Skins development suggestion: Use ZIP not APK

[haddy]

I think an ordinary ZIP compression archive method would be the convenient method for skin/theme creators to have.

Just like in the Java ME (J2ME) app called KD Player (also Russian)... A typical skin encompassed two files:

A.) a .KDI file (a renamed .PNG or .JPG file) - this file included all the skin's image contents

B.) a .KDS file (a renamed .TXT file) - a text formatted file which held all the coordinates to a skin e.g. which button is positioned where etc

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On the other hand, for For Poweramp, I'd recognize that an equivalent 'kdi' method would not be as in image file but rather as a ZIP file with all the individual image elements inside. Perhaps two separate 'kdi' equivalents each for portrait and landscape view of the same skin.

Here is a screenshot from my text editor of a typical KD Player .kds text based file (further coordinates not in the screenshot of course do exist specified for things such as Play button, rewind button etc etc)...

Here is a screenshot of a .kdi (renamed to it's true file-extension of a PNG - it includes rgb alpha transparency)...

Screenshot of resulting skin (from both the same kdi and kds posted above):

btw, this KD Player skin used in this example is called "Cletic FC" and is available here: http://www.easter-eg...ins/Page_11.php

So KD Player loads the skin theme by just reading the contents of the kds and then applying the kdi both of which have to be in the same folder. Furthermore each KD Player skin (although not necessary) has a waiting screen/splash screen that the skin maker includes and whenever KD Player loads new skin, this screen is briefly shown before taking the user to an 'Information' which gives detailing on the skin author, date of creation, copyright etc which is something to think about as a cool feature when initiating skin/theme support in any media player app.

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I hope Max, Poweramp's developer, could CONSIDER implementing an ALTERNATIVE more easier skinning dev style like this as an alternative to the Android SDK/ XML based method that is already planned for Poweramp.

Well, thanks for reading

[maxmp]

Thanks for the suggestion, but unfortunately, this won't work so well for Android app theme. This is due to the huge Android fragmentation. You can't just have couple of "map"-like images for a skin. You need to have variously sized images for various screen sizes, as well, XML'ed details (sizes, offsets) at least for small, medium, large, tablet and low, mid, high and extra high screen pixel densities. And you need all this in the format Android UI understands (i.e. compiled resource files).

Poweramp skin SDK simplifies all this in the way, that skin author doesn't need to include and write everything needed for the skin - he/she can just override some bitmaps, some layouts/sized as needed, keeping everything else "derived" from default theme.