[RELEASE] RS:X - Quicklinks Sidebar

[radestock]

Second release in a day from me using the same principle. This is something I've been working with on and off for a few months now, really to incorporate in a full blown skin but I've not had the time to do so.

This mod gives you the quicklink icons that normally reside along the top of the screen on a panel down the right hand side of the screen. It's something that's been done before but not like this; The panel auto-hides. I've created a youtube video showing the effect in action:

As you move your mouse to the right edge of the window/screen the quicklink bar appears. You can then move up and down it, select items etc. As soon as you move you the cursor back into the main screen it disappears. This provides you with very easy access to the quicklinks without losing screen space, far easier than moving up to the menubar each time.

It's also very easy to edit graphically and install with other skins.

USAGE

This mod has been bundled as a skin to show it working and as such isn't expected to be used as a play skin. It will work perfectly fine however. The real purpose of this mod is to act as a plug-in for existing skins or new skins being created as it can be easily added with minimal modding to original skin files.

1. Copy the whole 'sidebargraphics' and 'sidebar' folders from the 'graphics and 'panels' folder of this skin into the corresponding folders of the skin you'd like to use.

2. Copy the 3 lines of code at the very bottom of the 'global panels.xml' file (just before the </panel> tag) into the same place in the 'global panels' file of the skin you'd like to use it with. These are also show below:

<container file="sidebar/showhide">
      <layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0"/>
</container>

3. Reload the skin.

4. It shouldn't affect anything in the skin you apply it to, it's all modular and doesn't use any existing files.

5. Edit the graphics to how you want them to look. The icons can be found in the 'sidebargraphics/quicklinks' folder and the actual sidebar is jsut a 9 image box, where the horizontal graphics are fixed width (whatever the container width is - default 80px) and the vertical graphics can scale to anything from 768px and up.

***** 07.05.09 - UPDATED SLIGHTLY TO INCLUDE NOTIFICATION ICONS WITHIN MOD ITSELF *****

DOWNLOAD (updated 18/7/09)

REDISTRIBUTION

This is a mod/plugin for other skinners to use freely, but I would like to be credited in any release using it. There is no need to ask me first before using it as long as this is done. I do not want this being redistributed as it is now, passed off as the work of others or used without due credit being given.

Enjoy

Radestock

[michaeltmurrayuk]

Show off

(I'll add a link to this thread in the Skinning Bible if you don't mind)

[radestock]

Yeah, why not.

I actually thought this might work well with your netbook skin, free up some space. Could easily use the concept with other items too.

[michaeltmurrayuk]

I was thinking that, I'll have a look into it when I get chance.

[sparks199]

???? i really cant see the point of this .

[TomDixon77]

???? i really cant see the point of this .

It enables some really cool possibilities for skin makers.

[radestock]

???? i really cant see the point of this .

Oh, you're back. Great...

[radestock]

I've updated the download link to a slightly tweaked version. The initial release linked to the notification icons within the default files, this version links to notification files within the mod for greater portability.

[arsenal_2111]

This is great, love it. 1 problem with it - I made all the images black and white as that suits my skin better, made no other changes to it. It was working fine before, but now there is a gap between the sidebar and the far right side of the screen. It appears like paper_bottom_right, paper_middle_right and paper_top_right have all stopped working. Any idea's why this could be? Screenshot coming up:)

EDIT: Right, here is the screenie. No comments on the skin please, I made it myself and it was my first attempt at anything graphically so I'm proud of it however crap

Missing Sidebar

Cheers:)

[radestock]

Don't know what you've done. The only reason graphics don't work is because there is a naming issue (the code doesn't correspond to the name or location of the graphics). Are you sure you've named the files right? No slight spelling mistakes?

The graphic is a fixed width horizontally so '_left' '_right' and '_middle' need to add up to the width defined in the code (80px by default).

[arsenal_2111]

I have;

paper_bottom_left

paper_bottom_right

paper_bottom_middle

paper_middle_left

paper_middle_right

paper_middle_middle

paper_top_left

paper_top_right

paper_top_middle

It's exactly as it was before, the only extra thing I have done is click the 'black and white' button on paint.net.

No idea tbh, I'm going to try redownloading it and working from there.

[Anthe]

are they .png format ?

[arsenal_2111]

Yep, they are, Thanks for the suggestion though.

I tried downloading them again and blacking and whiting them, but again the right side disapeared. I'll have a fiddle around, see it I can get something to work...