I don't mind that there are more skinners. That's fine with me.
But what I mind is the number of users. The more it goes, the less technically able the casual downloader is.

I don't mind helping anybody. But I don't like lazy people. More people now seem to not even try to look for the information, they want us to write them a 30 pages step by step tutorial, for crying out loud...

In a perfect world what would be great would be a knowledge base where answers to skinning questions can be placed... kind of like an all around skinning FAQ site but more detailed. Maybe instead of asking for help on the message boards people could be kindly directed to the Knowledge base were they could search for their question as well as a message board for the questions that aren’t in the knowledge base?

It could be a central repository for every question “skinning” related. It could give the pros and cons of the graphic apps that people use (that seems to be almost a weekly question) a description of the different applications that can be skinned or used to skin... Like MSDN but for the Skinning community. SDN : The Skinners Developer Network

How would this be originally populated? Maybe by searching the other message boards for key topics or words like "Litestep help" or "how do I". Those answers could then be placed within the knowledge base. It would be a true community effort. It would not host any skins or skinning apps just answers and questions.

I know that software developers currently have their own way of answering these types of questions such as newsgroups but maybe this could be a starting point for those that are new and for those that are trying to push the envelope of what they can already do skinning wise?

This model was somewhat proven with the GUI Olympics. It had nothing to do with anything but a contest… all sites were welcome and all sites benefited.

Oh well just a thought… what does everyone else think? Any other possibilities to add?

Déjà vu. Perhaps we can stick that up at skinnables or so. Would be nice.

Hey paxx,

Did you ever write that 30 page tutorial....I could sure use it I have to admit that as a newbie to skinning I find it complicated..even with the 'tools' you mention....I'm a technical person (22 years programming everything from device drivers for windows to word processors in FORTRAN), but without some guide as to where to start (without ripping someone else's work) it becomes a matter of trial and error to get things looking right...and even then I don't dare release my skin(s) for fear that I'm going to piss everybody off when I neglect to get permission from the originators.

On a side note...can anyone answer this in 20 words or less...when I do rip (apart, not steal) an existing skin and replace the bitmaps, my 'magic' transparent color gets ignored and shows through in all it's ugly glory (255,0,255)...Thanks is advance

BTW, I want to personally thank all the skinners who contribute to this and other skinning sites (especially, but by no means only, treetog and alexandrie). You all do wonderful work and it is greatly appreciated (I am one who buys skin suites when I encounter them). Please keep them comming, and if I forget to comment on them...forgive me... I'm probably either too busy installing/tearing them apart (for information purposes only) or defragging my hard drive...

Thanks again (I'll make it a point to thank each and everyone of you in a 5 page e-mail soon)

Stefan

Oh, BTW...I think the knowledge base idea is great... SDN....microsoft will probably sue..

Hey Peff.

Assuming it's a Windowblinds skin and you are using Skinstudio, click on the bitmap and then at the bottom of the screen set the transparency checkbox to on. If its not there then that part of the skin does not support transparency.

P.s. I find transparency in XP often gets replaced with black especially in scroll bars.

Oh and I totally agree with what Peff said about the skinners on this site. You can learn almost as much from thier skins as you can from asking them questions. It just takes a little longer.

Thanks to all of you.

Hyphen,

I've got every transparent checking I can find set to on...no luck...I'll keep trying, though...Thanks

Hmm, you sure it's 255,0,255 and not 255,0,254 or so? Last time I checked out Windowblinds was three years ago.

You know, best way to learn how to skin, is to take an existing skin apart. Look at the bitmaps and how they piece together and how the textfiles bind them. ALter one thing, test, alter another thing, test again. It's a slow proces.

Awmygawd, I'm being helpfull!

Crae, on Deskmod you asked if anyone ever heard of somebody doing a mod on their TV. My 3 year old *tried* to do that. I think she has a bright future in customization.....

I started out skinning on my Amiga with a thing called UrouHack. It was basically a very very primitive ancestor of WindowBlinds. You could change the three titlebar buttons... and that was it!

You can probably still find my UrouHack 'themes' somewhere out there in Amiga land...

It's Magic Pink...255,000,255...

darwn23...
The problem that the older [more experienced] skinner runs into often is his 'advice' or 'comments' are construed as 'criticism' by some who perceive they know more than they think.
Here at Wincusto, you'll find quite a bit of skinning experience....people who have been actively involved in the 'game/industry/community' for a very long time, however their opinions and expressions based on experience are dismissed as [usually] 'Stardock's yes-men' when the atated opinion doesn't concur with its audience's.

Either people 'new' to the whole skinning/graphics scene acknowledge the experience of others, or they don't.
That 'should' go for more than just 'what colour is Magic Pink' questions....but perhaps also 'what is good for the community...how do we fix things' questions too.

Skinners are not brainless automatons that just 'happen' to know how to cut up a bitmap. Their 'history' of interaction and involvement in their community is equally of valid importance/relevance.

Those who ignore the mistakes of history are destined to repeat them...

I've lost count of the number of lost souls I've rescued from the 'Land of the Lost Shell' with LiteSTEP.....but it always made me wonder....how were they on the net asking questions if they'd mangled the OS...when LS used to frag my system, or rather I'd mangle LS and it would frag my OS in spite...I wouldn't be able to Logon...I usually couldn't even boot...

