[Guardian Hope]

Where's My Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers Preview (Alpha 6) Update?

Hey everyone! I've delayed AZ:FA Alpha 6 temporarily to wait for a fix to an issue @minus0 has discovered. Once the fix has been pushed we'll push out the update again. Thank you for your patience.

[Blurayx]

Where's My Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers Preview (Alpha 6) Update?

Hey everyone! I've delayed AZ:FA Alpha 6 temporarily to wait for a fix to an issue @minus0 has discovered. Once the fix has been pushed we'll push out the update again. Thank you for your patience.

Hi Guardian Hope,

What did minus0 discover?

[Guardian Hope]

Where's My Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers Preview (Alpha 6) Update?

Hey everyone! I've delayed AZ:FA Alpha 6 temporarily to wait for a fix to an issue @minus0 has discovered. Once the fix has been pushed we'll push out the update again. Thank you for your patience.

Hi Guardian Hope,

What did minus0 discover?

Oh, it's just fixes to some general issues and adjustments to dialogs. It wasn't anything too major but it saves blowing through another number in the Alpha versioning.

I'm going to start the update push with the new changes later on today and post what's been updated. It's a pretty big list.

[Blurayx]

Where's My Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers Preview (Alpha 6) Update?

Hey everyone! I've delayed AZ:FA Alpha 6 temporarily to wait for a fix to an issue @minus0 has discovered. Once the fix has been pushed we'll push out the update again. Thank you for your patience.

Hi Guardian Hope,

What did minus0 discover?

Oh, it's just fixes to some general issues and adjustments to dialogs. It wasn't anything too major but it saves blowing through another number in the Alpha versioning.

I'm going to start the update push with the new changes later on today and post what's been updated. It's a pretty big list.

Thanks for your reply as always!!! I know you and your development team are doing their best

[Guardian Hope]

Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers Preview (Alpha 6) Has Been Pushed to the Update Origin

The sixth Alpha of Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes (Danvers) has just been pushed to the update origin servers. Within the next 2-12 hours your Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes will update automatically from Alpha 4 to Alpha 6. Please note that Alpha 6 was tested against Kodi Krypton Alpha 3 and not Kodi Krypton Beta 1 so you may run into unexpected issues which were not documented in the changelog that will be posted tomorrow in the Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Alpha 6 Update post.

As Kodi Krypton enter the Beta stage of development so soon will AZ:FA Danvers:

• Alpha 7 - Released Week of September 1st - Font Changes
  
• Alpha 8 - Released Week of September 10th - Cumulative Update to Alpha 6 and Alpha 7
  
• Beta 1 - Released Week of September 17th - Stability Improvements from Alpha 8 (New Home Screen Mockup Complete)
  
• Beta 2 - Released September 28th - Danvers Home Screen
  
• 5.0.00 - Released after September 29th - Danvers General Availability
  

This schedule is outlined based on my move which has been pushed up to the point that I will be departing September 29th and things won't settle down until October 21st. Alpha 7 is really an "intermission" for @minus0 who has been putting in 110% effort plus gets the modern fonts in for the new home screen, Alpha 8 is just the fixes to Alpha 6, Beta 1 is basically Alpha 8 re-branded (hopefully) while I get the time to finish the new home screen mockup, Beta 2 introduces that as the default home screen, and 5.0 is the actual release of Danvers.

Now I've been playing with the name to the point that most people are starting to recognize Danvers as the version for Krypton. It was supposed to be "Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Anniversary Edition" but I've been playing with just calling it "Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers."

[Blurayx]

Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers Preview (Alpha 6) Has Been Pushed to the Update Origin

The sixth Alpha of Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes (Danvers) has just been pushed to the update origin servers. Within the next 2-12 hours your Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes will update automatically from Alpha 4 to Alpha 6. Please note that Alpha 6 was tested against Kodi Krypton Alpha 3 and not Kodi Krypton Beta 1 so you may run into unexpected issues which were not documented in the changelog that will be posted tomorrow in the Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Alpha 6 Update post.

