Bootskin Bar leaves a black trail - Help!

from WinCustomize Forums
I have already read it here before but couldn't find it again. I've been messing around with bootskins for sometime, and one thing that keeps bothering me is the fact that the progress bars I create, when executed during boot (within bootskin everythin's just fine!), ALWAYS leave a black trail behind it, and if put over a pic or something with a colour other than black, messes my work. In the post (I don't remember which one), people discussed it had something to do with the order of the colours in the Colour Table, which, as far as I can recall, brings black as the first colour. Is it true? How do we change the order of colours in the table? How to make the bar just "flow" on the pictute behind it and not "cutting" it black? There is a bootskin, the Alien Stonehenge [link="https://www.wincustomize.com/Skins.aspx?LibID=32&view=1&sortby=4&sortdir=DESC&p=1&advanced=0&searchtxt=stonehenge"]https://www.wincustomize.com/Skins.aspx?LibID=32&view=1&sortby=4&sortdir=DESC&p=1&advanced=0&searchtxt=stonehenge">Link which is exactly what I'm talking about. Another doubt I have is about making frames in Photoshop CS. I just can't do it! Man, PS is a helluva ibg fella to deal with. I just can't understand the layers stuff. I make the frame using the frames button, but when I index the image, it asks me to render back or something and the frame goes away. Help me out with this one somebody. Thanx in advance.
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Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
cut a new progress bar image from your original 16 color bootskin image. Use that as the progress bar image for a test. At least you know your working from the right pallette. Does it still do the same thing?
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The colour trail is the first colour of the palette, not always black.
I use Paint shop pro but PS should be similar. Open screen image, edit palette, switch the R,G,B values of first colour of palette with colour from palette you wish to use.
Doing this will mess up image don't worry, save palette, close image without saving.
Open image again, load new palette, save. Open progress bar image, load new palette, save.
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thank you Journey. Did as you said, but the bloody trail is still there, unless I may be doing something out of focus.
Didn't get it Apprentice:
Open screen image, edit palette, switch the R,G,B values of first colour of palette with colour from palette you wish to use.


You mean: I open the screen image, edit palette (the one which is already saved?); switch to RGB values... (I got lost here, sorry!)

save palette, close image without saving


Still the palette I've saved previously or should I save a new one? Close image leaving RGB on?

I still want to know how I can change the order of colours in a saved palette. Does it affect the way the prog bar behaves? Has any of you done the "flowing over image without messing it up" thing?

I'd end up saying you guys are really nice. This is one of the most helpful forums I've been to. Congrats everybody. Sorry if I ask any noobie nonsense. Thanx again.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
this may help you.......[link="http://cyberworld.wincustomize.com/articles.aspx"]http://cyberworld.wincustomize.com/articles.aspx">Link
Good Luck
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I still want to know how I can change the order of colours in a saved palette.

Open palette, double click on a colour in the palette will let you change it. Decide which colour you want, of the 16, the trail to be, edit the first colour to that and if it was say colour 14, make that what the first colour was. Save as a new palette. Close image without saving changes, open image, load new palette, open prog bar and load new palette.
Make sure to write down the R,G,B for the colours you want to change so you know what they are and switch them with proper values.
Does it affect the way the prog bar behaves?

Not how it behaves, just changes trail colour.
Has any of you done the "flowing over image without messing it up" thing?

This is why you have to open image again to load new palette, when editing palette it will mess up image but applying new palette to orig image does not change the image, just gives it the ordered palette you want.
I have done this with a couple bootskins, not to make trail blend into image, just to change trail colour, also when changing palette, bootskin when used will be bordered by the colour you have set as first.