Simple SKINSTUDIO Question tha I cannot get answered!

from WinCustomize Forums
Let me start by saying hello and, thanks for a great site. I am creating a skin for my ATI Catalyst Control Center. ATI.com says that I have to use SKINSTUDIO to create the skin because their program was created with a STARDOCK App.

Here is my simple question...

Can I create animations?

That's it. I have searched EVERYWHERE and get a different answer each time. I can't load those extra programs like ICON or CURSOR XP. I can only use SKINSTUDIO to create a Visual Style, no special programs running in the background, even WINDOWBLINDS.

I have been able to get the borders to animate inside of SKINSTUDIO, even showing ACTIVE and INACTIVE states correctly. I use about 22 frames and all are listed correctly in SKINSTUDIO, but don't animate when I load up ATI CCC.

PLEASE HELP!
1,912 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Make sure you are including anim.dll in your skin folder. You also need to create a DLL button on your titlebar, with no image, and point the plugin attribute to that anim.dll.

Here is the code you need, copied from one of my skins, if that makes it easier. You'll have to change the button number to match whatever number it will be in your skin, and you'll have to edit the path (where it says Beacon) to match the name of your skin folder.

[BUTTON5]
XCoord=0
YCoord=0
Align=0
Action=-3
Width=0
Height=0
DllName=Beacon\anim.dll

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks for the advice, but I'm not sure exactly how to use it. I created the anim.dll and extra button just as instructed, but my animations still don't work.

My anim.dll is just a dummy file... I don't know if I should actually write a .dll command file... and...

Do I have to point all animations to that .dll? Because I can't point my borders to it.

Sorry if this is newbie question, but I honestly have found no answers anywhere.
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I always find, in these situations, that it's best to open an existing skin that has animations in Skinstudio, and look at what has been added to make the animations work. Use one of Mike's skins, or something like "Antares", as that skin has LOTS of animation.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh....and don't forget to add "Frame Count" to the attributes of each of your borders. Are you aware that all four borders will need 22 frames, even if they are not animated?
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Uh . . . you have to include a copy of the anim.dll that is included in the WindowBlinds distribution. Just using a blank file named "anim.dll" won't do it.

The anim.dll file reads the settings you have made for the skin and moves the frame on as specified by the UIS2 titlebar animation settings.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think that I see the problem here. In my case, I don't have WINDOWBLINDS. I only have an ATI version of SKINSTUDIO.

The people using my skin probably won't have WINDOWBLINDS either, or any of the other plugins.

I'm not skinning WINDOWS, only the ATI Control Center by going into its settings and chosing a skin. It was made using some of STARDOCKS programs, so that a skin could be added.

After more research on UIS2, I have learned that I should be able to copy the anim.dll from a current version of WINDOWBLINDS, add it to the skin's .zip file, and be able to run border animations if done correctly.

Basically, I need to have everything included in the .zip file and downloaded WITHOUT having to install WINDOWBLINDS or ANY other program other than ATI CCC.

With all of that headache out of the way... are animations possible in my case?
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It was made using some of STARDOCKS programs

That would be DirectSkin, which utilizes WindowBlinds technology, to allow developers to make their apps skinnable.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

You just need to download the trial version of WindowBlinds, then copy anim.dll from the WindowBlinds folder and put it in your skin folder. As long as the .dll is in the skin folder, DirectSkin (which is built into the ATI CCC) will know what to do with it.

https://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/