As Kodi Krypton enter the Beta stage of development so soon will AZ:FA Danvers:

• Alpha 7 - Released Week of September 1st - Font Changes
  
• Alpha 8 - Released Week of September 10th - Cumulative Update to Alpha 6 and Alpha 7
  
• Beta 1 - Released Week of September 17th - Stability Improvements from Alpha 8 (New Home Screen Mockup Complete)
  
• Beta 2 - Released September 28th - Danvers Home Screen
  
• 5.0.00 - Released after September 29th - Danvers General Availability
  

This schedule is outlined based on my move which has been pushed up to the point that I will be departing September 29th and things won't settle down until October 21st. Alpha 7 is really an "intermission" for @minus0 who has been putting in 110% effort plus gets the modern fonts in for the new home screen, Alpha 8 is just the fixes to Alpha 6, Beta 1 is basically Alpha 8 re-branded (hopefully) while I get the time to finish the new home screen mockup, Beta 2 introduces that as the default home screen, and 5.0 is the actual release of Danvers.

Now I've been playing with the name to the point that most people are starting to recognize Danvers as the version for Krypton. It was supposed to be "Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Anniversary Edition" but I've been playing with just calling it "Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers."

Hi Guardian Hope,

A big thanks to you and your development team for the update.

crashing in the Music section. was it meant to be fixed in Alpha 6.

[Guardian Hope]

Hi Guardian Hope,

A big thanks to you and your development team for the update.

crashing in the Music section. was it meant to be fixed in Alpha 6.

I knew I forgot something... now I remember what it is. Sorry about that. It probably won't be thrown in with the font changes so it'll be the release after..

We're going to take up the slightly modified SiLVo approach since Mike gave his blessing to utilize it in From Ashes.

I need to put "fix music" in big bold letters on a list. Since I don't use Kodi for music I will shamefully admit that I just gloss over the Music section.

It also amazes me how far we have come and yet how far we have to go (that 83% is going to drop fairly quickly once the final group of objectives and fixes have been added):

[Guardian Hope]

watch gallery

Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes (Danvers Preview) Alpha 6
"For a Myriad of Changes...

Over the past few days, Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes (Danvers Preview) Alpha 6 was released in two waves: the NBD Repo and then the Emby Repo (all zip files and Git releases are done at the same time as the NBD Repo). We do this for three reasons: 1) there's a delay on the NBD Repo to get it to all the edge servers around the world; 2) we want to know our audience (Windows/Linux/Mac/RasPi/etc.) which can only be done through the NBD Repo; and 3) We want to make sure that the NBD and Emby Repos always present the same version as we 100% support the Emby Server project which is seen throughout this skin and its literature so it just makes sense.

This allows me to tell you some pretty staggering numbers. Each Krypton Alpha release has been increasing by 100K in downloads. This doesn't mean that AZ:FA is being used by each and every single one who downloads it but Alpha 4 was downloaded a staggering .711 Million (711,000) times while the Jarvis 3.2.21 has accumulated just over 1.2 Million. Krypton Alpha releases have been increasing steadily in numbers and will likely soon pass the final Jarvis version by the time Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers (5.0.00) hits the proverbial shelves.

Needless to say, these are pretty huge numbers. Of course, Windows is used most often followed by TV (Raspberry Pi and its variants and other IoT devices), Linux, Mac, Smartphones, and Tablets. All of that tells us "we need to listen to these users and help better tailor it to their experiences" which wouldn't be possible without the NBD Repo. Also an astonishing number: AZ:FA has been downloaded in 71 countries worldwide (US and UK are the most popular in case you are wondering).

Now it's time for Alpha 6...

