Posted by member 37809 on 2003-08-01 08:10:15
I know that this exists already (in the form of ps/gimp/psp/irfanview/etc), but I'll post anyway, seeing as this I've been occasionally pondering about and desiring for years now (only every time I start a new theme)...
I want a full-featured script-driven skin compiler to specify what to draw in layers and output PNG files. For modules to use. Yes, I'm aware I'm asking for very much and something quite general, without reserve of the implications, limitations, and consequences. And the end profit might not be positive, as it would introduce bloat and more complexity to theming. I figured being only a compiler of graphics it could be unloaded once it's done, but something like Nullsoft's Wasabi wouldn't be bad, though that would require module recodes anyway. So, something like this might be better left for the future and not now.
The compiler would not necessarily be handled by ls or a module. Though possibly an extension to existing ls core functionality would be nice, it working inline with the step creating graphics that seem transparent to modules' knowledge?
LiteStep already has .extract="" and basic image composition, why stop there, har.
+ full alpha-channel support
+ definition of layer groups (for reuse)
+ layers may be either rendered or taken from file or icon extraction
+ drawing: rectangles, lines. gradients?
+ tinting/saturation/opacity/blending mode? per layer
+ icon extraction at specific sizes
+ image composition with alignment options: can position layer( group)s relatively or absolutely, through automatic left/top|center/middle|right/bottom, or exact coordinates, with similar options to allow for image concatenation.
+ final cropping and masking rules, perhaps literal magic pink masks.
+ more voodoo majik™ to serve coffee while you try to design/code/use this thing.
apparent ideas: borrow code, use GD graphics library or soemthing, use some easy-to-parse thing for the config, possibly XML.
I want a full-featured script-driven skin compiler to specify what to draw in layers and output PNG files. For modules to use. Yes, I'm aware I'm asking for very much and something quite general, without reserve of the implications, limitations, and consequences. And the end profit might not be positive, as it would introduce bloat and more complexity to theming. I figured being only a compiler of graphics it could be unloaded once it's done, but something like Nullsoft's Wasabi wouldn't be bad, though that would require module recodes anyway. So, something like this might be better left for the future and not now.
The compiler would not necessarily be handled by ls or a module. Though possibly an extension to existing ls core functionality would be nice, it working inline with the step creating graphics that seem transparent to modules' knowledge?
LiteStep already has .extract="" and basic image composition, why stop there, har.
+ full alpha-channel support
+ definition of layer groups (for reuse)
+ layers may be either rendered or taken from file or icon extraction
+ drawing: rectangles, lines. gradients?
+ tinting/saturation/opacity/blending mode? per layer
+ icon extraction at specific sizes
+ image composition with alignment options: can position layer( group)s relatively or absolutely, through automatic left/top|center/middle|right/bottom, or exact coordinates, with similar options to allow for image concatenation.
+ final cropping and masking rules, perhaps literal magic pink masks.
+ more voodoo majik™ to serve coffee while you try to design/code/use this thing.
apparent ideas: borrow code, use GD graphics library or soemthing, use some easy-to-parse thing for the config, possibly XML.