Aeon - A new skin for XBMC http://www.aeonproject.com README.TXT Contents ------------------- 1.0 Important notes (READ THESE FIRST) 1.1 About Aeon 1.2 Origins 1.3 Requirements 2.0 Installation 3.0 Configuration 3.1 Custom backdrops 3.2 Fanart 3.3 Contextual movie art 3.4 Home page shortcuts 3.5 Option Reset 4.0 Mods 5.0 Credits 1.0 Important notes -------------------- This Alpha12 version of Aeon has changed radically, throwing away the old sliding panels for the sake of a more traditional system of context menus and dialogs. Many dialogs have been completely redesigned, while the new button menu means you can access many settings and customisation options from anywhere in the Aeon environment. Furthermore, the streamlining of textures means the skin's footprint has shrunk, removing the previous need for MacOSX compatibility mode. Glitches and bugs, however, are inevitable given the circumstances. See below for some known issues. Xbox users must ensure they're running the latest T3CH build to enjoy this latest version, and should then ensure the new Xbox mode (available via the Aeon->Features menu) is enabled; 1080p textures and seven year old consoles don't play well together. For that reason, any backdrops from the Aeon website should be resized to 720p or lower to avoid out-of-memory issues. Here are some known issues with this build: - Button menu (aka Shutdown menu) may refuse to open after a while. The cause of this is unknown: it could be skin or XBMC-related - Several animation/timing glitches in Showcase and Episode views - Music/Music Video info needs attention - Some dialogs remain unskinned (but are usable) - File Manager is unusable - Music OSD is a bit messed up - Music Visualisation settings are unusable - Plenty of minor glitches scattered here and there - View types option does nothing on windows to which it doesn't apply 1.1 About Aeon --------------- Aeon is a new interface for Xbox Media Center that revolves entirely around the user, their tastes and their media. Built specifically for HDTV, it uses the very latest features of XBMC's advanced skinning engine, rendering its textures natively at high definition. Aiming to offer full support for all of XBMC's library management and online features, it already boasts unparalleled user control of its information panels and 720p backdrop changer. Comprehensive animation ensures smooth transitions between all states and windows, from Movie libraries to Photo Walls and Customisation. 1.2 Origins ------------ Aeon was inspired by Smokehead's "Clearity" skin for XBMC, if not in appearance then in concept. Elegance, efficiency and function were the guiding principles which continue to drive development. The project arose from a dissatisfaction with existing media interfaces, together with the poor functionality of XBMC's competitors. 1.3 Requirements ----------------- Linux: Required: An HTPC (Home Theatre PC) with high-end CPU Required: Ubuntu Linux 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) or later Required: Pixel Shader 3.0 / OpenGL compatible video card Recommended: 1gb+ RAM Recommended: Nvidia GeForce 7000 series or above Xbox: Required: A modded Xbox capable of running unsigned binaries Recommended: Hard drive with 200mb+ free space (for backdrops) Common: Required: The very latest build of Xbox Media Center Required: A widescreen (16:9) TV Recommended: A High Definition TV capable of 720p display 2.0 Installation ----------------- Installation of Aeon is the same as with any other XBMC skin: you just copy the Aeon folder into XBMC's /skin folder. There should already be a copy of the default Project Mayhem III skin in there so it's hard to go wrong. Once in XBMC, navigate to the System->Appearance menu and switch skins to Aeon. A brief introductory screen gives you the option to either retain old Aeon settings (for upgraders) or start afresh. 3.0 Configuration ------------------ All Aeon-specific customisation options can be found in the Aeon menu, reached simply by pushing up while on the Home page. All options are saved the moment they're selected, so don't worry about losing them due to crashes or other premature exits. 3.1 Custom backdrops --------------------- One of Aeon's most prominent and popular features is its ability to cycle any amount of 720p backdrops while you browse, personalising the experience. So long as you can transfer files to your Xbox or HTPC, installing backdrops should be no trouble at all. Just create directories for menu options such as Movies, TV, Music etc. and drop in the relevant backdrops. Then, within Aeon, navigate to the Aeon->Backdrops menu and associate the Home menu options with the folders you created. A preview window will show whether you've done it right. Please note: backdrops should be in BMP format. JPG and PNG are supported, though Xbox users can expect noticable loading times with those. 