Need some help working on Logons with a splash
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I've recently created a few logons (4 in total), 3 of them even contain a "splash" (transparently/translucent area positioned on top of the bkgrnd image/wallpaper).
They look I guess but I'm wanting to skin the rest of the logon elements as well.
I rec'd alot of help and the logon template itself from Boss0190 (you can visit his site here, he has a ton of quality splash logons http://boss0190.wincustomize.com/)
and you can see the discussion here https://forums.wincustomize.com/?forumid=40&aid=140686&p=1#1098557
Those interested can find Boss0190's logon template that he offers freely is here http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/32414672/?qo=116&q=by%3Aboss019&qh=sort%3Atime+-in%3Ascraps
It really is a good base for starting a logon with a splash. You can use LogonStudio (XP version, not vista) and your graphic editing program of choice to create excellent looking logons. However, if you want to create a logon with the "splash" effect (mentioned above), you can only use LogonStudio to apply the logon, you can't edit it with LogonStudio. Basically it requires editing the contents of a folder which contain a number .bmp images, a uifile and a theme file.
The only thing that gets edited in the "theme" file is the name of the logon, logon author, author email address & any special notes you want to include in the notes section. I haven't edited anything else in this file. It lists descriptions for most of the .bmp image files used in the logon.
bmp_100.bmp is your logon bkgrnd image/wallpaper
bmp_128.bmp is your "splash" element, (a 32bit alpha blended bitmap which I believe is a 24bit image along with 8bit alpha channel for transparency)
The original post on how to create a "splash" for your logons is available here http://greatsphynx.wincustomize.com/Articles.aspx?AID=82822
I will also include the splash tutorial here as well since it's nice to reference everything all in one spot (maybe this post can grow with a bunch of tips from other users)
Creating a Bitmap_128 Tutorial created on Aug 4, 2005 8:27 PM by PhilipDJ check out his site at http://greatsphynx.wincustomize.com/
This tutorial is made to help understand how transparency and per pixel alpha blending is applied in bitmap_128 using Adobe Photoshop. To illustrate this, we will be using the bitmap_128 used in the Windows Vista Logon version 1.2 which can be downloaded here Link . Remember that in alpha channels or layers, black means transparent and white means solid. Any color between white and black would be semi-transparency of different levels.
1. First, create a new document with sufficient dimensions to hold all logon elements to be contained in the center panel. The commonly used dimension is 612 x 501. The background could either be white or any color or even transparent depending on your discretion.
2. Create a new layer and name it "Glass". Press U to activate the shape tool . Choose the round rectangle tool and set it to 20px radius . Set your foreground to white and then draw your shape to the size you like onto the document.
3. Ctrl+click on the thumbnail of your "Glass" layer on the layers tab to make a selection exactly like the shape you just created. Go to the channels tab and create a new channel (its default name will be Alpha 1) .
4. To create a subtle shadow effect around your glass, set your foreground color to #636363. Press ctrl+alt+d to open feather selection window, set feather to 3 and press enter.
5. On your "Alpha 1" channel, press alt+backspace to fill the selection with the foreground color. Press ctrl+d to deselect.
6. to create that semi-transparent outline of the glass, go back to the layers tab and ctrl+click on the thumbnail of your "Glass" layer to select it. Return to channels tab, set your foreground this time to #c8c8c8. Press alt+backspace to fill the selection with the foreground color.
7. With your selection still on, go the Select menu, click modify, choose contract and set it to 1. Press ok.
8. Set your foreground color to #484848 and your background color to #282828. Press G to activate your gradient tool. Set gradient filling to Reflected Gradient and apply it on the image like here. Press ctrl+d to deselect.
That basically covers the main steps in creating transparent, per-pixel blended, glass-like bitmap_128. If you want to add more objects into the image, you can do so. Just go back to the layers tab and add your stuff there. But make sure that in your alpha channel, you specify whether these will have solid colors or semi-transparencies.
