Adapting excisting layout

English General
1

As discussed on the German forum and according to this reply:

[quote=“Charlie, post:125, topic:4155”]RojanUK,
To alter the size/position of screen items - simply load the LayoutDesigner.bat icon in your mAirList folder - this will show a window with each item (Playlist, Player, Cartwall etc) and you can select each one and alter the pixel width/height/top/left - Enter 0 to completely hide an object. Click “save” to commit the changes and then Alt-F4 to exit the layout window.

If you want to take this to the English forum, I’ll assist there if you like.[/quote]

I’ve opened a new thread to help me adapt the layout posted by Crypt in the above mentioned thread.

I’ve copied the ini’s provided by Crypt into the mairlist/config directory. In the mairlist.ini I’ve taken out the line for the onairklein.jpg and all the repository lines and I’ve also changed the language from German into English. When I now start up mAirlist I see this:

So the layout, colours, etc. all seems to have gone AWOL after changing the ini’s. ???

2

Hi RojanUK, do you also have the skin.ini ?

Post both the layout and skin here as attachments (additional options in the post screen) and I will take a look.

Kind regards tony

3

Usually, you start with your existing configuration (that is, all ini files except layout.ini and skin.ini). Set up all elements as required (number of players, additional screen objects etc.) first, still in the automatic layout.

Then copy the layout.ini and skin.ini provided by the user into your config folder. Run the Layout Designer and adjust the positions as needed. If you happen to use objects the other user doesn’t use (for example, if you have set up a larger number of players), they will appear at a random position, and you will have to move them by your self using the up/down buttons in the Layout Designer.

By the way, you mentioned that you have an extra window on your second monitor for the cartwall. When you switch to a custom layout, the “show cartwall on monitor #…” setting has no effect. Instead, you have to use the Layout Designer in order to move the cartwall to its exact position on the second screen.

4

[quote=“Torben, post:3, topic:5225”]Usually, you start with your existing configuration (that is, all ini files except layout.ini and skin.ini). Set up all elements as required (number of players, additional screen objects etc.) first, still in the automatic layout.

Then copy the layout.ini and skin.ini provided by the user into your config folder. Run the Layout Designer and adjust the positions as needed. If you happen to use objects the other user doesn’t use (for example, if you have set up a larger number of players), they will appear at a random position, and you will have to move them by your self using the up/down buttons in the Layout Designer.

By the way, you mentioned that you have an extra window on your second monitor for the cartwall. When you switch to a custom layout, the “show cartwall on monitor #…” setting has no effect. Instead, you have to use the Layout Designer in order to move the cartwall to its exact position on the second screen.[/quote]

Yes I do realise that. However I have simply copied the layout.ini and skin.ini (initially also the mairlist.ini, which gave the above screenshot, but I’ve also tried it with my own mairlist.ini and that didn’t make things a whole lot better) into my mairlist/config folder. I did have a cartwall in a seperate window setup, not the actual second monitor, as I don’t have that yet. However, I do understand that the setting for the cartwall will not operate properly when using a users custom .ini files. And that, if I use items that the user doesn’t, that they will appear at random in de GUI I understand as well. What I don’t understand - if you look at the screenshot of Crypts layout in the other thread - how I can get a result like the screenshot I posted above. Not only are all colours etc gone, but every single item is in a different place than Crypt actually has setup. Surely I should recognise at least some of the original layout that Crypt had posted?

5

[quote=“tony wilding, post:2, topic:5225”]Hi RojanUK, do you also have the skin.ini ?

Post both the layout and skin here as attachments (additional options in the post screen) and I will take a look.

Kind regards tony[/quote]

Tony,

The layout.ini and skin.ini are exactly as posted by Crypt in the other thread, which I’ve linked in my TS. I’ll attach them here as well, but please note that the layout.ini and skin.ini have not yet been altered since the original posting. (I’ve included the Crypt’s mAirlist.ini as well, but I have taken out the logoklein.jpg lines and the repository lines, other than that it’s original as Crypt has posted it)

layout.ini (648 Bytes)

mAirList.ini (15.4 KB)

skin.ini (1.74 KB)

6

Hi RojanUK. I will try to upload something later or early tomorrow.

Kind regards Tony

edit:what screen resolution are you running at? this makes a difference too.

7

As Tony is onto this, I’ll let him have all the fun :wink: Incidentally, I got pretty much the same layout when I tried those INI files - Crypt has omitted to supply his screenobjects.ini which defines the Date, Clock, OnAirSwitch etc so those options will need to be enabled (and defined) in GUI\Other Screen Objects (but Tony will no doubt know this anyway!)

Taking a quick look at the skini.ini file - The [Player1_0] section is incorrect as that would refer to Player1 on Playlist2… It gets confusing as some aspects of mAirList begin at 0 whilst others begin at 1 :slight_smile: If you wanted the same font types, colours and size for all your players simply use [Player]. Only use specific numbers when you want to override the generic settings.

