Azure: New theme for Sansa Fuze, IPod Color/photo and iRiver H3xx

[atsakir]

Hi guys,

i just finished work on a new theme for Fuze/IPod Color/Photo and iRiver H3xx. I call it Azure to reflect the color scheme of the active components of the wps screen which is inspired by the color of the led circle around the scrollwheel on the Fuze. After porting the rayboradio theme to Fuze, Azure is actually the first theme I created all the graphics from scratch for and a great part of the code as well so I guess I'm in a "proud dad" kind of mood about it 

The following screengrabs show the most important features of the theme:





Now, the bad news is that there are graphics glitches in release 3.5.x (especially the volume circle disappearing completely in the wps screen) due to the smaller graphics buffer in that version of Rockbox for Fuze. I don't have access to either an IPod Color/Photo or an iRiver H3xx to test it on them with release 3.5.x so, regardless of what the themes site says...

!!! IT DOESN'T WORK WITH RELEASE 3.5.x !!!

Please use a current svn version.
Tested on actual Sansa Fuze and on latest simulators for IPod Color/Photo and iRiver H3xx

You can get it from the themes site here: http://themes.rockbox.org/download.php?themeid=712
Please, try it out and tell me what you think.

[Strife89]

Might you be interested in porting this to the iPod Video?

[atsakir]

It will take a couple of weeks because I accidentally erased the vector shapes of various components and I don't want to just scale everything to 320x240 'cause it will result in blurry edges. If you can wait I'll see what I can do

[Doleo]

Nice theme, I can definitely see the inspiration from rayboradio. But I am somewhat confused, does Rockbox for the fuze even support song ratings? Or is that an ipod/iriver only feature?

[audio-i]

But I am somewhat confused, does Rockbox for the fuze even support song ratings? Or is that an ipod/iriver only feature?

It's supported, take a look a the manual  http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-sansafuze.pdf (Database)

[Doleo]

But I am somewhat confused, does Rockbox for the fuze even support song ratings? Or is that an ipod/iriver only feature?

It's supported, take a look a the manual  http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-sansafuze.pdf (Database)

I see, I completely missed the Gather Runtime Data feature it seems. Thanks.

[atsakir]

Nice theme, I can definitely see the inspiration from rayboradio. But I am somewhat confused, does Rockbox for the fuze even support song ratings? Or is that an ipod/iriver only feature?

...and you should also check out SansaMonkey

(http://r19.yourfiles.to/getfile.php?id=331949&access_key=6266c34bee269400bed3125ab247a0f7&t=4bc2ffb0&o=21413E201C0AB82EFA476991FE242A8C280E3D391547BC67E55860E2B4616A8C563F223C0116A4&name=SansaMonkey.zip)

it's an utility that allows you to carry over ratings from your RockBox music library to your PC music library and vice versa (if you use MediaMonkey - which I totally recommend)

[kostkoro]

Hi, there.

I don't have access to either an IPod Color/Photo or an iRiver H3xx to test it on them with release 3.5.x so, regardless of what the themes site says...

Well, I use an iRiver H320 converted to H332 with a CF card and I had the chance to test this fantastic theme you made.

!!! IT DOESN'T WORK WITH RELEASE 3.5.x !!!

My Rockbox version is 3.5.1 and the theme basically functions.

Now, the bad news is that there are graphics glitches in release 3.5.x (especially the volume circle disappearing completely in the wps screen) due to the smaller graphics buffer in that version of Rockbox for Fuze.

In my case the only "glitch" I can see, in the wps screen, is this: The rating stars of the lower part are always visible. (I don't use ratings at all, so the stars are inactive). The peakmeter seems to be "layering" over the stars, as if the moving bars cover and gradually reveal the underneath stars, somehow semi-transparent, but confusing and annoying. I hope I made myself clear, I don't know if I can grab a screenshot in action, if needed tell me, and I will try.
I think it's a very nice theme and I really hope that in a future version these problems will go away. (Unfortunatelly I am very inexperienced in coding...)

I forgot to mention that in the simulator the problem dos not appear at all.

[kostkoro]

I forgot to mention that in the simulator the problem dos not appear at all.

Sorry, I was not very careful: the problem happens with the simulator, too. I found that I can work around it by disabling the rating function in the .sbs file, which I really don't need so much (the rating).
Additionally the lower horizontal line in some tracks looks "cut" in the right part, about 20% from the edge. When the track changes it displays correctly again. This also happens to both the DAP and the simulator.

