To all WB designers I have a question

from WinCustomize Forums
I'm getting ready to get my hands dirty with WB5 designing and I was wondering how do you guys start your theme designs/ideas? Do you start out with a photoshop canvas of say 1024x768 and start laying it out? How do you start? I'm just trying to get an idea of how I should start my designs what's the easiest etc.

Thanks..

Jason
windowblinds
3,886 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I suggest you start with templates for the start panel and window frames. You can break those down into the individual images to construct the skin. Then make the rest match.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Now a by "template" what do you mean? (maybe a stupid question but had to ask) A screenshot and layer in photoshop on top of that, basically building on top of the screenshot?
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
building off Night Trains suggestion, i took all the parts of the start menu and assembeld them into one image at full size only makeing them a single and seperate color for cuting the finished work apart. ie, the top panel is green, the programs is blue, more programs is light blue, the places is red and the bottom panel is black. this makes up the background layer and any time i want to make a start menu i just make a new layer and go. when i am done i select the black from the back ground and cut a new layer and copy and paste it to the skins image. as long as you make the skins images the full size they all line back up as one when your done!

i suggest looking at the great tutorials as they can be a great help to a new skinner; they helped me a lot. and if you need and more help people here are willing to help out!

Good luck and welcome to the craft!
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
here is a sample of a Start Panel template and how the images are broken down.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Top bar- 380 x 64
Programs list- 190 x306
Places list- 190 x 336
More programs back=190 x 30
Bottom Bar- 380 x 40
Total size when all parts combined- 380 x 440
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Night Train... I want that skin.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks for the "template" and the cutting. Appreciate it! Time to start figuring this stuff out