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PoSmedley
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One Piece At A Time : Windowblind Tutorial Part II

Design: Title Bars & Window Frames

January 20, 2012 9:08:05 AM from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

 

Welcome to Part II of the 'One Piece At A Time' tutorial. This thread will be concentrating on the design of the Title Bars & Window Frames for the Roan Windowblind. Several skinners are helping me through these threads in an effort to understand and learn how to build Windowblinds. (And they would be Vampothika, neone6, and 2of3) Along with a lot of other talented skinners, artists, etc, who have participated with this so far, we're hoping these threads will also help other would be or existing skinners as well. We also have gmc2 sorting through all of the info posted for hte Wincustomize Wiki.

EXAMPLE:

 

For these first few parts, we'll be working on the design of the Roan Windowblinds elements and then bringing them all together and exploring SKS (Skin Studio) where we'll take everything and put it together.

If you're looking for Part I, II, III you can find them here:

One Piece At A Time : Windowblind Tutorial Part I

Design : Start Menu and Taskbar

 

One Piece At A Time : Windowblind Tutorial Part II

Design: Title Bars & Window Frames


One Piece At A Time : Windowblind Tutorial Part II

Design: Edit Controls


PLEASE :

  • I am open to suggestions but may not use any of them. Please, don't be offended if I don't use yours.
  • Keep the image posting to the skin(s)
  • If you want to make a skin to go with this, PM me for the files. My PSD's tend to be a mess, but I save everything and will be happy to     share. I am uploading the actual files to the Graphics Gallery here on Wincustomize.
  • We'll be skinning for Windows7, maybe Vista. If someone wants to do XP, PM me and I will get you what you need.
  • Any files you request will come as I complete them. I won't be jumping ahead. Please be patient.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The PSD files for the  previous threads are in the Graphics Gallery.

Roan WB Title Bars and Window Frames  

  Roan WB Taskbar Buttons

Roan WB Title Bars and Window Frames  

  Roan WB Taskbar Buttons

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PoSmedley
PoSmedley
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Reply #1 January 20, 2012 9:25:49 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

May not have any graphics til this afternoon. I was up late putting together the PSD uploads and barely started on the frames.

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AceMatrix
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Reply #2 January 20, 2012 10:25:35 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

You're doing fine Po ...           -- Ace --

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Uvah
Join Date 05/2006
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Reply #3 January 20, 2012 10:30:37 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Yup and I'm lovin' it!  

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Reply #4 January 20, 2012 10:48:10 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Thanks.

Now, where is my morning Derp??? The shortbus is late again!

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BoXXi
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Reply #5 January 20, 2012 10:52:29 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Sorry...... I was busy licking the windows..........

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DrJBHL
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Reply #6 January 20, 2012 10:59:50 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Had a dream about him last night.

*no more dunkin' derps at bedtime.

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ZubaZ
Join Date 11/2001
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Reply #7 January 20, 2012 11:07:00 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

{insert something witty here, I don't care enough about this project to put in the effort.}

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Reply #8 January 20, 2012 11:22:45 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting BoXXi,
reply 5
Sorry...... I was busy licking the windows...

No. No. You're not my morning Derp.

Quoting Zubaz,
reply 7
{insert something witty here, I don't care enough about this project to put in the effort.}

Derp-a-doodle-doo!

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Reply #9 January 20, 2012 12:43:47 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Kinda idle in what I want to do with the design.

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Reply #10 January 20, 2012 1:22:57 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Just so we´re perfectly clear on this (Others who doesen´t have a clue will read this too)

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k10w3
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Reply #11 January 20, 2012 1:30:58 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting PoSmedley,
reply 9
Kinda idle in what I want to do with the design.

Reduced 54%Original 800 x 800

This is the part that always takes the wind out of my sails, too.  There is so much more freedom with the Start Panel and the Taskbar.  You get to the Windowframe and now you get cramped with figuring out titlebar buttons (never enough real estate do go as much as I really want) and all the rest of the tiny bits that need to be skinned. 

Two things can happen at this point--you can get up, walk around, make a sandwich, come back refreshed and work it out, or you start something else and this one ends up on the Island of Lost Windowblinds like the rest of the great ideas that die prematurely.

