Top bar transparent and no close, minimize or maximize buttons

from Stardock Forums
I finished working on my first skin, tested it and everything seemed okay. As a final test, I applied it to my computer but I ended up with the following problems:

* When I have a program open, the top bar is transparent, even though I'd set an image for it.

* There are no close, minimize or maximize buttons where they should be on the top bar. Even if it was transparent, I'd figure the buttons should be there.

Everything looks fine in Preview mode, but reality is a different animal. Any ideas?
skinstudio
4,610 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Someone please help me on this. This is my first skin and I've basically gone through Hell trying to get it done. Now it doesn't work. I'm about ready to give up on this whole thing or find a different skinning app.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Your best bet is to upload the skin somewhere so people can download it and see what the problem is.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks. I'm new to this whole process. I'll upload it this afternoon.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Sorry for the delay. Anyway, here's the link
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm about ready to give up. Nothing but problems. No offense to anyone, but this has got to be the most inactive forum I've ever seen. I've had this thread going for over 10 days with only one response. The online manual is so minimal it may as well not even exist. Nowhere on the site does it give any warnings about how long making a skin will take. I can make a full fledged web site in less than 12 hours, but making a skin takes 10 times that. I've seen some beautiful work by several artists, and I'd like to get to that level, but since I can't get any help I guess this whole skinning thing is going on my pile of "It seemed like a good idea at the time" projects....
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'll download the skin and check it out .....
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
* When I have a program open, the top bar is transparent, even though I'd set an image for it.

* There are no close, minimize or maximize buttons where they should be on the top bar. Even if it was transparent, I'd figure the buttons should be there.



Your Per-Pixel titlebar is BMP. It should be TGA.
You have no buttons set for the Per-Pixel titlebar. "Window Borders - PerPixel > Buttons > " ... there's nothing there.

I see many more problems with your skin. What I would suggest is to load a working skin in SkinStudio, Save As... with a new name, and replace each bit of the skin with your graphics, making the needed adjustments as you go. That way you can see how it all works together.

For TGA images, the easiest way to deal with those is to import PNG images into SkinStudio, and they will be converted to TGA. Also go to Tools > Preferences > Image editors, and enable the "Convert TGA files to PNG before using image editors".

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks for your help. If anyone from Stardock reads this, it would be nice if the User's Manual would include information like this.