[Hitcher]

Now available from the official repo is my Unicode version of Alaska Revisited.

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Tutorials

Combined Banner, Landscape and Poster support -

• Have the scraper set to download Posters.
  
  
• Download the Banner and Landscape images from TVdb and save them to each TV Show folder naming them banner.jpg and landscape.jpg respectively. I recommend resizing the landscape images to 408x230 to prevent slowdown.
  
  
• If you need to change any of the images for whatever reason you'll need to delete userdata/Database/textures.db to force XBMC to re-cache them.

Alaska Revisited (XBMC) How to enable Submenu buttons

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NOTE: As it uses different fonts I had to change a lot of the positions and sizes of the labels from the original code but I may have missed some so please let me know if you find any here.

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Changelog

1.8.9

Changed: Moved any stray colours to the colors default.xml

1.8.8

Fixed: MPAA Rating label problem

1.8.7

Changed: Episode date layout format from yyyy-mm-dd to dd/mm/yyyy

1.8.6

Changed: Duration divider from 'hyphen' to 'bullet' (inspired by Fusion)

1.8.5

Fixed: 'Apps' string

1.8.4

Changed: Re-designed Select Dialog to include images for non-focused items

1.8.3

Updated: Korean language string (thanks to epoke)

1.8.2

Changed: DialogSelect background less transparent

1.8.2

Fixed: Language strings errors

1.8.1

Changed: Label for EPISODE/S depending on number of items
Changed: Re-positioned Volume Bar when using fullscreen video or visualisation

1.8.0

Added: MIN/S to Episode view
Updated: French language string (thanks to Angelscry)
Fixed: Dolby True HD flag label
Changed: Position of Volume Bar when using fullscreen video

1.7.9

Changed: Episode view to include Watched ticks and Duration, and re-aligned

1.7.8

Added: Missing dialog (DialogNetworkSetup.xml)
Added: Hidden Weather condition label to Home so it updates every time
Changed: File browser
Changed: 'Parent Folder' icon position in Banner view
Fixed: Episode level Fanart problem
Removed: Unused and repeated textures

1.7.7

Updated: Landscape and Banner images can now downloaded automatically using the Logo Downloader (thanks to ppic)

1.7.6

Fixed: Hide all Media Info for Add-ons
Changed: Music Overlay default image and removed the border for it
Changed: Swapped positions of 'Picture Settings' and 'Picture Add-Ons'

1.7.5

Fixed: 'Music Library' and 'Music Add-Ons' overlap
Fixed: Missing frame for Pictures Panel view
Fixed: Banner 'panel Info' overlap problem
Fixed: Sort Order 'Time' and 'Runtime' problem
Added: 4.0 audio channel flag
Updated: French strings.xml (thanks to Angelscry)

1.7.4

Added: Spanish strings.xml (thanks to CyberXaz)
Changed: More view modes for Add-Ons

1.7.3

Changed: Added TV Show Title to 'Recently Added Episodes' list

1.7.2

Added: Polish language string (thanks to biggiesmallz)
Updated: French language string (thanks to Angelscry)

1.7.1

Fixed: Picture sort method problem
Updated: LiberationSans-Regular.ttf was missing a few foreign characters
Removed: All unnecessary spaces and EOLs

1.7.0
Added: Optional 'Banner' and 'Landscape' jpg images
Added: Option to hide 'IMDB Ratings'
Changed: 'Hide Media Info' to only include Meta Data
Changed: Tidied up Skin settings layout and language strings
Changed: Bumped revision to be inline with other Alaska Revisited

1.3.2

Fixed: Playlist 'Shuffle' problem
Fixed: Weather 'Feels like' problem
Fixed: Video Info alignment problems
Fixed: Weather Icons
Changed: Widened date label

1.3.1

Updated: French string (thanks to Angelscry)

1.3.0

Added: Watched 'Tick' to File view
Added: Show IMDB Rating as numbers instead of Stars optional
Added: Studio flags
Added: French string.xml (thanks to Angelscry)
Added: Russian string.xml (thanks to ZakWilde)
Added: Fallback label for Banner view
Changed: Home 'Music' button now goes to whatever the user sets
Changed: Up and Down now closes MusicOSD
Changed: Tidied up hyphens displaying Singles in Music List
Changed: Scroll large labels in Poster view
Changed: Order of buttons for Video submenu
Changed: Buttons for Music submenu
Changed: Home Artwork settings
Changed: Renumbered and cleaned up String labels
Changed: MyPics Slideshow buttons dependant on Folder (Recursive) or Files (Normal)
Removed: All 'Record' references (now defunct)
Updated: Korean string.xml (thanks to epoke)
Updated: Slight tweaks to the Video Info screen
Fixed: Star Rating background visibility
Fixed: Video Info screen Title problem
Fixed: Missed labels for localisation (AIRED and ITEMS)
Fixed: Favourites custom button hide condition
Fixed: Setting custom button label problem