3.2 Fanart ----------- As of version ALPHA11, Aeon features full support for user-generated fanart, available from thetvdb.com. Enabled by default, these HD backdrops will display automatically behind TV show episodes and seasons, so long as the following conditions are met: - you are in Library, not File mode - your TV Show folder has been set up to receive database info from thetvdb.com only. If you're unsure of what this means, check the XBMC online manual (http://xbmc.org/wiki/?title=XBMC_Online_Manual) - the Fanart setting is enabled - Fanart for your current TV show is hosted on thetvdb.com 3.3 Contextual movie art ------------------------- In addition to the fanart described above, Aeon now supports fullscreen backdrops for individual list items. An example: you scroll on to the movie 300 in Showcase mode and, a split-second after the info appears, so does a 300 backdrop. You could call this a bleeding-edge XBMC feature as it's only available in the very latest SVN builds, so please ensure you're up to date before you attempt anything. At present, art must be locally stored in order to appear in XBMC. So you can't grab it from the net like you would TV show fanart. Instead, the image must be stored alongside the movie itself, with a .jpg or .png extension and a "-fanart" suffix. So for the above example, you'd need this: 300.mkv (the movie file) 300-fanart.jpg (the backdrop) Or, in another example: The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen.avi (the movie file) The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen-fanart.png (the backdrop) Despite recognising just two file extensions, XBMC actually lets you use an number of image types. BMP and TIFF images load fastest, so it's a good idea to use those for your artwork and simply change the extension. So .bmp or .tif would become .jpg or .png. 3.3 Home page shortcuts ------------------------ Aeon features a larger-than-usual array of Home page shortcuts, ranging from Movies and TV Shows to Adult and Arcade. This does stretch XBMC's abilities, however, and the new menu options are really just shortcuts to bookmarks specified in your sources.xml file. This file is located in XBMC's UserData folder and follows a strict format. For example: Music Music /home/djh/Music Each media source in XBMC is defined using a separate section, the tag being what Aeon looks for. To use its additional Home options, you need to define sources with the following names: OPTION SOURCE NAME Movies Movies TV Shows TV Shows Clips Clips Arcade Arcade Adult asource Comics Comics Game Trailers Gametrailers Movie Trailers Movietrailers In addition to these default names, you can specify your own in the Aeon->Home Shortcuts menu. This is also where you can turn individual Home shortcuts on and off according to taste. An example sources.xml with comments can be downloaded here: http://www.aeoncentral.com/dropbin/example-sources.zip 3.4 Option reset ----------------- Found in the Aeon->Misc menu, the two reset options will restore AEON to its default state. You can either restore all skin settings to their default or choose the lesser option, leaving your user-defined settings intact. The Reset All option is recommended for those updating Aeon to a new version, and experiencing problems with backdrops or other features. 4.0 Mods --------- Despite its early development status, some Aeon users have developed their own mods which can be downloaded from the website (see top). Typically, these add new media views or make cosmetic adjustments to the Home page. None is officially supported and each requires changes to Aeon's XML code. It's therefore recommended that only experienced users try them out, always making backups beforehand. There's also the strong chance that mods will become incompatible as Aeon develops, so bear this in mind. 5.0 Credits ------------ Skin code and design: Duncan Harris Xbox Media Center: Team XBMC Thanks to: Smokehead (for the inspiration) jmarshall, Gamester17, d4rk and Jezz-X (for the tech help) The XBMC forum users (for the ongoing support) TSMOTW and Revs (for attempting to port Aeon to MediaPortal) Shouts: Team Project Fluid (http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28549) agathorn, author of "Fusion" (http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30582) elan, busy porting XBMC to OSX (http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=57) Broads, author of "Amped" and the Aeon "Halo" theme Hitcher, Affini, Rand Al Thor, tracer, NotShorty, Competes2Win, Bram77, EvilDude, Hudson_Hawk04, ewaterke, Stingray, R111, shanedoyle, jazzen and everyone I've forgotten The Edge brigade 6.0 Contact ------------ djh@aeoncentral.com http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26995