beauty is skin deep
beauty is skin deep
This thread was originally posted in the xplorer² Professional forum.
Moved here 19-May-2010 =fg=
=====================================================
here's the comment area for today's blog entry found at:
www.zabkat.com/blog/06Jan08.htm
Here you can also post your questions on how to create custom skins yourselves, and even show us previews of what your skins look like!
Moved here 19-May-2010 =fg=
=====================================================
here's the comment area for today's blog entry found at:
www.zabkat.com/blog/06Jan08.htm
Here you can also post your questions on how to create custom skins yourselves, and even show us previews of what your skins look like!
Last edited by nikos on 2008 Feb 15, 12:07, edited 1 time in total.
Firstly, very nice! An X² beta... *drool*
Just a suggestion here, and I hope I'm not out of line... have you considered offering X² licenses to the winners - just the few of them whose skins you bundle along with the app. I suggest this coz I've known you to offer licenses to people even for becoming lifelong X² advocates, and an offer like that would reach out to the very-talented non-X² crowd out there! Can't wait for it to catch on at someplace like deviantart
Just a suggestion here, and I hope I'm not out of line... have you considered offering X² licenses to the winners - just the few of them whose skins you bundle along with the app. I suggest this coz I've known you to offer licenses to people even for becoming lifelong X² advocates, and an offer like that would reach out to the very-talented non-X² crowd out there! Can't wait for it to catch on at someplace like deviantart
-
- Silver Member
- Posts: 281
- Joined: 2006 Dec 29, 12:56
- Location: Utrecht, NL
Well-o-well, Nikos, given in to the 'eye-candy clan'? I guess everyone has his moments of weakness
No, but serious, I'm actually kind of curious to see the next x2. Normally, I wouldn't want to sacrifice any perfomance nor functionality to good-looks when it comes to software (my Windows is always in 'classic' display, mainly because of higher performance and more efficient use of screen estate). But even I sometimes feel a bit frivolous (oh golly), and change themes on my Firefox browser. Just as long as it isn't really impacting general performance. Of course. And I trust that's in save hands with you!
Plus: the possibillity to use your own customized icons for user commands is really an improvement.
I'm really looking forward to this 'skin competition'. To refer to the words someone used in another topic: we finally can have some lace on our chainsaw! :laugh:
No, but serious, I'm actually kind of curious to see the next x2. Normally, I wouldn't want to sacrifice any perfomance nor functionality to good-looks when it comes to software (my Windows is always in 'classic' display, mainly because of higher performance and more efficient use of screen estate). But even I sometimes feel a bit frivolous (oh golly), and change themes on my Firefox browser. Just as long as it isn't really impacting general performance. Of course. And I trust that's in save hands with you!
Plus: the possibillity to use your own customized icons for user commands is really an improvement.
I'm really looking forward to this 'skin competition'. To refer to the words someone used in another topic: we finally can have some lace on our chainsaw! :laugh:
meaning of buttons?
Hi All,
Just curious... How do you know which buttons (icons) go with which pictures?
I thought there might be an ini file in the download, but didn't see anything... -steve
Just curious... How do you know which buttons (icons) go with which pictures?
I thought there might be an ini file in the download, but didn't see anything... -steve
No readme file...
Hi Snakebyte,
THanks for the reply. I don't seem to see the readme file... OR maybe I'm going blind, which is possible... In C:/Program Files/zagbat/explorer2 I see:
snap
changes txt
Editor2 txt
editor2_UC exe
editor2_UC.exe.manifest manifest
licence txt
registry txt
Uninstall exe
x2docs pdf
x2help css
x2help htm
x2SettingsEditor exe
x2tips rtf
x2tips txt
xplorer2_UC exe
xplorer2_UC.exe.manifest manifest
Maybe somehow I didn't download it???
Also, I don't know if it's related, but I noticed if I go to the xplorer2 Help Menu and click [Contents] it doesn't do anything... I'll go see if there's another download on the site... maybe an external help file or something...
THanks again for the reply..