Example:
You have 3 Players on a Playlist, the first 2 are used normally in Live Assist and Auto, but the 3rd is designated as a “Special” Player - it only plays items with the “Special” tag. Use the following to allow Player 3 to have a different skin to the other 2:

[Player]
normal player settings

[Player0_2]
3rd player settings skin

Note that Player3 is actually 2 as we’re starting from zero!

In a situation with 2 Playlists (1 for music/jingles, 2nd for commercials), you may want the 1st Playlist to have a larger font whilst the Commercial Playlist is significantly smaller and perhaps lacks extra detail like icons, ramp, endtype etc. The following would be used to set the Playlist skin properties:

[Playlist0]
1st Playlist settings

[Playlist1]
2nd Playlist settings

Clear as mud :wink:

8

Hi RojanUk, Hi Charlie, had a crack at this without knowing the screen resolution required so some items may need resizing/repositioning to suit.

Attached the ini files to start things off, RojanUk please note you will need also to edit your remote.ini as you require so I have not included this.

Strangely the mairlist.ini you posted not only repositioned everything (for me) but eventually caused out of range faults and mairlist refused to start properly. Though I guess this may have been some of the edits I made.

This leads nicely into saying before you make any edits to the files attached, make a copy :wink:

We’ve all said this before - the beauty of mAirList is it will work to everyone’s individual needs. Its also so easy to create a layout as you can just open the ini files with notepad.

Kind regards Tony

btw;Just noticed I also have automation turned off in this mairlist.ini so remember to turn this back on in the config.bat tool :-[

layout.ini (611 Bytes)

skin.ini (3.03 KB)

screenobjects.ini (339 Bytes)

mAirList.ini (12 KB)

9

[quote=“tony wilding, post:8, topic:5225”]Hi RojanUk, Hi Charlie, had a crack at this without knowing the screen resolution required so some items may need resizing/repositioning to suit.

Attached the ini files to start things off, RojanUk please note you will need also to edit your remote.ini as you require so I have not included this.

Strangely the mairlist.ini you posted not only repositioned everything (for me) but eventually caused out of range faults and mairlist refused to start properly. Though I guess this may have been some of the edits I made.

This leads nicely into saying before you make any edits to the files attached, make a copy :wink:

We’ve all said this before - the beauty of mAirList is it will work to everyone’s individual needs. Its also so easy to create a layout as you can just open the ini files with notepad.

Kind regards Tony

btw;Just noticed I also have automation turned off in this mairlist.ini so remember to turn this back on in the config.bat tool :-[[/quote]

Thanks for this Tony. This is a lot easier as a start off point. You’re right, it’s set up for a smaller screen resolution than I’m using here, but I’m not too worried about this, as it’s currently running on my production PC for testing purposes. The playout PC will have 17" monitors instead of the 19" I’m using now, so the screen resolution is probably going to change anyway.

I had a similar problem with the mAirlist.ini, that Crypt posted. Repostitioned absolutely everything and I was getting several errors, like access violations etc. No idea. But the one you’ve posted works like a charm.

I had set up my remote.ini in the default layout already, so that’s not a problem. My settings are simply working fine in your layout. And automation has been switched back on.

I’m going to attempt to make small changes in the layout editor - wish me luck; I’m going to need it - and build on what you’ve already made. Fantastic, thanks, Tony! :wink:

10

RojanUK, You are welcome.

This layout was completed on a 17" monitor at 1280x1024 resolution, I just squeezed everything together in case you were running at a lower res.

Remember to make a copy of the original files.

Great editor for ini files and scripts for when you may start to use them in mAirList is:

http://www.pspad.com/en/

Brilliant tool as recommended by Cad.

Kind regards Tony

11

Crypt has posted the missing screenobjects.ini in the German support forum, so out of interest I’ve put all his - now complete - ini’s in the config directory and it looks exactly the same as the screenshot in my TS. Bizarre. So I’ve quickly put Tony’s files back, because they work fine. ;D

Ah, btw, I just noticed that I haven’t responded to your last posting, Tony. Sorry 'bout that. I’m currently running at 1280x1024 resolution as well, but on a 19" monitor. This will change when the program is put on the playout PC, which will have a 17" monitor, so theoretically it should fit perfectly.

I have made a small change so far: I’ve taken the cartwall out, as I want it to run in it’s own window and I’ve pulled the browser box up to the top. I do have a bit of a mystery on my hands where that’s concerned. I’ve set it up in de configuration screen that the cartwall needs to run in it’s own window and has to start up automatically when mAirlist is started, but it doesn’t work. Once mAirlist has started, I have to physically press the cartwall button to open that second window. A little bit strange. ???

12

Try the following:

Config - Cartwall - Window Options
Ensure that “Visible at Startup” is ticked… Also, the “Maximized” option if you want the Cartwall full-size by default.

13

[quote=“Charlie, post:12, topic:5225”]Try the following:

Config - Cartwall - Window Options
Ensure that “Visible at Startup” is ticked… Also, the “Maximized” option if you want the Cartwall full-size by default.[/quote]

That is exactly the problem; it’s alreay ticked. Both “Visible at Startup” and the “Maximized” option are ticked, as well as it’s set to start in it’s own window. But it doesn’t do it when starting the program. :frowning: