Converting XP Visual Styles to WindowBlinds Skins
Tuesday, January 25, 2005 by Michelle Steves | Discussion: WindowBlinds
O.K., so I'm a newbie and most of you in this forum probably already know this, but this bears repeating for all of those who can say: "I knew that!"
Most of us already know that you can skin Windows XP without WindowBlinds. Simply hack the "uxtheme.dll" or run a program like StyleXP or StarSkin and you can load new Windows XP skins (called visual styles). This is cool. But what is even cooler is that you can import Windows XP visual styles (created by other programs) into the WindowBlinds .wba format. You don't have to give up "visual styles" that you can download from such sites as www.themexp.org. Simply have WindowBlinds installed along with Skin Studio. Just use Stardock Skin Studio to import the the Windows XP visual style (.msstyles file) and save it back out to a .wba file. That's all there is to it. You get the best of both worlds. You get access to all the .wba files on wincustomize.com plus you can use any of the many visual styles on all the other Windows XP visual style sites. What could be cooler than that?
I've successfully converted every visual style from these other sites. Even the ones that come with StyleXP. Now I wouldn't recommend posting these converted styles to wincustomize.com without permission from the authors. But heck, you can (at least) use these styles if you like 'em. Try it!
Michelle
Most of us already know that you can skin Windows XP without WindowBlinds. Simply hack the "uxtheme.dll" or run a program like StyleXP or StarSkin and you can load new Windows XP skins (called visual styles). This is cool. But what is even cooler is that you can import Windows XP visual styles (created by other programs) into the WindowBlinds .wba format. You don't have to give up "visual styles" that you can download from such sites as www.themexp.org. Simply have WindowBlinds installed along with Skin Studio. Just use Stardock Skin Studio to import the the Windows XP visual style (.msstyles file) and save it back out to a .wba file. That's all there is to it. You get the best of both worlds. You get access to all the .wba files on wincustomize.com plus you can use any of the many visual styles on all the other Windows XP visual style sites. What could be cooler than that?
I've successfully converted every visual style from these other sites. Even the ones that come with StyleXP. Now I wouldn't recommend posting these converted styles to wincustomize.com without permission from the authors. But heck, you can (at least) use these styles if you like 'em. Try it!
Michelle
 |
|
Page 2 of 2 | |
|
|---|
Jafo
Reply #22 Saturday, March 12, 2005 10:07 AM
Reply #22 Saturday, March 12, 2005 10:07 AM
Not sure I agree with this public disclosure of how to get around another site's 'funding' methodology...no matter how heinous it might be.
This is no different to giving ways to bypass Wincustomize.com's download cap limitations.
Just remember.....NOTHING is really 'free'.....even 'theft'....
boopish
Reply #23 Sunday, March 13, 2005 10:10 PM
Reply #23 Sunday, March 13, 2005 10:10 PM
Thanks for the help, everyone. Butch, got your e-mail and am busily fixing the skin (even tinkered a bit on some of the images..just to see what does what). I couldn't see any thing on the screen about "flat Menu's" - and I really looked, but since I really have no idea what I am looking at, I could have missed it! 
I might put up a screenshot of the one I am working on (if that's allowed) when it's done.
I might put up a screenshot of the one I am working on (if that's allowed) when it's done.
Cavan1
Reply #24 Sunday, March 13, 2005 11:31 PM
Controls- Menus- Pull Down Background
Reply #24 Sunday, March 13, 2005 11:31 PM
| couldn't see any thing on the screen about "flat Menu's" |
Controls- Menus- Pull Down Background
boopish
Reply #25 Monday, March 14, 2005 10:37 AM
Reply #25 Monday, March 14, 2005 10:37 AM
Thanks--can you tell much that I am a real newbie at this ??!! I just knew it had to be right in front of me, I just couldn't see it, and I even had my multifocals on!! Thanks again for the tip!
Jademeister
Reply #26 Thursday, April 7, 2005 4:09 AM
Reply #26 Thursday, April 7, 2005 4:09 AM
could someone tell me how to properly import the shellstyles that come with quite a few Visual Styles ???
It just sucks when you're converting a great Style and have the friggin' Windows Toolbar there... i imported a skin resembling the Longhorn UI, i wanted this one because of the toolbar buttons, they looked totally cool.
The Problem is that this toolbar is stored within a DLL-File called "shellstyle.dll" and Skin Studio won't import these
It just sucks when you're converting a great Style and have the friggin' Windows Toolbar there... i imported a skin resembling the Longhorn UI, i wanted this one because of the toolbar buttons, they looked totally cool.
The Problem is that this toolbar is stored within a DLL-File called "shellstyle.dll" and Skin Studio won't import these
Cavan1
Reply #27 Thursday, April 7, 2005 5:01 AM
Reply #27 Thursday, April 7, 2005 5:01 AM
Jademeister, if it is Longhorn 2 from ThemeXP there is no shellstyle.dll in it.
Josephs
Reply #28 Tuesday, August 30, 2005 2:30 AM
Reply #28 Tuesday, August 30, 2005 2:30 AM
Here is a Question for you, How would you Convert WindowBlinds to VisualStyle?
Cavan1
Reply #29 Tuesday, August 30, 2005 3:16 AM
Cannot and even if you could, why would you want to convert to something that is less skinned, and has less features.
Reply #29 Tuesday, August 30, 2005 3:16 AM
| Here is a Question for you, How would you Convert WindowBlinds to VisualStyle? |
Cannot and even if you could, why would you want to convert to something that is less skinned, and has less features.
Josephs
Reply #30 Tuesday, August 30, 2005 4:43 AM
Reply #30 Tuesday, August 30, 2005 4:43 AM
Why? So people can get their skins even if they don't have WindowBlinds
Please login to comment and/or vote for this skin.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
- Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums and downloading skins.
- Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
- Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
- It's simple, and FREE!
|
|
Page 2 of 2 | |
|
|---|
Reply #21 Saturday, March 12, 2005 9:45 AM