[vdr] Re: fonts

["Olivier JACQUES" <jacquesolivier@hotmail.com>]

>ja but then I prefere functionality to beauty. I prefere to have an ugly 
>OSD that stays over the video instead a full screen beautiful thing...

Well, I don't.
I don't care of having video in background to see the menu or see EPG or 
whatever else. Anyway, I can't see the video behind! (maybe I'm getting old 
:) )
But, even if you add a "pretty" mode with I-Frame background and existing 
OSD, it would look ugly, because OSD has to be re-designed (not the code, 
but the look&feel) for the new background.

IMHO, OSD should be used only to indicate a choice, things that can change 
on the screen (with remote key presses). All the rest should be done with 
background I-Frames. Still, to generate those frames is not easy (generating 
an image is never easy). But I think it is the way commercial STB work.
Can someone explain me how exactly the teletext patch works? Does it 
generate an I-Frame representing the text and then some little OSD? Or is it 
fully done using OSD?

All that will add a good look&feel but functionality will not change. And I 
know that Klaus prefers to concentrate on features :) (well, I can't wait 
for time-shifting using NEWSTRUCT firmware!!!).
Maybe a "Skin" system will satisfy every body.
This will probably look like:
- Set of OSD fonts (Thx to as)
- Set of OSD icons (like pause, play, ffwd in playback mode)
- Set of I-Frames for several backgrounds with pre-defined positions for the 
OSD to go on top of it
- Set of full color icons (that could be added in the background I-frames 
but in pre-defined positions to be able to put OSD on top)
- Set of full color fonts (to add in background I-frame also)

This would add:
- Possibility to have a very nice looking VDR :)
- Easy plugin developments using nice layouts like a grid to choose radio 
channels using logo (use of color icons) and OSD. Or EPG viewer with nice 
looking
- flexibility

Who knows of a library/tool to generate I-Frames? Or maybe generate 
jpg+convert to I-frame using mencoder?

Well, let's go on!
Olivier.