Color Question - SkinStudio
Thursday, March 11, 2004 by Essencay | Discussion: Skinning
Two Questions where windows gets colors from and where to set the color in SkinStudio for...
1. Pixel wide trim (one color) on left side and below the Task Pane Image, no image is set and only using Background Color and Background Color Gradient.
2. Two Pixel wide trim (two colors) between sections of menubar image.
Thanks for any help
1. Pixel wide trim (one color) on left side and below the Task Pane Image, no image is set and only using Background Color and Background Color Gradient.
2. Two Pixel wide trim (two colors) between sections of menubar image.
Thanks for any help
Essencay
Reply #2 Thursday, March 11, 2004 3:52 PM
Reply #2 Thursday, March 11, 2004 3:52 PM
Not using a Task Panel Image, all I did was set the Background Color (221, 200, 140) and the Background Color Gradient (166, 150, 105).
I loaded a pict to my profile...hope it helps. Thanks
I loaded a pict to my profile...hope it helps. Thanks
Essencay
Reply #3 Thursday, March 11, 2004 3:58 PM
Reply #3 Thursday, March 11, 2004 3:58 PM
Just wanted to add the picts are from the actual applied skin. In skinstudio....none of this shows up
Koasati
Reply #4 Thursday, March 11, 2004 5:47 PM
Reply #4 Thursday, March 11, 2004 5:47 PM
That's a seperator in the Toolbar (the menubar is above the toolbar). No idea what I looking at on the other.
Koasati
Reply #5 Thursday, March 11, 2004 6:23 PM
Reply #5 Thursday, March 11, 2004 6:23 PM
Anyway... to answer part of your question, the seperator color is controlled by "Button Hightlight", and "Button Shadow"......... change those, and you'll change a lot more than the seperator. 
Essencay
Reply #6 Friday, March 12, 2004 2:29 AM
Reply #6 Friday, March 12, 2004 2:29 AM
Thanks Koasati that's exactly what I needed to know.
The other two picts are the bottom left-hand corner of "My Computer" window....could be any open window though, since the same thing happens, one-pixel wide line across the bottom and left side of the task pane.
Got another question. Since the ShStNoModifyPage.bmp doesn't stretch or tile to fill the window, where do you change the background color? Same question for the background around the ShStControlPanel.bmp too. The rest of the special folders I've figured out.
The other two picts are the bottom left-hand corner of "My Computer" window....could be any open window though, since the same thing happens, one-pixel wide line across the bottom and left side of the task pane.
Got another question. Since the ShStNoModifyPage.bmp doesn't stretch or tile to fill the window, where do you change the background color? Same question for the background around the ShStControlPanel.bmp too. The rest of the special folders I've figured out.
Koasati
Reply #7 Friday, March 12, 2004 5:26 PM
Reply #7 Friday, March 12, 2004 5:26 PM
For the Control Panel ....
Left Tree... Special Folders > Control Panel
Right Tree... Background color
Left Tree... Special Folders > Control Panel
Right Tree... Background color
That's where you set the colors for the fonts also. Body color being the font color.
The "Do Not Modify" colors .... I dunno.
Essencay
Reply #8 Friday, March 12, 2004 7:32 PM
Reply #8 Friday, March 12, 2004 7:32 PM
Thanks Koasati I appreciate all the help I'll keep rooting around till I figure out the last one
I appreciate all the help I'll keep rooting around till I figure out the last one
Essencay
Reply #9 Monday, March 22, 2004 7:41 PM
Reply #9 Monday, March 22, 2004 7:41 PM
New color problem and I don't know if it has to do with WB or SkinStudio.
I'm using WB 4.21 Build 134 and SS 4.10 Build 887
I've finally almost done my first skin...left to do are Start Panel, Shell Animations, Toolbar Icons and Logoff and Shutdown Dialogs (Alright maybe I still have a ways to go P )
Right now I'm using my new skin to make sure it is working correctly and I found one problem that I cannot fix....in fact when I load other skins (Pixel8...as an example) I see the same problem. So I'm guessing it's a WB issue not something I'm forgetting.
Anyways the issue: The "These Files Are Hidden" Panel used when someone has their C:\ Drive, "C:\Program Files", "C:\Windows" hidden by default. Won't show the "ShStNoModifyPage.bmp", the text "These Files Are Hidden" stays the same color as the Normal Blue XP panel and the gradient separator color which I believe is set under XP Shell=> Special Folders=> Control Panel=> Control Panel Vertical Separator, remains the same colors as the Normal Blue XP panel. Everything else in Task Panel and Special Folders is working correctly.