1.2.9

Added: DVHS and DTheater media source flags
Added: Auto Thumb support for adding Favourites to custom buttons (requires updated favourites script)
Changed: Video Info layout (removed CAST button - press UP to access)

1.2.8

Fixed: Forgot to add the custom_DialogFavourites.xml

1.2.7

Added: Ability to add up to 6 custom sub menu buttons to Apps, Video, Music, Movies and TV Shows(includes Scripts, Add-Ons and Favourites)
Added: Movie Set support
Updated: Picture Info screen (background texture)
Updated: Video Info screen (MPAA ratings, 'Mins' conditions, button layout)
Updated: Custom nackdrops settings layout
Changed: Increased Favourites icon size
Changed: ListItem.Date to ListItem.Premiered
Changed: Files View to display Label2 for all non-video library sources
Removed: All Xbox references

1.1.7

Changed: MPAA rating handling

1.1.6

Added: Korean language string (thanks to epoke)

1.1.5

Fixed: Focus of Cast list on Video Information window

1.1.4

Updated: Video Information screen
Changed: EOL from DOS to UNIX

1.1.3

Fixed: Hide Profiles
Added: Logo Downloader button

1.1.2

Fixed: Hide Video Root
Fixed: Hide Add-On settings

1.1.1

Fixed: Hide CDart when no CD cover is available

1.1.0

Added: New Default Home layout (hide any item/s)
Added: Music and Video Root buttons
Updated: 576 flag

1.0.0

First build of the International version of Alaska Revisited

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SVN Checkout

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As some of you may know my 'real life' job is a postie and I recently found out that one of the families I deliver to is trying to raise over £40,000 for an operation for their daughter Megan. So if anyone feels like making a donation because they like using the skins I've worked that would be fantastic.

Megan's Quest

Thanks.

[drago]

Is alll the new functions that you add to Alaska Revisited going to be updated to this skin to?

[Hitcher]

Yes.

[Hitcher]

1.1.0

Added: New Default Home layout (hide any item/s)
Added: Music and Video Root buttons
Updated: 576 flag

[Jakobsen]

Hi Hitcher,

This might be a daft question, but what's the difference between this version and the regular version?

[drago]

Unicode support + different fonts with new positions and sizes

[Hitcher]

It uses Unicode fonts so it'll look different but will work for foreign languages.

Having said that I'll still need you guys to do the custom string translations for me.

[Hitcher]

To use the new Home layout you'll need yesterdays nightly build (33035) as multiimage cotrols in lists were only added then.

[drago]

I think you have mised to add the hide Profiles option that you reasently added in Alaska Revisited.

Allso, have you tought of adding a kioskmode like in http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=70655 That would be reale helpful when you have kids (and girlfriends that dont understand)

[Hitcher]

Profiles - fixed for next update.

Kiosk mode - I hadn't but may do.

[zaarin]

I'm watching the development of these Alaska skins with great interest. I can't wait to move the HTPC in my living room to them when the next stable XBMC version is released.

I have a query though. With the multiple versions that you are working on at the moment (revisited, this unicode support), are you planning to continue developing them as separate packages or will a single package eventually end up as the final result? If a single package is your goal, do you have any idea which of the current paths will likely be the base?

I'm not sure if that's particularly clear. Basically, I want to know if there's a particular package I should test, as it appears you're providing much of the same functionality in both, and it seems logical to me to concentrate on the one that is the most stable/functional/tested etc.

Anyway. It all looks fantastic. Great work.

[Hitcher]

The 'original' Alaska was a joint effort and was influenced a lot by forumites. When it was finished I looked back at Duncan's original vision I thought it had strayed too far away for it so I simply decided to make a version for myself.
This was built from the ground up using original code and became Alaska Revisited. I was asked if I would ever be release it as a separate skin which I did. I then made the Unicode version so it could be enjoyed by even more people.

So as it stands Alaska is finished and will only get bugs fixed.

Alaska Revisited and Alaska Revisited Mod are the same skin (apart from the fonts) so they'll get whatever I add together.

[Vince||]

Does the unicode fonts include Japanese? I have Japanese artists in my playlist and their names appear with blocks instead of Japanese characters.

[Hitcher]

If they work in Confluence/PM3:HD they should work in this as I'm using their fonts.

[Vince||]

If they work in Confluence/PM3:HD they should work in this as I'm using their fonts.

They don't work with Confluence either. I though that you included more complete fonts.