benmanns benmanns

My first attempt for a Windowblinds skin

My first attempt for a Windowblinds skin

Ok as i said im on holiday this week so i have some time working on something diffrent...
This is my first attempt to build a skin what i´ve done so far is making a quick paper sketch to gather some ideas on how it should look what i will show here is not final, i will change it completely maybee.
I started with the tutorial from Vampothika sinze i have never used Skin Studio: you can find the tutorial here :
http://wiki.wincustomize.com/wiki/Skin_Studio_7:_The_Tutorial#Getting_Started
Im still working on the Startmenu and i must admit i didnt think it would take that many layers to get close to this.
I have to change some values for the shadows since im not quite pleased with the current result.
Also i will add some release valves and maybee a bit of steam not to much also i will try to get a more flowing connection beetween the background and the starmenu tab itself it still looks like it just hangs infront of all.

Tips are always welcome aswell as critic.


I found some time today to make a basic StartMenu what i have made so far looks like this:

47,066 views 104 replies
Reply #51 Top

I dont get it why do you post this here?
Where can i download it?
would recommend you to do something more sleek if you want a bigger number in downloads.
with this thing it will be hard to compete.
Edit : Mail me this skin to [email protected] i will post it onto my homepage.

Reply #52 Top

"I dont get it why do you post this here?
Where can i download it?
would recommend you to do something more sleek if you want a bigger number in downloads.
with this thing it will be hard to compete.
Edit : Mail me this skin to [email protected] i will post it onto my homepage."

It's posted here as a work in progress.

You cannot download it as it is not yet uploaded.

It's the way it is to be individual/unique. DL numbers are thus less important.

If I were the skinner I wouldn't want someone/anyone posting my work on their 'homepage', certainly not sight-unseen.... and somewhere where my property is outside of my control....;)

Reply #53 Top

....and to add....

To someone who has been a member of the site for less than 30 minutes?

I'd advise "no".

Reply #54 Top

Im new to WC but this doesnt mean iam not a trustworthy person-
You can send me this and ill test it. You can find my email in my last note.

Reply #55 Top

schleimig, it's not so much about 'trustworthy' but rather "I will post it on my homepage".

If/when Roloccolor uploads his WB skin to Wincustomize.com his property remains under his control - a site of which he is a member. Your 'homepage' is neither 'his', nor known....;)

Reply #57 Top

Quoting schleimig, reply 57
delete double post
End of schleimig's quote


Ok als aller erstes willkommen zu Wincustomize
Als zweites, das mag nun etwas krass klingen aber ich hab dein letzen post gelesen den du editiert hast.
Es ist nicht gerade nett von Dir meine email zu manipulieren und den inhalt hier auch noch abgeändert darzustellen.
Vor allem nicht wen ich mir schon die Zeit nehme Dir von meiner Arbeitsstelle aus zu antworten.
Wie ich es bereits in meiner email gesagt habe bin ich bei weitem nicht fertig, und muss noch einiges machen.
Deshalb wirst Du auch noch nirgends einen download finden.
Ebenfalls war die email die ich an Dich heute mittag geschickt habe nicht für dich sondern für das forum bestimmt und leider enthielt die mail auch noch den screenshot.Mein Fehler.
aber das ganze jetzt von Dir hier gepostet zu sehen und obendrein auch noch in veränderter darstellung, überzeugt mich nicht gerade dir die dateien als tester an zu vertrauen, mal abgesehen davon das die wahrscheinlich am ende auf irgend einer seite landen würden von der ich im leben noch nix gehört habe mit nem anderen namen darunter.Ich hab dir geschreiben das der skin ein kleines dankeschön für alle skins die ich hier umsonst bekommen habe ist bzw darstellt.
Deshalb wird das hier auch ein exklusiver wincustomize skin werden.
Ebenso ist es nicht meine absicht irgend etwas zu überbieten, ich bin bei lange nicht so gut wie einige hier mal ganz zu schweigen von den "bekannten" skinnern hier an die ich bei weitem nicht rankomme.Das ist mein erster skin und solange es spaß macht mach ich weiter da interessiert mich auch nicht wie oft das teil runtergeladen wird.

