SkinStudio
Saturday, July 3, 2004 by Csurfside | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Please list a link to a good tutorial for SkinStudio to help me get started. I have version 4.3 
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Csurfside
Reply #22 Tuesday, July 6, 2004 6:40 PM
Reply #22 Tuesday, July 6, 2004 6:40 PM
Hey guy's. I just purchased "paint shop pro 8" Sry about the two threads being so similar. I didnt realize that Window Blinds and Paint Shop Pro were going to run together. 
Ill be back with more questions soon. Thanx for the help. Im eagar to start skinning and be big time like jafo and gang. 
Ill be back with more questions soon. Thanx for the help. Im eagar to start skinning and be big time like jafo and gang. 
Csurfside
Reply #23 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 3:14 AM
Reply #23 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 3:14 AM
Question? What is the difference between a TGA file and a BMP. I know TGA uses less size but can I make my file a TGA easily or please explain. Also, Can I easily take graphics I make in PSP and convert them to SkinStudio?
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SelfExiled
Reply #24 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 4:05 AM
Reply #24 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 4:05 AM
A tga file has a alpha transparency channel. This means that you can have invisible or slightly transparent pixels. Basically, you save the image as a PNG file, and windowblinds converts it for you to tga. The difference is that bmps don't support transparent pixels. Therefore you get jaggies.
Yes, but you will want to save them as a PNG when windowblinds can use a tga file. Or a bmp when this format is required or preferred. You can't use PSP default image format for windowblinds. Choose save as in PSP and use the drop down for the format. It is best to save your images in both formats(PSP default and windowblinds format), in case you need to make changes to the original and you have layers.
| Also, Can I easily take graphics I make in PSP and convert them to SkinStudio |
Yes, but you will want to save them as a PNG when windowblinds can use a tga file. Or a bmp when this format is required or preferred. You can't use PSP default image format for windowblinds. Choose save as in PSP and use the drop down for the format. It is best to save your images in both formats(PSP default and windowblinds format), in case you need to make changes to the original and you have layers.
ImStein
Reply #25 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 12:04 PM
Reply #25 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 12:04 PM
Great thread... a lot of questions have been answered for me also. Thank you for starting it 
Csurfside
Reply #26 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 3:51 PM
Reply #26 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 3:51 PM
Question? Problem! I tried to skin the little "Spin box" thats on the task panel. However once I opened it up to edit it, then saved again, it gets distorted. I think that it is because I am changing it from TGA to BMP to edit it, but then saving it as BMP instead of back as a TGA file. Does this make any since. Please clarify. If true, Then how do I save it back as a TGA file.
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Shameless Designs
Reply #28 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 4:54 PM
Reply #28 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 4:54 PM
csurfside, if you want to use .tga files in your skin, save them and edit them as .png files. Skin studio will then convert the images to .tga for you. A couple of tips for you though:
1. When saving as a .png for this purpose, click on the Options button in the Save As... dialogue.
2. Make sure the checkboxes for Noninterlaced and Optimized palette are checked.
3. Click on the Run Optimizer... button.
4. On the Color tab of the Optimizer dialogue, make sure you check 16.7 million colors (24 bit).
5. On the Transparency tab, make sure you have Alpha channel transparency and Existing image or layer transparency checked.
You can then import the image into SkinStudio and it will convert the image to .tga for you.
1. When saving as a .png for this purpose, click on the Options button in the Save As... dialogue.
2. Make sure the checkboxes for Noninterlaced and Optimized palette are checked.
3. Click on the Run Optimizer... button.
4. On the Color tab of the Optimizer dialogue, make sure you check 16.7 million colors (24 bit).
5. On the Transparency tab, make sure you have Alpha channel transparency and Existing image or layer transparency checked.
You can then import the image into SkinStudio and it will convert the image to .tga for you.
SelfExiled
Reply #29 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:05 PM
Reply #29 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:05 PM
It is also a good idea to put a check in the box to change tga files back to png files with Skin Studio before you edit them with you're paint program. You can find that checkbox in tools/preferences/image/editors in Skin Studio. After I finish a skin I just delete all the PNG files that Skin studio created. 
