Just a Quick Question From A New Guy...

Who Are You Calling Uncle Tom?!?!?!

from WinCustomize Forums
hello to all you wonderful skinners out there, i have just decided to begin skinning. having purchased a copy of skinstudio off of someone who thought he'd use it, but never bothered to install it, i will finally begin to make some of my own Windowblinds, and what have you. i was reading a older post and vStyler told another new skinner to dig in for the long haul with a skin. I was wondering just how long? i'm more than willing to spend the time, but i would like to know about how long it should take. ( I am one of those people that will go overboard and tweak everything over and over again until i think it's perfect, but then everyone else hates it) I know each skin is unique, and that each has it's own timeline, so i was wondering how long some of your best skins took to make.

thanks, guys!

also, how much harder is DesktopX to skin than WB?

beginners
3,676 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I can't answer your first question becaus I have yet to finish a WB skin (after 7 years of works-in-progress)

I can say that DX is not a skinning engine.  It's a platform for building apps that can have whatever GUI you want to create.

Build for you, post to the community when you are ready.  Get feedback, follow it or don't.

HAVE FUN.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
i would like to know about how long it should take.


that depend entirely on your free time and skill

a lot of experienced skinners have posted before their skins take 40hrs (that's solid hours) or more depending on the skin
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
so i was wondering how long some of your best skins took to make.


6 moons for my Jaluran theme pack.. but I am a sloooww..skinner

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
My first skin..6 years ago took 8 months.. nowadays anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months... there's no rule of thumb.

I could knock out a skin a day if I REALLY had to, wouldn't be very original or intricate tho.

Keep on Skinning !!
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I can't answer your first question becaus I have yet to finish a WB skin (after 7 years of works-in-progress)


7...years...that skin is gonna be awesome...

thanks for the info, guys!
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
When I started doing blinds about a year and a half ago, it took me 6 weeks to a couple of months to put out a skin.....and they were VERY basic...lol. With "practise", I am a little faster now....anywhere from 3-6 weeks, depending on the complexity of the skin. It does get easier to make a blind with practise, a lot of patience, and a couple of good graphics programs! Like you, I am very picky, compulsive even, about how my blinds look and making sure I have skinned everything!

Good luck!   
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
7...years...that skin is gonna be awesome...

or (more true) I have no skill at all and it sucks so badly it will never get released.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I can pump out a skin in 1 to 2 weeks...but first I need to have that lightbulb of inspiration go off in my head first, then there is no stopping me...... unless I have a problem with something....like i do now.....PLEASE someone answer my question in skinning about that darn combo box glyph.....its driving me crazy..(weeps a little) The only thing that is keeping me sane right now is listening to old Jack Benny programs........ 

enough of my gripes....back to the question at hand....yeah it depends on how time rich you are, and how indepth you want to go.....you know what they say about new hobbies, the more involved you become, the more interesting it becomes..

and then again it comes down to personal preference....i try to skin for the community, not just myself....I like my skins to be as user friendly as possible....9 times out of 10 after Ive just skinned an item and view it in skin studio....i look at the overall skin, and think 'would everyone else like this, and find it userfriendly?'......but thats just me.

oh....does anyone have any frenzy pills? im all out.