Potplayer + overlaying controls

[xzebox]

hi there,

first post here, hope someone can help me.

i try to mimic the screenshot of this site (using the same skin): http://vokol.deviantart.com/art/PotPlayer-Mini-Portable-428187430

anyone knows, how to maximize the aspect ratio and have (permanently) overlaying controls?

thank you in advance

[Vokol]

Hello.

The screenshot is made in photoshop, to display the available controls.

You can modify the skin to show all elements permanently like this:

Rename Zoon.dsf to Zoon.zip

Unpack Zoon.zip

In the unpacked Zoon folder, open VideoSkin.xml with notepad.

Change:

<Static Align="Top" Height="30" ImageLeft="0" ImageTop="700" ImageWidth="9" ImageHeight="100" LeftMargin="4" RightMargin="4" IsTitleBar="1" AltImageLeft="0" AltImageTop="700" UsingRgn="0" >

To:

<Static Align=/>


Then remove:

</Static>
<Static Align="Bottom" Height="70" ImageLeft="200" ImageTop="0" ImageWidth="10" ImageHeight="70" LeftMargin="2" RightMargin="2" UsingRgn="0" >

*Note that there are 2 Static Align="Top"... and 2 Static Align="Bottom"... , only change the first ones found within the "MainSkinAreaOscInside" parameters.

Save the changes.

Send all 6 files within the Zoon folder to a new .zip file. Not the Zoon folder, the files inside the Zoon folder. BIG difference.

Name the new .zip file whatever you like and change the .zip to .dsf

However, the controls will look too thin and butt-ugly after this mod.

If you just leave your mouse pointer over the bottom/top part with the original skin, the overlay will stay. Just check the "Disable autohide of OSC while mouse is over it" - option.

In the mega skinpack on my DeviantArt you will find older versions of Zoon that have always visible, thicker buttons.

Hope this helps.

[xzebox]

hi vokol,

thanks a lot for this little guide. yes, i was already assuming it is a showcase. will try this mod, but having a 'native' skin like in your screenshot would also be great. will check out the extra skins though.

so to mimic the screenshot, all you have to do is to take the default skin and activate osc (direct3d9), and the controls will be visible when leaving the mouse over either the bottom or top area?

btw, nice package you are offering. a slim and minimalistic potplayer is what i was looking for so long.

regards

[Vokol]

so to mimic the screenshot, all you have to do is to take the default skin and activate osc (direct3d9), and the controls will be visible when leaving the mouse over either the bottom or top area?

Yeah if you have this enabled:

[xzebox]

great, thanks.

just a quick question: i would like to recude the size, so i took only the 64bit folder, to make potplayer more compact.

looking at the module folder, i wonder what files are absolute necessary to get most of the formats working? so far, i only have the folders: bass, ffmpeg and files mediainfo & quicksync and i could not find any drawback (dont have blueray).

you have put some more extras along, what are they for? are they very important?

[Vokol]

You are going to want the Libav and OpenCodec folders when you are trying to play a file and something is not working, trust me.

The Microsoft.VC90.CRT folder and dtsdecoder.dll are for ArcSoft DTS audio decoder, you can disable it here and then throw away those files:


D3DCompiler_43_64.dll and d3dx9_43_64.dll are included so that PotPlayer doesn't cry about DirectX when you run it on a computer that doesn't have DirectX completely updated. One would assume Windows 7, 8 and 10 would have updated DirectX, oddly enough that's not the case. It's a manual download http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35
So if your DirectX is updated you don't need those files. Then again, my version is a portable one meant to work on every computer and play every file in every possible scenario, so to start chopping things away and then put it on a USB stick is like throwing away your bullets before you go bear hunting. You are gonna have a bad time...

Furthermore, ATextOut64.dll is for alternative font rendering in the dialog box. Possibly maybablyperhabsably it does some font rendering elsewhere as well, I dunno because I don't use subtitles.


CmdLine.txt is for people who use the command line, 9.99 out of 10 don't. You can of course remove extra languages and AviSynth and PxShader if you never use those functions, but the tiny space one saves by chopping away stuff is hardly worth it. I doubt that your hard drive is that small or that you have a 40 MB USB drive You gain absolutely no CPU or GPU performance by doing so.
But yeah, you CAN throw away almost every file and Potplayer will still work. As well as that relentless knight in Monthy Python who got chopped to bits.

