home-made skins for xplorer2 v2 beta...

[kunkel321]

UPDATED April 22, 2018
86th and 87th icons have been added.

Rather than continuing to upload the skin images, I'll just direct everyone to the official skinz page.
http://www.zabkat.com/x2skin.htm

FYI, here is a shot with the small (16x16) skin, then the 32x32 skins showing.


Actually... That above one got scaled down, so let me try
and post an image showing the right-most icons:


The below info is from years ago, but I think it is all still accurate:

STEVE'S CUSTOM
You MUST save the 16x16 sized one, and name it "x2skin.png"  

In ADDITION to this, take only one of the three matching hi-rez options
and name it "x2skin_XL.png"

PLEASE SEE LAST REPLY OF THIS THREAD FOR LINKED ZIP FILE CONTAINING THE FOUR IMAGES.

Note about renaming...
This is probably obvious...  But you wouldn't technically name it "x2skin.png."  
Your computer will automatically add the ".png" at the end.
You'd name it "x2skin"

If you WERE to name it "x2skin.png," the file would be "x2skin.png.png" and the skin would not work.

Note about compatibility...
Make sure you're using a version of x2 that has the new Ribbon.
It appears that the Ribbon uses only 32x32 for its large icons... 48x48 will get scaled down, and 24x24 will get scaled up (yuk!). So you might as well stick with 32x32.


OTHER GOODIES==============
A large image of the app icon:


LASTLY=============
Previously posted....

Here is an icon library (in .ICL format) that has icons which match the above skins.  
It's pretty big, 6Mb.  256 icons that include the image sizes of the skins.
HOW TO use the icon library:
(note this won't work in x2 lite)
If you simply download the above icon library and try to open it,
Windows will tell you there is no associated application, but follow these directions instead....
First go to the customize tab and chose something to customize.  
In the image here, I'm choosing "User commands" then "Organize."

Now the "Organize" dialog pops up, as in the picture below.
Double-click an item and the "Command properties" dialog opens.
From the Drop-down list that says "Icon," choose "Custom."

As shown in the picture, the "Change Icon" dialog opens.  
Either click in the location and type the directory where you've
downloaded the icon library to, or click "Browse" and browse there...

EXTRA power tip:  Notice that the icon chooser dialog always opens to the
same file at the same location: %SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll
(This is the Windows library that contains its custom icons.)
You can exploit this default behavior by putting your icon library in the
same folder and giving it a similar name.  First copy (Ctrl+C) the
"%SystemRoot%\system32" from the icon chooser and close the icon
chooser and the other dialogs.  Now click in the Address Bar of x2 and
paste the directory in there with (Ctrl+V) and hit enter.  This will show
you where your root folder is (mine is "C:\Windows\System32").
Iv'e pasted my icon library into that location and named it "Shell32xx.icl"
In the picture below, I've edited the location by changing Shell32.dll to
Shell32xx.icl and pressing enter.

The "Browse" dialog is cumbersome, so this recommended way is much easier.
Once you've opened the library, just double-click an icon to choose it.
(If you ever change the location of the library, you'll need to reassign
your custom icons because x2 will "lose" them.)

EXTRA EXTRA power tip: You can use x2's robust renaming capabilities to
change your "Shell32xx.icl" into "Shell32xx.DLL" and it will work just the
same, but it will be easier to make the change as in the above icon chooser
picture (because it's closer to the default name). I simply left the icon
library as an .ICL so people wouldn't think it was spyware or something.  
Also, you can name it anything, as long as it's a unique name--it doesn't
have to be "Shell32xx."

EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA power tip:  The freeware tool I use to bulk convert
my images to icons, then compile them into resource libraries is IcoFx.
 Get it from SourceFordge or some other other reputable site.  (You can
also use it to edit my existing icon library).  

Also, thanks Kilman for helping me figure out how to post this ...  End.

[FrizzleFry]

If you use one of the XL skins, how do you make the drive toolbar use small icons?

