Note: Information on this page might be outdated. Reference the current implementation of RCBs default skin or contact us directly if you want to create skin files for RCB. # Skinning RCB # As a script RCB has full access to XBMCs skinning engine. Every view and dialog can be designed as we want it to look like. But this also means that everything HAS to be designed. Nothing will work out of the box with the views that are already shipped with the users default skin (like it is for a plugin). Most things in RCBs skin files should be self explanating to a skinner. The current skin files are made for a 720p resolution with Confluence in mind. If you have improvements to my Confluence skin or want to migrate RCB to other skins please feel free to contribute. Not every dialog in RCB must be ported to other skins. If XBMC does not find one of the skin xml files for the current skin it will just use the file from RCBs default skin. So I think in most cases it will be enough to have the main window and maybe the additional game info window prepared for other skins. All of the little dialogs from RCB can use the default look and feel. Completed skins can be shipped with RCB or the skin itself. If you to let me ship your RCB skin files with RCB, this will allow users of other skins to use your skin files and vice versa. I could also take "ownership" of your skin files and maintain them to keep them compatible with further RCB changes. You can do all this yourself if you like, of course. ## XML files used with RCB ## The following skin xml files are used with RCB: ``` script-Rom_Collection_Browser-main.xml (RCBs main window) script-RCB-gameinfo.xml (Game info view) script-RCB-contextmenu.xml (Context menu) script-RCB-importoptions.xml (Import options dialog) script-RCB-editromcollection.xml (Edit Rom Collection dialog) script-RCB-editscraper.xml (Edit Scraper dialog) script-RCB-removeRC.xml (Remove Rom Collection dialog) script-RCB-missinginfo.xml (Missing info dialog) ``` ## Accessing RCBs images and videos ## One thing that could be special in this script is the "dynamic image placing". RCB does not rely on a defined set of media files. The user may have small collections with only one image per game or others may have complete sets with 6 or more images and maybe video files per game. I want the user to decide where to show which type of image. The skinner should decide how it is presented. I am afraid this approach is not really XBMCish... Thats why you find several code lines like this in the skin xml: ``` $INFO[ListItem.Property(background)] or $INFO[ListItem.Property(gameinfobig)] ``` The user decides per config what image he wants to use as background image. The skin can display this file with the above code. Here is a list of all available media controls (valid for main window and game info window): Images ``` background gamelist gamelistselected gameinfobig gameinfoupperleft gameinfoupperright gameinfolowerleft gameinfolowerright gameinfoupper gameinfolower gameinfoleft gameinforight extraImage1 extraImage2 extraImage3 ``` As you see there are gameinfobig and gameinfo(upper)(lower)(left)(right). The idea behind this is that the user can decide if he wants to see one big image in the info pane or 2-4 small images. If you don't like the idea you can just use the gameinfobig tag to display one image. Videos ``` videowindowbig videowindowsmall ``` Here you can see how this is done in the current skin: [dynamic image placing](BrowsingAndDisplayingGames#dynamic_image_placing) (see the screenshots at the end of the page). ## Accessing RCBs text properties ## It should also be possible to access all text properties in the skin. The title of a game is available as ListItem.Label: ``` $INFO[ListItem.Label] ``` All other properties can be accessed like this: ``` $INFO[ListItem.Property(console)] ``` All available tags: ``` romcollection console year plot publisher developer reviewer genre maxplayers rating votes url region media perspective controllertype isfavorite playcount originaltitle alternatetitle translatedby version ``` ## Special control ids ## Some control ids are referenced inside the python code so you should not change them unless you know what you are doing. ### Game lists ### Lists always have ids 50-59 in XBMC. These lists are available as "view" in the UI. One id is reserved for the game info dialog. 