Desktop Icons/Windows Explorer font size

from WinCustomize Forums
Anybody know which WB parameter sets the font size (and maybe font type)? I have changed every parm I can find in SKS to no avail. You can change it by using the Desktop Properties. Any help would be appreciated as I am trying to get my first skin out.

TIA
windowblinds
3,359 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Miscellaneous/Fonts for Classic Widgets.

Be sure to use a minus sign in front of the number when setting the font size (enter it as a negative number) - I don't know why, just have to do it that way for it to work. And I don't know why they chose the phrase Classic Widgets, but they did.

Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Daiwa, once again you have a REAL answer AND are willing to take the time to give it.

I probably should put on asbestos before saying this but I have felt this way for so long that it just has to come out. The information environment surrounding Stardock products is absolutely the weirdest I have yet to run across. I can remember the early days of Pronto programming and how desperate we all were for information but it was NOTHING compared to this. Stardock puts out no information or wrong information or, most commonly, responses to questions and pleas for help that are just plain gobbledeegook when applied back to the original question. No one seems to mind!!! Adam is obviously a talented and dedicated developer but I don't think he actually lives in the same world that the the "uninitiated" do.

HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION: What are all (ie. complete, documented list of each possible parameter and what area of display it alters) of the areas that Windowblinds controls by font parameters?

ADAM TYPE ANSWER: "Well WB and SKS give you COMPELTE control over fonts by use of specially design dropdown menus that can be used for just about all of the font stuff!!! Now that you known everything you need to create GREAT skins, have a great time with our wonderful new capabilities and, oh yes, don't forget the negative numbers for some of the fonts or else you will crash stuff!!

That kind of thing MAKES ME CRAZY!

Don't get me wrong, I want Stardock to succeed! I just want them to stop buffing the product long enough to DOCUMENT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We CUSTOMERS (as in paid coin of the relm) spend hours and hours and hours trying to figure out things just to make skins that help sell the product.

As Timone said in 'Lion King'.... Is everybody OK with this?????!!!!!!????

Actually, stepping off of my soap box to take a breath, I would even be happier if Stardock just came out and said "Ya know, we only have so much money to survive and do this thing with and comprehensive documentation (well, even poor documention) just isn't on the list." I would find that, A LOT easier to live with than a bunch of simley, winky faces that seem to say to me, "Are you stupid and wimpy enough to accept this fluff without even a minor bitch???"

OK fire up the afterburners and turn me to cinder...just remember that I love skinning as much as you do and I know that TECHNICALLY Stardock has the best product out there. I am just very tired of trying to drive a Diablo with the windscreen blacked out! Thank you and good night. I am sure my Stardock Central will soon have a special download sequence to, shall we say, "alter" my environment.
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Clyde -

I understand your frustration, having had similar frustrations when I first started to create skins. FWIW, there are a bunch of links to tutorial articles on the Wincustomize home page. But it is fair to say that there is much about WB that can only be learned through trial and error. I have to admit that I wouldn't want to have to write the user manual either, but there is so much about creating skins that is counterintuitive or inconsistent from element to element that a really detailed reference sure would be nice.

I think one thing that could be done relatively easily would be to flesh out the little Help Tab in SKS (the lower left pane), with a little more information, such as the orientation of the tiles (vertical vs. horizontal) and specific image size information for those elements that require images of a fixed size. It seems to me a lot of toe-stubbing could be avoided relatively easily, though I must admit that template images are provided.

The Template method is actually very useful for creating images, but until you stumble across how to use it, you don't know; you highlight an element in the Explorer pane and then click on the Template Tab in the Preview Window and a template image for that element is imported & you can then edit that image or use it for obtaining dimension information.

Frustration comes with skinning, but at least there is a community of skinners hanging out, willing to help each other learn the ropes through forums like this. Hang in there, and keep skinning.

Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks Daiwa...it helps just to have someone acknowledge that one isn't COMPLETELY crazy!

I agree that the Help Tab with real information would be a great step forward. Also my ever present plea is that they would just put an "EXPAND ALL" button in the generated Spec HTML so that the document could be searched....could it be THAT too expert level.

I should mention that the typos in my original post are mine, not my hypothetical Adam!

...r