XWindows Dock v5.2.3

How do I go about extracting the contents off an SMXD file?

You set it as your theme in XWindows Dock and look in your themes/current folder

Edit: if you're talking about an older version, I can't help you there... Your only hope is for the original to update the theme (or for Bobah to create a page full of old versions of his dock)

@Bobah: YAYAYAY! If you release 5.2, I'll switch to that immediately! I've been sticking to 4.8 so far Can't wait for the new features (and the fast minimize) I'm really excited XD

#514345

How do I go about extracting the contents off an SMXD file?

I guess you don't mean how to install the skin (that would be AndrewYYs answer), but you want to extract the images from it (to create a new dock or something).

Then you have to use the Skinmaker. I'm not into this, but if you search this thread for "skinmaker", you will get a lots of hint. If you have specific questions, Panda, geepee and some other guys are into it.

#514350

I guess you don't mean how to install the skin (that would be AndrewYYs answer), but you want to extract the images from it (to create a new dock or something).

Then you have to use the Skinmaker. I'm not into this, but if you search this thread for "skinmaker", you will get a lots of hint. If you have specific questions, Panda, geepee and some other guys are into it.

I really don't remember seeing anything about using 'SkinMaker' for extracting the contents of a .smxd file; what I do remember is that many posts ago matonga has mentioned something about 'reverse engineering' it's format (older version anyway).

Who knows he can tell you something about that?

#514351

Thank for this Dock,really is the best of the best,but I live in Venezuela,please the language in Spanish.

#514352

XRun for my dock

XSkiNmaker: you should use "skinmaker.exe config.txt skin.sxmd" Config.txt is described in skinmaker.exe ( use cmd for run skinmaker ). Or if you want to extract any files from skin you must run as: "skinmaker /u skin.sxmd" and then all of files in skin will be extracted into the directory near skinmaker

^^^^^^^^^^^

For Extracting Dock-Themes look at this Quote above

#514353

Thank for this Dock,really is the best of the best,but I live in Venezuela,please the language in Spanish.

I don't have it in Spanish but, if you're interested, I can post the current Brazilian Portuguese (pt-BR) one; this could help you translating it to Spanish. Let me know if this is the case...

#514354

^^^^^^^^^^^

For Extracting Dock-Themes look at this Quote above

Good call! I wasn't remembering this one... o_O

Edit: would be useful adding this to the first post.

#514355

I see but can you explain it a little more clear?

Im having trouble understanding Bobahs quote and what you need to do exactly.

#514360

I see but can you explain it a little more clear?

Im having trouble understanding Bobahs quote and what you need to do exactly.

Bobah is saying

you have the following files

Skinmaker.exe

and config.txt

drag your pics by naming them *look at config.txt* after you renamed them...

drag your config.txt into skinmaker, a fast cmd would pop up, and then disappear

you now have a new skin

to change name of the actual skin

edit config.txt

where it says default skin... change it to whatever you want to call the skin

then rename that actual sxmd...

#514361

Thats easy siik.

Im talking about extracting the contents off a skin file, this skin in particular doesnt work with newer versions of the dock, also I am not the author and dont have the resources so this is why Im asking how to extract the images so I can remake it for 5.0.

#514362

Thats easy siik.

Im talking about extracting the contents off a skin file, this skin in particular doesnt work with newer versions of the dock, also I am not the author and dont have the resources so this is why Im asking how to extract the images so I can remake it for 5.0.

As far as I understand it, you can extract a sxmd like this:

Copy the xyz.sxmd to the folder XWindowsDock/Tools/

Open the Commandline: "Win"+"R", type "cmd", ok)

Navigate to the Tools-Folder: ~ "cd program files/XWindowsDock/Tools")

Run the Skinmaker by typeing: "skinmaker /u xyz.sxmd"

Then the files should be extracted.

But to extract a skin from an old Version, you have to use the skinmaker from that old Version, i think... but I haven't tried it.

#514363

As far as I understand it:

Copy the xyz.sxmd to the folder XWindowsDock/Tools/

Open the Commandline: "Win"+"R", type "cmd", ok)

Navigate to the Tools-Folder: ~ "cd program files/XWindowsDock/Tools")

Run the Skinmaker by typeing: "skinmaker /u xyz.sxmd"

Then the files should be extracted.

But to extract a skin from an old Version, you have to use the skinmaker from the old Version, too, i think... but I havn't tried it.

Does the new skinmaker extract old files? That would be quite useful

#514364

Thanks.

But i had figured it out already XDD

#514365

Thanks.

But i had figured it out already XDD

... A whole page: wasted... well not really, I learned something new

#514366

Very nice catch atreiu. It looks like the icons are scrunched down by a few pixels when the dock is set not to magnify. I hope this will be fixed

Strange enough as it may sound, the left picture is the right one.

Even though probably everyone -including myself- will prefer the right picture icons. They have more "detail", but they also have some degree of aliasing. You'll notice this in the stripes of the third item.