Ebenso möchste ich Dich darum bitten nicht meine sachen zu manipulieren sei es mit PS oder paint o. wie auch immer. Danke


Ok first things first, welcome to wincustomize.
Secondly, this might sound harsh but i have seen your edited post::annoyed:
Its not a nice gesture to manipulate my email and post it here especially if i take the time to respond you from my workplace.
schleimig like i said in my email earlier today this is far from beeing finished. So you wont find any download for it yet.Also the email i sended you today with the screenshot was actually for this forum.I just sended you the wrong text and with it the screenshot.MY mistake. But seeing it posted by you and changed.... doesnt give me the feeling that you should be the person who i should trust the files to, since they would probably land on some site i dont even ever have heared of, maybee with a fake name underneath it aswell.
I wrote you on the email that this skin will be my return for all the past skins i gathered here on wincustomize for free, and the skin is simply my return for all the free stuff.Therefore it will be an wincustomize (exclusive).
Also i mentioned that it is not intended to compete with any other skinner/skin out there especially not the very well known one´s iam far from beeing as good as them.
Its a fun thing to skin my firts blind but its not my goal to achieve a high download count.

Also i beg you please don´t manipulate the screenshot provided in my email.Thanks

While iam already posting i have some trouble with the mouseover buttons in startmenu i made the button and i imported them to left hand and right hand mouseover image count is at 3 also tryd 2 but its dint work and i need some help :

Reply #58 Top

Looks like you're making excellent progress. You're gonna be a helluva skinner Roloccolor.

Reply #59 Top

Thanks Uvah ^_^ Im working on it as soon as i have a little free time...my progress is getting forward step by step haha iam more like a snail,i have to finish some other stuff first this week so i can only work late at night on it,but i have enough red bull to keep myself awake.

Reply #60 Top

Du kannst ja deutsch.:D
Ja entschuldigung wegen dem post ich wollte den screenshot einem freund zeigen.
Ich habe nun deinen screenshot genommen und berichte über den fortschrit des skins auf meiner homepage.
Ich würde noch gerne fragen wie man auf die idee kommt ?
Habe eben gerade gesehen das du es als exklusiven skin für WC machst, dürfte man dann trozdem auf den skin ´(hier auf WC) verlinken.
Und als letze frage, kannst du eine ungefähre angabe machen wann der skin fertig wird ?

Danke und nochmals sorry

Reply #61 Top

Ist schon ok.
Ich hatte eine woche zuvor ein waschbecken montiert und bin deshalb auf die idee gekommen irgendwas rohriges zu machen.
Du darfst gerne auf den skin hier auf "Wincustomize" verweisen.
Da ich momentan kaum zeit habe daran zu arbeiten kann es noch lange dauern ich kann also keine genauen Angaben abgeben.

I still have trouble with the startmenu mouseover also iam looking for a solution to skin the searchbar at the bottom i have read that you could skin the search icon to get the background done for it but iam unable to locate it.The only thing i have found is the Startmenu bottom extra settings part.

Reply #62 Top

Quoting Roloccolor, reply 61
Ist schon ok.
I still have trouble with the startmenu mouseover also iam looking for a solution to skin the searchbar at the bottom i have read that you could skin the search icon to get the background done for it but iam unable to locate it.The only thing i have found is the Startmenu bottom extra settings part.
End of Roloccolor's quote

The searchbar at the bottom of the start menu in Windows7 is located at Edit Explorer/IE shell parts-->Edit Vista/7 Explorer Parts-->Glassy Areas-->Search Field Background.

 

Reply #63 Top

Thank you again k10w3,
i found it but is there another way to skin it without skining the explorer shell part?
I gathered my most problems together in one screenshot sorry its a bit huge but i had to make it fast since i have to get up in 4 hours again.
http://i52.tinypic.com/nvpfme.jpg Hope the link works
PS i forgot to make a screenshot of the Allprograms popup background - its white while i have background for it stored under Edit Startmenu and Taskbar>edit Start menu popup menus>Start menu popup menu> background.The tutorial helped me a lot but skinstudio is so overwhelming in options and buttons that its hard for me to see thruw all it.It still feels like my first day in ZBrush.

Reply #64 Top

is there another way to skin it without skining the explorer shell part?
End of quote
nope <_<

PS i forgot to make a screenshot of the Allprograms popup background - its white while i have background for it stored under Edit Startmenu and Taskbar>edit Start menu popup menus>Start menu popup menu> background.
End of quote
That skins the pop up menu that shows when you mouseover something on the right side of the start menu that has an arrow next to it.

What you are looking for is here: Edit Start Menu and Taskbar/Edit Start Menu/Top Part, in the Extra Settings tab it's the All Programs List Background Color. You can only change it's color, you cannot make an image for it.

Reply #65 Top

item mousover only has one state rolo......not 3. so just make one button for it, diamond has a perfect template for it.

and that template is called sp_item

 

your 'worst enemy' problem is your allprograms arrow. you have obviously made 3 images for it.

and it looks like you havent adjusted the text settings in the allprogramsbackground, set it to minus 90 ( -90) and go from there,

its either that or you havent done the arrow images properly.

make sure the painting margins for the allprogram background is set to zero for the top, bottom and right margins.

and that other startmenu problem is : places list, right seperator for the places list sep.

