Help Makeing a dock background.

from WinCustomize Forums
     I have made a dock backgroud once before but i did it useing trial and error when creating the .ini. The truth is i have no clue what to do in the .ini I have looked in the wikki and it tells how to make it but only with specific images.
     Yes I know it is kind of hard to explain something that differes from image to image... But I am hopeing that someone has something they can tell me here, or anything, or lots of things, something that will help me to understand. Or maybie examples with pictures of twhat the margin names represent. I dont even know if the margins are dependant on your image size or a default height that your image is squished or streched into? Anything would help and will be greatly appreciated? I am familiar with the margins in windows blinds? Maybie how they differ or are alike them?
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Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
the quickest and easiest way is to take a current dock and start editing the INI's and seeing what each setting alters. as for a written tut on what does what? I dont think theres one yet.. But maybe when time allows I may take up the task :)
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks hg. I tried that but I just cannot figure out the margin settings... I want to make a shelf zoomer. I opened a ini for a shelf zoomer and put it with my image and edited as nessisary and still cant get it? Maybie someday stadock will add that to sks or make a little mini program to make it easy like sks makes WB skins easy. I hope! Hint Hint. LOL
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh can someone explain to me a bit about what the outside border margins are? Is that how much space is transparent? (:(
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey Rob, here is a quick explanation from a tutorial I have at Skinartistry

Below is part of the .ini for my Black Chrome Tray zoomer dock. I will use it to explain the settings,

[BackgroundTop ]
Image = top2.png
LeftWidth = 45
TopHeight = 0
RightWidth = 45
BottomHeight = 0
OutsideBorderLeft = 25
OutsideBorderRight = 25
OutsideBorderBottom = 27
OutsideBorderTop = 0

The width and height settings control how much of the image is drawn as is, the rest of the image inside these values is stretched. You can think of them as the sizing margins in SkinStudio.

The outsideborder settings control the placement of the icons on the dock. These settings also act as width and height and add to them to draw image as is before stretching. This is important to know when you are creating more complex dock images.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks Cavan so it is sort of like skin studio the pixels you set are what stays exactly like it is and after those pixles the image is stretched. I kind of just repeated what you said so I guess I got it? Corect me if i am wrong...When you say draw image you mean the part that isnt streatched right? So if I want 40 pixles from any given edge of my image i would set that margin as 40? right. And I still dont quite understand the outside border yet. But I am only creating this image as my background for
practice.





and when I set the margins it shows the back of the shelfs edges as straight up and down lines instead of at an angle like the acual image. Here are my settings.


[Bold]
[Background]
Image = Back.png
TopHeight = 0
BottomHeight = 100
LeftWidth = 50
RightWidth = 50
TileCenter = 0
TileVCenter = -5

I know you cant tell me the exact margins but I must be doing something wrong.
It is probly because i dont have outside border set?
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh if I understand right It might be because I have to push the icons twards the midle so that they are inside the the width of the back of the shelf? I dont know?
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Rob, there is a file in your objectdock folder... c/program files/stardock/objectdock/skinning the dock...that may help a bit. It explains the .ini file settings you can set. It's not real clear on some things, but it may help.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
When you say draw image you mean the part that isnt streatched right? So if I want 40 pixles from any given edge of my image i would set that margin as 40? right.
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Right.

when I set the margins it shows the back of the shelfs edges as straight up and down lines instead of at an angle like the acual image.
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Do you have ProportionalStretch = 1 in the .ini, it would be at the top under Info, if so remove it it will make a tray look squared.

TileCenter = 0
TileVCenter = -5
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For a normal plainish dock these are not really needed. When used to tile a more complex image they are set to 1 for on or 0 for off, the -5 you have does nothing, again just remove them from .ini.

Oh if I understand right It might be because I have to push the icons twards the midle so that they are inside the the width of the back of the shelf?
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Yep and that is what OutsideBorder does.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
so it is sort of like skin studio the pixels you set are what stays exactly like it is and after those pixles the image is stretched.
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Yep.


BottomHeight = 100
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What size is your image, this looks like way to high a setting. Only need this set enough to make bottom edge look right.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Must be because it is that exact size as shown in my post. I will mess around a little and I have allot more confedince going into it now so.. I have fath that I will accomplish it. Thanks so much for all of your help. I will have a go at it tonight and post back with the results.