Just Starting...

Start Panel

Sunday, December 30, 2007 by Xiandi | Discussion: WindowBlinds

I just started to follow a tut in the WinC Wiki about making a start menu. It says to create an image of the start menu and then divide it up into 5 pieces. The pic there shows guide lines that divide it into 8 pieces. The explaination of what the pieces are is not very clear.
How should I divide it?
When I create images from the pieces, should the canvas size be only the size of the piece or should it be the size on the start menu?

I'm sure I'll have many more questions later....  
52 Reply 12 Referrals
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Fuzzy Logic
Reply #1 Sunday, December 30, 2007 9:24 PM

Size of the piece will do fine, margins will control how the image looks.

The five pieces you need are the top part (user pane) which is one single piece, not two as shown above. Same for the bottom part (log off panel) - just one image. The you have the programs list (the left side bit) and the places list (the right side bit). On the left, between the programs list and log off panel, you have the more programs background.

Anything else, just let us know. There's always someone around who can help   


Cavan1
Reply #2 Sunday, December 30, 2007 9:35 PM
Cut it up like this




Xiandi
Reply #3 Sunday, December 30, 2007 9:41 PM
Thanks Guys!! Thats exactly what I needed to know!  

vStyler
Reply #4 Sunday, December 30, 2007 9:48 PM
[URL=http://imageshack.us][/URL]

You should always use guides..Ive shown here where I set my guides before cropping, also make sure SNAP is turned on when making selections.

Like Fuzzy said there are only 5 sections, Ive tried to indicate what needs to be cropped and where in the image.

Hope this helps.

MadDeez
Reply #5 Sunday, December 30, 2007 10:12 PM
hey vstyler!! when is that skin going to be released? LOL it's jagstastic!

vStyler
Reply #6 Sunday, December 30, 2007 11:43 PM
Silly... its Harmony.. Colts shoulda knocked Tennessee out, disappointed with ur boys   

Xiandi
Reply #7 Monday, December 31, 2007 1:18 AM
Thanks V, I'm sure I'll have more questions later. I've been playing around with SkinStudio 6 for a little while. My first start panel looks like crap.  Have to start again...

vStyler
Reply #8 Monday, December 31, 2007 12:27 PM
My first start panel looks like crap.


So did mine

MadDeez
Reply #9 Monday, December 31, 2007 12:40 PM

i know it's harmony but i like the colors on that version. (don't go ballistic. i know it's colored like that in photoshop to clarify the different parts)

 

i watched the game until reggie left for good. i don't like watching the jv action unless my kid is playing ( and neither of them was ever on a jv team). youi should read the fan forum on the browns' site. those guys are blasting the colts just as bad, if not worse, as the jags' fans and pats' do . i find it comical.


Xiandi
Reply #10 Monday, December 31, 2007 7:20 PM
Ok...I'm aggrivated. I have tried and tried to get those stupid pieces to line up right. I made sure I chopped up the image just right. I put them into place and they won't line up. I've been playing with the margins, and stretching and tiling it every which way I can think of. It will not line up!! I simply can't believe it's this hard. I have to be doing something wrong. Something so stupid that I will feel like an idiot when I finally get it right. Any suggestions?

I.R. Brainiac
Reply #11 Monday, December 31, 2007 7:55 PM
Make sure your images in SKS have the correct size assigned to them(unless your trying to stretch something)
If your user pane image is 395 pixels wide...it should say that in SKS...same for all the others.Image size should match SKS size.(dont worry about the height numbers for programs and places...they will stretch vertically on their own...they just need sizing margins set properly)

The only time you set values different from actual dimensions is when you are using a small image that has to stretch...always keep an eye on your sizing margins...they need to line up from image to image.

I.R. Brainiac
Reply #12 Monday, December 31, 2007 8:00 PM
Cutting an image properly can throw some people...if your whole start menu is odd shaped...sometimes cutting it up leaves off some pixels...like shadows and blank spaces.

Dont forget to include pixels that might be needed.In the tut image you can see that some parts stick out further than others...if all that where included in the cuts were visible pixels...nothing will line up.

You have to include any needed blank areas too.

I.R. Brainiac
Reply #13 Monday, December 31, 2007 8:01 PM
My first start panel looks like crap.


So did mine


Ditto   

Xiandi
Reply #14 Monday, December 31, 2007 9:24 PM
Thanks I.R. I looked closer at the pieces and found one that was a few pixels off...sigh. Fixed that. Now I got a new problem. I tried to open Skinstudio 6 and it told me my version is expired. I went to stardock and it said I had updates. Downloaded that and it dont work. Whenever I try to open Skinstudio 6, it says its expired and my computer crashes. Rebooted a couple of times. I may have to uninstall Skinstudio and reinstall. Or maybe I'll just install the previous version.

vStyler
Reply #15 Monday, December 31, 2007 9:39 PM
Didn't u buy SKS? Why would it be expired?

Cavan1
Reply #16 Monday, December 31, 2007 9:59 PM
Just tried to open SKS6, getting message about it has expired, and to update to the final release from with SDC, no update in SDC; I am an Object Desktop subscriber, subby good until Nov 2008.

Xiandi
Reply #17 Monday, December 31, 2007 10:09 PM
Just tried to open SKS6, getting message about it has expired, and to update to the final release from with SDC, no update in SDC; I am an Object Desktop subscriber, subby good until Nov 2008.


Thats exactly what happened, but there was an update to Windowblinds for some reason.
Didn't u buy SKS? Why would it be expired?


I did buy it and I dont have a clue why it expired.

Cavan1
Reply #18 Monday, December 31, 2007 10:12 PM
but there was an update to Windowblinds for some reason.


That was put out on Dec 22.

Xiandi
Reply #19 Monday, December 31, 2007 10:18 PM
Arent updates supposed to be automatic or do I gotta go get them every time?

eieio
Reply #20 Monday, December 31, 2007 10:36 PM
My guess is that there was "supposed" to be a new SKS 6 by the time the current beta expired.   

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