THanks for the reply. I don't seem to see the readme file... OR maybe I'm going blind, which is possible... In C:/Program Files/zagbat/explorer2 I see:
snap
changes txt
Editor2 txt
editor2_UC exe
editor2_UC.exe.manifest manifest
licence txt
registry txt
Uninstall exe
x2docs pdf
x2help css
x2help htm
x2SettingsEditor exe
x2tips rtf
x2tips txt
xplorer2_UC exe
xplorer2_UC.exe.manifest manifest
Maybe somehow I didn't download it???
Also, I don't know if it's related, but I noticed if I go to the xplorer2 Help Menu and click [Contents] it doesn't do anything... I'll go see if there's another download on the site... maybe an external help file or something...
THanks again for the reply..
Doh ... nevermind...
Please forgive the reply I just posts, reinquiring about the readme file ... I see now that there is a readme in the folder with the icons!!
SOrry! :oops: -steve
SOrry! :oops: -steve
- pschroeter
- Silver Member
- Posts: 283
- Joined: 2007 Jan 27, 00:46
I'm fine with the style and the way the icons look now
Just so you know I'm fine with the style and the way the icons look now in xplorer². I hope any new icons fit in with the old ones, they are very clear and unobtrusive. I just want more of them to match practically any command that MenuHack can access. I don't want to look at seven hammers in my toolbar anymore.
xplorer² update, best Christmas present yet!
xplorer² update, best Christmas present yet!
Re: I'm fine with the style and the way the icons look now
pschroeter, Nikos mentioned that each of the individual user command icon is customizable. So no more hammers on the toolbar.pschroeter wrote: I just want more of them to match practically any command that MenuHack can access. I don't want to look at seven hammers in my toolbar anymore.
Nikos, rephrasing pschroeter's query. What about the xplorer2 commands not associated with any icons in the menu. Can they be customized as well?
Help! I'm an AI running around in someone's universe simulator.
not yetWhat about the xplorer2 commands not associated with any icons in the menu. Can they be customized as well?
obviously, that's the least I will do. But I think that the artistic people will be more rewarded having their creations showcased to a wide audiencehave you considered offering X² licenses to the winners
Images
Hello Nikos!
Probably now is the time to add support for transparent images in toolbars and menus. Thus you should use PNG SDK images, instead of the BMP ones. Both Windows XP and Vista use transparent images. What are your thos?
And second question about skin images location. Currently uTorrent uses ApplicationData\{appname} folder for its skins files, and not the executable's forder. This is because Program Files is not writable for users under Vista, for example. Maybe this is good to be like?
Regards,
Zdravko
p.s. by transparent I mean alpha-blended, with shadows etc.
Probably now is the time to add support for transparent images in toolbars and menus. Thus you should use PNG SDK images, instead of the BMP ones. Both Windows XP and Vista use transparent images. What are your thos?
And second question about skin images location. Currently uTorrent uses ApplicationData\{appname} folder for its skins files, and not the executable's forder. This is because Program Files is not writable for users under Vista, for example. Maybe this is good to be like?
Regards,
Zdravko
p.s. by transparent I mean alpha-blended, with shadows etc.
hi Zdravko
as far as i can tell, plain bitmaps can also have alpha transparency, but i'm no expert! For the 256 color bitmaps I use the "pink" background color for transparency. See the readme file here: http://www.zabkat.com/skinz.zip
it will have to be bitmaps because at runtime, it will be easier to load bitmaps without any extra baggage that PNG or anything else would require
as far as i can tell, plain bitmaps can also have alpha transparency, but i'm no expert! For the 256 color bitmaps I use the "pink" background color for transparency. See the readme file here: http://www.zabkat.com/skinz.zip
it will have to be bitmaps because at runtime, it will be easier to load bitmaps without any extra baggage that PNG or anything else would require
yes, I thought similar, but I did something more - I have sent an email to the author of great Phoenity icons Hope he will be able to make some nice icons (although he told me it would be nice if x2 icons can support alpha blending - that means: PNG is better than BMP for icons )nikos wrote:let's hope we'll attract some other people's attention!
I was thinking, in the worst case there won't be any skins to download immediately, but down the road there will be some user-created icons for all to share
but, BMP should be enough for now