The Un-Official WindowBlinds/SkinStudio Documentation Project

Published on September 11, 2003 By Koasati In Skinning

The Un-Official WindowBlinds/SkinStudio Documentation Project

Documentation for skinning WindowBlinds using Skinstudio is sorely lacking. The intention of this thread is to gather as much info as possible about the subject. I think a few rules need to observed, to keep this thread on track.

1. Keep the chit-chat to a minimum.... any comment that doesn't contribute to the purpose of this thread, and threatens to hijack it, will be deleted.

2. If you have a question, begin the comment with QUESTION:

If you have an answer to a Question, begin your comment with ANSWER to #xx: (#xx being the post number of the question)

If you have a tip, start the comment with TIP:

You get the idea.

3. Please do not post a solution if you're guessing. Be sure you know what you're saying is correct, otherwise you're not helping anyone.

4 I would like to see images in this thread only when that would help explain the problem or solution, BUT optimize your images before you post them here.

Use jpg, and compress until it hurts.

Learn to use the image insertion feature before you post the image. (I don't want to see a bunch of red X's) (You can't uploaded images from your harddrive)

Your image should only show the relevant parts of the skin, or SkinStudio interface. (NO FULL DESKTOP IMAGES!) Some of us are on dialup.

If you don't know how to use the feature, or how to optimize jpgs, don't ask in this thread, start a new one in the HELP section.

Hopefully we will have most of our top skinners contributing to project... you know how you are..

LET'S DO IT! Who will be the first to contribute?

[Message Edited]

Comments (Page 4)

I.R. Brainiac

on Jan 06, 2004

TIP:If you change the scrollbar width,it will also affect the sliders in volume control and the combo box buttons.Not always pretty.

I.R. Brainiac

on Jan 08, 2004

TIP:If you make an animated user pane,the image size and the user pane height cannot be exactly the same or it wont animate.This may be a temporary bug,I dont know.But it took a couple of hours of supreme frustration to figure out why.AAAAaaaaarrgh!

Cyberjack

on Jan 11, 2004

QUESTION: Is there a trick to get that task panel showing, i am makin a new skin, all shows fine in SS, but when apply the skin, no task panel at all
I have read about that one little pixel that must match with the explorer background color, but i think this isnt what i am looking for.

No Task Panel at all, just a filebrowser windows across whole screen, except when i using folderview
Is there a switch or something in SS, that i have missed?
I have skinned all parts.

When i use other skins, then the task panel is right there where i want

Thanks!!

Koasati

on Jan 11, 2004

Open the WB config window > Basic Settings > Enhance Desktop Elements > make sure "Use XP style explorer bars" is check.

Also User Overrides > XP overrides > make sure nothing is checked there.

That's the only 2 things I can think of at the moment.

Cyberjack

on Jan 11, 2004

#49 : The check´ers are check´ed correctly, so that was 1-0 to me

I think there is a skinning problem, I can try to skin Task Panel image for image and apply after each
image edited in SS

Thanks!!

Pfennig

on Jan 21, 2004

QUESTION:
Win2K - Many WB skins don't show the start button correctly, and fonts of titlebar buttons often look very skinny,
barely readable. How can I fix this?

Thank you.

I.R. Brainiac

on Feb 09, 2004

#48 by Cyberjack - 1/11/2004 5:33:55 PM
QUESTION: Is there a trick to get that task panel showing, i am makin a new skin, all shows fine in SS, but when apply the skin, no task panel at all

.Answer # 48.That is a windows setting.In tools,folder views,show common task.

Sput

on Feb 11, 2004

Question: Where is the option to set the text colour for the menu items of grouped apps (I forget the term MS invented for this)? i.e. when IE rolls up 10 windows into one task bar item it uses a different menu to the other task bar items and it has a separate font colour too.

Koasati

on Feb 11, 2004

#53 by Skinner Sput - 2/11/2004 10:56:25 PM

Left Tree.... Taskbar > Taskbar Group Menu > Background
Right Tree... Text Settings

Sput

on Feb 15, 2004

Question: Where is the edge of a tool bar defined? I've set the vertical separator, but as you can see in the picture below, there is a different vertical seperator being used at the start of a tool bar when they are on the same line and I'm stumped to find it.

Oh, and thanks for the answer above...I didn't want to pollute this thread with thanks till I had another question

eieio

on Feb 15, 2004

#55 by Skinner Sput - 2/15/2004 8:53:43 PM

That line is defined in (Left Pane)Miscellaneous>Colors
(Right Pane)3D Controls>Button-Light and Button-Dark Shadow

GreenReaper

on Feb 16, 2004

Tip: Annoyed by the all programs solid background on mouseover? brewman's StetZ ported by Snidely ( https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=1&SkinID=3921 ) demonstrates how to use an oversized more programs arrow to cover the entire area - note that the arrow also allows the use of animation . . .

Z71

on Feb 19, 2004

Question: When I (had) skinstudio 3, I could import .png images all day long and skinstudio would automaticly change them to .tga images. After upgrading today, skin studio 4, will only change .png images to .bmp images.
What am I doing wrong or is there a setting in skinstudio that I'm overlooking?
Also, I have checked all 3 options after importing, with no results.
(I have PaintShopPro 7 at home).

Koasati

on Feb 19, 2004

#58 by Z71 - 2/19/2004 1:23:44 AM

Are you saving your png files with transparency? If not SkinStudio will see them as bmps.

neophil78

on Feb 29, 2004

TIP : Since a while i found a little graphic bug on almost all skins : it's about how the Menu Item Image is displayed in the case of "Favorites".
In section "More Programs Menu" there's two sub sections: the image background and the item. In all skins the item is well displayed when you scroll "All Programs" (i mean left side and right side of it), but when you scroll the "Favorites" link, generally the right side of the item doesn't feat well with the background image.
So i discover (thanks Pixtudio and Zippo skin ) ) what is the correct setting to do : it comes with the "Content Margins" of it (sizing margins are supposed to be correct). If, for example the left content margin has to be 10, the right content margin has to be -10 (and not 5 or 10 or anything else) and with this setting the item is feating to the background image perfectly well.
Hope it will be usefull.

neophil78 opened another thread for this Tip as i did'nt noticed this one was already in use

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