PART 3 -My windowblinds Anti-Tutorial Tutorial
Po' Frames
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WinCustomize Forums
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This chapter applies only to WIndow Frames/Borders. If anything here applies to any other area of WB Skinning, I haven't gotten that far yet.
What I Didn't Know-
The WB5 version of SKINSTUDIO allows you to make skins for WB5 AND previous versions of WB. Well, I knew that. What I didn't know is that you can make a skin for either version, say...you don't want to get mixed up in all the new stuff v5 has to offer and you want to keep it simple...or you want to make a skin only WB5 can run. OR make one skin that works well in both. This last one is the rub.
If you want to make a skin that works for both and or all...you essentially have to make 2 copies of everything for the WINDOW FRAME/BORDERS. (See opening statement..only talking about the frame here)
Having gotten frustrated trying to work with MagicPink on my STARTMENU, I decided to try TGA and PNG format, being under the impresion that I would NOT need the MagicPink. Which I wouldn't...IF...
I were making JUST a wb5 skin.
What I tried to do was this..(I told you I would flaunt my errors..lol) I attempted to use PNG and TGA formats in the WRONG skin format. If you are not making a WB5 skin, you will have to use the MagicPink for your frame. Here is a pic of what I kept getting.
That was trying to use TGA. When I tried to use PNG, I got a little black corner instead of a white one. For anyone using MagicPink and getting a pink corner...stick with ME, I'll get to that.
Now, after some whining and tylenol..it was explained to me that TGA and PNG were for the WB5 skins when making the frame. In SkinStudio's preview window, there are 4 sub-pre-views in the dropdown menu. Idiot I am, assumed they just SHOWED your skin in different states. And they do! But they are also there to APPLY AND/OR/EDIT your images for each of those states.
So I scrapped my mess and started a new one (skin, not mess. Not yet, anyway). I used PNG's in the per-pixel states as applies to WB5.
As you can see, the corner is much better. (This is the same template as previous image, just different color)
To do the same skin for versions previous to WB5, I will have to go back to BMP and MagicPink..but I can include both versions in the same wb file.
There are some differences in making the images,(You can save your files as PNG's in your Image Editor...SKINSTUDIO will convert them to TGA for you!) and I strongly urge you to read the following tutorial several times to understand this. Plus, it will make clearer what I have said here.>>Link
Now if you are still with me...
Those pesky corners and such in the frames. No matter what format you are working in...pixel, pixel, pixel...MagicPink, TGA,PNG, or BMP...pixel, pixel, pixel.
As I was advised when I started this..PIXEL BY PIXEL.
Let me put it this way...BE THE PIXEL!
You can easily skip over this and that, a detail here and there..etc. IT WILL show in the end and you WON"T like it. You might TELL yourself you do, but you won't.
My Pixel Problems-
Look at the right edge of my image. See how it's slightly transparent. You won't notice it unless you zoom in on it in whatever image program you use. But you will notice it when you try to use it in your skin. Like here...
I couldn't understand why I was getting that white line when my I set my margins correctly.
To correct this I have tried 2 different things. This is where the pro's may cringe and say 'There's a better way" and I hope they will let us know in this thread if there is. What I did was either go pixel by pixel with my eraser...OR..duplicate the layer. Both worked, depending on waht I image I was working on. Sometimes just 'sharpening the edegs will work'.
Now, I have been 'cutting' my images with a template. Look at this...
See that shadow around the top bar...that kept screwing up my cuts, often creating the semi-transparent pixels like in the previous image.
The fix..(which may be VERY common knowledge...but wasn't for me as I am still learning with Photoshop)...when you create your drawing your template files and you set the size for the image, enable the 'snap to pixel' and your image will come out with edges like in the bottom bar.
Finally...and I'm sorry, I must have deleted the images I would have used for this. When working with MagicPink and you get those pink corners and edges...open the image back up in you image editing program and get in close. The SLIGHTEST varience in that 255/0/255 setting will show. Sometimes the effects (ie, shadows, outer/inner glow, etc) can be MagicPinks enemy. A little outterglow bleed over and it's not true MagicPink anymore.
So, you get in there on those corners and go PIXEL BY PIXEL with that pencil or brush set at 1px. Can't get to that one in the corner or the edge...make a new layer, make your square, and scale it to fit if you have to.
Last time...BE THE PIXEL! Take the extra 5 minutes on an image and check those edges. It's almost amazing how a few changes on a few pixels makes such a difference when you reapply it to the skin.
I don't know if I have helped anyone, so as always, feedback is welcome. And I aplogize for my lack of knowledge in what could have been better terminology and wording on the technichal stuff. I will leave it to the experienced people to fill in what I may have missed. For their help and info I have provided here, I would like to thank Boopish, Bushman, and Night Train. If I left anyone out, I apologize.
