There used to be a "Skinning the dock" file in the C:\Program Files\Stardock\ObjectDock directory......doesn't seem to be rthere in v2. I guess the wiki is the best info available now.

Thanks for answering Lantec

Check with Webgizmo or Cavan1. They may still have a copy (or at least excellent advice).

New tags OD2

HeightAdjust=0            ;new flag in 2.0 for making the background taller
ReflectionHeight=25        ;new flag in 2.0 to describe how much icon to reflect
ReflectionOffset=15        ;new flag in 2.0 to describe how much to offset the reflection by
ReflectionTaperOffAmount=15    ;new flag in 2.0 to describe how much to taper off the reflection
ReflectionTransparency=40    ;new flag in 2.0 to describe how transparent the reflection should be

EdgeOffset = 0            ;new flag in 2.0 for moving the entire dock off the edge
IconEdgeOffset=20        ;new flag in 2.0 for moving the dock's icons off the edge
SeparatorEdgeOffset = 20    ;new flag in 2.0 for moving the separator off the edge

IndicatorOffset=-22        ;new flag in 2.0 for specifying the distance from the edge for the indicator. this value is best determined by going to the "Choose running indicator" of the "Style" area when viewing this skin on a dock, and adjusting the position of the separator until seen fit. This value can be specified independantly for each edge, or in the "Info" section to be a default for all edges

Skinning the dock from 1.9

Guide to Skinning Stardock ObjectDock Plus, Backgrounds/Tiles/Tabs ini's
v2.0 RC1, by Jeff Bargmann, Stardock

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

*Info section describes skin basic information.
-Note, When creating a skin you can either include just a background (and/or tiles) only,
   or you can also include tabs, but never tabs only.


[Info]
Name = Simple Tabs        ; Name of skin


ColorMe = 1            ; specifies that this background/tabset wants to be colorized by default.
                ; Usually want 0 for color image backgrounds for just the dock
                ; usually want 1 for grayscale png's setup for use on tabbed docks.
                ; 0 By default.



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

*SETTING UP A TILE IMAGE FOR EACH ITEMS' BACKGROUND
*To have tiles, such as little gradients, as backgrounds for each individual item/entry,
  define the following section, using the standard image tags.

[Tile]
Image = tile.png        ; relative path of image
TopHeight = 2            ; top    margin to draw before starting to stretch/tile
BottomHeight = 2        ; bottom margin to draw before starting to stretch/tile
LeftWidth = 2            ; left   margin to draw before starting to stretch/tile
RightWidth = 2            ; right  margin to draw before starting to stretch/tile
TileCenter = 0             ; don't tile horizontally (0)
TileVCenter = 1            ; tile vertically (1)

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

*SETTING UP A FULL BACKGROUND IMAGE
To set a general background for your dock or tabbed dock, use the sections:


[Background] OR [BackgroundBottom]
  -the default, used if backgrounds for others are not specifically defined
  -used for docks docked to the bottom of the screen
  -for tabbed docks, used when the tabs are on top (e.g. when it is docked on bottom)


[BackgroundTop]
  -used for docks docked to the top of the screen
  -for tabbed docks, used when the tabs are on bottom (e.g. when it is docked on top)


[BackgroundLeft]
  -used for docks docked to the left of the screen
  -for tabbed docks, used when the tabs are on right (e.g. when it is docked on left)


[BackgroundRight]
  -used for docks docked to the right of the screen
  -for tabbed docks, used when the tabs are on left (e.g. when it is docked on right)


*on the above sections, you'll use the standard set of tags that you can use for images
  (Image, LeftWidth, RightWidth, TopHeight, BottomHeight, TileCenter, and TileVCenter)


*ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND TAGS:

----
OutsideBorderTop    = 2    ; Adds onto TopHeight, BottomHeight, etc respectively.
OutsideBorderBottom    = 10    ; Designates part of image to be as a "shadow" and draw
OutsideBorderLeft    = 2    ;  outside the confines of where it would normally draw, like a
OutsideBorderRight    = 8    ;  shadow would.
                ; There are independent tags for each edge.
                ; The default for all is 0, so don't use if not needed
----

TabsOutsideBorderTop = 0    ; Same as OutsideBorder* tags, except that they don't add on to
TabsOutsideBorderLeft = 0    ;  the TopHeight, BottomHeight, etc tags.
TabsOutsideBorderBottom = 0    ; Also, these *only have effect when used on a tabbed dock*
TabsOutsideBorderRight = 0    ; Main use, if for example you want your tabs to cut down into the         
                ;  background slightly you could use this on the tabbed edge
                ;  for that given background section.
                ; Again, defaults as zero.
----