I didn't include much of any screenshots this time because Alpha 7 is getting ready to be released which will feature more in-depth screenshots as we truly start getting things working and fitting into the proposed Danvers Home Screen which you all should get a preview of soon (and I hope you all like! I'll post the UX mock-up soon for opinions).

Getting It

NortheBridge by Design® Repo - If you do not have the NortheBridge by Design® Repository, you may download it from https://embycdn.northebridge.com/Victori...1.0.00.zip and install it to your Kodi Krypton. This has superseded all other methods of getting AZ:FA to become the preferred method and how you will get the latest from AZ:FA first.
Emby Beta Repo - Emby, the original and continued home to Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes also has the latest Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers Preview update. It is available for download on the Emby official site or you can get the repository directly from the NortheBridge by Design® Repository.
Enterprise CDN Download - For those that don't use the NortheBridge by Design® Repository that also uses the very same Enterprise CDN, you can directly download AZ:FA by clicking the link: https://embycdn.northebridge.com/AZFA/da...alpha6.zip
GitHub - As always, the GitHub source code is available at https://github.com/NortheBridge/skin.arc...s/releases

Known Issues

As always, with pre-release software there is known issues:

Code:

View Selection Doesn't Work In Any Exposed Options (Addressed in Alpha 7)
Music Crashes on Startup (Addressed in TBD)

The Changelog

Code:

Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Changelog

Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers "Alpha 6 Preview Update" - Released August 27, 2016
Danvers: 4.2.20-alpha6 (4.2.20-alpha6_danvers)

ARCTIC ZEPHYR: FROM ASHES ANNIVERSARY EDITION (CODENAMED "DANVERS") IS PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE DESIGNED FOR A PRE-RELEASE VERSION OF KODI. THERE IS NO GUARNTEE THAT ALL FEATURES WILL WORK. PLEASE LET US KNOW OF ANY ISSUES YOU RUN INTO. THIS SKIN IS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE NORTHEBRIDGE BY DESIGN(R) REPOSITORY, EMBY BETA REPOSITORY, GITHUB, OR VIA DIRECT ZIP FILE DOWNLOAD ONLY.

Updated the From Ashes Preview Startup Message
Updated the Power Menu Selections to Include "From Ashes Support" and "Danvers Preview" options
Resolved Color Selection Issues from the Alpha 4 Preview Update
General Fixes to Dialogs
General Fixes to Dialog Functionality
Restored Ability to Select Between Various View Types
Added the Autocompletion Keyboard as a Required Addon
General Updates and Fixes
Updated Textures

THIS RELEASE HAS UNDERGONE GENERAL STABILITY TESTING FOR THE ARCTIC ZEPHYR: FROM ASHES DANVERS PREVIEW (BETA) PHASE. THE ALPHA 7 RELEASE WILL BE THE FINAL ALPHA FOR THE DANVERS PREVIEW. THIS VERSION WAS TESTED AGAINST THE LAST KODI KRYPTON ALPHA AND MAY CONTAIN BUGS IN KODI KRYPTON BETA.

EMBY INTEGRATED FUNCTIONALITY WILL BE RESTORED DURING THE KODI KRYPTON BETA AS EMBY IS UPDATED TO FULLY SUPPORT KODI KRYPTON.

The Road to Danvers

It's been a very long road to the Danvers update. So long in fact that we wanted to acknowledge all the hard work that goes into creating this skin. Danvers was to be released as version 4 of this skin but starting with Alpha 7 you'll notice a massive version jump to 4.9.99. This is because Arctic Zephyr: From Ashes Danvers will be version 5. You may say that's a little confusing but given the sheer amount of changes that are still coming down the pipeline I believe you all will find it fitting if we make this major version jump.

[dork313]

@Guardia Hope Just want to say thank you for all your teams hard work for all of us.

Sent from my XT1585

[Guardian Hope]

I've been using this skin for ages, definitely my fav skin out there.

