STOPPED - New graphic Interface for OMNIA

[Guest saitronprince]

Okay, so what have we got done so far?

- Lock screen seems finished

- Vote on concept for contacts? (someone post all concepts, number them, and anyone who cants to can vote)

- Is the idea for the homescreen done?

This is working pretty well. We got 2.5 coders...

Just repeating a previous idea: once we've got the simple theme done, we can go a little farther than skin deeps: add in finger scrolling, do away with scroll bars, add in a couple bundled apps? (voice calling, etc.)

[Guest nollie]

Great start but look like there's still quite a way to go, not to mention the amount of coding needed.

[Guest ivanxxx]

MEN cant believe you !!! very nice work, elegant. I would like to make some donation if this would happen !! I think samsung should hire you..

[Guest Feet Maestro]

They really should cos the way they released it was a joke! standard interface! GRRR!!!

[Guest Hellbender]

So what do we have that is actually working (download link please)

actually there is NOTHING working. In case we have something to test i'll post it on the first post ot this thread.

Okay, so what have we got done so far?

- Lock screen seems finished

- Vote on concept for contacts? (someone post all concepts, number them, and anyone who cants to can vote)

- Is the idea for the homescreen done?

This is working pretty well. We got 2.5 coders...

Just repeating a previous idea: once we've got the simple theme done, we can go a little farther than skin deeps: add in finger scrolling, do away with scroll bars, add in a couple bundled apps? (voice calling, etc.)

These are all just designs ATM, there's only one very early working demo made by Speleomaniac in the first pages of the thread, I didn't link it in the first page 'cause is just a quick test, nothing to test really.

About the contacts concepts, there isn't "someone" who can post them, I'm actualy the only one designing them, so if I didn't post it, no one can because only I have them.

I posted them, both in the previous page and in the first one, just bother to take a look at them if you are interested in giving your feedback.

I'll keep your suggestion about numbering them, even though they are just 2... not a big effort to point them out.

All design are subject to a little reworking as you all provide feedback, i could always forget some core functionality. That said: no, the home page is not complete at this time, it needs the media player design in it, but i've not did it yet 'cause it's a feature which I don't know if our programmers will/can do.

I'm actually choosing and cutting down what we decide are minor features (voice calling....).

Keep in mind that for a certain time this thing will work with what already lies in WM.

It will be released in modules, at first probably will be in just the launcher, the home and the lock screen, that seems to be the easier parts. Will follow all the basic things like dialer, contacts page and so on.

With time we will add apps as long as the core ones are being developed. And for now FORGET about customization which goes beyond the simple skinning, I repeat for the last time that THIS IS NEITHER A TODAY SCREEN NOR A WIDGETS SYSTEM.

I'm sorry about that, but is far too difficult to design modular pages, it's like playing tetris with displays and buttons on every single piece.

Image balancing is putting a certain number of things in a given position, if it's not like that the result is cluttering. All the design just wouldn't work.

You cannot fit everything you want in it, as you can't do with Manilla or other heavy graphical interfaces without coding it in xml or something and making extra art.

And BTW we have 2 coders actually, and one of them is not active at the moment, so the thing is wayyyy far from being started.

Not to mention that some of the request i red about can be considered commercial applications that could require months of coding.

Not being rude, just don't think too big, you could be disappointed.

That said, feedback on the contacts page so I can close that design.

Edited November 27, 2008 by Hellbender

[Guest d3adpix3l]

I like this design the most since not all my contacts have a picture B)

Edited November 27, 2008 by d3adpix3l

[Guest Hellbender]

I like this design the most since not all my contacts have a picture B)

Well, I know what you are talking about, and as long this is a common matter, we will put a "void" icon with just the name written on it, instead of the picture, as happens in the today 2 contacts tab (just with smaller fonts B)). The other way could be reskin a (more compact and not image hungry) third party contacts application, there are zillions out there. I don't know if we should go for two different contacts browsers.

I was mumbling (coders will run away from me now) about making the landscape and the portrait behaviour different in certain applications, such as the contact page wich could be an image based carousel when in landscape, and a scrolling list when in portrait.

Thoughts?

Edited November 27, 2008 by Hellbender

[Guest momok]

Well, I know what you are talking about, and as long this is a common matter, we will put a "void" icon with just the name written on it, instead of the picture, as happens in the today 2 contacts tab (just with smaller fonts B) ). The other way could be reskin a (more compact and not image hungry) third party contacts application, there are zillions out there. I don't know if we should go for two different contacts browsers.

I was mumbling (coders will run away from me now) about making the landscape and the portrait behaviour different in certain applications, such as the contact page wich could be an image based carousel when in landscape, and a scrolling list when in portrait.

Thoughts?

been watching this thread some time; great job there. I posted just to add that your theme would be more consistent if the landscape n potrait used similar styles. I personally prefer the current scrolling style (the one you just posted) to the one that comes from the top right to the bottom..

Thought I might add that instead of trying to do too much and possibly failing or screwing up your attempt, it would be more realistic to code a few cool stuff really well and release a preliminary version. Then work on improved versions with more add-ins.

Edited November 28, 2008 by momok

[Guest sector]

Hellbender take a look at this topic. This guy uses only images replace the today screen based on xml values. It is very easy to make skins for the phone.

I have downloaded the zip file from xda and i see that it used an app TodayLife.exe which im guessing that he is reading the xml values for portait and landscape.

Please check it and maybe ask the creator for some ideas or how to start.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=407900

Take care

[Guest Jokes On You]

Hellbender take a look at this topic. This guy uses only images replace the today screen based on xml values. It is very easy to make skins for the phone.

I have downloaded the zip file from xda and i see that it used an app TodayLife.exe which im guessing that he is reading the xml values for portait and landscape.

Please check it and maybe ask the creator for some ideas or how to start.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=407900

Take care

I have used today life and you would have to fix the resolution to fit the omnia. I dont think this is finished yet

[Guest Hellbender]

I have used today life and you would have to fix the resolution to fit the omnia. I dont think this is finished yet

I gave it a rapid shot. Resolution is not the real problem here, that application completely lacks of animations, transitions of any kind, adn obviously isn't completed yet.

I know it's fully customizable (more like skinnable, imho) but when you work with certain behaviours (ex icons sliding from a side to another of the screen) such as my idea, is way more difficult to make it customizable. Take as an example Home Screen Plus Plus, is very versatile, plenty of transitions between screens, but still can't do what i need it to and is a bit complex to xml code for a beginner, me in.

This thing is unique as it looks at the moment, if you want to make it similar to other applications.... what's the point in doing this? In that case would be better a skin for a third party suit, right ?

For what I can see all of you who are looking for the customizability could go for at least other 3 or 4 customizable today applications, without asking features from this project.

So are you attracted by the looking of my interface, or by the features (which are way less than other interfaces)?

As I stated in the first post and i repeat for the last time THIS IS JUST EYE CANDY STUFF, not a top usability interface, no new features, i'm not trying to change the mobile interface business. I just want to do something cool to look at, and obviously use, on the Omnia.

That said a usually ask coders, who realize this kind of apps, some xml parameters to allow me to adjust/modify the skinning, so, if this project goes on, in the end there will be xml to configure the skin, but keep in mind this isn't the goal of this project, maybe certain things will not be customizable (wheel behaviour?) without hardcoding a new one. in every interface i saw until now, animations of element are hardcoded inside the main application, you can just choose from a given set, not edit them.

[Guest LeSScro]

@ Hellbender...

i have a request B) , can you share in zip files like other post this wallpaper with object in different part ?

i think, Locker version adapted from your work is finished for WA2... i want play now with this sliding panel but with wisbar is very difficult to obtain the result ! but i can simulate sliding effect with some transition...

if you can, you are my friend forever B) ! B) !