ContentBufferTop = 6        ; For tabbed docks only, sets so that the content area on a
ContentBufferLeft = 0        ;  given edge when using a given background is given the specified buffer.
ContentBufferBottom = 0        ; Example use, say if we have a large bar separating the tabs
ContentBufferBottom = 0        ;  and the content on the top edge, we can add a content buffer there.
                ; Defaults as zero, so don't use when not necessary
----



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


*DEFINING SEPARATORS FOR DOCKS
-To define your separator for magnifying (non-tabbed) docks, use the standard image tag sets in the
  following sections

[Separator] OR [SeparatorBottom]
  -follows the same pattern as [Background] and [BackgroundBottom] as detailed above for which
    is used when.

[SeparatorTop]

[SeparatorLeft]

[SeparatorRight]


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


*DEFINING TABS
-For tabs, we can define tab images for use on tabbed docks. There can be different tab images for each of the edges the tabs can be on (ALL REQUIRED if you are defining tabs with your background), and also you can have different images for their selected states too.


[TabsOnTop]
[TabsOnTopSelected]
  -Used when the tabs are on top. The first, when the given tab is not selected,
    and the second (not required) is used when the tab is selected.

[TabsOnBottom]
[TabsOnBottomSelected]
  -etc etc, same pattern

[TabsOnLeft]
[TabsOnLeftSelected]
  -etc etc, same pattern

[TabsOnRight]
[TabsOnRightSelected]
  -etc etc, same pattern


*ADDITIONAL TAGS FOR TAB SECTIONS

TextVertOffset = 0        ; 0 by default, but you can shift the text for any given state
                   of tabs on any side by a given number of pixels up/left
                   (negative value) or down/right (positive value) by using this.
                   Can give illusion of tab moving up/down as it is (un)selected.
        


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

*ADDITIONAL TABS-RELATED TAGS IN [INFO]
-The following tags are for use in the [Info] section, and further define tab appearance/behavior

[Info]

TextColor = 0 0 0        ; tabs text color (not needed if not defining tabs)
ShadowColor = 255 255 255    ; tabs text shadow color (not needed if not defining tabs)


TabOverlapLeft = 5        ; Each are *5 by default*, and recommended for rounded tabs
TabOverlapRight = 5        ; If you're using square tabs however, to stop your tabs from
                ;  overlapping eachothers' edges, set this and its Right
                ;  counterpart to 0.


TabContentBufferLeft = 0    ; Each are 0 by default, but if you want your tabs to have extra room
TabContentBufferRight = 0    ; on the left/right side because you have large graphics on the sides
                ; of your tab image, use these.
                ; (NOTE!! LEFT/RIGHT tags only, here LEFT=TOP and RIGHT=BOTTOM)
                ;  when tabs are on other edges!)


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

*PLUS/MINUS IMAGES ON TABBED DOCKS
-On the occasion a user has filled a collection on a tabbed dock to larger than can be shown, plus/minus items will be shown. If you have defined tabs and a background both, you can specify custom plus/minus images also if you wish.

use:
[Extras]
PlusImage = my_plus_image.png  ; image 128x128 or 192x192 in size recommended
MinusImage = my_minus_image.png


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


*A FEW WORDS ON COLORIZATION METHODS
When creating an image that you want to have be colorized, still make it a 32bit PNG, but ideally have it be black and white. The colorizing method used by ObjectDock leaves blacks as black, and whites as white, and then for all the shades inbetween will add a varying degree of color. Pixels with the RGB value 128,128,128 will receive the exact color specified by the user, where shades of gray closer to zero will result in darker more pronounced variations of the color. Grayscales closer to white (255) will result in a light soft variation of the color. A side note, usually find that strong edges are a good thing! Happy skinning

Way to go Steve!

Ten big ones for that Cavan1. That goes to my help files for future reference.

Yeah way to go Ste, oh wait you meant this Steve (me)

Yeah...I was gonna say thanks Lantec...but it's the other Steve!

Great Steve, Thank you.

  Thanks Cavan that is exactly what I was looking for.

ready to help with tips and sharing ideas ... right now just recalling and adding to the Cavan1 very useful list

the [Foreground] flag (the image will stay in front of the icons)

like the [Background] flag you can also set the 4 different positions flags

[ForegroundBottom]

[ForegroundTop]

[ForegroundLeft]

[ForegroundRight]

here you go for a sample https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/objectdock/16186/

One more to add to my files. Thanks

my pleasure !

Thanks for the addition info Frankell