Are there any tutorials/instructions for creating skins? (or better yet -- an editor!)

I didn't have any problems painting the graphics/gadgets, etc. -- however, I've been editing a pre-existing 'SkinConfig' file, and it's slow going (a lot of trial & error).

Is there a better way?

[ Edited by klesterjr on 2005/9/18 23:18 ]

Sorry no, for now you have to continue with trial and error. I was about to write a document, but there are several things which are there in those skin config files, but then don`t work, others are not mentioned anywhere, but working and so on. I agree an Editor like tool would be coold.

Otoh It is not that hard to build easy skins with the existing skins as a start point. First make sure that you are making several sizes of your skin, it will be better looking.
That is also what the first lines is about, it defines skinheights and such. You may have a look in my latest skins, IIRC they are commented according to what jacadcaps and tokai told me.

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Thanks -- I'll do that!

I'm getting it done -- I was just hoping that there was an easy way out!

I'm about 95% done with a ZAmi "look-alike" theme, but ignorance is getting in the way of the final details!

I know I'm probably going to feel stupid when I find out the answer -- but how do you change the look of the window scroll bars?

I'm trying to get a look like this:

window.png

(I've painted all the gadgets -- just need to get that gradient in the scroll bars)

Thanks for any help!

Changing scrollers is not possible with MorphOS 1.4.x

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Drat! I was afraid of that.

Oh, well -- I have a "backup plan" that should look nice too.

I only ask that you pay attention to what the background in GoldED / MorphED looks like when making a skin. Usually, I have to go in and change every skin I get so that I can still use GoldED correctly

@Targhan: maybe you should consider changing MorphED/GoldED then :)

Leo.

[ Edited by Leo on 2005/9/9 19:00 ]

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Don't have either of those to test with -- where does GoldEd draw it's background from?

I'm not doing anything too complex -- if you've seen the ZAmi screenshot at Hyperion's site -- it looks like that (with MorphOS scroll bars! )

The basic skin is done -- still need to paint the MUI gadgets & requester images.

I finished my "skin" tonight!

Is anyone brave enough to test it for me? (it installs fine on my machine)

Screenshot

Download HERE!

great!, Ill try to get time tomarow to d/l and install it =)

The window bar looks good
For my taste the other colors dont fit.
Window background could be more dark
(white text is hard to read)
and the windowframe color could be more
like one of the colors used in the window
bar (active or not).

@ klesterjr

Thanks!
I really like that brushed metal effect.

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The theme is trying to look like THIS.

I liked the ZAmi theme on OS4 and wanted it for myself (hence the 'imAZ' name -- 'ZAmi' backwards).

lovely work, i like this skin very much. I use it right now. thanks !

Yes, the skin is really cool. Just a minor thing I would change ...
This is a little more eyefriendly to me
SYSTEMPEN 0 0xAAAAAA

With MUI4, you can change the scroll bars collors. That might be the reason why you cannot edit that in skinconfig I guess?

Have you installed MUI4?


Regards,
Michal

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Which color gets changed by that? I confess that I gave up on editing SkinConfig -- I just used one from another theme (with the proper sizes).

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I don't have MUI4 -- just the version that came with MorphOS.

-------------------

BTW -- I just updated the system requesters in the archive. I didn't realize that the drop shadow was being "chopped off" -- it's fixed now.

You can change pretty much with MUI4, also the colors of the sliders in whatever gradient you want. Pretty nice indeed.

Well done klesterjr :)
It`s a very nice skin. Just one minor thing, try to change the pulldown menu settings. for example transparency is to much (assuming you borrowed the skin config from the ofour skin, wasn`t sure that i did use *that* high transparency level ;) ) And the overall look doesn`t fit to the theme. According to you last post you have some problems to create the right values for that.

First think about whether you want to load a bitmap as menu background. If so, you have to make one and name it "menubackground" and place it into the root dir (not in every different skin size) If you just want to choose a different colour you may edit "menuitemcol" and/or "menubarcol" (currently not sure which one it is, just noticed that those values give that rather ugly menucolour ;) ) for your skin i `d like to recomend something "greyish" but it`s of course up to you. And I don`t think that red as menutext colour fits for your skin ;) just change the value of "menutextselcol"

Oh and one sidenote to the mui settings, here is a "trick" jobbo told me: if you name those bitmaps right eg. name-of-the-bitmap_framed Mui doesn`t draw an additional frame, but assumes that you bitmap actually *is* allready framed. try to experiment with that if you want.
Beside that, respect :) Very well done.

Morphdelf:
Please *don`t* use Mui4 in it`s current release. Although it looks really nice (I have to admit) it *is* an Alpha release *and* has to many bugs to be usable. (don`t know where to start) It is fine for some minutes of pleasure to see what`s comming, but nothing more... to make a running gag continue: just wait for MOS 1.5, there is even a feature to edit those scrollbars in skins (according to some screenshots i`ve seen in the past)

btw, you can allready change the sliders and use gradients, althoug this feature is not as "intelligent" as in Mui 4, I have to admit.

[ Edited by Bladerunner on 2005/9/18 14:21 ]

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"Borrowed" is a nice word -- actually I "stole" it from your ofour theme!

I've never been a fan of transparent menus -- how do I turn transparency off? I'd much rather put a pattern in there.

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Cool! I'll definitely use that to "fix" a few things.

Thanks!

This is what I found in BSN-II

SYSTEMPEN 0 0xAAAAAA ;Backgroundcolor
SYSTEMPEN 1 0x000000 ;SBAR Fontcolor
SYSTEMPEN 2 0xFFFFFF ;SBAR-Color
SYSTEMPEN 3 0x4D73A6 ;Windowcolor Active

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Well I borrowed that myself when I begun to create skins, thats why there are still those ugly menubackground colours by default ;)
And imho this is the only way to go as skin creations really lacks documentation.
The ugly colour doesn`t matter when you choose pattern as background, but you notice when there is none ;) for pattern, just do as I wrote earlier, name it "menubackground" and place it in the root dir :)

you can switch transparency off either by removing the keyword "menu_transparency" in the "menu configuration" section or set "MENUTRANSPARENCYLEVEL" to something below 30, I guess that was to much ;) )

Thanks for all the suggestions/help -- I'll "tweak" things later today and then update the archive for another "beta-test".