Looking good! 

Back with more questions ok I'm reworking my start panel I wanted to make it more compact view my picture above post

well I do that and its not really smaller top to bottom is what i'm trying to reduce and the mouseover on the left and right are now displaying different sizes with the exact same picture see below what can I do here what did I mess up? is it fixable?

and I messed up my programs image too

Oops I just checked out some other skins and they are the same as mine for the left right mouse over

I still can't figure out how to make the start menu smaller top to bottom like I've seen in other skins I tried adjusting the margins but it's still the same.

Any ideas appreciated

its the text margins in the allprogsbackground that aligns the allprogs arrow (the one you are having troubles with) and its a case of trial and error sometimes, basically you will have to keep adjusting the setting until it sits where you want it. you have to have 3 images for the all progs arrow, the first is normal state, the second and third are mouse over. the pressed function dosent work. play with the left text margin that is the only one you will need to align it back to how you like, make sure the top, bottom and right margin is set to zero.

a startmenu will grown and shrink according to how many programs you have on your startmenu or pinned to the startmenu. changing the number in the startmenu properties/customize area.

also check the size of you userpane, making that smaller makes the skin smaller, same for the bottombar

as for your mouseover , it naturally changes sizes when it goes from the programs list to the places list, that is nothing you can change, but the less graphics you have there, the more useable it will be. try your best to make that button plain with no images, otherwise your just giving yourself a free headache for nothing. xx

Vampothika's advice is the best, but a quick fix is to choose small icons.

Thanks for the tips I'm managing to make a huge mess LOL I did choose the small icons and it didnt help I chose classic view and it caused my panel to vanish replaced with yucko xp I'm still plugging along.

Here is an example of a compact start menu that Im trying like hell to replicate I've brought the whole thing in PS and created my own same demensions then I checked out the paint margins he had used them and still can't get it small like that.

Could it be the separators causing the issue they are the same size images as what there just my version.

Upon further investigation of other skins I am seeing that the code is not showing height and width for some odd reason it may be why I cant make the start panel compact.

here is an example from my programs list left when I tried to manually add the demensions it crashed the program.

ContentRight=4
ContentTop=9
ContentBottom=5
Tile=0
TileTop=0
TileBottom=0
TileLeft=0
TileRight=0
NormalColour=1
FocusColour=2
Trans=1
PerPixel=1
BackgroundEffect=1

Ok now here is the same section in another persons skin notice the differences it seems my program is screwed up

Image=Mardi Gras Beads\StartMenu_LeftPrograms.tga
PartWidth=228
PartHeight=307
NormalColour=0
NormalFont=4
FocusColour=0
FocusFont=4
ContentTop=5
ContentBottom=3
ContentLeft=17
ContentRight=2
PartWidthVista=228
PartHeightVista=307

eh i dont know anything about compact start menus so i cant help there. im sure someone who does will pop in and give you the answer you are searching for..

The sizes for each part of the start panel are set via the Extra tab for that image.  When you click on the Extra tab, scroll down a bit until you find the Width and Height area for the skin you are currently working on, highlight the one you want to set, and enter your size via the combobox that pops up on the right.  Only set the dimensions for the skin you are working on.  SKS will then enter the sizes into your code.

When I do that the panel still is the same it doesnt shirk it

Well I guess I will be stuck with it the size it is til I run across somebody with some experience with this

Thanks for all your help guys much appreciated

Did you try adding the height and width code in yourself -- just typing in what you want, since your images are the same as the one in reply 69 above?

Ok I uploaded the skin and if anyone would be kind enough to maybe take a peek at it and give me an honest opinion on where I can improve, suggestions etc... I'd much appreciate the wba can be found Here

figured out how to add an active link finally I went into html section

An off top question this is really bugging me when I go to my wincustomize account settings I can't find how to change my age right now its displaying I'm 109 years old ha that make me the worlds oldest skinner does anyone know how I can change it?

Thanks Lisa

1.  I clicked the "Hide Shadow On Start Menu" because it was casting an odd line on my computer (I'm on Vista right now -- boy is it weird to see Microsoft Luna on this!)

2.  I would make the "More Programs Arrow" the same size as "More Programs Background" -- you have the arrow image 57 pixels high, and the More programs background is only 46 pixels high.  

I love your start button animation -- you're a brave woman to try that on your first blind.  It took me quite a few blinds before I got the gutz to figure out how to do that.

I really LOVE your system tray arrow!  That's awesome...my favorite part of this blind.    The entire tray, actually...very, very nice. 

Just my taste/opinion, but I would try to add some depth to the start menu -- right now it's kind of plain, and I'm a rather flamboyant person.  Like I said, just my tastes.  Maybe you like that minimalist look.  I'm not a fan of that, but I know others here are big on that.

Now you need to move on to the Titlebars and Frames.  I think you're doing a great job, considering this is your first.  Keep it up!!!

Thanks for your'e input Karen I did try something in I think title bars and it messed up my start right flyout menu but maybe it wasnt the title bars Im not sure of whats what in those areas.

Yeah I love animation I just looked at someone else's skin and used his settings and basic idea to jumpstart on that.

I want to decrease the width of my right panel separator no matter what I size it at it still runs into the right edge any clue's?

In the blind that I'm making right now, I've just left the separators out -- you might want to try that.