SkinStudio

This is the best tutorial out there, though it isn't for 4.3 http://www.aleksyandr.com/ Skinartistry Workshop http://skins.skinartistry.com/ will help you with issues and find bugs you might have in your skin

I am qurious ? Should you always get no errors found when you analyze a skin in SkinStudio?

No, it will show errors.

With diligence...you can get a skin to show no errors Most of the errors that show in skins are not fatal, the skinner just added code that WindowBlinds won't recognize, Like defining a disabled color for an attribute that doesn't have a disabled state or content margins where no content margins are allowed. WindowBlinds will just ignore that type of error, but it is not a bad thing to strive to make your skins error-free.

I took one look at skin studio and realized just how backwoods I really am!!

This thread ( https://www.wincustomize.com/msgboard.asp?BID=WCS&id=187649 ) was more helpful than anything else I've read on SkinStudio. The best way to learn, however, is just by good ol' trial and error. It might seem daunting at first but don't be afraid to play around. For instance, in the custom colors. If you're not sure what one is, just switch it to a bright gaudy color and apply it. You'd be suprised at where it shows up sometimes.

hey I have a question? I use a certian colour "Violet purple" For editing the start button and the colour works like an invisible ink. Any clarification on this would be nice. I think it may be due to an attribute or value. Please help!

Most people around here call that "Magic Pink" but normal people call it Magenta. That's a masking color that tells WB to make those pixels transparent. If you want to use that color, make sure that you don't have the "Transparent" box checked for that particular element.

normal people call it Magenta

/me sticks his tongue out at FM...."it's a good thing you got that association correct. Normal I am not "

/me thinks invisible ink is as good a name for it as magic pink

Ok, Here is a good one. When I try to save sometimes It says there are numerous errors in my work and wants to know do I want to "Validate" them now or not. What do they mean?

click yes....it'll open the tab showing the errors. Critical errors need to be fixed, they will affect how the skin works in WB.....the most common critical error is the caption height error. Once you have the tab show errors open, double-click on any line an you'll go right to the error so you can fix it. You'll be asked to re-validate since the skin code has changed. Any error that says Windowblinds will ignore can be Deleted, since WindowBlinds will ignore that line of code.

Top middle pane with the four tabs. The first tab is Analyze. Here you will see the errors in your skin that no one really bothers to correct(except me). When you click the the Analyze tab, it will check for errors and it says validating while it does it. It doesn't remove anything just validates that the errors exist.

What do the "Margins" really change? I adjust them but dont really understand whats happening.

Please answer my question above. Plus What do all the different templates mean and what is the best template to start with for a begginer? I am using SkinStudio 4.3

It depends on which section you are trying to change the margins for. In some sections, changing the margins does nothing. For example, the menu margins don't really work. The taskbar margins and the start menu margins do seem to work.

The content margins effect the location of the text or images that are placed in it. For example, if your icons in the start menu pane are too far to the left, you can adjust the content margins and give it a larger left content margin. Thereby, pushing the icons further away from the border.

The sizing margins adjust the image so that it doesn't stretch or tile wrong. For example if you have a 3 pixel frame on your image, you don't want the frame tiled or stretched. So, you would set a "3" on the sizing margins, which tells Skin Studio not to stretch or tile that area. You can click the margin setting and then look in the help section to see what type of margin it is(content or sizing). Normally, if it just says "margins", it is a sizing margin. This is because a lot of images don't have content(like arrows).

As far as templates, I don't use them. They are basically someone elses images. But, they are okay to use. But, your skin will not be very original if you use them. Mostly, they are very simple. In my opinion, it is therefore better to develop your own drawing skills before you start making themes.
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Great! One more thing. What is the best way to start a theme. Should I be using the file New skin. Or exactly what are most people starting out their skin. Should I click File-New-Skin Or maybe use Skin wizard? Please Clarify! And also I wonder how people get their art to look like so. I have noticed when I zoom in on some pics that they are smoothed and somewhat blury, not real stiff lined. How do you get this effect. Is it a program or something. Or do people actually sit there and keep adjusting every little pixel shade? Please comment in detail if at all possible. I eagarly sit at my screen waiting for these responses.

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Okay...here we go.
1) Best way to start a theme?
Assuming you mean a WB skin...When I made my first skin, it was easier for me to click file-new skin and create a UIS-2 skin. Working with the templates seemed too complicated. I had skinned programs before so I was familar with paint programs(PSP) and making images in them. When the generic skin appeared and was applied, it was easier to see how the pieces fit and where to start. Now, I have a good template using the skins that I created. I know exactly how they went together and how the pieces fit.

2)And Also I wonder how people get their skins to look smooth.
There are two main techniques. One is called Anti-aliasing, and the other is vector drawing.

Normally, it is a setting on your program. You can create shapes with anti-aliasing on, or you create draw and blend using gradients. Or, you can draw with vectors. You should do a google search for Anti-aliasing and vector drawing tutorials. I just learned by constantly working with my chosen paint program.

