Skinning WB4, ..need a few tips, please.

from WinCustomize Forums

I'm stumped on a few things. Hope someone can help. 


1. XP Shell, Background Windows, Large Picture.......... I'm obviously doing something wrong, the only one that shows is the Control Panel.. I've saved them as 256 color bmp. What am I missing?......

2. Where/how do I set the titlebar colors for windows that aren't skinned, and save this info with the skin?

3."Other Control Panel Options" window............ where do I set the font colors?

Sorry if these are silly questions, ............. my brain hurts.  

3,068 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Randy...regarding No.1...In the left tree, click on "XP Shell", In the right hand tree at the top do you see "skin name\shellstyles.xps" ? If not, you have to create or import a .xps file.

No.2... left tree, "miscellaneous...colors"  right tree, "titlebar colors....titlebar background Active Gradient and Inactive Gradient.

No3. not sure.....

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ok, my turn...How do I set the blank space color on a window. (Like in Internet Explorer, the space on the toolbar where there arent any buttons) Xp Luna has it set as a light tan and I cant figure out how to change it. *Figures he is stumped by something very simple*
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
EventHorizon:  left tree, "miscellaneous...colors"  right tree, "3D controls".
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ok, I see now. Thx BoXXi.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Thanx Bryan...........

no1....  yes, shellstyles.xps already exists................  

no2... 

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Koasati: I have heard that those images have to be 16bit BMP's or they won't show. Personally I haven't got them to show no matter what I do. Pixtudio has though so you could try editing one of theirs and swapping the image. Then just hitting save. Hopefully it will keep the same format.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I had the same problem. After all I ended up cutting everything that is related to shellstyles from the uis-file and pasting it into the xps-file. Works now. Skinstudio doesn't work right there IMO.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I thought I had read that these images had to be 256 color, but I can't find the thread........... To add to my confusion, I checked DavidK's Alien Tech skin. His work just fine here, and they are 256 color bmp......... but even his would not show in my skin. I then realized the Control Panel image, that is showing for me, is 16 million color 24bit bmp. Changing the Large Picture image to 16 million colors, didn't work.... So,  I tried the Control Panel image and pasted the Large Picture image into that and saved it, and that worked.  I don't understand what's going on, but am very happy to see the images finally show up. 

I may actually finish this skin by July...........