# Any detailed documentation for skinning ui elements?



## Mark Belbin (Sep 3, 2010)

I've read nils' post from some months ago about the wonders of this feature, and together with the skin offset capability and pixl accurate placement and sizing of elements, it looks like something really worth inevstigating.

The latest KSP guide makes no mention of skinning ui elements other than that the feature exists, and I haven't seen much about the actual process (I know you need to use graphic design tools, as in nil's post)....

Any pointers?

Mark


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## Thonex (Sep 3, 2010)

Yeah... me too... I'm curious as to if there's more documentation on this.

Cheers,

Andrew K


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## polypx (Sep 3, 2010)

Mark,

Get a copy of the documentation for Kontakt Player building from NI. They have examples of how to make your own knobs, menus, switches, etc. in that package.

cheers
Dan


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## EvilDragon (Sep 4, 2010)

I think that this topic can help at least for positioning elements! Also, I have already uploaded the KP devguide for TechLo and kb123, so here's the link for all others interested in this: http://www.mediafire.com/?xg4vboia0fwc2s8 (Kontakt Player 4 Library Developer Guide)

Of course, you can use these pointers for non-KP libraries as well. Just make sure that the image files get installed to (Win XP):

*C:\Documents And Settings\%username%\My Documents\Kontakt 4\Pictures\*

In that folder, it is *EvilDragon's* recommendation to create a new folder (via installer) holding vendor's name (in your case, Mark, that folder would be called Wavelore ), and inside that folder you could create another folder with the name of the library using the custom images.

So, developers don't really have to pay big $$$ to NI to get the nice interfaces - anyone can do it!

Granted, the above mentioned path is different on Vista/W7, and again on OSX, but other users could chime in and help here, I guess!

EDIT: Just checked my old Skype chat with my Sonokinetic employer, the OSX path should be:

*HD/Library/ApplicationSupport/NativeInstruments/Kontakt4/Pictures/*


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## Mark Belbin (Sep 5, 2010)

Thanks for the replies, guys. Mario, that was exactly what I needed. Now I just have to figure out how to make the background of my images transparent....

-M


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## EvilDragon (Sep 5, 2010)

Is your image file transparent? If yes, then you need to edit the text file that accompanies that image. If no, then you have to save it with your image editing program (Photoshop, GIMP?) as a transparent PNG - of course, if you have any background layers with solid color, you need to delete or disable those, to have the transparency active.

For example, if you have a knob image called WL_knob1.png, Kontakt automatically generates a text file named WL_knob1.txt along with it, when you tie that image to an UI control by using set_control_par and $CONTROL_PAR_PICTURE.

The text file looks like this:

Has Alpha Channel: no -> CHANGE THIS TO "yes" (no quotes)
Number of Animations: 1
Horizontal Animation: no 
Vertical Resizable: no
Horizontal Resizable: no
Fixed Top: 0
Fixed Bottom: 0
Fixed Left: 0
Fixed Right: 0

Another important parameter here is Number of Animations - you need to have this one set up EXACTLY to the number of states your custom knob or slider has. *EvilDragon recommends* using 100 or 128 states, depending on the type of control (100 for knobs controlling engine parameters (which go from 0 to 1000000), 128 for knobs controlling MIDI CCs (which go from 0 to 127)). Buttons ALWAYS have 6 states.

This is all described in Kontakt Player 4 Developer Guide as well (well, except my personal recommendations, which aren't there ).


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## polypx (Sep 7, 2010)

> EvilDragon recommends using 100 or 128 states, depending on the type of control (100 for knobs controlling engine parameters (which go from 0 to 1000000)



I don't want to start an argument Mario , but if you use 99 states instead of 100 (ie. an odd number), you have an animation that can have an exact middle ( 12 o'clock ) ... this is useful for things like pan, or any bipolar control where you want 0 to be at the top.

Just a suggestion.

cheers
Dan


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## EvilDragon (Sep 7, 2010)

Yep, that would be for bipolar control. My recommendation was general in its scope.


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## Mark Belbin (Sep 8, 2010)

You guys are Awesome :D 

I'm having ridiculous fun getting familiar with this process.

I'm working on my own short tutorial using this instrument and the accompanying script and image files. Will post it soon! Meantime, here's a look:







So what's happening here is that incoming MIDI notes are automatically placed as "blips" along the length of the "scanning" radial arm, according to their velocity - lower values toward the center, higher values toward the edge. Cool, huh? Musically useless....but it's a start!

Mark


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## EvilDragon (Sep 8, 2010)

Awesome, Mark!


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