[Guest eichyl]

Can someone please tell me, wich language speleomaniac used to create his app.

[Guest Hellbender]

Can someone please tell me, wich language speleomaniac used to create his app.

Ask Deimoslp or Speleomaniac itself. All I can tell is they are using Visual Studio, C++.

[Guest deimoslp]

Can someone please tell me, wich language speleomaniac used to create his app.

Visual c++ with windows mobile sdk professional(the latter is downloadable for free at Microsoft.com). The best thing is to actually own an omnia so you can test your programs on it using visual c++ in combination with activesync. Microsoft does provide emulators but they don't have the same graphic capabilities as omnia has(no backbuffer for instance), so you can't really tell if your program is working out well or not.

A good start would be to dig in the directx PocketPC examples provided with windows mobile sdk.

Edited November 28, 2008 by deimoslp

[Guest eichyl]

Visual c++ with windows mobile sdk professional(the latter is downloadable for free at Microsoft.com). The best thing is to actually own an omnia so you can test your programs on it using visual c++ in combination with activesync. Microsoft does provide emulators but they don't have the same graphic capabilities as omnia has(no backbuffer for instance), so you can't really tell if your program is working out well or not.

A good start would be to dig in the directx PocketPC examples provided with windows mobile sdk.

Thanks, VC++ is ok and i have a Omnia. I think i practice a bit and hope that I can help on this project.

[Guest LeSScro]

Thanks, VC++ is ok and i have a Omnia. I think i practice a bit and hope that I can help on this project.

Nice another Coderr in Pârty ! Project development is hard to begin but with some help and time, We can (not me, i dont know how to use VC++) hope this project finished in great and absolute great release for omnia and maybe for other resolution (like my 240x320 - 320x240).

Hellbender have lot of great idea and concept to simplify navigation is beautifull... Idea to develop a nice UI is more important but capacity to convert idea to reality is more difficult !

Coders, i hope you can help this project and realise him!

DON'T STOP ! B)

[Guest saitronprince]

I'm thinking about the contacts screen, and I realized something. It's got an internal design flaw. Not all picture for contacts, in fact most, are not square. You should probably set something up, like an internal cropping program, so that when you set a picture, you select what part of the picture for the contact you want.

[Guest Hellbender]

I'm thinking about the contacts screen, and I realized something. It's got an internal design flaw. Not all picture for contacts, in fact most, are not square. You should probably set something up, like an internal cropping program, so that when you set a picture, you select what part of the picture for the contact you want.

Speaking about non core features....

Most programs out there take the picture you give them and scale it to fit in their icons, mantaining the aspect ratio (not always, as Samsung Today 2 contacts does). If they don't, you need to crop your own image with another software and scale it, in case you didn't want to use a huge image to fit it in a 50x50 pixel area.

To obtain the best look from your contacts photos you need to tweak the images yourself.

This is definitely not a flaw.

[Guest LeSScro]

Trying to port this beautifull graphic on Wisbar Desktop 2 to wait the future release for omnia and maybe other resolution...

Preview of Spinner Page QVGA...

Need more work to finich this page but really usefull... Animation mimic is very good...

EDIT/ 02-12-2008

Forum is dead or What ?, Hellbender seen on XDA but nobody want help more this project...

Still convert Graphics from Hellbender to WA2... But QVGA size give me some space problem...

New Preview

Edited December 2, 2008 by LeSScro

[Guest Hellbender]

Screen Lock alpha released here. Grab it!

[Guest thaizyber]

Nice one. Hope we can use your innovation program soon.

Thank for invent

ThaiZyber

[Guest Brezdelnez]

Uuuuu thanks

[Guest eichyl]

very nice, can anybody give me the sourcecode?

[Guest Junoman]

Your efforts are appreciated with Many thanks.