How to prevent default screen background?

[cncb]

I am trying to get a solid black background for my screen (implements IScreenPlugin directly). If I have nothing in my skin file the default background image and date/clock are displayed. If I have a skin element that is a black rectangle covering the whole screen, the clock is still drawn on top of everything. How do you prevent this? Sorry if I am missing something obvious.

[sub]

If I have nothing in my skin file the default background image and date/clock are displayed.

This was intentional to give things a more consistent look. If you'd seen the old GBPVR you'd know why.

If I have a skin element that is a black rectangle covering the whole screen, the clock is still drawn on top of everything. How do you prevent this? Sorry if I am missing something obvious.

There isnt an 'obvious' solution to this, but there is a trick that screensavers use that would work. For you black rectangle, give the element a name starting with "screensaver" and it'll not add the date/time or now-playing on top.

Maybe something like this:

private UiElement blackUiElement;

in init function:
            Bitmap black = new Bitmap(32,32);
            Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(black);
            g.Clear(Color.Black);
            g.Dispose();
            blackUiElement = new UiElement("screensaver-black", new RectangleF(0, 0, 100, 100), black);

GetRenderList:
        public List<UiElement> GetRenderList()
        {
            List<UiElement> renderList = new List<UiElement>();
            renderList.Add(blackUiElement);
            ...other elements...
            return renderList;
        }

[cncb]

Thanks - I followed your instructions but with an empty skin file the clock is still being displayed over the black rectangle for me?

[sub]

Unfirtunately my build is no longer compatible with 2.1, so I'm not well placed to give you a patch with more logging, but can you add something like this to the end of your GetRenderList() and post the snippet of log:

Logger.Debug("render list contains");
foreach (UiElement element in popupRenderList)
{
   Logger.Debug(" - " + element.name);
}

[cncb]

Here is the log:

2011-08-17 16:01:41.224	[DEBUG][1]	ACTIVATE_PLUGIN: SS
2011-08-17 16:01:41.229	[DEBUG][1]	OnKeyDown() done. Took 11.000599861145 ms
2011-08-17 16:01:41.481	[DEBUG][1]	FadeThroughTransitionHelper.GetRenderList() transition complete
2011-08-17 16:01:41.481	[DEBUG][1]	render list contains
2011-08-17 16:01:41.481	[DEBUG][1]	 - screensaver-black
2011-08-17 16:01:45.427	[DEBUG][1]	render list contains
2011-08-17 16:01:45.427	[DEBUG][1]	 - screensaver-black
2011-08-17 16:01:45.428	[DEBUG][1]	storing Position (1):220,26
2011-08-17 16:01:45.428	[DEBUG][1]	storing Size (1):1400,902
2011-08-17 16:01:45.446	[INFO][1]	Exiting...
2011-08-17 16:01:45.446	[INFO][1]	Done.

[sub]

I worked out why this didnt work. I forgot the screen savers work as popups rather than screens. I've adjusted to the logic for the next release to also work in your situation. Instead of "screensaver" though, it'll use a "block-extras" element name to tell it to not add the background or datetime.

Unfortunately its bad timing in the release cycle, and I'm not able to give you a patch for this at the moment, so you might need to use your imagination an just pretend the default background and clock aren't there until the next release is available. It should be available in the next week or two.

[ACTCMS]

I've adjusted to the logic for the next release to also work in your situation. Instead of "screensaver" though, it'll use a "block-extras" element name to tell it to not add the background or datetime.

Will that suppress the nowPlaying info too?

[sub]

Yes. It wont suppress the ShowMessage overlay though.

[ACTCMS]

Yes. It wont suppress the ShowMessage overlay though.

Great...

[cncb]

Unfortunately its bad timing in the release cycle, and I'm not able to give you a patch for this at the moment, so you might need to use your imagination an just pretend the default background and clock aren't there until the next release is available.

No problem - thanks.