[mythtv-theming] Max resolution size

[Michael T. Dean]

On 09/10/2013 03:07 PM, Thomas Mashos wrote:
> Is there a maximum resolution I can make a theme? I'm thinking of
> going though the mythbuntu theme and making it 1080p, but I'm
> wondering if I shouldn't just make it 4k or something higher

OK, since you haven't had any luck with responses, yet, I'm going to 
send a reply that's full of guesses, so feel free to take it with a 
grain of salt.

I would assume there is no max baseres size for a theme.  However, the 
larger the baseres, the larger images need to be, and larger images 
result in larger theme download sizes.  Also, because MythTV's 
pre-caching code scales the images for the actual display resolution, a) 
the runtime memory requirements for the theme shouldn't be affected by 
larger baseres/"source" image sizes, but b) the image quality will be 
affected (though, we hope not too much) by the downscaling that occurs 
when used on a smaller display resolution.  If you don't have any images 
(and are pretty much using only shapes and gradients and such), this 
won't be a concern--but at that point, the baseres is probably pretty 
much irrelevant and only defines the coordinate system you're using.

Also, whether using images or not, because there will often (at least at 
this point) be scaling if you choose to use a 4k baseres, you may need 
to be careful to choose good values for areas/widths/heights/... that 
can be properly scaled for all display resolutions users are likely to 
use to ensure the theme looks right at all display resolutions.  So 
(though this is an unlikely number), if you choose a 1-pixel line width 
for a border with a 3840x2160 baseres and the user is running on a 
1920x1080 screen, it should appear as a 1/2-pixel line, which is 
impossible, so it will either be scaled to 0 or 1 pixel (not sure which, 
but I'd guess 1), and should be 1/3 pixel on a 1280x720 display.  These 
partial pixels/rounding effects can also become very important when you 
have multiple items in a list (i.e. a button list or whatever), 
compounding the differences, such that things may not line up/show 
properly when scaled.  That said, the same applies for any baseres you 
choose (i.e., even if you use a 1920x1080 baseres, you should consider 
sizes carefully to allow for use with 1280x720, too)--the only 
difference being that 1920x1080 and 1280x720 are closer in size, so 
rounding effects may be less pronounced.

Hope this is useful--and, mostly, that it encourages someone else who 
knows MythUI/theming better than I to chime in. :)

Mike