#514368

Strange enough as it may sound, the left picture is the right one.

Even though probably everyone -including myself- will prefer the right picture icons. They have more "detail", but they also have some degree of aliasing. You'll notice this in the stripes of the third item.

If you zoom both images it'll be even more evident. I've also noticed that, even being set to the same size, icons are shorter in the first one (no resize), as this setting is being used to define icon+shadow(!!). In my opinion this shoudn't be happening and the best thing to do is let the icon have the chosen size and then just add the shadow; I may be wrong but this could even simplify the algorithm. Zooming an icon should be kept as one operation, applying shadow, another: KISS principle!

#514371

@Bobah: I'm noticed, that if the "Icon size if mouse is over" is set to very high, the Icons are looking a lot better! Nothing else changed... It would be cool, if you could reach the quality from the higher setting in a lower setting, too.

See the screenshots to see the difference (if possible, download them to switch through them in full size, then you will see what I mean.)

I can't do it because if you add file with icon 32x32 and what do you think how it'll be looked So I remember that XSkinmaker could extract files from all versions, just write XSkinmaker.exe /u Skin.smxd

#514379

There's another battery icon set at: http://www.aqua-soft.org/board/showthread....4385#post514385

Enjoy!

#514386

Strange enough as it may sound, the left picture is the right one.

Even though probably everyone -including myself- will prefer the right picture icons. They have more "detail", but they also have some degree of aliasing. You'll notice this in the stripes of the third item.

If you zoom both images it'll be even more evident...

Oops! matonga, I think we were both wrong *lol*; look at this:

.

#514389

Oops! matonga, I think we were both wrong *lol*; look at this:

.

look at the seventh icon though.

to me the difference seems that if you don't make the icons magnify it'll load the icons and resample them to the size you asked. this will give smoother lines, gradients and whatever but some sharpness may be lost

if you make them magnify they get loaded and resampled to the magnified size and they are resized in realtime to give the magnifying effect.

this is because resampling is considered of giving more quality (see aliasing in resized icons) while it takes longer so is harder to use in real time.

just a guess

#514405

this is because resampling is considered of giving more quality (see aliasing in resized icons) while it takes longer so is harder to use in real time.

just a guess

1. You guess right.

2. There's something called mip-mapping, which can be applied to this dock (would need to write lots of code however). This allows to emulate the quality of resampling, in real-time. Most 3D hardware accelerated video-games use this technique today.

Edit: for more sharpen icons, if using mip-mapping, a negative lod bias would be introduced. This would produce moire-patterns in some cases, but would give more sharpen icons except for those which had low resolution anyways (such as 32x32 icons).

#514410

New Docklet: XCmd v0.30

It's build as a fast access to Windows Command Line, but it can reach far behind that. For Example you can use it as an interface to Windows Desktop Search or Google, too.

If you find other nice commands, please share them here. I will add them to the Command list in the XCmd-Thread...

PS: Does anybody know how to pass a command to Console2? I couldn't figure that out... Sad, because I'm a heavy User of Console2.

@Panta: I add your second Battery-Theme to the Pack, too, ok?

#514412

look at the seventh icon though.

to me the difference seems that if you don't make the icons magnify it'll load the icons and resample them to the size you asked. this will give smoother lines, gradients and whatever but some sharpness may be lost

if you make them magnify they get loaded and resampled to the magnified size and they are resized in realtime to give the magnifying effect.

this is because resampling is considered of giving more quality (see aliasing in resized icons) while it takes longer so is harder to use in real time.

just a guess

Thin, curved/inclined lines will always be a challenge for choosing the right algorithm. At this domain (user interfaces general graphics, icons and the like) they are the exception tho; general sharpness, smoothness i.e. perceived quality can be seen in snapshot 2.

Perhaps the best solution would be having 2 resampled images each: one for static behavior (displayed most of the time) and one for when magnification is needed (and only if needed). This would be easily implemented and would achieve the best visual result at the expense of more memory (there's no free lunch, after all... ). Let's see what bobah can do about that.

#514413

@Matonga, Bobah:

How can i get the TOP-Position of my Docklets-Icon on the screen? If I use XDocklet.GetRect, i get the correct horizontal values, but the TOP-value is mysterious low, ~ 100-300.

My goal is to position the XCmd-Interface right above the Docklets-Icon, so i need a vertical value.

#514414

@Matonga, Bobah:

How can i get the TOP-Position of my Docklets-Icon on the screen? If I use XDocklet.GetRect, i get the correct horizontal values, but the TOP-value is mysterious low, ~ 100-300.

My goal is to position the XCmd-Interface right above the Docklets-Icon, so i need a vertical value.

If my guessing is right, this value is relative to the top-left corner of the dock region (the one that makes the dock 'pop' over other apps when not needed... aaaargh!), while you are talking about screen coordinates...

@battery: Sure thing, you can use anything I publish!

#514415