The right tool for the right job
Thursday, November 8, 2001 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
When you create skins, icons, themes, what are the tools you use?
What effects do you find are very useful in those tools?
What effects do you find are very useful in those tools?
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Jafo
Reply #2 Thursday, November 8, 2001 4:52 AM
Reply #2 Thursday, November 8, 2001 4:52 AM
PaintShop Pro 6....Powerdesk Pro to chase up files....Texturizer...a tabbed style notepad for my rc files.
Explorer optical mouse to point at things with.....
And lots of beer...
Explorer optical mouse to point at things with.....
And lots of beer...
BoXXi
Reply #3 Thursday, November 8, 2001 5:06 AM
Reply #3 Thursday, November 8, 2001 5:06 AM
I use Photoshop 5.5 for everything I do. Like Jafo, I also love my optical mouse, which I use on a large piece of green baize from a roulette table! It makes it super smooth to use, which is good when I am shading with the airbrush tool, or erasing (which is very often, lol). I used Kai's Power Tools 3 for a while when I started, but since I read 2 million tutorials I don't use it much any more. My other invaluable tool is my image viewer.
Kenray: thanks for that heads up, that is going to make MY life a lot easier too!!
Kenray: thanks for that heads up, that is going to make MY life a lot easier too!!
craeonics
Reply #4 Thursday, November 8, 2001 7:48 AM
Reply #4 Thursday, November 8, 2001 7:48 AM
Ken really loves his new toy. I'll stick with the one I have.
Anyway, programs used to create are Photoshop (sometimes combined with a vector program (Corel or Flash)) and Notepad.
Anyway, programs used to create are Photoshop (sometimes combined with a vector program (Corel or Flash)) and Notepad.
Transmutate
Reply #5 Thursday, November 8, 2001 7:50 AM
Reply #5 Thursday, November 8, 2001 7:50 AM
photoshop is my main tool.....and dreamweaver (if i'm actully doing some work )
I also love 3d studio max, illustrator and flash
..my optical explorer mouse is good too
)I also love 3d studio max, illustrator and flash
..my optical explorer mouse is good too
TasT
Reply #6 Thursday, November 8, 2001 11:39 PM
Reply #6 Thursday, November 8, 2001 11:39 PM
I'll join the crowd on the optical mouse...
PSP 7
PS 5.5
Note Tab light ( thought I'd like to see a Tabbed text editor on ODNT)
SKS if doing a WB skin
PSP 7
PS 5.5
Note Tab light ( thought I'd like to see a Tabbed text editor on ODNT)
SKS if doing a WB skin
GreenReaper
Reply #7 Thursday, November 8, 2001 11:49 PM
Reply #7 Thursday, November 8, 2001 11:49 PM
Notepad, Paint Shop Pro, Sound Recorder. SkinStudio is too big for my screen (800x600) and gets in the way of quick edits.
DavidK
Reply #8 Friday, November 9, 2001 12:07 AM
Reply #8 Friday, November 9, 2001 12:07 AM
For drawing stuff I use CorelDraw or Illustrator if it's vector and Photoshop 6 for bitmaps. To make skins I mostly use Photoshop to do everything and then Object Edit or Notepad to do the UIS/INI files. The viewer I'm addicted to is ACDsee.
Other indespensible tools for me would be Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, CuteFTP, Homesite, Corel Texture and Hardwood Solitaire...
Other indespensible tools for me would be Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, CuteFTP, Homesite, Corel Texture and Hardwood Solitaire...
feline
Reply #9 Friday, November 9, 2001 8:58 AM
Reply #9 Friday, November 9, 2001 8:58 AM
kenray - all that digging around is a total drag.
Bob Helmer at Shellcity.net hipped me to a program called "FileBoxExtender (FBX) that adds a "recent" and "favorites" button to every open or save dialog.
is there anyway to use this and windowblinds at the same time? i used to use a similar program that comes with powerdesk, but found that it was either that or windowblinds, and windowblinds won out
Bob Helmer at Shellcity.net hipped me to a program called "FileBoxExtender (FBX) that adds a "recent" and "favorites" button to every open or save dialog.
is there anyway to use this and windowblinds at the same time? i used to use a similar program that comes with powerdesk, but found that it was either that or windowblinds, and windowblinds won out
TasT
Reply #10 Friday, November 9, 2001 10:53 AM
Reply #10 Friday, November 9, 2001 10:53 AM
MIssing Tool:
Needed on OD a utility to remove the unwanted wbd files when working on a skin.. I have deleted them a couple dozen times already today...... on a skin I'm working on..
Needed on OD a utility to remove the unwanted wbd files when working on a skin.. I have deleted them a couple dozen times already today...... on a skin I'm working on..
