Color Question - SkinStudio

Two Questions where windows gets colors from and where to set the color in SkinStudio for...

1. Pixel wide trim (one color) on left side and below the Task Pane Image, no image is set and only using Background Color and Background Color Gradient.

2. Two Pixel wide trim (two colors) between sections of menubar image.

Thanks for any help
3,120 views 16 replies
Reply #1 Top
Essencay, are you sure that these aren't images? A screen shot would be nice. On #2, it sounds like that maybe a menu separator. But, I've only seen that in the Start menu.
Reply #2 Top
Not using a Task Panel Image, all I did was set the Background Color (221, 200, 140) and the Background Color Gradient (166, 150, 105).

I loaded a pict to my profile...hope it helps. Thanks
Reply #3 Top
Just wanted to add the picts are from the actual applied skin. In skinstudio....none of this shows up
Reply #4 Top
That's a seperator in the Toolbar (the menubar is above the toolbar). No idea what I looking at on the other.
Reply #5 Top
Anyway... to answer part of your question, the seperator color is controlled by "Button Hightlight", and "Button Shadow"......... change those, and you'll change a lot more than the seperator.
Reply #6 Top
Thanks Koasati that's exactly what I needed to know.

The other two picts are the bottom left-hand corner of "My Computer" window....could be any open window though, since the same thing happens, one-pixel wide line across the bottom and left side of the task pane.

Got another question. Since the ShStNoModifyPage.bmp doesn't stretch or tile to fill the window, where do you change the background color? Same question for the background around the ShStControlPanel.bmp too. The rest of the special folders I've figured out.
Reply #7 Top
For the Control Panel ....
Left Tree... Special Folders > Control Panel
Right Tree... Background color

That's where you set the colors for the fonts also. Body color being the font color.

The "Do Not Modify" colors .... I dunno.

Reply #8 Top
Thanks Koasati I appreciate all the help I'll keep rooting around till I figure out the last one
Reply #9 Top
New color problem and I don't know if it has to do with WB or SkinStudio.

I'm using WB 4.21 Build 134 and SS 4.10 Build 887

I've finally almost done my first skin...left to do are Start Panel, Shell Animations, Toolbar Icons and Logoff and Shutdown Dialogs (Alright maybe I still have a ways to go P )

Right now I'm using my new skin to make sure it is working correctly and I found one problem that I cannot fix....in fact when I load other skins (Pixel8...as an example) I see the same problem. So I'm guessing it's a WB issue not something I'm forgetting.

Anyways the issue: The "These Files Are Hidden" Panel used when someone has their C:\ Drive, "C:\Program Files", "C:\Windows" hidden by default. Won't show the "ShStNoModifyPage.bmp", the text "These Files Are Hidden" stays the same color as the Normal Blue XP panel and the gradient separator color which I believe is set under XP Shell=> Special Folders=> Control Panel=> Control Panel Vertical Separator, remains the same colors as the Normal Blue XP panel. Everything else in Task Panel and Special Folders is working correctly.

I'm just wonder if someone who is using the same build WB (latest beta) can check a couple of different skins on their PC. It's easier to see in skins that don't use blue and gray. Thanks

Hopefully I made sense
Reply #10 Top
Bump

Also tried different skins with a released build of WB4 and noticed the same problems, with YellowAlien, Kryptonite and Analyze...just to name a few skins
Reply #11 Top
I've changed the basic color for cremes to grays to avoid dealing with the problem in #9

I've finally almost done my first skin...left to do are Start Panel, Shell Animations, Toolbar Icons and Logoff and Shutdown Dialogs (Alright maybe I still have a ways to go P )


Getting closer.....Start Panel almost complete now....making it ultra-compact....no user pic or user name showing found a font to use that doesn't have any characters so they show up invisible
Reply #12 Top
Essencay - interesting...I tend to start with the taskbar and Start Menu to get a feel for how I want the whole skin to look. Then the Logoff/Shutdown dialogues as an easy place to start trying out ideas for buttons and the look of the solid areas...then menus...and only THEN start on the main Window components as they seem to just follow after that

Interesting to get an insight into different appoaches
Reply #13 Top
It's 'cause I'm left-handed

I actually start with the controls first, then set all my colors and fonts and expand out from there.
Reply #14 Top
Startmenu/Taskbar is the usually the last thing I work on. I don't use them, so skinning that area holds little interest for me. The window frame is the most important part of the skin in my mind, everything else must work with that. 
Reply #15 Top
Thanks for your help Koasati...uploaded my baby to GUIO today
Reply #16 Top
I think it's because for me, the taskbar/start menu/logout dialogues include aspects of all the elements needed to be thought about, and yet their "simple" technically compared to the window frames/buttons.

I find that all the "core" window elements have many more unexpected interactions, so before tackling them I want to have thought about the design feel in relative freedom.

Horses for courses, and the great thing is that in skinning there's no right/wrong way to do things