Typical time it takes to create a skin?
Thursday, October 21, 2004 by kkkwj | Discussion: Skinning
I'm a newbie and even though I've read lots on skinning, I have never seen any information on how many hours/days/weeks it takes (1) an average person to create their first skin, or (2) how long it takes an expert to create an average skin.
I'm not talking about all the wonderful works of graphic arts that I see for wallpapers in the wincustomize suites. I'm just thinking of your average skin with a few interesting graphics for buttons and gradients and suchrelatively simple photoshop stuff.
Would some of you experienced people please tell me how long it took for your first few skins, and how long it takes you once you really know what you're doing?
Thanks in advance.
I'm not talking about all the wonderful works of graphic arts that I see for wallpapers in the wincustomize suites. I'm just thinking of your average skin with a few interesting graphics for buttons and gradients and suchrelatively simple photoshop stuff.
Would some of you experienced people please tell me how long it took for your first few skins, and how long it takes you once you really know what you're doing?
Thanks in advance.
DigitalCHET
Reply #2 Thursday, October 21, 2004 2:38 AM
Reply #2 Thursday, October 21, 2004 2:38 AM
For me, if the skin I'm working on is a skin I'm really into and like a lot, it can take from as little as a couple of weeks. Mostly though it takes me around a month or more to fully complete a skin. But I'm kind of a perfectionist so everything has to be done how I want before I release it, that could be another reason why it takes me so long.
I'm sure if I really put my head down and tried, I could make a complete skin in less than a week. I'm not willing to try that at this point though.
Maybe later. 
Hope that helps.
[Message Edited]
I'm sure if I really put my head down and tried, I could make a complete skin in less than a week. I'm not willing to try that at this point though.
Maybe later. 
Hope that helps.
[Message Edited]
Jafo
Reply #3 Thursday, October 21, 2004 7:44 AM
Reply #3 Thursday, October 21, 2004 7:44 AM
Litestep skins [themes] can take weeks or months of tweaking and improving.....especially when you get down to per-pixel editing...
kkkwj
Reply #4 Thursday, October 21, 2004 8:55 AM
Reply #4 Thursday, October 21, 2004 8:55 AM
Thank you for your replies. I'm getting the impression that for people who know what they're doing, the time to make a windowblinds skin is measured in weeks or months, rather than in hours or days. Do the mechanics of making a wb skin get to be really routine after a while, so that you can do the N different moves and bitmaps that you have to make in your sleep? What I'm getting at is the question of whether most of the time is spent in mechanical photoshop and layout operations, or is most of the time spent in creative stuff and tuning the look?
Koasati
Reply #5 Thursday, October 21, 2004 9:26 AM
Reply #5 Thursday, October 21, 2004 9:26 AM
Different types of skins, have different amounts of complexity. Since you've narrowed it down to WB skins, it's a little easier to answer you. Treetog has said it takes him 80 to 100 hours to produce a WB skin. I personally have never 'timed' it by the hour, and I too measure it in weeks/months. But I normally don't work on a skin continuously. I would have to say that I probably spend a fairly equal amount of time between creating the graphics, and testing/tweaking things. Of course tweaking things also includes redoing some of the images. And yes, as with anything in life, it does get easier the more you do it. But the more creative you try to be, the more often you'll run into a wall you've never seen before, sometimes forcing you backtrack. 
I would have to say that I probably spend a fairly equal amount of time between creating the graphics, and testing/tweaking things. Of course tweaking things also includes redoing some of the images. And yes, as with anything in life, it does get easier the more you do it. But the more creative you try to be, the more often you'll run into a wall you've never seen before, sometimes forcing you backtrack. 
NightTrainthedark
Reply #6 Thursday, October 21, 2004 2:32 PM
Reply #6 Thursday, October 21, 2004 2:32 PM
Two hours forward, one hour back, two hours forward, one hour back, two hours........
SelfExiled
Reply #7 Thursday, October 21, 2004 3:15 PM
Reply #7 Thursday, October 21, 2004 3:15 PM
It doesn't get easier after the first one. In fact, it gets harder. Because you want to do better after the first skin. With a new skin you need all new graphics too, and your standard is higher after the first one. So, your creativity margin is higher too, because you can't do the same thing again, and make it the same way. My first one took me two months, after playing around with the programs for two months. But, I had made skins before, so I knew my paint program. The problem is that once you start, its easy to get hooked and you may want to consider joining Skins Anomalous. Its really addictive. 
kkkwj
Reply #8 Thursday, October 21, 2004 5:04 PM
Reply #8 Thursday, October 21, 2004 5:04 PM
Thanks Kosasati, NightTrain2002, and ChasUGC. I love reading about the voices of experience-it's inspiring. Cheers!
Halluci
Reply #9 Saturday, October 23, 2004 1:45 PM
Reply #9 Saturday, October 23, 2004 1:45 PM
I agree with Chas... each skin you release, you want to make it better than the previous, and it is highly addicting...
and for me, I spend most of my time tweaking a skin rather than working on the graphics... i start a skin with already a good idea of what I want it to look like, it just takes a long time to accomodate and find workarounds to putting everything you want into the skin. That's another time consuming aspect... finding workarounds for the shortcomings of windows skinning, such as finding ways to make something seem to be transparent, but not, or how to position an image in an area which wont accept an image... and of course, I always spend a day just trying to align the username in the startpanel perfectly
and for me, I spend most of my time tweaking a skin rather than working on the graphics... i start a skin with already a good idea of what I want it to look like, it just takes a long time to accomodate and find workarounds to putting everything you want into the skin. That's another time consuming aspect... finding workarounds for the shortcomings of windows skinning, such as finding ways to make something seem to be transparent, but not, or how to position an image in an area which wont accept an image... and of course, I always spend a day just trying to align the username in the startpanel perfectly
SelfExiled
Reply #10 Wednesday, October 27, 2004 3:08 AM
Yeah, horizontally is no problem. Vertically, is impossible. Unless, you adjust the entire user name panel, which can be a real drag.
Reply #10 Wednesday, October 27, 2004 3:08 AM
| I always spend a day just trying to align the username in the startpanel perfectly |
Yeah, horizontally is no problem. Vertically, is impossible. Unless, you adjust the entire user name panel, which can be a real drag.
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Reply #1 Thursday, October 21, 2004 2:31 AM
Now, Windows Media Player skins, on the other hand, I can bang together in about 4 hours of solid work. Thats really giving it all out effort though...hardcore work. Most of the time, I take a total of about 1-2 weeks, with an hour every day being put toward the skin. That gets it done in a reasonable amount of time, and gives me time to fix my own mistakes.