[Kilmatead]

As sometimes I can't help myself but to have fun poking holes in Nikos' confidence, needs be I point out that while the x2 beta renders the 32x32 icons from the skins above perfectly in either a DPI of 100% or 120%, it fails miserably to render custom 32x32 icons properly in DPI of 120% (while they are fine at 100%):

Normal:



Higher DPI:



Why is this?

Be kind to the blind.

[kunkel321]

Hmm...  Both good points.  I do not know how to fix.

[nikos]

the drivebar gets its cue from the skin you use, if you are 32x32 and above it assumes you like large icons and tries to oblige

if you are using extra large DPI see if you can find a setting/tweak to fix the system icon size to 32x32

[Kilmatead]

if you are 32x32 and above it assumes you like large icons and tries to oblige

I think what he's asking is "Why isn't there a right-click option to disable large icons on this toolbar, like there is for all the others."

And I would reiterate that query.

...find a setting/tweak to fix the system icon size to 32x32

The custom icons I'm giving it are 32x32 - x2 is simply not rendering them properly in toolbars (though they will display as thumbnail icons clearly).

It seems to have its heart set on taking a smaller size embedded in the multi-layer icon and upscaling it badly.  Or, even worse, taking a 32x32-only icon and down-scaling it only to blow it back up again, badly.

Considering that since Vista the MS standard has become 256x256, it wouldn't make sense to shoot myself in the foot, now would it?  Military doctors have gotten pretty good at detecting that sort of ruse since World War I.

Somehow methinks this is not a Windows rendering problem.

[nikos]

but your system icons are 48x48!

[Kilmatead]

...then x2 ought be automatically DPI compliant then, oughten it?  Whatever happened to integration?  Other applications which allow custom icons don't throw a wally just because I have a higher resolution.

And, I should add, the layered ICO's I'm using already include a 48x48 icon, so shouldn't post a problem.

Repeat after me... seemlessness, s-e-e-m-l-e-s-s-n-e-s-s.  It's got a soothing tone to it, no?

[maxand]

Just a small contribution. After trying out all the available skins, I settled for Kunkel's Classic XL skin package. The only thing that bugged me was the Parent, Back and Forward icons. I felt that the Parent icon should be the same design as the other two, only pointing up, just as in Kunkel's Custom XL set.

I tried substituting the Custom XL set, but found the icons too large at 48 px high compared to 32 px for the Classic set; also the Classic design seemed more restrained - for example the Tab and New File icons didn't have (and don't need) asterisks IMO.

So I ended up transplanting the Parent, Back and Forward icons from Custom to Classic after resizing them from 48 to 32 px (maintaining the same aspect ratio) using Paint.NET. This is now my current skin. Here is the XL skin for anyone who might prefer this variation:

32x32 px


Apologies to Kunkel for modifying your design but thank you again for supplying us with these excellent skins. I offer this method for anyone else who might wish to tweak an existing skin.

[maxand]

To apply this or any other modified large (XL) skin:
Download the .png file in the previous post, rename it to x2skin_XL.png and copy it to x2's installation folder, overwriting the file of the same name. Then Exit x2 by pressing Alt+X (Exit) and restart it.

You do not need to replace the existing small-icon skin file (x2skin.png).

[kunkel321]

No apologies needed.  The revision looks good.  :)
I also have had mixed feelings about the asterisks..  
The idea is that they convey the genesis of a new item...  
I thought it would be funny to have a little sperm cell next to
the folder/document to show "new.."    Hee hee.

Note that with either skin type, "Custom" or "Classic" you should be
able to use any size...  So you're not stuck with 48x48 for the Custom,
just delete it and put the 32x32 in the program folder and name it "x2skin_XL."  
Nikos named the 48x one already, but you don't have to use that size...  

Also, remember that if you make a personalized skin, you
should have a corresponding "x2skin" that has 16x16 icons...  even if you
never use the smaller icons on your toolbars, they will still show up in the
Menus.

[kunkel321]

Here also, are the updated versions of these...

[QT-Pro]

Here also, are the updated versions of these...

Do I need to see an optician or did you forget to insert them please kunkel?

[kunkel321]

They're in the top post of this thread (which I keep updating).

[QT-Pro]

They're in the top post of this thread (which I keep updating).

Thanks kunkel.