Having said that and feeling all witty and smug, I realize I have also removed things from my version haha..oh the hypocrisy..In my defense, I removed things that are related to game recording and chat and so on, stuff not needed to play video files.

[xzebox]

thanks for sharing all these infos.

i was just curious to know, and no, i have no plans to mutilate it to the extreme, haha. quite happy with the setup now (64bit folder only).

there's only one thing i noticed regarding the audio configuration. the dtsdecoderdll.dll does not show up in the selection box, even when starting the (unchanged) package? instead, libav64 is selected.

[Vokol]

oh wow, I haven't noticed that dtsdecoderdll.dll is a no-show on 64-bit, I only use the 32-bit version. Tried on older builds, and still nothing. I suppose it's not 64-bit compatible then...? Live and learn. Thanks for noticing, I will remove it from the 64-bit version. Just another reason to stay away from the 64-bit version, that thing is nothing but trouble

[xzebox]

sure, no problem. interresting, i did not know the 64bit version is said to be doomed

is there other severe reasons better to stick with the 32bit package on 64bit os?

[Vokol]

Each to his own of course, 32-bit gets a LOT of updates (..and bugs) while these last years it seems the 64-bit gets updated rarely. 3-4 times per year or something..I am a very restless person, 3 times is not enough updates for me. I would get jealous of the 32-bit updates in notime, would lose sleep over it. I have issues. I need help. But 32-bit works on every computer and so on. I have not noticed any performance advantages by using 64-bit, I'm sure there MUST be..If one would go all forensic on it haha, but in normal use, no difference. Also, most problems seem to affect the 64-bit, probably because people install it and then try install updates which are always only 32-bit and then the mess is ready to begin..and then when stuff is broken, people use the update function and all of a sudden PotPlayer is all Korean.. PotPlayer is pretty far from logical or easy to install, with 2 "main" sources/websites that have differences in the installers and then the 32-64-bit hassle on top of that..Not too long ago, I noticed the startup time was slow..after some mega CSI investigation I tracked down the culprit: when updating, the language files did not update. So my new shiny update was using a language file from 1978 and that affected the startup time..blaaaahh. I think that is sorted by now, can't be sure. I used to contact the developer when I found bugs and when I had suggestions for features, but that guy is the most stressed out, rude developer alive today. I got tired of his "USE OTHER PLAYER!!!!"- replies as solutions to problems in his software. No wonder many switch back to VLC or MPCHCPCMPCHP-CPHMP... Sorry about the long rant, too much coffee.

Have a great day and have fun using PotPlayer, the best videoplayer for windows ! If you don't agree, USE OTHER PLAYER !!!

[xzebox]

no need to apologize, this was a good read

in fact i thought about -using other player- (mpc-hc) - somehow it is more sympathic to me, but no matter what settings i take, it is incredible slow when seeking? i have not tried the 32bit version, maybe that's the crux of the matter too? potplayer is praised as the best player around, so i did not bother to go deeper into research regarding this issue.

any reason, why you prefer potplayer over mph-hc?

cheers

[Krispy Kritter]

Just as you obsess about getting updates, some people HAVE to use the 64bit version of all software. Even when, as you have noted, there is no noticeable difference.

[Vokol]

any reason, why you prefer potplayer over mph-hc?

Gonna go all geeky and technical here, brace yourself: The look.
Oh, and the fact that it plays HD without killing my old crappy Acer D270 netbook that I still keep around and use for very scientific, in-depth, hardcore software testing. Runs on Acer = Good Software, slow on Acer = Bad Software.

There are so many players that play anything, but they all look abysmal. Apart from PotPlayer, maybe just MPlayer WW has skins that stand out.

I have tried them all, believe me. I still do, I check out all new versions of everything to see if someone maybe has upped their game. I should maybe get a real life..

I am very much into customizing my desktop. After spending lots of time and effort to pimp my ride, there's a snowballs chance in Hell I'm gonna go with a videoplayer that looks like it came from 1990 (yes VLC, I mean you). That sh*t might mess up my game.

Of course there are countless better looking skins for most players out there, but there's nothing like the skinnability (yes, I think that's a word) of PotPlayer.

So there, PotPlayer looks the best and plays everything without breaking a sweat. And its name is certainly a bonus as well.