I'm putting on my cheerleader outfit and picking up my pompoms and chanting for you, "GO PO! GO PO! KICK that Windowframe, get it done, Gooooo PO!"

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Reply #12 January 20, 2012 1:35:36 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting k10w3,
reply 11
or you start something else and this one ends up on the Island of Lost Windowblinds like the rest of the great ideas that die prematurely.

No. This is getting done. I've told myself if I get stuck...really stuck..I'm going with whatever I have. The design isn't a huge a deal on this as it is to just get through it and have a complete blind.

Having said that...

*Damien Rice - The Blowers Daughter - always helps me clear my head- been listening to him for the past hour or so

Quoting neone6,
reply 10
Just so we´re perfectly clear on this (Others who doesen´t have a clue will read this too)

Put it up top. Thanks.

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neone6
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Reply #13 January 20, 2012 1:49:01 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Many People have a hard time with this Info:

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DrJBHL
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Reply #14 January 20, 2012 1:51:48 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

That looks great!

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Reply #15 January 20, 2012 1:55:39 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

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neone6
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Reply #16 January 20, 2012 2:11:45 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

More coke for thirsty people

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gmc2
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Reply #17 January 20, 2012 2:22:41 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

just thinking out loud: you could remove the icon from the upper left hand corner, make that center graphic into a button and place the button where the icon used to be.

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Reply #18 January 20, 2012 3:03:38 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting gmc2,
reply 17
you could remove the icon from the upper left hand corner

left???

--------

neone6 - I'm not getting out of what's possible with this top bar, am I? I know you have the option to stretch and tile certain areas. I guess the stitching is gonna be the issue?

and*

From previous experience messing with textures - I know you can make a small graphic and stretch/tile it with little or no distortion. With this I'm making them a little larger (so the area you actually tile is larger) to minimize the distortion/lines. Does that make sense?

This may be a bad example (using photoshop) . I thought there would be a more visible seam.

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Reply #19 January 20, 2012 3:29:44 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

I would use layers with this and tile the texture and stitching separate of each other, so it doesn't look predictably tiled.

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Reply #20 January 20, 2012 3:36:15 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting k10w3,
reply 19
I would use layers with this and tile the texture and stitching separate of each other, so it doesn't look predictably tiled.

I haven't messed with 'layers' in SKS. That's why I'm saving everything, incase that's the route we end up taking. The last image I posted shows it tiled (in photoshop). Will SKS be that different?

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Reply #21 January 20, 2012 3:51:41 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Huh.

This has gotten father than I expected already.

 

I can only assume it's because of all the people practically doing all the work for you.

 

I guess that's better than failing (again).

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Reply #22 January 20, 2012 3:56:59 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Zubaz,
reply 21
Huh.

This has gotten father than I expected already.



I can only assume it's because of all the people practically doing all the work for you.



I guess that's better than failing (again).

You must have thought they meant 'Support Hose' when they gave you that title.

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RickJP
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Reply #23 January 20, 2012 4:08:01 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

So far so good. .However...Should Zubaz's fail happen could always turn Troll Thumping into Po Thumping this year..

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Reply #24 January 20, 2012 4:10:32 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting PoSmedley,
reply 20
The last image I posted shows it tiled (in photoshop). Will SKS be that different?

No, but sometimes things look fine when they're about 600 pixels wide, but then when it tiles for, say, a wide screen monitor, over and over again, it's easier to see where the tile repeats itself.  If you did it in layers, the pattern could repeat in a larger section than the stitching, and hence the repetition wouldn't be as noticeable.

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Reply #25 January 20, 2012 4:14:31 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting k10w3,
reply 24
No, but sometimes things look fine when they're about 600 pixels wide, but then when it tiles for, say, a wide screen monitor, over and over again, it's easier to see where the tile repeats itself. If you did it in layers, the pattern could repeat in a larger section than the stitching, and hence the repetition wouldn't be as noticeable.

Got it.

Quoting RickJP,
reply 23
Should Zubaz's fail happen could always turn Troll Thumping into Po Thumping this year.

Not even into February and I need another sheet for this years List.

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