Alang

iTrader: (1)

I am designing a new front end for my car computer. I wanted something that matched the factory headunit. This is my first attempt at using a graphics tool, so its a bit rough, so don't be too critical of the details. Also remember that its being displayed on a 7" screen, so many of the imperfections you can see here won't be as visible.

I have the functions I want on the main page, but it just doesn't seem right for some reason. My design experiance is zero, so any suggestions would be helpful.



Eventually I am going to replace the factory head unit with another screen. The four rectangular buttons on the top will select the functions on the upper screen, the rectangular buttons below the display will start new windows on the lower screen.

Let me know what you think. (I am staying with the factory look for now, so suggestions to the contray won't help much, no matter how cool they are).

HyperSprite

iTrader: (6)

I't a good start, my sugestion would be to go darker on the background and bolder on the display, sort of like this.

Chris

BrickydZ

iTrader: (22)

I like it and I agree that it should be a little darker.

Some thoughts.
Staying Oem looking can be pretty cool because the look is elegant. but in doing so you limit yourself too.

It will place limits on the size, color and style of fonts in your text window, will prohibit album art, and visualization. Unless you go ahead and go more than oem on subsequent pages. Oem style will be very spartan but you may give up some really cool add ons that some of the front ends have to offer.

I m assuming you are going to do this in road runner or centrfuse. Probably something from mp3car.com.

I copied mine a lot from the RR Mustang skin on mp3car.com.

The first is a straight Mustang skin with a eq visualization.
The second is one I am working on,with darker button symbls and la arger area above for the eq vis. The Nissan Logo will default and vis over the top.

I like it . took a lot of thought on your part... Remember that RR has dual monitor support so the upper and lower can have a different look and feel.

Good luck and keep up the good work

Alang

iTrader: (1)

I actually started out like that, and even came up with a carbon fiber background, but trying it out in the car, it was very hard to read in the sunlight. I will probably go with a darker backgroud for the night skin though.

BTW, how did you change colors so fast? It takes me hours to get anything done. (Im a total newb with graphics software).

Alang

iTrader: (1)

Yep, its roadrunner. I have tried the album art and visualizations on prior skins, and honestly, as cool as they are, they have lost their "coolness" factor with me, thus the creation of my own skins.

I will have a less factory look on the "lower" pages, but I am always going to come back to this main page after whatever I am doing on other pages is done. I tried to put the most common commands on the main page as possible so I don't have to keep switching pages.

As far as color, see my comments above.

And I gotta ask, What does the Nismo button do?

HyperSprite

iTrader: (6)

I used the brightness/contrast control at -52 brightness and +35 contrast, then selected the area in the screen and did a paint bucket full of 238,152,1 and filled it in.

To give you some ideas of what I went with in my setup, here are a few screens. I was shooting for clean, I don't have a stock radio anymore though, so I was not looking to match up with that.

All the buttons are on the left so I don't have to reach across the screen to touch them. Most of the buttons are in the same locations on the various screens so I can hit them without looking for them. It's still a work in progress though, and probably always will be

This is my start screen




Winamp visualization (the most distracting thing in the world while driving)


I am still playing with various fonts


I still need to redo my Audible WMP skin to fit better in the display window now that I have resized it.


Chris

BrickydZ

iTrader: (22)

I use powerpoint to make them. Not as powerfull as photo shop, but pretty easy to use and I know it well.

What I did was take the JPG of my choice and drop it in full page. Then use the pre made nav buttons in PPT and change colors from the color drop down.

Then size the button to match the existing skin. Then add some graphics for the GPS, and other buttons, then I can save as jpg. Then just make sure my skin buttons are lined up. By using the mustang skin for my base model 90% of my skin buttons areas are in the same location as the exist skin. Quick and panless.

As for the nismo button, that turns on the vis. I could have used the eyelid symbol s but thought it might add some pizzaz to the look.

I , like you, dont want to reinvent the wheel, or the skin in this case.
I will be using a Brushed Metal skin for the rest of the pages, or at least until I can reskin them.

Heres two more that I was developing and got tired of them.
Both are fashioned after JDM Alpine double din head unit that really exist.

See ya

Alang

iTrader: (1)

Very nice Chris. I know what you mean about not ever being done. Everytime I look at it, there is more I want to do. I'm still trying to get a good base to work from. You look like your way ahead of me in that regard.

What navigation are you using? I had Street Atlas, but the antenna just died (again), so I need to get something else.

BrickydZ

iTrader: (22)

+1...

Great job Chris. I would never of thought of putting the buttons on the left.
Makes perfect sense. Very nice skin.

A question to you both? What size lcds do you have? 7 inch? or higher?

thanks
Cliff

HyperSprite

iTrader: (6)

Alang, I am using Streets and Trips 2006, it does not have an API like Destinator and MapPoint but it's $79 with the GPS (same GPS sells for $99 by itself) and I have hundreds of saved maps.

Getting it to embed and be useful has been interesting but it works pretty good now. I figure once Origami comes out MS will realize how lame their software is for a touch screen and build a better interface for it.

BrickydZ, I am using a 7" 800x480 Dynamix Ultrabright Touch screen.

Chris

Ahsmo

iTrader: (13)

wow this stuff looks neat, what sound cards are you guys running with your car puters?

StillAlive2029

iTrader: (1)

this stuff is so sweat..i want to do a car puter...how much does this cost, and is it only for experts to install??

HyperSprite

iTrader: (6)

I wouldn't consider it an experts only thing but I've been doing random stuff for so long, I don't know the difference any more.

My warning is this, it's a computer not an appliance, so there will still be those computer type moments where things just don't work as they should. If all you want is music, get an iPod, on the other hand if you like to mod stuff, this can be the never ending mod and once it's built, interface modding is free.

I have my price list and my original setup on this page http://www.hypersprite.com/auto/tech-z-007/default.asp

I have made a few changes since then but mostly just in the software/interface department. Also, after a year of CarPC abuse the 3 year old HD finally kicked the bucket. No biggie, the mobo came with Ghost software and I had the new 80 gb drive up in about an hour.

Ahsmo, believe it or not, I am using the nvidia on board mobo sound card. I don't have any noise issues with it and it sounds good.

Chris

Alang

iTrader: (1)

I am also using the onboard sound "card" that came with my ITX board and running through the stock headunit with an FM modulator. I have so much noise from tires, flywheel and exhaust, I can't really justify the $$$s on a really great system.

Just an update, I just tried installing the drivers for my new Xenarc touchscreen. It didn't work the first time, and after installing and reinstalling and farting around with it, now I don't have any pointing devices at all! Looks like I get to spend weekend time reinstalling windows. (No I didn't take a checkpoint).

I bought a 2 slot PCI riser, so now I can install a WinTV card and get the radio portion of my Carputer working. I guess its a good time to start with a fresh slate.

Windows really sucks sometimes.

StillAlive2029

iTrader: (1)

so basically you are just plugging you speakers into a computer and having a computer touch screen to control the computer which has your cars speakers plugged into it???

Alang

iTrader: (1)

Basically that's it. Its for a lot more than music. I also have GPS Navigation, DVD capability, OBDII monitoring, Scanner Control, and anything else I want that runs on a PC.