un8y - a WMC theme with a Windows 8 twist (and a template to create your own WMC theme)

[CWNashvegas 170]

I'm using something other than MC Themer to make the changes, but I can tell you that updates to MBC frequently result in me having to fix / redo any menu customizations involving the MBC entry point. What seems to be happening is, if it doesn't "recognize" its entry point (due to a name change or menu strip change / rename) it will just create a brand new one with the default name in the default location.

 

If you find a way to do it in your tool of choice, just be prepared to do it again, and again.

 

Later on when updates are further apart, it may be worth the effort, but right now my WMC has two MBC entry points because I haven't gotten around to fixing it after the last update. It's currently in the "not worth the effort" category for me.

[Nick's MCE 59]

What is un8y?

 

This is NOT a theme for Media Browser.  It is a theme for Windows Media Center, designed to be a good visual match with soultaker's neo Media Browser theme.  It as an evolution of some themes on the old CT, but this time with a Windows 8 twist. 

 

Since running Windows 8 with Media Center, I found the WMC graphics a bit jarring with the general W8 "style", so decided to do something about it.  I've been working on this off and on (mainly "off") for a while now.

 

As things are, it could be used as a stand-alone WMC theme, and could be useful if you still use MB 2 or run MB Classic with MB3.

 

As it is designed for Windows 8 (it works for Windows 7 too!), it has been built for Patchou’s Media Center Themer   (sorry, never been able to get Media Center Studio to work in W8...  ). This themer does not require ANY changes to be made to system dlls.

 

At the moment un8y does NOT work on Windows 8.1.  With W8.1, the version of Media Center has changed to 6.3, and this is not supported by Media Center Themer.  Hopefully Patchou will update MCT before long...

 

Some screenshots:

 

New Start screen:

 

 

New transport controls:

 

 

And lots of deeper level changes.

 

Here's a (fairly low-res) video of Media Center running un8y entirely under touch control:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSwlntrsfTU

 

Installation

 

This theme changes graphics and font colours to change the default Media Center theme to match the neo mediabrowser theme. If you are running with a custom Media Center theme, please reset to the default WMC theme before applying un8y.

 

If you don’t use Media Center Themer, download it and install it.

 

Once installed, navigate to %ProgramData%\Media Center Themer\ and take copies of the Theme directory and MCTDefault.xml file there and put the copies somewhere safe. (Note %ProgramData% is hidden by default).

 

Download and unzip un8y.

 

In this directory is a Theme subdirectory and MCTDefault.xml file. Copy the Theme subdirectory and MCTDefault.xml and paste into %ProgramData%\Media Center Themer\.

 

That’s it – un8y is installed! Go ahead and fire up Media Center…

 

I have deliberately not made any changes to the start menu (lesson number one - don't mess with peoples Start Menus!), so your existing start menu layout will be preserved.

 

The un8y Media Center font changes can make the mediabrowser settings screen text difficult to read – to rectify this, copy customstyles.mcml from the download to %ProgramData%\MediaBrowser\ (for MB2) or %ProgramData%\MediaBrowser-Classic\ (for MB3/MBC).

 

If you already use Media Center Themer and have custom MC start menus, etc., set up, you can simply copy the Rcdata and Html sections of the download xml into your current xml, and merge the Theme directory with your current Theme directory.

 

So, to install: copy two files and one directory to the appropriate places.

 

To uninstall: uninstall Media Center Themer (or revert back to your previous Theme directory and MCTDefault.xml) and delete customstyles.mcml from %ProgramData%\MediaBrowser(-Classic)\

 

As usual, a lot of the graphics in this theme were born in chef’s original Pearl WMC theme – thanks again chef!

 

There are a lot of graphic changes in the xml, there may be a few rogue graphics in there – if anything doesn’t look as it should, let me know and I’ll fix it…

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

As a postscript, I don't intend releasing any more Media Center themes.  un8y gives you EVERYTHING you need to create your own WMC themes.  Just about every graphic you could wish to change is exposed.  Look in C:\ProgramData\Media Center Themer\Theme\Resources\ehres\Images, and change/edit/re-colour as you want.   You can simply re-colour the existing images as Alwin has done, or create your own images.  It just take patience and perseverance!  Font changes may be a little trickier, but I'll be happy to point you where to look.

