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+--- Forum: Plugin features and improvements (http://forum.tordex.com/forum-15.html)
+--- Thread: Weather and Health Monitor Skins - This skin is for menus (/thread-1245.html)
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- bbfi - 02-16-2004
Okay. I just finished this and would like some input on it. Lately, I've been running out of room on my Taskbar with all the different plugins, etc. So I decided to go back to a skin design I worked on a while back but improve on it.
One of the biggest problems I think that all of us have found is that there doesn't appear to be one website with all the info we want. Daily weather, 5 day forecasts, UV, allergy, etc. are impossible to find in one place. Therefore, my skin or skins use 4 different websites and most of them are only in the USA. If anyone can find the same info in other countries, please make it available to users not from the USA. ???
By using these skins in a menu, you are able to free up valuable space in the Taskbar. Secondly, if you create a new TLB just for this, you get some great benefits. You can control the way the menu looks and since the skins are in the menu, you can configure the way the skin looks because I use a transparent background. In the picture below, I use a sky background as the overlay image that is stretched and use a black menu border (configured in the TLB skins section). As you can see, this allows the user to do a little bit of skin designing for their own taste.
My question is - should I upload these skins as one complete version, four separate skins, or do both options? Please let me know. I still have to write the readme text files before I do.
BTW - The smiley faces are programmed to change with the info for the Air Quality and for the UV Risk.
- bbfi - 02-16-2004
Here's a view with no border and no image overlay, but has the Show Menu Caption.
- bbfi - 02-16-2004
And here's a view with overlay image at 50% transparency and a pink menu background.
- HorusUK - 02-16-2004
Fantastic job sir! I'm glad you picked up on your project. I've got the image from these forums of your prototype, and it's something I've partially done in a Weather Underground style.
I say post everything you have. People will download what they feel is worthwhile, and it can only contribute.
On the weather files for non-US people, I'm mopre than happy to do what I can. I have a good base of customized files for my skins, that cover UK and Canadian sites. Let me know what's needed!
- bbfi - 02-16-2004
One more view with just the smiley face changes. :p
- Q Section - 02-16-2004
bbfi - you have outdone yourself greatly this time, sir! Wow!
- bbfi - 02-16-2004
Thanks HorusUK and QSection. I hope to have them uploaded by the end of the week.
HorusUK,
Quote:On the weather files for non-US people, I'm more than happy to do what I can. I have a good base of customized files for my skins, that cover UK and Canadian sites. Let me know what's needed!I guess when people ask, perhaps then either you or someone else with the info can guide them in setting up the Providers files.
I know that the people here at this forum are very creative and helpful.
- HorusUK - 02-16-2004
Agreed! Time to press for a skin library that has a little more functionality, and a section where we can upload provider files and other support files we all use for TLB.
- shapeshifter - 02-16-2004
You beat me to the punch (and did an excelent job at doing so)! I was developing somehing very similar to this, but I have to say I might just abondon my efforts now, as they can't possibly live up to this. Great job!
I say divide the menu up into "modules" with the same skin name, like HorusUK did with his DK skins. That way people can just download what they want and arrange things in whatever order they choose. I've also been trying to find a website that has all the info I want that is international, but haven't had any luck. Perhaps the weather.com xml feeds can fit the bill?
- bbfi - 02-17-2004
I have good news and bad news.
The good news is that everything is ready to upload.
The bad news is that I tried uploading the Daily Weather Monitor module 3 times and the Download this skin says ( N/AK). Clicking on the download gives the following error page -
Not Found
The requested URL /skinslib/bin/DailyWeather.zip was not found on this server.
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The file just won't upload. Does anyone know what the problem might be? The zip file size is 321kb.
So, right now there are 3 downloads and the pictures and the download doesn't work. Who would take care of this and delete these bad downloads? And help me figure what the upload problem is.
- HorusUK - 02-18-2004
Yuri is the man for the job! I've had problems with uploading skins, and he's helped me in the past.
Check that you're not including hidden windows files like thumbs.db in the zip files. It's caught me out a couple of times, and these thumb.db files do get large!
- bbfi - 02-18-2004
HorusUK,
Thanks for the info. I just sent an email to Yuri.
I didn't include any thumbs.db files in the zip. The weather icons alone are 264kb. ???
- bbfi - 02-22-2004
Yuri fixed the upload problem and all my Weather Monitor modules are uploaded and ready for your downloads. Enjoy!
- Scott - 02-27-2004
I can't get this to work. I think I'm using the wrong URL. (I'm trying to use this URL).
What is this idiot (that being me) doing wrong? (I do have the skin installed correctly, including the provider INI file.
)I keep trying one URL after another, and can't get any to work. The readme didn't help either...
- Q Section - 02-27-2004
Hello Scott and Welcome to True Launch Bar Forum!
So you are attempting to try out bbfi's large Weather Monitor? First of all can you see any information in the tooltips upon mouse hover over the plugin?