Foobar, skins and questions thread.

Discussion in 'Soundcards, Speakers HiFI & File formats' started by ROBSCIX, Sep 30, 2011.

  1. ROBSCIX

    ROBSCIX Ancient Guru

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    Foobar is one of the most popular players out there but it seems hard to use for those getting started. While the player is easy to use, getting the player looking good and being functional takes some work and time. So, if you have questions, post them here. If you want to show others your configs, post them here...

    Hopefully we can get a great thread full of info for those just getting started with this great player.

    External Links


    Foobar Player Installer:
    The latest stable version is: Foobar v1.1.11

    Foobar Components

    Foobar 3rd Party Components

    Deviant Art Foobar Skins Listings

    Br3tt Skin Gallery

    Output Plugins

    ASIO Output Plugin
    KS Output Plugin
    WASAPI Output plugin

    I will keep adding information, including install guides for the various skins. Tweaking, tips...tricks. So stay tuned. If you have any ideas or want to contribute something a bit more in depth send me a PM.

    NOTE: This thread is for people interested in Foobar, so it is not a place to argue or talk about why you don't like the player. This thread will end up being a sticky for those people looking for information on Foobar. Think about that before posting.:)

    If you post screenies, don't make them very big!

    Here are a few screenshots of some configs that are available and that I have used. Almost every skins is completely configurable so your setup might look much different then what I have pictured. These screenshots are just to give you some ideas of what is available for Foobar. I will be adding more as they become available....

    Kameleon 1.2.2 Configuration Link
    [​IMG]

    Ibizia 1.6b Configuration Link
    [​IMG]

    Xchange 360 Configuration Link
    [​IMG]

    Tech 1.5.1 Configuration Link
    [​IMG]

    Update! Here is a shot of the new Xch4ange Skin (Xchange 4)
    Xch4ange Configuration LINK
    [​IMG]

    Updates
    I added screenshots of my Xch4ange skin and I will be adding shots of Spotifoo also very soon.
    Xhch4ange is simply extreme offering a new level of flexibility and customization options in comparison to other skins out there.:)
    This skin is in a class all it's own.

    For those wanting to get right to it and install some skins, you can go down to post #10 Or just click here :-> Link
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2012
    OnnA likes this.
  2. BetA

    BetA Ancient Guru

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    nice dude!!!
    Thx a lot for this thread and the info links.

    about those foobar2000 configs from the Br3tt skin gallery..are these only configs that i can use with my own skin or do i have to change the skin for them?

    greetz Beta

    Oh, and BTW...FIRST Post :)
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2011
  3. ROBSCIX

    ROBSCIX Ancient Guru

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    I am not quite sure what you mean...You can use Br3tt's skins or skins from other people. I just put the link to Br3tt's gallery because many consider him to be the premier Foobar skinner out there. He has some great skins so it shows those new to Foobar what is possible.
     
  4. BetA

    BetA Ancient Guru

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    well just asking cause it says foobar2000 configs as topic on this link, thats why i asked...

    its just, i have a skin that i use a lot for foobar and that skin is very nice so i wanna keep it..i just thought that they where configs so the functonality changes in my player..because foobar is very customizable..in way of style and buttons, design, plugins etc..lets say..right top a album art, then the playlist on the left and so on..a second page for karaoke and so on..u know? thats why i thought these are configs only so u can change the usability of foobar..i hope that sounded right, lol..
     

  5. pysik

    pysik Guest

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    love this player, and for people who have an ipod get the ipod manager attachment and u can put files a lot easier then using itunes, plus you dont have to install itunes at all lol.
     
  6. Decane

    Decane Ancient Guru

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    My "iTunes" configuration:

    [​IMG]

    I loved how iTunes looked, but Foobar is nicer as a whole. Thanks ROBSCIX for (unintentionally?) converting me. :)

    If anyone is interested, I have exported the theme and uploaded it here (megaupload) and here (fileserve). You will need the Columns UI and Album List Panel plugins to make it work.
     
