How long you been doing this stuff?

Skinning and using skins

Wednesday, May 4, 2005 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk

So how long have you been into "skinning? When did you get started?

For me, my journey began with IBM's OS/2 back in 1994.  Me and my friend Kurt Westerfeld hated the way OS/2 looked so when we made Object Desktop, we designed a new "look" for it that changed title bars, scrollbars, title bar buttons, etc.  When we did version 2, we made it so that other people could create their own looks for it.

In 1997 when we designed up the specs for a Windows version of Object Desktop, we wanted a component that could provide new looks for Windows (later called skins) and teamed up with Neil Banfield to lead that effort. 

43 Reply 2 Referrals
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Jafo
Reply #1 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 12:58 AM
Around '97/'98.... Litestep and some primitive things called Windowblinds and eFX.....though there was also 'Calmira' for Win 3.x ....not sure when that was...

Sleeping Dragon
Reply #2 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 1:15 AM
one year. Bought my first computer in January of 04. I'm as green as they come.

Snowman
Reply #3 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 2:23 AM

yikes.... have to think now

Ok, let's see.....
WinAmp got skin support back in 98 and I've been stuck in the skinning business ever since (started my first ever skin that year too) - I doubt I'll ever manage to escape (not that I want too either)

My 'lill' skins collection 'The Skinventory' got kicked off that year too. Went online October 18th the following year.
In writing moment I've got some 45400+ skins for over 200 different applications.

Skinning is playing a major part of my life and getting real close to being my life.... (Wouldnt want it any other way)

"Hi, my name is Snowman and I'm a skin-freak"


horiz0n
Reply #4 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 2:50 AM
Been doing graphical work on computers since 2001, but started on "skinning" in 03, though I hardly consider myself a skinner from just doing wallpapers and object dock icons skinning

tri1ogy
Reply #5 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 3:31 AM
Cool, I was hoping for a thread like this!

Well, for myself, I bought my XP about 6 months after release (wanted to make sure enough bugs were out of it...yeah, right). I was interested in its features, so I bought the premiere issue of a lil magazine called Windows XP, beginner level. I was flipping through the Speed Up section, when I came to the sub-section Your own skin. Huh??

'Thats cool', I thought to myself. I can create my own cursor, WMP bg, Logon screen...holy crap!! I found this place about four paragraphs into the sub-section. It even talked about SkinStudio.
...
Im not a true skinner yet. Just personal stuff, covering about 7 apps plus some walls. One day, though...one day.

And yep, I still have that magazine!

c242
Reply #6 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 3:58 AM
I started off in 1998 as a Ripper, originally. Being a newbie to all webdesign and copyright issues I took an old Thredz-design (yes, the famous one with the pipes) and adapted that to my 1st homepage. Of course he got me. Thredz 1st made me taking down his graphics but a few days later after I showed the site with m own graphics to him, he gave permission to use his graphics again. And so I learned about a wonderful thing called 'permission' and began to become interested int the whole skinning thing. Thredz and Dangeruss creations where actually the first skins I used and I still wish they'd come back.

craeonics
Reply #7 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 5:17 AM
Don't worry c-man, the frosticle up there started out as a ripper as well (SnowTech anyone?).

Been around since the dawn of time. Stepped aboard the HMS Skindom right after it started. If I recall correctly, I signed up at skinz.org June '98 or so, but I had been dabbling with shells before.

WOM
Reply #8 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 5:48 AM
WOM wonders whatever happened to Kurt Westerfeld.

Corky_O
Reply #9 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 6:19 AM
Skinning?

Introduced to and used DOS in early 1990's.

Started using Windows 3.1 in 1995.

Bought "Plus! for XP" in 2003.

Saw analog clock on a PC laptop in early 2004.

Found Object Desktop in April 2004.

Made first icons in October 2004.

Still working on my first Blind.

BoXXi
Reply #10 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 6:38 AM
1998.... Litestep....... made my first walls......... started reading tutorials......made more stuff........still making stuff, still using my original copy of Photoshop 5.5.

MikeB314
Reply #11 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 8:34 AM

I discovered the concept of skinning thanks to Winamp around 1998. I started playing with WindowBlinds off and on in 1999 and finally bought my first ODNT subscription in 2001. I created my first skins that year for PocketBlinds and soon after moved on to WindowBlinds and other apps.


Yarlen
Reply #12 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 8:35 AM
Hmm, I don't even remember. I think it was when Winamp first came out...

thomassen
Reply #13 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 9:26 AM
Yes, as many others have said, WinAmp was one of the early first. I was making wallpapers for a long time though. Since, Paint on Win 3.1. I never finished any WinAmp skins, but I made a skin for WB, I think it was around the end of version 2 and beginning of version 3. At the same time I was trying a number of diffferent shells. Even was working on one my self in Visual Basic. I also played around with hacking the system files. Changing the icons in the message boxes, enabling anti-aliasing for the system fonts in sizes below 12pt. Since then I've played around with everything.

BX
Reply #14 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 10:16 AM
My journey started sometime in 99 when I got awareness about Winamp Theming, did a few skins for it but then I came to know about SD WindowBlinds. Somewhere in 2001 I came to WC, I think it was the same month May when I joined in, and from that moment ... it has swallowed me.
So you can say .. I am as much old too.


Skinning is playing a major part of my life and getting real close to being my life.... (Wouldnt want it any other way)

BX
Reply #15 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 10:33 AM
still using my original copy of Photoshop 5.5.


Old is gold ..

Koasati
Reply #16 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 11:54 AM
July of 98 I got my first compter (I knew nothing about them other than people seemed to cuss them quite often) September of 98 I stumbled upon skinz.org ......... and here I am.

PurrBall
Reply #17 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 1:05 PM
Ehhhhh, I started around early 2002/late 2001... never joined here for a bit.... Just got skins and themes for trial software... Theeen, I joined here, and eventually got ODNT. That was when I was still using Windoze 98. Now, I'm using Windows XP, and I started BootScreens and then I got into creating a WindowBlind. A really simple one, at that, with my Photoshop CS trial and PSP trial. Now, I have The GIMP and have made another WB (Easteria) and a logon (Easteria) and plenty more BSes. I never knew I could be serving over 37,000 people. Heck, I know that's not as good as some... but........

gef
Reply #18 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 3:53 PM
About the same time as Jafo - early days

Matchbook
Reply #19 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 4:06 PM
A year and a half-ish? .. About that.

MarkMcQ
Reply #20 Wednesday, May 4, 2005 4:19 PM
7 years. And I wish I could have them all back.

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