3)Q: Or do people actually sit there and keep adjusting every little pixel shade....?
A: Sometimes, you actually have to when your anti-aliasing or gradient effect doesn't look quite right to you. I don't really have that trouble with vector drawing. Shadows can really muck up a good image too.

4) Also question 3 proposes another idea. It is tga vs. bmp. With a lot of the images, Skin Studio allows one to use PNG files and convert them to tga with SS. PNG files are much smoother than bmp files because you can use Opacity.

Hope this helps.
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Hey ChasUGC, Thanx for the info its Great! Im going to search now for info on the terms you gave me. Your metroid theme is cool. I will probally find my answer but I got to put it out there anyway. So here it is. A simple question for once. Does the PAint program in XP let you use the Anti-Aliasing thing and the Draw or blend? Im so excited about making window blinds. Also I have lots of ideas and drawings. It seems like when I start a window blind with file-new-skin that it pulls up a XP looking window blind and that im just replacing the BMP's. Same with the templates. Is there a big difference that I am missing being a novice and all? Again ChasUGC thanx for helping me work these things out!
Ill be uploading my own Skin someday soon I hope.

I really want to learn more about the question above. I checked XP paint but dont think I have those options. Please reply. Do I need a better paint program?

Your metroid theme is cool.

1) The Metroid Theme is a private theme by Pixtudio for Nintendo, not my creation.

Does the Paint program in XP let you use the Anti-Aliasing thing and the Draw or blend?

2)No, the generic paint program in XP does not allow you to do gradients or anti-aliasing or vector drawing. You would need either Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. I think Corel also has a good paint program that some people use. I would choose whichever one of the three that you are most familar with and use it to develop your skills. I began working with plugins to see how certain ideas actually worked on the canvas.

and that im just replacing the BMP's. Same with the templates. Is there a big difference that I am missing being a novice and all?

3)No, big difference. I just found it easier to start from a pure scratch windowblind on my first skin. Most people can improve on that windowblind with a little effort.

Also, try to replace the bitmaps with png files whenever possible to avoid jaggies. Your images will look better. Open some of the ObjectDock icons in your paint program(the PNG ones) and see how the edges disappear for smoothness. Once you learn the techinigues involved, this will give you the best effect in a windowblind skin.

Also, learn to work with Magic Pink. This is the alternative when using curves with bmp files for your images.

ChasUGC....lots of great info

...couple of things I'd like to add. By using the default Blue Luna skin as a base skin all the time vs. another skinner's skin, if you forget to skin something, you won't run into a copyright issue on your uploaded skin and it's easier for others to help you find errors in your skins. After a while, the blue skin starts to look like a blank canvas. png to tga is definitely the way to go Like ChasUGC said, anywhere in the skin that'll allow you to use a tga over a bmp I'd try to do so. I don't know if there's a definitive list of where you can and can't use tgas. I use PSP, almost 100% and save my work in a separate folders while it's still in layers, as a pspimage file, in PS that would be a psd file, I think. Makes it a lot easier to borrow from one image you've created to make another image, to keep that theme feel to your skin. Also makes it easier to change things across the board if half way through a skin you decide to change an element vs. having to start over from scratch. I think that there was my biggest hurdle to learn when I started to skin. I still use MS Paint for some cut-n-pasting in bmps, less now as I use more and more tgas.

First one's the toughest, try to keep it simple and focus on how things go together. Once you understand SKS better, it'll get so much easier

Price-wise PSP is the way to go....I think you'll find that most PSP users that have also used PS will agree that for skinning, you can get the same results from PSP. Also most of the plug-ins for PS will work with PSP.

Hey guy's. I just purchased "paint shop pro 8" Sry about the two threads being so similar. I didnt realize that Window Blinds and Paint Shop Pro were going to run together. Ill be back with more questions soon. Thanx for the help. Im eagar to start skinning and be big time like jafo and gang.

Question? What is the difference between a TGA file and a BMP. I know TGA uses less size but can I make my file a TGA easily or please explain. Also, Can I easily take graphics I make in PSP and convert them to SkinStudio?
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A tga file has a alpha transparency channel. This means that you can have invisible or slightly transparent pixels. Basically, you save the image as a PNG file, and windowblinds converts it for you to tga. The difference is that bmps don't support transparent pixels. Therefore you get jaggies.

Also, Can I easily take graphics I make in PSP and convert them to SkinStudio

Yes, but you will want to save them as a PNG when windowblinds can use a tga file. Or a bmp when this format is required or preferred. You can't use PSP default image format for windowblinds. Choose save as in PSP and use the drop down for the format. It is best to save your images in both formats(PSP default and windowblinds format), in case you need to make changes to the original and you have layers.

Great thread... a lot of questions have been answered for me also. Thank you for starting it