  7. ROBSCIX

    ROBSCIX Ancient Guru

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    I C, yes functionality will change based on the skin as some are more functional then others. Some have features that others do not have..etc.
    It is fun to test out new skins but if you have one that you like...you can stick with it or try another.

    Usually when new skins come out that I like, I figure out how to install them so they are part of my main Foobar system. this way they are all available to me when I want a change.

    You're welcome:)
    I think alot of people stay away from Foobar because of all the leg work that is involved with getting it to look really cool and be really functional.
    So, if I helped get you started on Foobar then it's all good!:)
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2011
  8. flimbo

    flimbo Guest

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    I like Foobar and would like to tweak it, so downloaded that Kameleon theme in the 1st screenshot and unzipped but have no idea what to do with it now.
    Any ideas?
    LOL clueless...
    And I think that's precisely why Foobar doesn't have a bigger user base.
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2011
  9. ROBSCIX

    ROBSCIX Ancient Guru

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    Foobar is a very powerful player so it takes some work to get it to look like the above configs.

    All the files in the folder for Kameleon need to be installed in the Foobar folder.
    just extract them to there and allow the folders to merge.
    Do that first and then install the fonts in the folder also.

    let me know and I will walk you through putting in the config.

    Actually, here have a look at this older thread. It uses a different skin but the procedure is exactly the same so basically once you learn the procedure you can install any config you want. Have a look here:-> Link
    The main difference is the SKIN file for Kameleon is located in the FCL file.
    Once the components are installed it is the FCL files that change the players configuration.

    I should merge the two threads together.
     
  10. ROBSCIX

    ROBSCIX Ancient Guru

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    OK, I pulled some info out of an older thread on how to install these skins... Just follow along and if you get into trouble, ask for some help.


    Step 1: Find a skin that you like and want to install

    Seems simple enough right?
    Well not so much, with the many versions of Foobar and related codings, plugins etc.. Some of the older skins are just not compatible with newer verison of Foobar.

    Let's go with one of My current Favorites Ibizia, Here is the link: Ibizia

    Now, if you are just running a stock Foobar, this will not work because it relies on many components and coding you do not hav installed. Most skins will list what you need to run them properly.

    Step 2: install the supporting Components
    On the same page we see the components list and the Fonts.
    All of these components need to be installed in the Foobar/Components folder.
    I know your thiking, no way do I have to do this everytime!!
    No, many of the listed components are used inmany skins such as ColumnsUI.
    Once you have all the required components installed, installing different skins is relatively easy in comparison.

    You also need to install any custom Fonts in the Window/Fonts folder as the skins use them and will look for them.
    So, if you are following along, follow the links for each components and install them to Foobar/Components folder.
    I keep backups of these components on my system so if I decide to do a new install it is quite simple.
    Install the Fonts also.




    Step 3: Installing the interface
    Download and extract the archive to your Foobar folder

    Run Foobar, when it opens you should have a small windows with the option to choose the ColumnsUI interface. Select that as most of these skins are built around this component.
    With Foobar open and on screen, press CTRL+P to bring up the preference
    [​IMG]
    On the left side pane there is Display, expand that, Click on ColumsUI in the left hand pane. Over far right you see the "FCL Importing and exporting" Click on import.

    A new window will come up, navigate to the Foobar install folder.
    In that folder you will find the file ibiza20b.fcl
    Select that file and hit OK.
    Next will pop up a Window for which components, Just hit OK, as you want to install all of them.
    Now your player should start moving around and changing.
    If everything went ok and is installed properly you should have s button in front of you that says "start"
    this is just for this skin.
    If you look to the left hopfully there is a OK beside each component and Font.

    If everything is in the right place, your are good and ready to play with your new skin.


    We will get to setting paths for artists pictures etc.. Hopefully, I explained it well enough that you can follow along. If this skin is installed then pat yourself on that back as that is basically the entire procedure.
    Other skins will install in a similar way, but if you stialled all the required components for other skins hances are you will not need to install them again. Some skins may use a component or Font that you do not have installed. In this case you have to install it or the skin will not function properly.

