What recording info do you want made avilable to skins?

[JdGordon]

I committed initial support for recording in the skins last night, and currently its only available to statusbars... but I tihnk the current recording screen code is simple enough to get skins support working (whether you want it or not!!)

Now, I dont record at all so have no idea whats useful to make available (I'm hoping there are at least a few people who record and play with themes).

My plan is to add the "obvious" stuff (which to me means the anything on the hardcoded screen presently), so if there is something you would like then let me know...
I will fix it up so the list view is part of the skin also, so no need to worry about missing stuff in there (we *may* be able to add customisability to that list also if you ask nicely!)

Also, if you could come up with a token which could be used that would be great also.. check CustomWPS to make sure its not already used... currently %R is the recording screen tokens prefix.

In svn:
%Rf = samplerate/frequency
%Rb = bitrate (for mp3 encoder), quality on HWCODEC
%Re = encoder
%Rm = recording in mono/stereo

The list of candidates:
?? - time
?? - filename
?? - filesize (filesize as a % of max also maybe?)
?? - split mode? (can be got at using the %St|split mode| tag though)

[NorTheBear]

I am recording a lot and that's what I would like to see in a record skin:

%Rs = recording status with values for "Record running", "Record on hold", "No recording"
best would be to have this as a conditional, too.

I am not sure if this is possible but having such a  token would make live much easier for tapers, e.g. to recognize the correct taping situation.

[JdGordon]

thats available in the current "playback mode" token

[petur]

histogram and balance (code *is* coming)

[NorTheBear]

%mp  |   Play status, 1-9, in the order: Stop, Play, Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, Recording, Recording paused, FM Radio playing, FM Radio muted

Q: Which value in the list represents status "no recording started yet"? Is it Stop?

Other settings that would be great to have in a record skin are:
- Prerecord time
- Source (especially for targets with multiple sources like the H300: LineIn & Internal Microphone)

[petur]

I think the current recording code doesn't know how much pre-recording data is already available, or did you mean to just know if pre-recording was enabled or not?

[Davide-NYC]

See here for a post I did a while back.
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=15911.msg118722#msg118722
Some of it has been implemented already, some of it no longer makes sense, and some of it may be outdated.
The rest of it is still valid.

Here's the executive summary: Input source and Recording status.

Thanks!

[JdGordon]

petur: replying to your ETA from IRC... unless recording is as bad as radio (And im prtty sure its much better) it wont take long to hook up the skins. The biggest problem is each target/lcd size needs 2 skins done by the time it can be commited: 1) a hardcoded one (small, simple, no graphics, ideally the same on all targets) like the default WPS when no theme is loaded (or fails to load). 2) is a better default (in this case probably identecle to whats hardcoded now.. and with pretty bmp's)

If someone could take care of them (remembering the swcodec and hwcodec cant share rec screen skins) then this could move alot faster

northebear : yeah, stop in that list is not recording at all

input source would be %Ri maybe? this is another re tag which needs some fidling to always have the same set of values...

[Davide-NYC]

Please don't forget to consider the TRIGGER function which (when activated) occupies a line at the bottom of the display.
Cheers! 

[petur]

The default skin should look like the current recording screen (or better). Period.

The recording display code was already greatly cleaned up when we did the viewports, so it shouldn't be too hard.

[NorTheBear]

I think the current recording code doesn't know how much pre-recording data is already available, or did you mean to just know if pre-recording was enabled or not?

I mean the number of seconds that you can spot in the record settings (off and up to 30 s).

northebear : yeah, stop in that list is not recording at all

sounds

Will there be a special file for the record skin, let's say WRS (While Recording Screen)?
However, it makes sense to have the current record screen as the default WRS which also serves as a fallback if the WRS is broken.

[Recording Guy]

This type of thing could be good.
Colour graduated meters from green to yellow to orange to red at 0db.
and realtime twin db readout in text.

Reading previous posts it seems that it has to translate to mono screens?

Anyways the colour graduation would really help to get the audio level in the right ball park
without clipping on a 16 bit unit. And should be handy in the dark.

As regards knowing if the unit is recording, well the TIME starts moving so you know if it is recording.

Being a Rockbox newbie I would say that the 3.5 is very nearly there on recording ease!