BootSkins for all

December 9, 2003 6:03 AM from

Hi Everyone

It seems that there has been a lot of people who seem to be having problems creating bootskins correctly, below is the correct way to make them (until the Truecolour version comes out that is)

Use an existing .INI file and change all relevant sections, see below.

Graphics
1. Main Picture = Size 640x480 - 16 Colours (4 Bit)
2. Progressbar = Size 22x9 - 16 Colours (4 Bit) - Exactly the same palette as Main Pic
3. Both pictures have to be .BMP files

ProgressBar
Placement of Progressbar can be anywhere on the screen, but if you are going to have an outline for the progressbar then the following applies.

eg: Progressbar placed at 234z359, 190 Length (234 pixels across x 359 Pixels down and 190 Pixels long) then the outline should be as follows

TopLeft corner = 224x357 - TopRight Corner 426x357 - BottomLeft corner 224x368 - BottonRight corner 426x368

Please note that the PB Outline starts 10 pixels to the left of actual position.

The INI File All parts in bold are what should be changed to match your BootSkin.

[BootSkin]
Type=0
Name = "BootSkin Name"
Author = "Your Name"
Description = "BootSkin Description"
ProgressBar=ProgressBarFileName.bmp
ProgressBarX = 258
ProgressBarY = 22
ProgressBarWidth = 120
ProgressBarHeight = 9
Screen=MainFilename.bmp

I hope this helps, if you still have problems then please email me the file as a .zip and I will try to fixed any problems and email back the fixed skin along with a short description of the hiccup

Email >>> dennis.hallman@btinternet.com <<<

24,414 views 58 replies

Reply #1 December 9, 2003 6:14 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

And the world was crying out for just one more thread explaining how to make bootskins......

If only one were to look in the enclosed text file...you know, the one that comes with the proggy, you'd know how to do it and each and every thread about it would be shown up for the redundancy that it is...

YThe question you have to ask yourself is.....do I get a dollar for this one...when it purports to be the solution, rather than the problem?

Or...

Is the plague that is the bootskin threads actually the problem and not the solution?

Up a quandary without a paddle....

Reply #2 December 9, 2003 6:32 AM from

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I was hoping that some admin would make this a sticky thread, so all users can read

Reply #3 December 9, 2003 7:32 AM from

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Oh, very well...but only if someone promises it'll be the last bootskin thread for a day or two...that'd be nice....

Reply #4 December 9, 2003 7:34 AM from

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Well it seems I was wrong with this thread, might as well delete it

Sorry, it won't happen again.

Reply #5 December 9, 2003 8:21 AM from

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Thanks Stumpy

Your effort does not go unrewarded, I have just switched to XP, (Much Thanks to a very generous Wincustomite friend) and glad this post was here also. I know that you have been working hard to improve the Bootskin making process, so I for one will certainly use your instructions.

Jafo, It couldn't hurt to lighten up a little, as you may or may not know, Winter is upon us here in the States, and we have enough in house attitude to deal with.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone.

Reply #6 December 9, 2003 8:35 AM from

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Good work Stumpy! This was a good idea.

Reply #7 December 9, 2003 8:43 AM from

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Stumpy, hi sweetie. I think you may have missed all the joking around in other bootskin threads. I don't believe Jafo meant offense towards you.

Really nice tutorial by the way. One of these days I need to look in this bootskin stuff myself.

Reply #8 December 9, 2003 9:09 AM from

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I uploaded 6 bootskins and I am unable to see them in my browser (IE v6 SP2) but they show up in "My Skins" I can't figure it out...any suggestions? The skins were auto approved!

Reply #9 December 9, 2003 9:13 AM from

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Mark, to get auto- upload, you have to be a Journeyman and above, so they must be in the que waiting approval. Just my guess.

Reply #10 December 9, 2003 10:11 AM from

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*scoffs* My only problem was MSPaint not saving the 16 color pallette, otherwise I read the entire Bootskin files thoroughly. I get an award.

