ThumbGen Designer - Bugs,wishlist,discussions (v1.0.17)

[thumbgen]

The first beta of the ThumbGen Designer application is ready. "Be nice" with it as it is barely tested. The application comes WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY so make sure you treat it like a beta (backup your templates).
Also feel free to post any bugs/ideas/suggestions for the moment here.

Download ThumbGen Designer (Version:1.0.17 Updated: 11.03.2012)
Download ThumbGen Designer (Version:1.0.16 Updated: 02.04.2011) - Expiration removed! You must download this version as the autoupdate does not work for expired versions
Download ThumbGen Designer (Version:1.0.15 Updated: 16.01.2011)
Download ThumbGen Designer (Version:1.0.14 Updated: 25.11.2010)
Download ThumbGen Designer (Version:1.0.12 Updated: 25.11.2010)
Download ThumbGen Designer (Version:1.0.10 Updated: 14.11.2010)
Download ThumbGen Designer (Version:1.0.9 Updated: 08.11.2010)
Download ThumbGen Designer (Version:1.0.8 Updated: 01.11.2010)
Download ThumbGen Designer (Version:1.0.7 Updated: 31.10.2010)

Please use the "Check for updates" button periodically as I won't upload here the latest builds every time I have minor changes. I'll make more often builds for the autoupdate. Starting with 1.0.9 the tool does an automatic CheckUpdates at every startup (until the Options menu will come where you can disable this)

v1.0.16
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* Removed beta expiration on 01.04.2011


v1.0.15
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* Added "Export to PNG/JPG/BMP" for the displayed sheet (PNG allows transparency)

v1.0.14
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* Improved Paste support (added option to paste only the properties of the copied element to the currently selected element)
* Improved Templates Converter (to allow properly converting ImageElements that have no Width and Height set in the xml definition)

v1.0.12
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* Locked and Visible status for Elements and Actions is now remembered between sessions

v1.0.10
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* Improved multi-monitor support (floating templates are still not working ok but ElementsList, Actions and Properties can be docked out)
* Added "Templates Converter" feature. It allows converting any template to any size (including proper convert for the rating stars and support for generating RTL templates).
* Added Drag/Drop support for Elements list and for Actions (order can be now changed via drag/drop, incl. multiple selection)



v1.0.9
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* Improved selection/moving

Code: Select all

selection mode
- click one item (top most) selects it and unselects all the others that are selected
- Ctrl-Click does the same as above
- Ctrl-Shift-Click toggles selection for that item (without affecting the other selected items)
- click anywhere and drag => the lasso tool allows selecting all items that are inside it

move mode
- click one item does nothing (to avoid selecting by mistake in this mode)
- Ctrl-Click selects the item and unselects all the others
- Ctrl-Shift-Click toggles selection for that item (without affecting the others)
- click anywhere and drag => moves the selected items

In both modes right-click on an item shows all elements under the mouse cursor in the top of the context menu (like Photoshop does); the user can choose there what item he wants to select/unselect (the simple click will toggle status without affecting the other selected items; keeping the Ctrl key pressed will unselect all and will select only that item.


* Improved arrows handling

Code: Select all

select desired items
- Arrows => move by 10 pixels (will be later configurable in Options as "Big Step")
- Ctrl-Arrows => move by 1 pixel (also configurable later as "Small Step")
- Shift-Arrows => resize by 10 pixels
- Ctrl-Shift-Arrows => resize by 1 pixel

Basically Ctrl means "go slow" and Shift means "do resize instead of move".


* Fixed various bugs and improved the template loading time (50%!)
* Added autocheck for new versions at startup
* Added option to show/hide Actions

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QuickInfo:

The Defaults subfolder contains elements used as default by ThumbGen:
* background.jpg/cover.jpg/fanart1-3 -> these are automatically displayed when u use %BACKGROUND%, %COVER%, %FANARTx% inside the template
* settings.xml contains all settings that ThumbGen supports (will be loaded by default for any new/old template and merged with the template defined ones)
* tokens.xml contains all tokens supported by ThumbGen mapped to some default values (feel free to change them as u wish either in xml or via the Designer)

You can drop the Designer near thumbgen.exe or in some other folder, does not matter.




Known bugs/problems/TODO:
* Add Undo/Redo functionality
* Font property is always collapsed and even expanded it collapses after refreshing the object properties
* Remember "Locked" and "Visible" status for elements (1.0.12)
* Option to keep Aspect Ratio for elements
* Extend "Paste" to allow pasting only properties (into an existing object) (1.0.14)
* Recent Documents menu
* Integrate XSL processing
* Polish updating mechanism (1.0.14)
* Add Options for various settings/customizations
* Add option to fully resize a template to a different size
* Add keyboard shortcuts for the most important tasks in the GUI
* During pasting an image ask the user if the real image should be moved also to the target location
* Add standard colors in the color picker
* Fix docking/multimonitor support
* Add "Start Designer" option in the main ThumbGen app
* Add objects grouping feature
* Add "Export to PNG/JPG/BMP" for the displayed sheet (1.0.15)

[Kline]

Very nice looking! I'm not a big theme designer but hope to play with this when I'm off work perhaps

[b-rad.cc]

amazing looking as usual tg, props

I'm sure this will stimulate template design!

[thumbgen]

I'm sure this will stimulate template design!

I hope! My target is to allow any user (with no XML knowledge or whatever programming skills) to "express his feelings"

The Designer is still in a very early development stage, let's see what the future brings.

[ozzii]

So for the grid...
If you can align to a selected element, well in that case this is not needed.
I thought you can align on the sheet and not just in one element. This is a good news.

[lstar337]

Would it be possible to put an obvious handle on each element?

At the moment the grab and drag function acts like Tvixie and tries to grab the element behind or near the object you actually want to pick up.

[thumbgen]

Hm... The problem is now that each object has a different ZIndex and you are not allowed to "click through" the objects in order to reach the ones in the back.
I have an idea related to this behavior. I'll try it for the next version. For the moment choose the elements using the Elements List.

[lstar337]

Hm... The problem is now that each object has a different ZIndex and you are not allowed to "click through" the objects in order to reach the ones in the back.
I have an idea related to this behavior. I'll try it for the next version. For the moment choose the elements using the Elements List.

Perhaps you could make it like Photoshop behaviour?

So you select an element in the list and it is activated like a layer, then clicking anywhere in the active window will move that element only. To move a different element you have to make it active in the list. It would be nice if the element/layers could be turned on and off too.

[kmf18914]

Congratulations Thumbgen -- the start of what will certainly become a great tool. I have been playing around after downloading last night and some more today --- understanding that is is a pre-launch. early version, I personally am finding this learning curve a bit steep but I come at this with little prior knowledge of XML/XLST, programming and Photoshop newbie. I am finding that without the experience of have developed and designed templates, I am learning to speak a new language and still need to figure out how to translate ideas conveyed in the forums onto the Generator. I am sure your overall roll-out plan has something has some support docs or screens that speak more in "English" versus "programming jargon" -- but I wanted to let you know I need a little more hands on to feel comfortable enough that i can offer fair and valid comments.
That being said and the most important part of this note...JOB WELL DONE! It is going to be amazing and hope to be able to offer and find new templates to the WDTV community.

[thumbgen]

Perhaps you could make it like Photoshop behaviour?

I'll install Photoshop and see.