    If you try the above and have difficulties please let me know and I will try and refine the simplistic above install procedure.

    That is about it, not all that tricky right?

    Step 4: Organizing and Indexing your files

    I know you are playing with your new skins and having fun but there are a few more things we still have to discuss.
    I am unsure how you organize your music or what file type you use.
    My personal library is composed of FLAC organized in a simple format, each album has it's own folder.
    So, for instance, I have K:\Albums Within that folder there is a single folder for each album.
    This system work very simply for the next part of the setup guide.

    Again we have to go into the Preferences Ctrl+P
    Look on the left hand side and we see Media Library
    [​IMG]
    On the right hand side you see the button "Add" click this and navigate to your
    music folder. This procedure will take awhile depending on how much music you actually have.
    Finish that up and close out the preferences.

    Create an Auto Playlist
    This will setup a main playlist and show all your music in the Album List window that most of these skins
    use.
    In your main foobar window you have the standard options across the top.
    [​IMG]
    This pic is of a different skin but you sill still have the library drop menu.
    So you click that and a smaller window will open showing your albums/songs..etc
    Right at the top there is the tab "All Music", right click on that and select auto Playlist.
    If your albums weren't up before in the album viewer they will be there now. Some of you may come to the realization that your music is sadly disorganized. I find the more music you get the more important proper organization is.
    You can also use that library drop menu to creat playlists..etc. Experiment and look around.

    To note, if you want the nice covers to show up for each album they need to be placed in album folder.
    So each album is made up of it's songs and a picture file called "cover" .
    If you have a bunch of albums etc, and they are not coming up as mine do in the album viewer then you have some work to do.

    Step 5: Setting Paths for Artist Pictures

    If you have looked around this skin you may have noticed the Artist picture view. This is just for a shot of the artist or band. Not to be confused with the Album.
    Many skins will have this options so you need to learn to set the paths for such features.

    The Ibizia Skin has quite a few panes for different features. The buttons in the upper left
    corner under the transport controls allow you to switch betwee these different views.
    Click on the first one that looks like a chess Pawn, this will bring up the artist picture view.
    All the tabs should be blank as right now foobar has no idea where you are keeping your picture files.
    Right click on any of the pic windows, you should get this:
    [​IMG]

    Right at the top we see settings, click on that and you will get into the scripting for that feature, like this:
    [​IMG]

    Before we get into setting the path, you need to set up a place to keep your artist pictures.
    So for instance, somthing simple like C:\Artists just put all the arist pics inside that file.
    I usually go with something like a JPG about 400X400 for each artist. The need to be
    named preciseley as they are in the artist area of your tags or else they will not show up properly
    or link to your music. I highlighted the entry we are interested in but lets have a closer look:
    [​IMG]
    Right at the top we see the default path and if we already setup our artist pictures files in C:\Artists
    we will change that entry to:
    [​IMG]
    Just change the path as it is above and hit apply. If you have all your artists pic in there they
    should now show up.
    To be torough, this skins has another panel which shows the album pic over top and the artist pic underneath.
    This panel will also need to have it's path set. You will find some skins that have different panels that need to
    have their paths set.
    So, back to the Ibizian skin, on teh button tabs on the upper left hand side we see one that looks like a little turntable?
    Anyway, if you select this, it will bring up the Album/artist view. Similar to this:
    [​IMG]

    We are interested in the lower pane, that looks like three people in the shadows. We right click on that
    and select "splitter settings" this time. In the above picture I highlight the entry we are looking for.
    Just change it as we did above and it will link to your artists picture file you set up.
    With this one though the slashes go the opposite way , so if we were still using the C:\artist way such as:
    [​IMG]
    If you go to change the path just take note of the slahes and add your own paths for your pics.

    Now there may be a way to set paths that is easier then what I have shown but I am always messing around with the scripts for the various windows so that is how I leanred to do it. To note, when you change skins, the paths will need to be set again!
    If any of you have an easier way to globally set such paths please let me know and I will update the above.