"Skinners are not brainless automatons that just 'happen' to know how to cut up a bitmap. " ...that's true, I had to learn how to cut up a bitmap. Being a brainless automaton it wasn't easy...

This same topic is a thread at deskmod. Here's what I posted there (too lazy to come up with something original for here):

When Bob Dylan brought out an electric guitar the first time he was booed off the stage. In the Villiage no less...
We all now know that Dylan's contribution was epic in it's importance and broke down musical barriers. He was a genius who had great respect for those that came before him.
At that time there was a lot of genius around in music and art, but there were also plenty of other 'new' 'young' stars around then that were completely insipid.
You hang in a scene you can relate to, same as you buy music that means something to you. Trying to maintain a status quo and resist change will usually get you left behind by the forward momentum of creativity. Just as trying to reinvent a scene will get you lynched as a troublemaker unless you do it with genius and a respect for its origins.

I am a newbie (almost a year in June). I started out with the trial version of windowblinds and loved it so much I got the full deal. The rest is history - got instantly hooked on this stuff. Thought to myself, "what good is having a full blown package if you don't know everything about it." Then began my pursuit of knowledge. Printed out every tutorial I could get my hands on. Yes, and I looked at other people's skins to see what made them tick (most of the time not realizing the fullness of it). Read and listened to what others had to say. And, yes, after numerous attempts on something and reaching a stumbling block, I yelled for help. It was graciously given and I thank each and everyone for it. I am still learning (guess you are considered dead if you don't keep learning), and I enjoy every minute of it. Only regret I have is not coming across someting like this sooner.

Only problem with Dylan was that he couldn't sing...sounds like Barney Fife on qualudes...but a genius, none the less...

paxx,
"....fabulous. I love it. Great work, thank you!"
When is the last time you got one of these?"

I am getting everyday more than 20 e-mails like these and I appreciate it. The tough part is to answer to all those e-mails.

"And the comments that are left on the skins sites usually come from other fellow skinners and never from the casual downloader anymore."

I must say that the contrary it is happening to me! The most of the comments I get are coming from casual users and rarely from other fellow skinners.

So, you see? There are many points of view for every subject; and our subject now is skinning, so here are my two cents about it.

The future of skinning is depending from the technical and ethical support that the Old Guard gives to the New Blood! It is a pity, but I don't see neither of those supports, as it is supposed to be, I never get any.
I have to mention that I have seen the contrary more often and I feel sorry about it.

why do people always say that? I thought Dylan's voice was incredible, with more range and character than any other singer at that time (except maybe Fred Neil).

Dylan's voice scares the bejeezus out of me.

"At that time there was a lot of genius around in music and art, but there were also plenty of other 'new' 'young' stars around then that were completely insipid."

Like... Vanilla Fudge
Just thinking of their songs gives me the willies.

heh - Vanilla Fudge... I actually liked their version of "You keep me hangin on" all stretched out and slow. Never heard anything else by them but I did hear them play live once. They were really good musicians. I heard their producer took over the band and told them what they would play, how to dress, how to arrange everything. Forced the whole pop thing on them, which is why they broke up. Maybe that's the key... if its phony, doesn't come from your heart, it won't go very far before it just falls apart. Like how a vampire melts in the light of the daytime.

"The future of skinning is depending from the technical and ethical support that the Old Guard gives to the New Blood! It is a pity, but I don't see neither of those supports, as it is supposed to be, I never get any." by adni18 - 5/1/2002 8:55:04 PM

The suppport and help is there adni, you just have to look in the right places.

I thought this to be the case when I first started making skins, but eventually I learned where to go to get the help and support I needed. I think my abilities have grown by leaps and bounds thanks to the help of many of the "elders" (virophile, greenreaper, pjpowell, crumbut, madice) of our community. Mind you, most of them are not elders in the traditional sense of the word, but have been involved in skinning for a long time.

IRC has been a greater help to me than any graphics technique or application. I've also noted before that the feedback that you get varies depending on the site that you're talking about. Personally I've found that I get much more feedback, especially from skinners/artists at LOS.

I'm not sure how comfortable you are with english, but if you are I'd definitely recommend hanging out on IRC.

One of the great things about skinning as a medium is that it is so new...so young...that everyone currently here 'doing it' is essentially at its dawning..at its beginning, and can watch it grow, and perhaps grow with it...even nurture its direction.
Try that with other media...Photography...you'd have to be over 100 years old....cave painting....slightly older...

You could even say that we, all of us, who are here [in skinning, not 'here' at Wincusto] have the power and responsibility to forge skinning's future.
Maybe this is why I for one, have taken up the task of 'educating' miscreants in the rights of the Artist and tried to protect their copyrights.
When this becomes clear second-nature throughout the entire scene....when even newbies and new sites are instantly conscious of their responsibilities relating to 'ripping and not ripping', then the whole 'community' of sites and their members will be better off, and can enjoy themselves...

o...k..........read all that, and now I'm tired.

There have been a few times when someone new to skinning emailed me, and ask for help. It's truly discouraging to never hear from them again...........never any acknoledgement that the info helped or didn't...........