great! I'll have to check em out this weekend....now I just need to get my weather auto-refreshing properly.