Reply #66 Top

and just a piece of advice........work on one area at a time, get it right then move on... for example, get the startmenu right, then move on to other parts...makes it easier and that way you wont leave any mistakes behind or forget about them later

xx

Reply #67 Top

Thank you Vampothika one problem less ( Mouseover ) ^_^
The white thing in my screenshot isn´t the allprograms popup
( MY worst enemy )--is actually the searchbar popup.The one located on the bottom.
The Allprograms popup looks fine and iam using the 3 image arrow from the diamond skin since they fit pretty well.
Here is the screenshot of the Allprograms popup test:

While this is the Searchbox popup:

Reply #68 Top

Looke pretty good so far.

Reply #69 Top

Roloccolor, I think it's doing that because your left margins for that image is set so severely.  You might want to make that image the same width as the left (programs) side, so they can stretch the same.

Reply #70 Top

i know nothing about making a windowblind, but i do know what i like and i am liking this a lot. It looks like a great effort on a first skin and i can't wait until it's finished so i can give it a run on my PC. I look forward to seeing everything you do mate :0

Reply #71 Top

no your worst enemy issue is your allprogramsbackground area, in windows 7 the allprogramsbackground stretches across it (when you type

something in to search), so thats the issue, , karen is right though, looks like a left margin issue.

xx

Reply #72 Top

Hi sorry i ´wasnt able to respond earlier today is our family day and i cant make any changes i worked till 4.ooAM yesterday and had to drive to work right away after it so i wont get any sleep at all for today till 10.ooPM but i made some changesi noticed that i did not skin the topsearchbar at all.So i skinned it with the same dimensions of the complete startmenu skin without the bottom part.fixed the margins and it doesnt overlp anymore but the white stripe of the allprograms is a thing i cannot fix i had to insert a margin value for allprogramms thats left -770 to get it in place.I know my margin values are insanely high but if i lower them it just wont fit.


I realy need someone to look over that.
:blush:  

Also i decieded to make some changes to the taskbar ( my background was to dark to notice that the pixels get streched at each side and if i set the margins higher the blue clock frame on the right gets shrinked.So i might remove that.


Also i continued with the titlebarsframes and found out that the capablilitys of skinning that area isnt gonna be easy for the top bottom and sides -i would be able to apply a second layer to add some addons to remain the style of my theme.
So i did, i added bunch of stuff but when i was finished setting margins for them i wasnt quite pleased.In my opinion the frames should not be skinned to much.I think its just a matter of taste but for me it was to much and not looking clean also it was disturbing when using it.
So i had to change my plan since i wanted a bit more of "elegance" i dont know if i can say hat on this skin yet.
My idea was to skin the interior a bit to make it match with the rest.And i think my choice wasnt so bad.

Anyway here is a screenshot unfinished yet with the info part but thats what iam going for...

 

Reply #73 Top

i will take a look at that issue your having on the startmenu rolo, pm me and ill send you my yahoo email addy

one a side note, that new pic you posted, i would be careful about adding images on the explorer info vst pane, when that pane is stretched up

your image will stretch out of shape and look bad. just remember, not everyone uses their pc the same way, so you have to test

for every single situation that the skin may be used.

xxx

Reply #74 Top

Quoting Vampothika, reply 73
i will take a look at that issue your having on the startmenu rolo, pm me and ill send you my yahoo email addy
End of Vampothika's quote

I send you a pm Vampothika :')  

About the streching, i sadly only have the chance to test it here on this computer, but i have a dual monitor setup and i streched it across them both and it works fine so far :grin:  2x1920x1080 so i streched it amost over 3840x2160 the only fear i have is that it might shrink on lower resultions.Since my monitor cant go below 800x600

 
Iam currently looking if its possible to i emulate windows xp via freeware- so i could start skining xp parts aswell.

 

Quoting Nimbin, reply 70
i know nothing about making a windowblind, but i do know what i like and i am liking this a lot. It looks like a great effort on a first skin and i can't wait until it's finished so i can give it a run on my PC. I look forward to seeing everything you do mate :0
End of Nimbin's quote
its always a pleasure to hear that people are interested in the stuff you do - so i say thanks :blush:

Ok i will go and get some sleep now.Thanks again for all the comments and a mighty thank you in advance to you Vampothika

Reply #75 Top

Mann also ist schon testphase ? Falls ja ich würde auch gerne :thumbsup:  
Kannst du eventuell das blaue auch schwarz machen in dem letzen screenshot ?
Wenn nicht ist es nicht schlimm.
Noch ein schönes weekend.