Skin Studio Tutorial Question

[ortizlgnd 0]

Ok, I would llike to create my own Style. SO far, I've only been able to create images for already existing styles. The reason is because I do not understand all of the various options required in Skinstudio. I've found these three tutorials on creating skins:

http://www.wincustomize.com/articles.aspx?...08&c=1&UID=1023

http://wiki.wincustomize.com/wiki/Windowbl...tart_Panel_Pt_1

http://wiki.wincustomize.com/wiki/Windowbl...tart_Panel_Pt_2

but I have never found anything that actually explains what each of the options in skinstudio does aswell as how they affect the final product. (Margins, stretch horizontal, height, width, transparent parts, alpha channels, horizontal text shift, etc).

I am obviously a novice.

Can someone please answer my prayers and tell me where or if there is a COMPLETE and THOROUGH start to finish tutorial?

[Island Dog 0]

Try looking through the official SkinStudio 6 tutorial. It was designed for beginning skinners, and will guide you through the process of creating a skin for WindowBlinds.

http://www.stardock.com/products/skinstudio/help

[ortizlgnd 0]

Try looking through the official SkinStudio 6 tutorial. It was designed for beginning skinners, and will guide you through the process of creating a skin for WindowBlinds.

http://www.stardock.com/products/skinstudio/help

I tried it and still, I cant get this to work. My biggest question is why the hell did the designers of skinstudio decide to require that you take a single image (such as the Start Panel) and slice it into 5 seprate images, then have to try (through trial and error) to reassemble them by stretching, squeezing, margins, etc. in skinstudio? Those idiots should have kept it simple and atleast have an option that only requires a SINGLE image for the entire panel.

As it is, I have already created a start panel with Photoshop, I sliced it up into the various parts, saved each part seperately, and imported them into Skinstudio. But the damn pieces dont match up, no matter what configuration I try. I even just tried using the Center (true size, no margins) thinking that by doing so, the five pieces would just be pieced together as I originally desined the start panel. But as you can see, nothing's worked. I honestly feel feel that this program sucks unless u already know everything there is to know about margins, stretching, etc.

[ortizlgnd 0]

The first image is of a basic start panel I designed

The next image is how it looks after I imported into skinstudio, tried a number of configurations and applied it. Honestly, this program is not for beginners, nor do any to the tutorials explain things as if to someone who's never used it before.

[Island Dog 0]

You need to make sure you go to the Extras tab and make sure the image dimensions are correct. If they are off, then you will get issues like ones shown in your images.

I would also suggest opening various existing skins in SkinStudio and taking look at how the start menu's there are setup. If all else fails, feel free to inquire at the forums on WinCustomize where there are many experienced skinners who can offer assistance.

[ortizlgnd 0]

I got the start panel to finally work, but it was all just guessing ( which I dont want to do.) There must be some set reliable formula for skinning successfully. I refuse to believe that everyone who uses Skinstudio either simply copies the "Extras" details of some previously existing Visual style OR just wastes HOURS guessing at which margins, etc. to use for the pieces to fit. Anyway, here is my basic start panel after hours of guess work. As you can see tho, the shut down and Log off buttons are cut off by the start panel. So Im still not happy with it. But this is the closest that I can get it to fit. Talk about frustrating!

[ortizlgnd 0]

First off, thanks to everyone who've been gracious enough to walk me thru some of Skinstudios features. Here's what I have done so far on my Visual Style

[cjborodin 0]

cool. i love everything except that grey thing on top of the start menu. but of course i understant it's still in beta.

Edited May 31, 2009 by cjborodin