New to this! Where to begin?

from WinCustomize Forums
Sorry I'm new to this and I want to know where to begin with making my own skin. I'm very proficent in Photoshop and graphically inclined. I just need to know where to start.
2,084 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Depends what you want to skin, but universally the best way IMO, is to download a skin that you like, (preferably not to complex at first), and see how it was put together.
I'm sure the other guys/gals have some better tips for you.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Start with a skin you like. Then find a bit you want to change. Look at the skin file, at how that section is defined in relation to the others. Then change one thing about it. If that works, try changing something bigger (like the bitmap). If it looks incorrect, try and figure out why (and fix it) before you move on to some other bit. Keep going - eventually you'll have a whole skin of your own.

This is probably the best way to make your first skin. For the second, it might be better to start with a clean slate - having no buttons on your windows "encourages" you to make some.

Specific to WindowBlinds - make sure you clear all WBD files between reloading skins (or if you have the very latest ODNT version, add wbd=0 to the [Globals] section of wb.ini)
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm really only interested in skinning winXP. I'll try downloading a skin and messing around with it. Thanks for the info.