But you didn't explain something Stumpy. I've noticed alot of users, including myself now that I've restored PC, that doubel-clicking the .bootskin file or importing it into the program gives the error message "Corrupt file". Only way to add a skin is to crack it open and manually add the Folder and three files in the Bootskins Program Folder. Nothing to hard, but it's annoying for those that have no idea where bootskin is even installed.

Reply #11 December 9, 2003 10:25 AM from

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Selecting "Import" from menu will allow you to select the "Filename.Bootskin" from your diskdrive and place it automatically in the main list, so far I have had no problem with doing it this way, although I have not tried to double-click the .bootskin files yet.

That problem is down to the person that created and programmed the Bootskin program itself

The only other way out is to open the file in a program like WinZip and extract to a folder of the same name into path "C:\Program Files\Stardock\Wincustomize\BootSkin\Skins", that will do it every time

Reply #12 December 9, 2003 1:12 PM from

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WOM - I realize I would have to be a Journeyman or above to get auto uploads, but I assure you that it said they were auto approved and do not show up but do show as approved in "My Skins" page. When you do a search by author they show up so I'm thinking there's a glitch in the links? I've contacted support@wincustomize so I hope they look into it othewise I may delete them and re-upload.

Reply #13 December 9, 2003 3:54 PM from

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Stumpy....re #4...

No...you weren't wrong with the thread....I was just having a lend of you...

After about 20 message board threads and a few News post tutorials my first thought was there couldn't possibly be another one with a new problem or permutation there-of that warranted another thread....

Now, hopefully your detailed instructions and my making the thread sticky will combine to thwart the future bootskin-thread-posters...[a mutant gene of the 'help I'm lost' species]...

Reply #14 December 9, 2003 7:39 PM from

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Only one problem with that plan,.... if one is using "Discussions" in SDC, or the WCBrowser, Stickies have a 98.1305% chance of not sticking.

Reply #15 December 9, 2003 7:47 PM from

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98.1305%.....that precise?

Wow...

Reply #16 December 9, 2003 7:56 PM from

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Yes, this is an estimate calculated after an extensive survey of 3 users.....

Reply #17 December 10, 2003 9:06 PM from

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Quick question on bootskins:
I just now downloaded it and was wondering, since it claims to be "safe" IE not hacking the sys, then how does it work? help a noob out

Reply #18 December 10, 2003 10:34 PM from

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I believe it runs a dll hook so that when the image is called up for the normal bookskin, the aplication activates its own image overlay for it. I think this is how it works anyways. Will search and make sure.

Reply #19 December 10, 2003 10:40 PM from

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how does it work?

.... I find that it works quite well...........

Reply #20 December 11, 2003 8:25 PM from

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So have I, seems to work great. I just wish this site had more skins

Reply #21 December 11, 2003 8:34 PM from

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you could try your hand at making one! I think I will.

Reply #22 December 12, 2003 6:38 PM from

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I've followed instructions carefully and repetitively (including Jafo's

), but my custom bootskin does not work. The files I download from others do work. I have created it in Photoshop, Fireworks and Paint. Paint is the only one that works because it gets exported to a crappy, 2-color image. I've even copied one that does work and changed it, but that doesn't work either.

What I am seeing when I boot up is a close-up and distorted view of my custom image with vertical lines all over the screen. It never seems to work no matter how I export it.

640x480 4-bit 16 colors, and since this is a Windows 2000 machine, there is no progress bar. Right? Any ideas?

Reply #23 December 13, 2003 5:50 AM from

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Derekr44, send me the files in a ZIP format and I will look into your problem, my email address is included in original thread

Reply #24 December 18, 2003 10:54 PM from

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omg! Jafo would have made fifty-two dollars off of BootSkin threads! I just counted.

Reply #25 December 18, 2003 11:38 PM from

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derekr44....the first thing to be suspicious of is just exactly whether you actually have a 16 colour image....and also whether the progress bar image uses exactly the same colours, whether you see it or not.

They MUST be identical, or all hell breaks loose....

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