50-58: views in the main window 59: game info dialog ### Main Window ### Some controls that are available in all views should not be changed also. #### Filter controls #### ``` Console: 500 Genre: 600 Year: 700 Publisher: 800 A-Z: 900 Favorites: 1000 Search: 1100 ``` #### Scrollbars #### For some reason I had trouble with handling scrollbars along with textboxes because they are sometimes present and sometimes not (depending on the length of text). If you use scrollbars in your view make sure they have ids 2200 or 2201. If you need more scrollbars just have a look at the beginning of the file gui.py. There is a list with scrollbar ids (CONROL\_SCROLLBARS = (2200, 2201,)). You can add your id here and tell me that I should add it to the next RCB version. #### Buttons #### ``` Change View: 2 Missing info filter: 4001 ``` #### Labels #### ``` Message label: 4000 ``` ### Context Menu ### #### Buttons #### ``` Close Context Menu: 5101 Import Games: 5110 Rescrape Game: 5121 Rescrape Selection: 5122 Add Rom Collection: 5111 Edit Rom Collection: 5112 Edit Scrapers: 5117 Edit Game Command: 5113 (Un)mark game as favorite: 5118 (Un)mark selection as favorite: 5119 Export nfo files: 5120 Delete Game: 5114 Delete Rom Collection: 5115 Clean database: 5116 Open Addon Settings: 5223 ``` ### Import options dialog ### #### Buttons #### ``` Close Dialog: 5101 Ok: 5300 Cancel: 5310 Rom Collection Up: 5211 Rom Collection Down: 5212 Scrape Mode Up: 5222 Overwrite settings: 5330 ``` #### Lists #### ``` Rom Collections: 5210 Scraping mode: 5220 Fuzzy Factor: 5260 Scraper 1: 5270 Scraper 2: 5280 Scraper 3: 5290 ``` ### Edit Rom Collection dialog ### #### Buttons #### ``` Close Dialog: 5101 Save: 6000 Cancel: 6010 Emu Cmd: 5220 Emu Params: 5230 Use emu solo: 5440 Dont extract zip: 5450 Savestate path: 5460 Savestate mask: 5470 Savestate params: 5480 Pre-Launch cmd: 5510 Post-Launch cmd: 5520 Rom Path: 5240 File Mask: 5250 Media Path: 5270 Media File Mask: 5280 Remove Media Path: 5490 Add Media Path: 5500 Ignore on scan: 5330 Allow update: 5400 Max folder depth: 5410 Disk indicator: 5420 Use folder as gamename: 5430 Rom Collection Up: 5211 Rom Collection Down: 5212 Media Type Up: 5261 Media Type Down: 5262 Autoplay video (main) 5350 Autoplay video (info) 5360 ``` #### Lists #### ``` Rom Collections: 5210 Media Types: 5260 Scraper 1: 5290 Scraper 2: 5300 Scraper 3: 5310 Image Placing Main: 5320 Image Placing Info: 5340 ``` ### Edit Scraper dialog ### #### Buttons #### ``` Close Dialog: 5101 Save: 6000 Cancel: 6010 Scraper Up: 5602 Scraper Down: 5601 Game desc path: 5520 Game desc mask: 5530 Parse instruction: 5540 Desc per game: 5550 Search by crc: 5560 Use folder as crc: 5580 Use file as crc: 5590 Remove scraper: 5610 Add scraper: 5620 ``` #### Lists #### ``` Scrapers: 5600 ``` ### Remove Rom Collection dialog ### #### Buttons #### ``` Close Dialog: 5101 Ok: 6000 Cancel: 6010 Rom Collection Up: 5411 Rom Collection Down: 5412 Delete Option Up: 5491 Delete Option Down: 5492 ``` #### Lists #### ``` Rom Collections: 5410 Delete Options: 5490 ``` ### Missing info filter dialog ### #### Buttons #### ``` Close Dialog: 5101 Ok: 6000 Cancel: 6010 Add Artwork (Or) 5230 Remove Artwork (Or) 5240 Add Artwork (And) 5260 Remove Artwork (And) 5270 Add Info (Or) 5290 Remove Info (Or) 5300 Add Info (And) 5320 Remove Info (And) 5330 ``` #### Lists #### ``` Filter Modes: 5200 ``` #### Labels #### ``` Artwork Or-Group: 5220 Artwork And-Group: 5250 Info Or-Group: 5280 Info And-Group: 5310 ``` # Implementing Game widgets on home screen # RCB also supports being invoked to gather game data for home screen widgets. Atm only the most played roms are available. Other statistics are planned for future releases. ## Gathering data ## To get a list of the most played roms you should add a line like this in a startup routine of your skin: ``` RunScript(script.games.rom.collection.browser,limit=10) ``` ## Accessing data ## Later on you can access the properties with a command like this: ``` $INFO[Window(Home).Property(MostPlayedROM.1.Title)] ``` This is a list of all available properties: ``` MostPlayedROM.1.Id MostPlayedROM.1.Console MostPlayedROM.1.Title MostPlayedROM.1.Thumb MostPlayedROM.1.Plot MostPlayedROM.1.Year MostPlayedROM.1.Publisher MostPlayedROM.1.Developer MostPlayedROM.1.Genre MostPlayedROM.1.Maxplayers MostPlayedROM.1.Region MostPlayedROM.1.Media MostPlayedROM.1.Perspective MostPlayedROM.1.Controllertype MostPlayedROM.1.Playcount MostPlayedROM.1.Rating MostPlayedROM.1.Votes MostPlayedROM.1.Url MostPlayedROM.1.Originaltitle MostPlayedROM.1.Alternatetitle MostPlayedROM.1.LaunchCommand MostPlayedROM.1.Fanart MostPlayedROM.2.Id MostPlayedROM.2.Console ... ``` ## Launching games ## Launching games directly from home screen is done via RCB again. This helps to support more advanced features like solo mode, zip extraction, etc. You can launch a game via RCB with a command like this: ``` RunScript(script.games.rom.collection.browser,launchid=1234) ```