I recently started using exodus for some trakt lists, I'm having issues though where I don't see any watched indicators unless i change the view to (I can't remember can check though) its big something. All others don't show any trakt watched indicators.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

@fabrizio5680 - Thank you for using and continuing to use this skin!

This will have to be something that needs to be looked into. I personally don't use Trakt and haven't heard of of Exodus but it sounds like there already some integration in one of the views so that might have been there from all the way back in AZ:E and never actually finished.

All the views are returning with Alpha 7. They had been disabled for a bit of time because we were trying to experiment with Skin Helper (again) and it wasn't being cooperative (again).

@Guardia Hope Just want to say thank you for all your teams hard work for all of us.

Sent from my XT1585

Thank you @dork313. I think everyone who has put an effort into this skin both on the scenes and off the scenes really does appreciate it! I hope you continue to enjoy it as we get ready to enter the third generation of this skin!

[Talguy]

I'm still loving this skin even thought I think the fonts for the black and white media flags need to be cleaned up to be consistent with the font used else where in the skin and their aspect ratios as they seem squashed IMO.

I do have a request though. The Immersive skin has one of the best classy looking music visualizer I've seen in any skin as of Kodi right now. its essentially overlays a grid over the Musician's fan art. The grid will rotate, change grayscale. I was wondering if you could integrate this kind of music visualizer into AZ:FA.

[Guardian Hope]

I'm still loving this skin even thought I think the fonts for the black and white media flags need to be cleaned up to be consistent with the font used else where in the skin and their aspect ratios as they seem squashed IMO.

I do have a request though. The Immersive skin has one of the best classy looking music visualizer I've seen in any skin as of Kodi right now. its essentially overlays a grid over the Musician's fan art. The grid will rotate, change grayscale. I was wondering if you could integrate this kind of music visualizer into AZ:FA.

@Talguy, the skin you linked off to does indeed look quite nice. It seems Immersive, shares a lot in common with the upcoming design changes to AZ:FA Danvers. If you take a look at:

You can see a font very similar to the upcoming Segoe fonts that are to be imported into AZ:FA Danvers for Alpha 7. You can also see a semi-close design rendition to the new AZ:FA Danvers Home Screen albeit not entirely. The AZ:FA Danvers Home Screen continues to keep the time and weather at the bottom right of the home screen while the left side becomes the new navigation that's currently located at the bottom (and without all that wasted space). The functions at the very top remain the same in the new AZ:FA Danvers Home Screen.

The entire design of the AZ:FA Danvers Home Screen is based off of Windows Media Center and the Xbox One/Windows 10 UWP.

And for those that want to remain with the current AZ:FA Home Screen (or one of the older ones or Netflix View), they can easily switch between the styles via Settings.

In either case, you were linking off to that in regards to Music. In all honesty, we haven't gotten to Music yet as it hasn't been a priority (neither @minus0 or I seem to use it in Kodi). We'll get to it; we just don't know entirely when because everything has been waiting on the completion of the new AZ:FA Home Screen Design Mockup so everyone has an idea of what we're going for but I haven't exported the master image yet which holds things up but Immersive comes pretty close.

[jynxy]

Love the blue in that theme @guardian hope

much better than the bluey purpley color currently used in danvers. can you use that one ?

[Guardian Hope]

Love the blue in that theme @guardian hope

much better than the bluey purpley color currently used in danvers. can you use that one ?

That strange purpleish blue that you see in Danver's dialogs at the moment are merely temporary. Actually, most of the current dialog designs are temporary. Things are going to slowly start to fall in line once the Danvers Home Screen design is all laid out.

On another note, Danvers Preview Alpha 7 which will restore all views to being selectable a long with the required changes to the font designs will be released later tonight (that might be tomorrow for some of you!).

[minus0]

@everyone

Do you know you can change the dialog buttons in the Skin settings under the "Colours" section then under "Dialog Settings". I thought that was self explanatory. . I guess not.

Cheers

Sent from my SM-T550