[atsakir]

Hi, and thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately I'm swamped with work the past few weeks and will be for a couple of weeks more. I'll try and take a look at it but I can't promise any results soon-ish. Some glitches like the one you mention about the horizontal line (I guess you mean the one above 'next track') I have also seen on the Fuze as well but again, I haven't had the time to sort them out. Also, the "Doesn't work with 3.5.x" warning specifically applies to the Fuze which I have tested on the actual DAP. Every player has a different bitmap buffer size so I can't vouch for the behaviour of the theme on 3.5.1 on any player other than the Fuze. Bear with me and I'll get back to you with a corrected theme (and a new theme I have 95% complete but haven't had the time to finalize) as soon as I can.

Edit: I looked in the simulator and i can't recreate the ratings glitch (from what I understand, it is a problem that happens because switching from the sbs to wps doesn't unload the bitmap for the ratings background - gray stars) but I think I nailed the horizontal line one. Grab the attached .wps file and drop it in the wps folder of your DAP.

[kostkoro]

Hi atsakir
Thanks for your rapid response and the attachment. I tested it both with the simulator and the H3xx. Unfortunately the "line-problem" still exists. The other one, the "rating stars" does not bother me any more, since, as I have said, I found a solution by disabling the relevant function in the .sbs.
Now to explain a little more: I use 2 versions of your theme: the original and a (slightly) modified by me, (the totally newbie in playing with code! ): the latter has  A) rating disabled, B) modified info in the .wps, so that in the 4th line, (the "i" line), there is text alternating , from "file format+bitrate+khz" to "year+genre".
In the simulator in "system" I read: "skin RAM usage: 218kB/312kB" (if I use the modified version)
and "219kB/312kB" (when I use the original).
In the actual DAP: "skin RAM usage: 95.9kB/96kB" (if I use the modified version)
and "96kB/96kB" (when I use the original). I believe the DAP report is closest to the truth.
That's all (if it is any help).

[atsakir]

In the simulator in "system" I read: "skin RAM usage: 218kB/312kB" (if I use the modified version)
and "219kB/312kB" (when I use the original).
In the actual DAP: "skin RAM usage: 95.9kB/96kB" (if I use the modified version)
and "96kB/96kB" (when I use the original). I believe the DAP report is closest to the truth.

From what I understand unless 96kb refers to the remote skin buffer you DO have a buffer issue because 96kB should not be sufficient for this theme to work correctly since the bmp files in the wps folder alone are 117kb and they are almost all used in both the sbs and wps screens. However, if you have the same issues in the simulator as well as in the DAP then there must be some other problem (in addition to the buffer problem) I can't figure out.

On my simulator in the DOS log window it reads:
Skin buffer usage: 148188/320000
Skin buffer usage: 223936/320000
Skin buffer usage: 228432/320000

As I understand it the first is for the remote skin, the second for the sbs screen and the 3rd for the wps screen. I'm using release r24777 of the simulator.

[kostkoro]

From what I understand unless 96kb refers to the remote skin buffer you DO have a buffer issue because 96kB should not be sufficient for this theme to work correctly since the bmp files in the wps folder alone are 117kb and they are almost all used in both the sbs and wps screens. However, if you have the same issues in the simulator as well as in the DAP then there must be some other problem (in addition to the buffer problem) I can't figure out.

On my simulator in the DOS log window it reads:
Skin buffer usage: 148188/320000
Skin buffer usage: 223936/320000
Skin buffer usage: 228432/320000

As I understand it the first is for the remote skin, the second for the sbs screen and the 3rd for the wps screen. I'm using release r24777 of the simulator.

I don't know what to say, about the buffer of my DAP. I have also noticed with other themes it always says "some kb/96kb". Maybe because I have replaced the HDD with a CF card?
I use the same simulator, I don't have any remote, problem happens with both the DAP and the simulator. My DOS log window displays only 2 lines about skin buffer usage:
Skin buffer usage: 147564/320000
Skin buffer usage: 222588/320000
almost the same with your values. But are we sure that the term "buffer usage" from the simulator and the term "RAM usage" from the DAP mean exactly the same thing?
Anyway I don't want to bother you with that, I am quite satisfied with the theme as I have modified it, even with the small line problem. Congratulations again! By the way I also enjoy the other theme of yours, rayboradio_fuze_v2, which works great!

[atsakir]

I'm sorry I couldn't get the line problem fixed for you, because I HAD noticed it on the Fuze and had fixed it for that. Anyway, thank you for your kind words and by the way ...the next one is going to be even better

check out a sneak preview



...and it does show genre as well  (the album art and extra info are toggled every few seconds)

[kostkoro]

It looks impressive! I will certainly give it a try when it's ready.