 

You have the template to create whatever theme you want, match Media Center to whatever Media Browser 2/Media Browser Classic theme you use.

 

Not so much a "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" (hey, that MUST be the first link to Dylan Thomas poem on the new forum!), more a wistful goodbye...

 

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!  Have fun!

Ok, thanks so much for the UN8, it really looks awesome and matches in with some of the MB themes. I was wondering if you are taking requests for a color scheme, I really wanted one in exactly the same format and backdrop as the UN8 Red but with Yellow instead, the RGB is as follows - R255 G204 B000. Let me know if possible or maybe tell me how I can do myself. Thanks in advance.

[keef 37]

Which Red version?  The original un8y with light backdrop and red highlights, or Alwin's Midnight Red version with the dark backdrop?  I'm not sure how good yellow highlights would look with the light backdrop.  Alwin has already done a yellow version of the Midnight (dark backdrop) version (which essentially uses a lot of images from a previous version of un8y designed to match the Neo Night MB theme, plus recoloured images from un8y).  Though I think the yellow RGB values may be different.

[keef 37]

Good news for Windows 8.1 users

 

Patchou has just released Media Center Themer 1.5, which is Windows 8.1 compatible.

 

So un8y is now also Windows 8.1 compatible - I've just tested and all seems OK.

 

Links in top post now point to latest version - just download and update and you'll be good to go.  Or download from here.

 

Many, many thanks to Patchou.

Edited November 16, 2013 by keef

[Lee 204]

Hey keef any chance u can let me know which elements of code affect the main menu red text? I want to turn it white. Got everything flat black & grey ....

[keef 37]

Hey keef any chance u can let me know which elements of code affect the main menu red text? I want to turn it white. Got everything flat black & grey ....

 

@@Lee, do you mean:

 

 

 

If so, these are the same colour definition - you only have to change the values for one colour definition.

 

Look in C:\ProgramData\Media Center Themer\Theme\Resources\shell\COLORS.MCML - you can edit this with Notepad or XML Notepad.

 

This colour is FocusHighlight - the last colour definition in the MCML.  It is currently set to 255,178, 34, 34.  Simply change it to 255, 255, 255, 255.  The last three digits are the RGB values.  The first digit is the Alpha - you can add a bit of transparency to the text if you want by reducing the value of this first digit.

 

Please post some screenies when you're done - I'd like to see the results of your tinkering!

Edited November 19, 2013 by keef

[Lee 204]

 nice one, I'll have a go tonight!!

 

video to follow...

[keef 37]

@@Lee, I'm working away from home just now and the laptop I've got with me is pretty basic. I can't look at a TV Guide in Media Center 'cos it ain't got no tuner.... But, going from memory (dangerous, I know), I think the colour you need to change in COLORS.MCML is LightBlue - but be aware that this isn't the only place this colour is used. As I recall, it's also the non-selected text on the Start Menu, Library item non-selected text, to name but a few.

 

Anyway, have a play with the LightBlue ARGB values and see how it goes.

[Lee 204]

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=45B524C655D0EC68!5309&authkey=!AHGYhtxHtRihLsI

 

here's how it's going so far.

green windows sign

black flat background

white/grey text

flat grey epg

 

 

need to colour change the transport keys and lighten the grey on the text on the pic I've uploaded...

 

you couldn't name them could you?? lol

[Lee 204]

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=45B524C655D0EC68!5310&authkey=!AAAU9FKffumkZgk

 

the pic quality is rubbish was getting a lot of glare but here's one where I go into mediabrowser

[Lee 204]

nice one. Thought it was the light blues but wasn't sure and didn't want to mess it up!

 

no critique on the black/grey video??

[keef 37]

nice one. Thought it was the light blues but wasn't sure and didn't want to mess it up!

 

no critique on the black/grey video??