I'm just wonder if someone who is using the same build WB (latest beta) can check a couple of different skins on their PC. It's easier to see in skins that don't use blue and gray. Thanks
Hopefully I made sense
I'm using WB 4.21 Build 134 and SS 4.10 Build 887
I've finally almost done my first skin...left to do are Start Panel, Shell Animations, Toolbar Icons and Logoff and Shutdown Dialogs (Alright maybe I still have a ways to go P )
Right now I'm using my new skin to make sure it is working correctly and I found one problem that I cannot fix....in fact when I load other skins (Pixel8...as an example) I see the same problem. So I'm guessing it's a WB issue not something I'm forgetting.
Anyways the issue: The "These Files Are Hidden" Panel used when someone has their C:\ Drive, "C:\Program Files", "C:\Windows" hidden by default. Won't show the "ShStNoModifyPage.bmp", the text "These Files Are Hidden" stays the same color as the Normal Blue XP panel and the gradient separator color which I believe is set under XP Shell=> Special Folders=> Control Panel=> Control Panel Vertical Separator, remains the same colors as the Normal Blue XP panel. Everything else in Task Panel and Special Folders is working correctly.
I'm just wonder if someone who is using the same build WB (latest beta) can check a couple of different skins on their PC. It's easier to see in skins that don't use blue and gray. Thanks
Hopefully I made sense
Essencay
Reply #10 Wednesday, March 24, 2004 11:37 AM
Reply #10 Wednesday, March 24, 2004 11:37 AM
Bump
Also tried different skins with a released build of WB4 and noticed the same problems, with YellowAlien, Kryptonite and Analyze...just to name a few skins
Also tried different skins with a released build of WB4 and noticed the same problems, with YellowAlien, Kryptonite and Analyze...just to name a few skins
Essencay
Reply #11 Thursday, March 25, 2004 2:59 PM
Reply #11 Thursday, March 25, 2004 2:59 PM
I've changed the basic color for cremes to grays to avoid dealing with the problem in #9 
Getting closer.....Start Panel almost complete now....making it ultra-compact....no user pic or user name showing found a font to use that doesn't have any characters so they show up invisible 
| I've finally almost done my first skin...left to do are Start Panel, Shell Animations, Toolbar Icons and Logoff and Shutdown Dialogs (Alright maybe I still have a ways to go P ) |
Getting closer.....Start Panel almost complete now....making it ultra-compact....no user pic or user name showing
found a font to use that doesn't have any characters so they show up invisible 
Sput
Reply #12 Thursday, March 25, 2004 7:46 PM
Reply #12 Thursday, March 25, 2004 7:46 PM
Essencay - interesting...I tend to start with the taskbar and Start Menu to get a feel for how I want the whole skin to look. Then the Logoff/Shutdown dialogues as an easy place to start trying out ideas for buttons and the look of the solid areas...then menus...and only THEN start on the main Window components as they seem to just follow after that
Interesting to get an insight into different appoaches
Interesting to get an insight into different appoaches
Essencay
Reply #13 Friday, March 26, 2004 2:44 AM
Reply #13 Friday, March 26, 2004 2:44 AM
It's 'cause I'm left-handed 
I actually start with the controls first, then set all my colors and fonts and expand out from there.
I actually start with the controls first, then set all my colors and fonts and expand out from there.
Koasati
Reply #14 Friday, March 26, 2004 8:50 AM
Reply #14 Friday, March 26, 2004 8:50 AM
Startmenu/Taskbar is the usually the last thing I work on. I don't use them, so skinning that area holds little interest for me. The window frame is the most important part of the skin in my mind, everything else must work with that.
Essencay
Reply #15 Friday, March 26, 2004 3:08 PM
Reply #15 Friday, March 26, 2004 3:08 PM
Thanks for your help Koasati...uploaded my baby to GUIO today
Sput
Reply #16 Saturday, March 27, 2004 7:59 PM
Reply #16 Saturday, March 27, 2004 7:59 PM
I think it's because for me, the taskbar/start menu/logout dialogues include aspects of all the elements needed to be thought about, and yet their "simple" technically compared to the window frames/buttons.
I find that all the "core" window elements have many more unexpected interactions, so before tackling them I want to have thought about the design feel in relative freedom.
Horses for courses, and the great thing is that in skinning there's no right/wrong way to do things
I find that all the "core" window elements have many more unexpected interactions, so before tackling them I want to have thought about the design feel in relative freedom.
Horses for courses, and the great thing is that in skinning there's no right/wrong way to do things
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Reply #1 Thursday, March 11, 2004 3:25 PM