Firestorm
Reply #11 Friday, November 9, 2001 11:02 AM
Reply #11 Friday, November 9, 2001 11:02 AM
For icon editing: IconCool Editor. It's buggy as hell, but it's cheap too
For bitmap editing: PhotoPlus 5, Wally, HarmTile, Teralogic Texture Maker. Plus SkinStudio, of course.
ps-- My first skins are finally nearing completion. They're WB ports of Stan Sy's Sakura and Cold Mettle Winamp skins (And yes, I got his permission before I made them)
For bitmap editing: PhotoPlus 5, Wally, HarmTile, Teralogic Texture Maker. Plus SkinStudio, of course.
ps-- My first skins are finally nearing completion. They're WB ports of Stan Sy's Sakura and Cold Mettle Winamp skins (And yes, I got his permission before I made them
)
adni18
Reply #12 Saturday, November 10, 2001 5:14 PM
Reply #12 Saturday, November 10, 2001 5:14 PM
I mostly use Photoshop 6.01 to do everything, for the icon sizes I use Microangelo and as a viewer ACDsee.
My problem is that I am doing almost everything with my laptop and the TFT monitor don't help me for the color details. I am still searchig for the best "color adjustment profil" for my Compaq Presario 1800. Any idea?
My problem is that I am doing almost everything with my laptop and the TFT monitor don't help me for the color details. I am still searchig for the best "color adjustment profil" for my Compaq Presario 1800. Any idea?
craeonics
Reply #14 Saturday, November 10, 2001 5:42 PM
Reply #14 Saturday, November 10, 2001 5:42 PM
Umm, the colour calibration tool that comes wtih Photoshop perhaps?
adni18
Reply #15 Saturday, November 10, 2001 6:55 PM
Reply #15 Saturday, November 10, 2001 6:55 PM
You never know Craeonics, how the colors look in the other monitors, using the color calibration, (it is hard stuff to do this calibration, have you ever tryed?). I am looking for the "standart" color profil. If I do something in violet, I don't want the others to say that it is pink....you know what I mean, that's my problem 
craeonics
Reply #16 Saturday, November 10, 2001 7:02 PM
Reply #16 Saturday, November 10, 2001 7:02 PM
I know what you mean, I've got a dual screen setup and the colours are different (tried to get them the same, but to no avail).
XX
Reply #18 Sunday, November 11, 2001 6:56 AM
Reply #18 Sunday, November 11, 2001 6:56 AM
heh back then when i was actallying making skins i used a wide varity of tools.
bryce ( yep rendered borders, etc )
PS ( mainly for editing but i made one purely from that )
paint.exe ( mostly editing but win2 is purely from it )
bryce ( yep rendered borders, etc )
PS ( mainly for editing but i made one purely from that )
paint.exe ( mostly editing but win2 is purely from it )
adni18
Reply #19 Sunday, November 11, 2001 6:41 PM
Reply #19 Sunday, November 11, 2001 6:41 PM
Thank you Jafo, I am learning from my mistakes 
I speak 3 languages, but my English are not very good in writing, yet
I speak 3 languages, but my English are not very good in writing, yet
misterME
Reply #20 Monday, November 12, 2001 3:17 AM
Reply #20 Monday, November 12, 2001 3:17 AM
I never could get the hang of masking in Photoshop/PSP. I use CorelDraw8 for shapes/gradients/etc, and MS Image Composer 1.5 for actual bitmap editing. MSIC is completely sprite-based, which I find much easier and more intuitive than mask-based editing. The only drag is that MSIC is *old* (comparatively), and it's getting to be a bit behind the times in terms of power/features.
Add me to the list for MS Optical Intellimice. I use one religiously. I keep toying with the idea of getting a Wacom tablet, but haven't found one yet in my pricerange that looks/feels decent.
BTW, anyone else have the same problem with the Intellimouse Optical causing the cursor to jump randomly to a corner of the screen? It's done that since I got it (about a year ago...).
Add me to the list for MS Optical Intellimice. I use one religiously. I keep toying with the idea of getting a Wacom tablet, but haven't found one yet in my pricerange that looks/feels decent.
BTW, anyone else have the same problem with the Intellimouse Optical causing the cursor to jump randomly to a corner of the screen? It's done that since I got it (about a year ago...).
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Reply #1 Thursday, November 8, 2001 12:53 AM
c/programs/thisprogram/skins/myskin
to
c/programs/myotherprogram/skins/theskini'mwokingon.
all that digging around is a total drag.
Bob Helmer at Shellcity.net hipped me to a program called "FileBoxExtender (FBX) that adds a "recent" and "favorites" button to every open or save dialog.
You owuldn't beleive how convenient that is.
Speeding up my "process" has greatly enhanced my joy in skinning.
http://www.hyperionics.com/files/FileBx.htm