It's a bit hard to see, but I like the Start Menu icons and your "flat" guide. It looks the logo on your launch screen isn't animated though, which I don't understand.

[Lee 204]

me neither something broke somewhere cos the green button logo didn't animate, nor the original unity one!

[Lee 204]

yep. I'm faffing atm as I'm doing a new build soon (haswell) want to get the theme sorted before i do it. I can adjust the start animation then. No biggie.

got most of the text colours sorted just want to redo some of the transport controls...

[keef 37]

me neither something broke somewhere cos the green button logo didn't animate, nor the original unity one!

Hmmm. You are running un8y, right? Not a hacked ehres.dll? You can't have both - remember, un8y is designed to modify the default WMC theme.

Edited November 24, 2013 by keef

[Lee 204]

hey keef, I've greyed all the transport controls now. I want to remove extenders and media only from settings. Then switch the power and settings around.

 

I've looked at patchous guide, if i create logs then try use that startup mcml mediacenter won't boot...

 

the startup mcml doesn't appear to be formatted its all squashed.can you help me out?

 

cheers in advance

 

lee

[DigiTM 60]

Looks great.  Wondering if anyone has made this match up with the Chocolate theme.

[keef 37]

@@Lee, not sure what you mean by startup mcml.  Start menu changes are done by a StartMenu section in MCTDefault.xml. 

 

un8y deliberately doesn't have any StartMenu changes in the xml because I don't want to mess with people's Start Menus.   If it helps, here is an xml with start menu edits for you to have a look at (it doesn't do what you want but at least you can see format, and how it is done)  Or alternatively, I can take a look at your xml.

 

BTW, I strongly recommend XML Notepad rather than Notepad for editing the xml - it will take care of the formatting for you.

 

@@DigiTM, don't know.  If they have, they haven't mentioned/posted it here.  Why not have a go yourself?

Edited November 24, 2013 by keef

[Lee 204]

@@keef cheers for that I'll Av a look when i get chance. If you enable resources logging it brings up the mcmls.. Its referenced in the web how2s. I could have got mixed up a bit mind i just had a fleeting glance thru..

[keef 37]

...doesn't logging resources just show which resources are being called to help show you what to change in the MCTDefault.xml...?

[Lee 204]

probably! lol.

like I said I just skimmed thru it and had a little mess about. I normally break something while I get the hang of stuff!! hahahahaha

[Lee 204]

All done, i'll try post a video tomoz. the glare is dreadful at night.

only thig I couldn't figure out is the media only string in tasks tried

media

media only

MediaOnly

MediaOnlyLock

 

I'm sure I can live with it!!!

 

AddExtender and Synchronise both work. Like thus :-)

 

<Tasks Visible="true" Order="9"><MenuItem Name="Shutdown" Visible="true" Order="1" /><MenuItem Name="Settings" Visible="true" Order="2"></MenuItem><MenuItem Name="Synchronize" Visible="false" Order="3" /><MenuItem Name="AddExtender" Visible="false" Order="4"></MenuItem><MenuItem Name="MediaOnlyLock" Visible="false" Order="5" /></Tasks>

[keef 37]

@@Lee, glad you're getting there...  It's fun, isn't it?

 

If you want to hide the "media only" entry in the Tasks menu:

<Tasks Visible="true"
        <MenuItem Name="EnterMediaOnlyMode" Visible="false" />
      </Tasks>

Of course, you'll need to incorporate this into whatever other Tasks settings you have made - just add the  <MenuItem Name="EnterMediaOnlyMode" Visible="false" /> to your Tasks menu settings in the xml.

 

Hope this helps.
 

Edited November 24, 2013 by keef

[Lee 204]

@@keef

 

i bet that'll help a lot! Cheers..

[keef 37]

I have a TV tuner and using the exact same theme but not experiencing this problem.

 

Thanks @@Yogi

 

I've just noticed these are buttons for old-style analogue teletext, which we don't have in the UK so these wouldn't show on my system anyway.  Yogi, do you see the icons in fredobedo007's screenshot in your system at the correct size, or do you not see these icons at all? 

 

It is possible there is some subtle issue with icon size...