Why won't my BootSkin work?

from WinCustomize Forums
I've spent a frustrating hour trying to create a BootSkin but with no luck. Every time I open the program it does not show my skin. It does show the ones that I have downloaded from this site and they all work. I have read the enclosed instructions "The Art of Making Bootskins" up and down. My progress bar is one I took from a working BootSkin. I also took an existing bootskin.ini file and rewrote it to match my own picture. I took a picture I like and stuck it in the new folder. I notice that every one of the pictures in my working bootskins is exactly 150 kb in size and is a bmp image. And they are all 640x480. Is this size (kbs) mandatory and can you use a jpg image? When I change an image from jpg to bmp its size (kbs) increases dramatically. How do you force an image into a specific size in terms of kbs? I can resize using pixels or percentages with Paint Shop Pro or IrfanView but not into kbs. I am converting the picture into 16 color. The instructions say to use the same 16 color palette for the progress bar as the background. Does this mean that I have to do something with the progress bar that I am taking from a bootskin that I know to work correctly? I am assuming that my progress bar is set up correctly since it works elsewhere. Anyway, that's where I am. Stuck. I hope I have made it clear exactly what I am doing so someone can pinpoint where the problem is. Thanks for any help.
beginners
6,151 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
There are a few tutorials around that explain how to make one. I can't find any right now becuase the search feature isn't working.

What you are doing so far is all wrong. Try to find a tutorial to get you on the right path. Hopefully someone will come along and post a link to a tutorial.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Bootskin rules, screen image must be 640x480 16 color 4 bit bitmap, progress bar must be 22x9 16 color 4 bit bitmap, it must use colors from the 16 color palette of screen image. You can't take a prog bar from another skin as the colors will be wrong and cause color issues when used. If you are using a jpeg this is why it is not showing up in list in bootskin. When you have image as a proper 16 color 4 bit bitmap it will be 150 kb, that is file size for any bitmap made for a bootskin. .....and you must give $1 to Jafo as a surcharge on each time he has repeated this explanation  <----edited by Jafo...
SoundPackager - Customize the Windows sound scheme
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Reminder....you use 2 bitmaps...they MUST be 4bit colour AND the same palette.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey Jafo, if you can get it you can have it.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
 ...got 'em....
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
 ...got 'em....
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top


using both hands, too.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
twice?
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm not making judgements but you might want to take a look at these sites before you cash those:

http://moneyfactory.gov/section.cfm/7/35

http://www.bep.treas.gov/kids/start.html

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You've done some good investigative work, Sea, and are essentially on the right track.

As others have said, both images must be 4-bit depth bitmaps, the progress bar of dimensions 22x9 and the background 640x480.

As a consequence of setting the bit depth to 4, your images will have 16 colors. The palettes for both images must be identical in every way for proper performance--this means that you will have to do more than just grab the prog bar image from another skin. You will also have to take steps to ensure both images have the same palette.

Another consequence of the four bit plane 640x480 bitmap restrictions is that the resulting file size of the background image will be approx 150k (I forget the exact amount). If your background image size differs, then you almost certainly have some settings wrong on the image.

While all 4bit 640x480 bitmap images will be about that size, when they are compressed into an archive the resulting size will vary--bitmaps with large solid areas can be more compactly compressed. Just an interesting note .

You can use many graphic editing programs to create the proper format images. Once you have those, try my Bootskin Buddy gadget out to create the BootSkin package. It will compare your palettes and has tools for repairing them, such as a button to simply copy the background image palette to the progbar image palette (which is what you'd use to adapt the bar you borrowed from another skin).

Bootskin Buddy: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/30733603/

There are several tutorials out there, some with pics, some old, some new. A search might find you one aimed at your particular image editor.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks for all the quick, and excellent, replies. Rabidrobot, I just now downloaded your Bootskin Buddy while the link is still working. Thanks. I'll play around with it today. And Jafo, you need to raise your prices. Nothing costs $1 anymore except bad advise and crummy hamburgers at McDs. Just start a tab for me and shout when it reaches $10. Thanks again to everyone.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

[quote] advise

That would be 'advice'

That's $1 to me

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

And Jafo, you need to raise your prices. Nothing costs $1 anymore except bad advise and crummy hamburgers at McDs.

That presupposes that my advise [sic] was good.

It may not have been....