Who do I contact? WinMedia annoyances...

from WinCustomize Forums
How to I contact to get alpha-blended transparency in WMP? I have to totally hack apart the edges of my newest skin because I made it in photoshop and had to take apart all the blending. That is a bit of a long process and it still doesnt look good. All it really needs to do it fully support png's. The rest of the skin supports png just not the main background image, which is what I need to be antialiased around the edges. I want microsoft to work on this for the next release of WMP, but I have no idea how to present this idea to them. I cant see any reason why the background image can not support blended transparency! Can anyone help with contact information?

skinning
3,807 views 20 replies
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I cant see any reason why the background image can not support blended transparency!

Probably for the same reason we can't have TGA support for WindowBlinds frames...........





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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
And that would be.........?
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I don't remember what was said, but I do remember the developers saying there was a reason why it can't be done.



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Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh ok. Oh well, I'll try emailing microsoft in the next week or so, just to see what they say.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think the WB reason is that it would munch up a fair bit of memory.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
what about 'its created by microsoft'

winamp supports .png...
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
'its created by microsoft'




I'll have to check out winAmp!
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
CerebroJD,

Note that I mean winamp V.3 (probably 5 is using it too)

Skinning winamp is a lot more work, the avarage skin contains 11 .xml script files.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Eleven?!

I dont even know xml. At least, I dont think I do.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
those aliased edges are a drag ruins some perfectly good WMP skins.I'm trying a new technique that may get rid of the problem but its a little odd.Will let you know if it works.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
And untill SS can handle winamp I'm not touuching it.Looks way hard.
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
winamp 2 was decently easy to skin, but i am amazed by some of the winamp3 skins.

On windowblinds is it possible to use a mask on the background image?
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Winamp supports some great tricks and don't worry, XML ins't hard, its just a lot of code

/me hates code...
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
hey Cerebro... i think u already know XML, u use it for WMP skining...!!!

& btw Skin factory commmented on my skin saying that they r working with (or maybe trying to) MS to implement true alpha transperancy in wmp skining...
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
the main reason for it not being implemented is that eats up CPU time bigtime...
whenever i turn on alpha blending in WinAMP 3/5 the CPU useage atleast doubles... >
so maybe they should make it an option on the users part to turn on/off alpha blending just like WinAMP 3/5...
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Actually i'm the best chance you have for full alpha to be implented. I have pursued this for well over a year now and believe me i whisper into the right ears. It's going to happen, we're just pushing to have it happen sooner than later. Just be patient like we are. No one in the world wants it more than TSF. No one. We're planning on re-releasing almost our entire portfolio once it's implented.
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Sweet! TSF, thanks for your efforts! It would be pretty great, but an option to turn tansparency on and off would be good too.



XML, u use it for WMP skining


Awesome!