    More to come, stay tuned!
     

  11. Raven206

    Raven206 Member Guru

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    I tried to install the Xchange skin and ended up getting a scripting error after I imported the FLC from the preference CUI menu. I tried deleting it all and redoing it following the instructions that came with the zip file, still no luck. Not really sure what to do anymore, any help would be appreciated.

    Here is the error I get : "Scripting Engine Initialization Failed (GUID: F430759F-4E5C-4E96-8ADB-8F76B82AC9C2, CODE: 0x80020101)
    Check the console for more detailed information (Always caused by unexcepted script error)."

    I get exactly 8 of these scripting errors all with different letters and numbers under the GUID section.

    Hope this is enough information
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2011
  12. ROBSCIX

    ROBSCIX Ancient Guru

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    IIRC, Go into the preferences on the left hand side go down to the WSH...if you see it.
    open it up. And on the lower right hand corner you see and box that says, safe mode. Uncheck that box.

    I am trying to go from memory.
     
  13. Raven206

    Raven206 Member Guru

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    Worked! thanks for the help

    WSH is under tools on the left hand side for those who dont find it.
     
  14. ROBSCIX

    ROBSCIX Ancient Guru

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    Great, Xchange is pretty advanced. Have you figured out how to open the windows and select what goes in them?
    There are some you tube vids that will help get you going quick.

    Have a look here, LINK

    Look through some of the other vids from this guy also as he is the one that made the skins.
    Xch4ange seems complicated but it is really simple after you get the basics down and it is just amazing for making custom configs!

    If you need anymore help, let me know.

    BTW, I am talking about the latest version of Xchange as it is by far the most powerful. This one here:-> Link
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2011
  15. Raven206

    Raven206 Member Guru

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    Haha I see what you mean, I am thoroughly confused right now as to how to configure this. Fortunately the zip file I downloaded included a tutorial. I saw the video you linked to me but I could not follow everything he was doing because my Xchange is different from his I suppose.

    I'm currently trying to figure out how to bring up the windows. I've clicked around a bit to just see what happens and got some colors to change to red and green but nothing else.

    EDIT: I'm slowly figuring it out, just need to keep reading this guide, thanks a lot rob!
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2011

  16. TruMutton_200Hz

    TruMutton_200Hz Guest

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  17. ROBSCIX

    ROBSCIX Ancient Guru

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    Ah, you are using the one from above. Yeah, they are different.
    If you are using Xchange 360, look up in the left hand corner and you see the little "i" charachter. Click that.
    Now, it will put up two buttons under that, Click "editor"
    Now, you have a window, Under the word Editor, there are lines side by side and top to bottom. Click on them and they will produce new windows either side by side or top to bottom. All windows will have a different function and they still have those lines in the corner...just keep clicking on them and adding more windows until you get all the components. Then just close the ones you don't like. All of the controls for the windows, are in the left hand corner of that window. When you are done getting things set up the way you want, Turn off the editor and those buttons disappear.

    Let me know if you get it figured out. If not, I can put up some screen shots.
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2011
  18. Raven206

    Raven206 Member Guru

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    So after messing with Xchange a bit I'm starting to get it to look like something. Although, there are a few things I'm struggling in figuring out. I posted a picture of what my Xchange looks like so far:

    [​IMG]

    Things I cant figure out:

    Above the bars that repersent the music there is a timer that shows how long the song is and how far you are into it. Its colored blue and I want it to be white, no idea how to change that. Same at the bottom where it says the name of the song in blue, i want it to be white.

    Also on the right hand side shouldn't there be a bunch of album photos?

    Tell me what you guys think and if you see something I could make look better tell me! :D
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2011
  19. ROBSCIX

    ROBSCIX Ancient Guru

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    Try setting the colors in the ColumsUI preferences (Ctrl+P). Check Colors and fonts....It might work for that.

    It is looking good and you are getting the hang of it!
     
  20. xtremegamer

    xtremegamer Guest

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