Birthday Suite : Build The Blind With Me pt.I

Masters and Skinners Invited/Needed

This is an addition to the Happy Birthday Community project. In the last Community Project, I was fortunate enough to have theAVMAN take the images I would make and apply them in SkinStudio to make the Troll Thumping Day Windowblinds.

Since I have yet to complete a Windowblind, I thought I would see how far I could get with just some help from all you experts out there. I’m not asking for anyone to ‘put it together’ but to just follow this thread and offer tips, advice, or just tell me ‘how to do this or that’, but I’ll do the work.

For anyone else who is interested, I will post all the image files, as I go along, in the Graphics Gallery incase you want to download them and play along.

So, here we go.

What I will be using for this tutorial is

~Image Shack for thumbnails

~Screenhunter 5 Free for full and partial screencaptures. A great little FREE screencapture tool.

~Photoshop for the Graphics

~Skinstudio6 for the blind *the AVMAN recomended Skinstudio5, but I really want to learn 6 since it is supposed to be so much easier. Nuthin' personal, dude.

You can also follow my frustration on Twitter if you use it.(PoSmedley)

This is my first draft. Right now, I am focusing on the start panel and taskbar.

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Here is what I have for the taskbar, start button and Button.

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Now, as you might see, this isn't what might be called the normal taskbar. I don't know what the technical term for this style would be (floating?) but I like calling it the pain in the ass style, because I can't get it to work.

The problem is with the 'blank' space above the taskbar. My Start Button and Buttons are larger in Height. Though the whole thing looks pretty in the Skinstudio preview, when applied..well, it looks like someone stepped on everything.

the AVMAN has been kind enough to assist me in fixing this.

"Po you are going to have to leave the same # of pixels of empty space above the taskbar as your balloon button are.

Ex,.... taskbar button height is 50 then if the bar itself is 30(default)them there should be 20 blank space above the bar.

Dont forget also the content margin in the taskbar buttons sets overall height of the bar!!!!!!!"


theAVMAN'S reference image...

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Now, because I am also a clutz with posting Articles (I am trying to follow Frogboy's Article on Writing effective articles in HTML at the same time), I'm gonna stop here. You see, I hit post before I had formatted it and some of you may be looking at a mess of html as I am editing this right now. What I'm going to do is package up the graphics I have made for the taskbar and upload them and we'll pick up from there once they are available.

8,942 views 24 replies
Reply #1 Top
Noah you know you got any thing you need from me! :)
Reply #2 Top
AVMAN, I know. Thanks. You did such a great job on the TTDAY blind! I always felt guilty you had to decipher and work with the images I made. I know half of them weren't executed correctly and you had to edit a lot. I just can't figure out WB. I'm hoping people like and others will jump in and just guide me through this.

I didn't want to ask just one person cause I know how busy everyone is. I'm hoping this way, folks will free to offer and pop in whenever they want.

Also hopes it helps anyone else that is struggling like me. ;)
Reply #3 Top
I always felt guilty


Dont ever feel like that I was happy you let me put it together! :) :) :) :)
Reply #4 Top
I think that SKS6 is MUCH easier that SKS5. (I tried my first blind in both)
I'll be watching! Maybe I can learn something along the way. :D 
Reply #5 Top
I just uploaded the first graphics. I had uploaded earlier, but then pulled it so I could add the psd's as well.
Reply #6 Top
Interesting concept guys, more than likely will not be useable for upper taskbar users though. Nice and cartoony :D
Reply #7 Top
more than likely will not be useable for upper taskbar users though.
Good point . . maybe a subskin for top menus?
Reply #8 Top
Good point . . maybe a subskin for top menus?


Okay. Still waiting for the file to get through moderation.
Reply #9 Top
Moderated.
Reply #10 Top
good idea Po'  :CONGRAT: 
Reply #11 Top
Po, you know you can count on me to give any pointers along the way :D

I have built a couple of WBs, so I'm sure I might be able to answer some of you questions ;)
Reply #12 Top
Need more screenshot here,  :SURPRISED:  , how else are we going to know how you are coming along.  ;) 
Reply #13 Top
Sorry for the hold up. I have an employee out this week and the gentlemen filling in does not drive. So, I am up every morning at 4:30 to drive 30 miles and taking him to his job site and then coming home to handle the baby til my mom-in-law arrives. Then I have to take him home..yadda yadda.

I will be contacting AVMAN and vSTyler who have both agreed to lend a hand to set up a time we can start this (I'm shooting for Friday evening) and all meet on messenger or in IRC. I will post the time this afternoon, without fail.
Reply #14 Top
I'm hoping to be able to make it.  I can't wait to typ /join #BirthdayParty or some such thing  :)
If IRC fails . . I could probably set up a live meeting/webinar where we could share desktops etc.
Reply #15 Top
I'm hoping to be able to make it. I can't wait to typ /join #BirthdayParty or some such thing
If IRC fails . . I could probably set up a live meeting/webinar where we could share desktops etc.


I thought about a web meeting/sharing desktops...I don't know if every one has the capability for that or not...or if they would need or want to download anything to do it.
I think it would be great.

For everyone's info:
I am on msn messenger - [email protected]
I use goowy or Gizmo to do my messenging. On a side note, Gizmo is similar to skype...it has messenger and video capability and works with most messenger services...AND has FREE PC to PC phone calling between Gizmo users. It also handles group chats. If you're on Gizmo and want to add me just type in 'posmedley'.
Reply #16 Top
Okay, I was shooting for 8, but we gotta a few folk that need it pushed back a tad, so Friday, February 15 at 8:30 pm. We'll have some late comers, but if we push it too far, it may be too late for more people. Place- IRC chat. We'll set up a #Birthday room. This does NOT mean you are to show up in your birthday suites. Please, I can't stress this enough. Clothing is mandatory!
Reply #17 Top
February 15 at 8:30 pm.


I'm at GMT+1 here, what time zone are you in? I'm 6 hours ahead of N.Y. time
Reply #19 Top
Friday, February 15 at 8:30 pm


I'll be there, I am off from work on fridays, I'll work on the animated balloons. And I will have some fireworks animation ready, also, for review.
 :) 
Reply #20 Top
I'm at GMT+1 here, what time zone are you in? I'm 6 hours ahead of N.Y. time


I'm going to save everything and make the conversation available. (I can do that, right?) We'll try to schedule one every weekend in the morning for those who can't do the evenings.


I'll be there, I am off from work on fridays, I'll work on the animated balloons. And I will have some fireworks animation ready, also, for review.


We'll be working on the windowblind. Starting with the taskbar and it's elements. I hope to go through the entire blind with help from those in the know. Selfishly, so I can learn to make a blind, but also for anyone else who wants to learn, add to it, whatever. I've done a project or worked a tutorial this way, but I think it will be pretty instructive and fun.
Reply #21 Top
Hi Po' - great thread :CONGRAT:

Clear something up for me fella would ya? Do folks that want to follow this thread need to join in the live/IRC sessions - or will they be able to rely on this thread to see them through the process, ask questions etc...?

Reply #22 Top
what time zone are you in?


Po'? ;p
Reply #23 Top
We'll be working on the windowblind.


That's not to say that you aren't welcome to join the chat, Jimbo :CONGRAT:
Reply #24 Top
Clear something up for me fella would ya? Do folks that want to follow this thread need to join in the live/IRC sessions - or will they be able to rely on this thread to see them through the process, ask questions etc...?


I'm going to try to have it so they can follow through this thread.

Po'?

Eastern Time (US and Canada) or 6 hours behind you.