Extremely frustrated...

Cant convert USF to any useable formats...

from Stardock Forums
Ok, I just spent 6 hours with skin studio making a skin. Now, I find out the USF format cannot be used as a skin itself (by windows). So, I tried to save it as a UIS window blinds format and I get the error "Invalid Floating Point Operation". I get the same thing when I try to test the skin (or any USF skin) with WindowBlinds.

When I package it as a usz, that works but gets me nowhere. A usz isnt a useable format for any programs that actually make a skin work in windows. When I do an msstyles, it packages it but the file doesnt show up when I try to select the skin in display properties (yes I put it in the right place, a "blank" UIS skin in msstyles format works fine). In wba format WindowsBlinds wont open it, it says to make sure its a window blinds file.

I have tried so many different things in the past hour... I'm so frustrated. How am I supposed to use a USF format for anything? It doesnt seem very universal at all since no programs can use it...

I even tried manually swapping out the files from a blank UIS format skin with mine, but for some reason that doesnt do anything at all, the UIS skin still has the all of the default graphics when I open it back up.

Can someone please help me out here? I'm tearing my hair out...
skinstudio
4,566 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Send it over to me (bwardell@stardock.com) and I'll check it out.

The idea behind USF is that it can be converted to other formats (Windows Media Player, WindowBlinds formats, etc.).

 

Did you try UIS1 and UIS2?

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Yeah I tried both. I cant save ANY USF skins as UIS1 or UIS2 skins, and none of them show up in Display Properties when I package them as an msstyle.

I just reinstalled the program and it didnt seem to make any difference (although it still had my recent files listed, so I dont know if it even cleared out the old settings).

I guess I'll send it to you. Thanks for the quick reply.
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Figure anything out yet?


give some time, he does have a company to run
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
No problem, I didnt realize he was the owner.

Does this sound like a problem anyone else has run into? It seems so straight forward that I cant be the only person getting it. Its like the USF format just doesnt work for some reason.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I was disappointed about USF as well. One of the reasons I purchased Object Desktop 2007 was for the purpose of creating WindowBlinds skins and plain Windows skins.

USF universe is the stardock universe not the Windows universe. You can't create a USF file and export it as a plain visual style.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You're trying to make an msstyle from a usf file? I'm thinking thats not gonna work...
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
I started making a skin in a USF. Since its called Universal, I assumed it actually was universal. It turns out it really isnt, and that it cant really be used for anything.

When I try to save it or export it as a usable format, it doesnt work. The program gives an obscure error (invalid floating point operation) or the new files simply do nothing (wont open in window blinds and dont work in windows)

There really should be some sort of disclaimer when you create a USF skin that says "this skin format is pretty much useless if youre trying to make a useable windows skin". Unless I'm just running into some sort of bug...

Why this format is at the top of the new skin format list, is beyond me... UIS2 seems to be perfectly compatible with everything. It can be easily converted to a .msstyle for use without window blinds.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

A WB skin cannot be converted into a msstyle.

A msstyle can be converted into a WB skin though.