What I Didn't Know-
The WB5 version of SKINSTUDIO allows you to make skins for WB5 AND previous versions of WB. Well, I knew that. What I didn't know is that you can make a skin for either version, say...you don't want to get mixed up in all the new stuff v5 has to offer and you want to keep it simple...or you want to make a skin only WB5 can run. OR make one skin that works well in both. This last one is the rub.
If you want to make a skin that works for both and or all...you essentially have to make 2 copies of everything for the WINDOW FRAME/BORDERS. (See opening statement..only talking about the frame here)
Having gotten frustrated trying to work with MagicPink on my STARTMENU, I decided to try TGA and PNG format, being under the impresion that I would NOT need the MagicPink. Which I wouldn't...IF...
I were making JUST a wb5 skin.
What I tried to do was this..(I told you I would flaunt my errors..lol) I attempted to use PNG and TGA formats in the WRONG skin format. If you are not making a WB5 skin, you will have to use the MagicPink for your frame. Here is a pic of what I kept getting.
That was trying to use TGA. When I tried to use PNG, I got a little black corner instead of a white one. For anyone using MagicPink and getting a pink corner...stick with ME, I'll get to that.
Now, after some whining and tylenol..it was explained to me that TGA and PNG were for the WB5 skins when making the frame. In SkinStudio's preview window, there are 4 sub-pre-views in the dropdown menu. Idiot I am, assumed they just SHOWED your skin in different states. And they do! But they are also there to APPLY AND/OR/EDIT your images for each of those states.
So I scrapped my mess and started a new one (skin, not mess. Not yet, anyway). I used PNG's in the per-pixel states as applies to WB5.
As you can see, the corner is much better. (This is the same template as previous image, just different color)
To do the same skin for versions previous to WB5, I will have to go back to BMP and MagicPink..but I can include both versions in the same wb file.
There are some differences in making the images,(You can save your files as PNG's in your Image Editor...SKINSTUDIO will convert them to TGA for you!) and I strongly urge you to read the following tutorial several times to understand this. Plus, it will make clearer what I have said here.>>Link
Now if you are still with me...
Those pesky corners and such in the frames. No matter what format you are working in...pixel, pixel, pixel...MagicPink, TGA,PNG, or BMP...pixel, pixel, pixel.
As I was advised when I started this..PIXEL BY PIXEL.
Let me put it this way...BE THE PIXEL!
You can easily skip over this and that, a detail here and there..etc. IT WILL show in the end and you WON"T like it. You might TELL yourself you do, but you won't.
My Pixel Problems-
Look at the right edge of my image. See how it's slightly transparent. You won't notice it unless you zoom in on it in whatever image program you use. But you will notice it when you try to use it in your skin. Like here...
I couldn't understand why I was getting that white line when my I set my margins correctly.
To correct this I have tried 2 different things. This is where the pro's may cringe and say 'There's a better way" and I hope they will let us know in this thread if there is. What I did was either go pixel by pixel with my eraser...OR..duplicate the layer. Both worked, depending on waht I image I was working on. Sometimes just 'sharpening the edegs will work'.
Now, I have been 'cutting' my images with a template. Look at this...
See that shadow around the top bar...that kept screwing up my cuts, often creating the semi-transparent pixels like in the previous image.
The fix..(which may be VERY common knowledge...but wasn't for me as I am still learning with Photoshop)...when you create your drawing your template files and you set the size for the image, enable the 'snap to pixel' and your image will come out with edges like in the bottom bar.
Finally...and I'm sorry, I must have deleted the images I would have used for this. When working with MagicPink and you get those pink corners and edges...open the image back up in you image editing program and get in close. The SLIGHTEST varience in that 255/0/255 setting will show. Sometimes the effects (ie, shadows, outer/inner glow, etc) can be MagicPinks enemy. A little outterglow bleed over and it's not true MagicPink anymore.
So, you get in there on those corners and go PIXEL BY PIXEL with that pencil or brush set at 1px. Can't get to that one in the corner or the edge...make a new layer, make your square, and scale it to fit if you have to.
Last time...BE THE PIXEL! Take the extra 5 minutes on an image and check those edges. It's almost amazing how a few changes on a few pixels makes such a difference when you reapply it to the skin.
I don't know if I have helped anyone, so as always, feedback is welcome. And I aplogize for my lack of knowledge in what could have been better terminology and wording on the technichal stuff. I will leave it to the experienced people to fill in what I may have missed. For their help and info I have provided here, I would like to thank Boopish, Bushman, and Night Train. If I left anyone out, I apologize.
more work 
.