- editing your UIFILE in your logon folder, I found that changing the vertical flow layout to
They look I guess but I'm wanting to skin the rest of the logon elements as well.
I rec'd alot of help and the logon template itself from Boss0190 (you can visit his site here, he has a ton of quality splash logons http://boss0190.wincustomize.com/)
and you can see the discussion here https://forums.wincustomize.com/?forumid=40&aid=140686&p=1#1098557
Those interested can find Boss0190's logon template that he offers freely is here http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/32414672/?qo=116&q=by%3Aboss019&qh=sort%3Atime+-in%3Ascraps
It really is a good base for starting a logon with a splash. You can use LogonStudio (XP version, not vista) and your graphic editing program of choice to create excellent looking logons. However, if you want to create a logon with the "splash" effect (mentioned above), you can only use LogonStudio to apply the logon, you can't edit it with LogonStudio. Basically it requires editing the contents of a folder which contain a number .bmp images, a uifile and a theme file.
The only thing that gets edited in the "theme" file is the name of the logon, logon author, author email address & any special notes you want to include in the notes section. I haven't edited anything else in this file. It lists descriptions for most of the .bmp image files used in the logon.
bmp_100.bmp is your logon bkgrnd image/wallpaper
bmp_128.bmp is your "splash" element, (a 32bit alpha blended bitmap which I believe is a 24bit image along with 8bit alpha channel for transparency)
The original post on how to create a "splash" for your logons is available here http://greatsphynx.wincustomize.com/Articles.aspx?AID=82822
I will also include the splash tutorial here as well since it's nice to reference everything all in one spot (maybe this post can grow with a bunch of tips from other users)
Creating a Bitmap_128 Tutorial created on Aug 4, 2005 8:27 PM by PhilipDJ check out his site at http://greatsphynx.wincustomize.com/
This tutorial is made to help understand how transparency and per pixel alpha blending is applied in bitmap_128 using Adobe Photoshop. To illustrate this, we will be using the bitmap_128 used in the Windows Vista Logon version 1.2 which can be downloaded here Link . Remember that in alpha channels or layers, black means transparent and white means solid. Any color between white and black would be semi-transparency of different levels.
1. First, create a new document with sufficient dimensions to hold all logon elements to be contained in the center panel. The commonly used dimension is 612 x 501. The background could either be white or any color or even transparent depending on your discretion.
2. Create a new layer and name it "Glass". Press U to activate the shape tool . Choose the round rectangle tool and set it to 20px radius . Set your foreground to white and then draw your shape to the size you like onto the document.
3. Ctrl+click on the thumbnail of your "Glass" layer on the layers tab to make a selection exactly like the shape you just created. Go to the channels tab and create a new channel (its default name will be Alpha 1) .
4. To create a subtle shadow effect around your glass, set your foreground color to #636363. Press ctrl+alt+d to open feather selection window, set feather to 3 and press enter.
5. On your "Alpha 1" channel, press alt+backspace to fill the selection with the foreground color. Press ctrl+d to deselect.
6. to create that semi-transparent outline of the glass, go back to the layers tab and ctrl+click on the thumbnail of your "Glass" layer to select it. Return to channels tab, set your foreground this time to #c8c8c8. Press alt+backspace to fill the selection with the foreground color.
7. With your selection still on, go the Select menu, click modify, choose contract and set it to 1. Press ok.
8. Set your foreground color to #484848 and your background color to #282828. Press G to activate your gradient tool. Set gradient filling to Reflected Gradient and apply it on the image like here. Press ctrl+d to deselect.
That basically covers the main steps in creating transparent, per-pixel blended, glass-like bitmap_128. If you want to add more objects into the image, you can do so. Just go back to the layers tab and add your stuff there. But make sure that in your alpha channel, you specify whether these will have solid colors or semi-transparencies.
- editing your UIFILE in your logon folder, I found that changing the vertical flow layout to
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