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OG Xbox Forums => Official MediaXMenu (MXM) Forum => Dashboard Forums => MXM Developer/Skinner Forum => Topic started by: BenJeremy on March 02, 2004, 10:55:00 AM

Title: Mxm Skin
Post by: BenJeremy on March 02, 2004, 10:55:00 AM
Those typically use a PNG with transparency to "frame" the preview video behind it.

Better still, MXM supports an alpha channel, meaning you can add glints/highlights that aren't completely opaque for a lens-like effects.
Title: Mxm Skin
Post by: -FourDoor- on March 02, 2004, 02:38:00 PM
I just answered your other question in the main forum. Basically if you want that circled preview effect, you need to see your skin design as "layers" like in photoshop.

Layer 1 - Background image or video
Layer 2 sits on top of layer 1 - Preview video
Layer 3 sits on top of layer 1 and 2 - PNG frame with a transaparent section to allow preview vid or thumb to show through.

In short, you need to save your picture as a .PNG. JPEGs will not work. Here's a sample of my mxm logo entry as a .png. Notice the sections that are transparent is where the "layer" below it will show through:

user posted image
Title: Mxm Skin
Post by: emanboss on March 02, 2004, 02:59:00 PM
Sorry for posting twice, so if I use skinner 5.0 does it matter which menu I start off with and will I be able to see what's behind in skinner such as that preview menu? How can I tell if my pic is tranparent(my circle)? Right now its just white does it stay white? Sorry for all the questions just trying to get it down right then I can go on my own and make skins.
Title: Mxm Skin
Post by: -FourDoor- on March 02, 2004, 03:08:00 PM
blink.gif


How can I tell if my pic is tranparent(my circle)?
What photo editor are you using? What extension is the file saved as? Right now its just white does it stay white?  Like I said, you need to convert your transparent picture to .png.

Sorry for all the questions just trying to get it down right then I can go on my own and make skins.

I think one of the best things you can do right now to help understand how the layers work is to load up a ready made skin from allxboxskins into skinner. Then you can see how the images/prev videos/ and the like are handled/positioned.
Title: Mxm Skin
Post by: emanboss on March 02, 2004, 03:50:00 PM
I'm have Roxio Photosuite 5 and Ms picture it express 7.0 and adobe photoshop 2.0. In skinner it has title, menu, load, and saver that's what I was talking about which to use 1st. The pic was jpeg now its png. I still don't know how to make the circle on it transparent.
Title: Mxm Skin
Post by: geniusalz on March 02, 2004, 07:12:00 PM
Title screen is when MXM first starts up.  Menu screen is where you choose your game.  Load screen is what shows up when you launch a game.  Saver is the screen saver.

So you need to make atleast a menu screen.

As for png's, skinner 5.0 can handle them, so if they look see-through in skinner, they are properly made.  Don't know much about photosuite, so can't help there.  Try looking in the manual/help for transparency/alpha
Title: Mxm Skin
Post by: Infared on March 03, 2004, 11:39:00 AM
umm... dunno if it will help but what about adding a few "spaces     "?
Title: Mxm Skin
Post by: geniusalz on March 03, 2004, 12:03:00 PM
Make the textboxes wider.

And don't stretch the png in skinner (it can't show them stretched)  The size of the pic in skinner should be exactly the same as the dimensions of the png itself
Title: Mxm Skin
Post by: emanboss on March 03, 2004, 08:49:00 PM
OK, finally completed my skin. Found out what I was doing wrong. I took out the boxes and moved things around. I'll have to mess around with it more to get better at it. Just wanted to let you guys know thanks for the tips and help. I'll put it on X box skins. Check it out see what you think.