SelfExiled
Reply #30 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:07 PM
If you let Skin Studio change it to a PNG file you can edit it without problems.
Reply #30 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:07 PM
| I think that it is because I am changing it from TGA to BMP to edit it, but then saving it as BMP instead of back as a TGA file |
If you let Skin Studio change it to a PNG file you can edit it without problems.
Csurfside
Reply #31 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:35 PM
Reply #31 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:35 PM
Someone please do this to see my problem. Start SkinStudio, then click file-new-skin.
When it opens click on the Horizontal tray button to open it in paint to edit. Then just click save. It then gets distorted. Why is that?
When it opens click on the Horizontal tray button to open it in paint to edit. Then just click save. It then gets distorted. Why is that?
Essencay
Reply #32 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:41 PM
Reply #32 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:41 PM
When you click on edit in SKS for a tga file, it is converted to a png file and opened by default in MS Paint. Don't save the file just close it. When you save it in paint it loses it's transparency quality and becomes basically a bmp with a png label. That's why it's destorted
Essencay
Reply #34 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:50 PM
Reply #34 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:50 PM
Open up PSP and browse to the png file that SKS created
Essencay
Reply #35 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:51 PM
Reply #35 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 5:51 PM
After editing and saving in PSP as Shameless explained, use SKS to import your new png file. SKS will automatically convert it back to a tga file
Csurfside
Reply #36 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:11 PM
Reply #36 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:11 PM
Look im trying to but it's not working for me. Im trying to use the soame image thats already there. Once I move it it wont work properly. Just disappears. 
Essencay
Reply #37 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:19 PM
what image as in thisimage.ext? How are you trying to move it? Where won't it work properly? Nothing disappears unless you move it to your recycle bin
Reply #37 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:19 PM
| Im trying to use the soame image thats already there. Once I move it it wont work properly. Just disappears. |
what image as in thisimage.ext? How are you trying to move it? Where won't it work properly? Nothing disappears unless you move it to your recycle bin
Csurfside
Reply #38 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:44 PM
Reply #38 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:44 PM
Im having troubles skinning the "Horizontal Tray.TGA" Button. When I can edit it in PSP but what do I need to save it as? And exactly how do you import it back to SKS. It seems to always disappear on me. 
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Essencay
Reply #39 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:51 PM
Reply #39 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:51 PM
1. In SKS click the edit button for the HorizontalTray.tga. This will create a png and open it in MS Paint. Close MSPaint, don't save.
2. Open PSP and browse to the skin's folder and open the HorizontalTray.png file. Edit it. Save it like Shameless explained.
3. In SKS...in the section tree, on the right, where all the attributes are listed for this image, right-click on the first attribute Horizontal Tray Image and Select Import => Browse for File. Get the new png file you made in PSP and SKS wil convert it to a tga.
2. Open PSP and browse to the skin's folder and open the HorizontalTray.png file. Edit it. Save it like Shameless explained.
3. In SKS...in the section tree, on the right, where all the attributes are listed for this image, right-click on the first attribute Horizontal Tray Image and Select Import => Browse for File. Get the new png file you made in PSP and SKS wil convert it to a tga.
Csurfside
Reply #40 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:58 PM
Reply #40 Wednesday, July 7, 2004 6:58 PM
I did that to the tee. And still the image doesnt show up when I apply the skin. And it looks distorted in the preview.
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Reply #21 Tuesday, July 6, 2004 4:48 PM
...couple of things I'd like to add. By using the default Blue Luna skin as a base skin all the time vs. another skinner's skin, if you forget to skin something, you won't run into a copyright issue on your uploaded skin and it's easier for others to help you find errors in your skins. After a while, the blue skin starts to look like a blank canvas. png to tga is definitely the way to go
First one's the toughest, try to keep it simple and focus on how things go together. Once you understand SKS better, it'll get so much easier
Price-wise PSP is the way to go....I think you'll find that most PSP users that have also used PS will agree that for skinning, you can get the same results from PSP. Also most of the plug-ins for PS will work with PSP.