I've been using SKS6. I'm a first time user of Skin Studio, though. I may install SKS5.

Thanks for the info, Mike. I'll keep using SKS 6 then.

Kitty...I guess what I need to do is just make some time and try to figure it out. What got me all confused was how to make the start panel. I was able to get the user pane, but then couldn't find how to get the rest of the panel in there. I guess I have been using SKS 5 too long...lol.

While it works,I will always use 5 to skin for XP...the new WB6 features can be added to the code directly.(their are only 3 new ones that I can think of offhand that are not present in SKS5...the new Start menu animation,blurring and new titlebar button additions)

For Vista,SKS6 is the only way to go.  

Even for Vista,I start in 5 because the Vista skin is based on the Xp one...once XP is complete,I get on Vista,open 6 and create a Vista substyle from it and finish out.  (at least thats what I'm doing now...arrrghhh!)

Thanks, Mike.

I have seen the Start Menu Shadow setting but was under the impression it didn't work yet in SKS6. I had already set it in SKS5 on the skins I am working on so I haven't verified that, but I'll sure try it on my next from scratch skin.

The Fonts for Classic Widgets can be a pain, but sometimes the font clash is a bit too much for me, especially if I'm using a distinctive font or fonts for all the other areas.

IR, I've seen that happen (font settings from a previous skin remain if a font isn't specified); although its been a while.

And since the ability to manually add code was put in a few versions back, it makes it even easier to stick with SKS6.


I like using SKS6. When I do open SKS5 now, it seems 'odd'   

CobraA1, listen to Mike.

jazzymjr, kitty's right ... the more you use it, the easier it gets. Before you know it, SKS5 will be the one in which you'll be lost.   

I agree Mike I use notepad++ for it has a good search feature for finding things quick in the uis or sss files. I only open sks5 when I'm like looking for a certain color for a certain area. With like IE7 there is a place where you can change the color of the hilight for the favorites bar. So I find it in sks5 and get the code editor to show where it is completely with what color I want to use for it and then open the uis file and find the code to be changed. I never save in sks5! Like you say - it will damage a skin for wb6.
But thats is about all I ever use sks5 for anymore. I have seen how you leave the code out for the system fonts [ classic widgets ]. This works really good with Vista. But I'm not to clear on how that effects XP. I have seen a skin some place [ can't put my finger on it ] where the code for those widgets was added seperate to the .sss or that is the substyle for xp only. It seems to work ok... but as I say I've yet to have that problem with XP and those widget fonts.
I've been wondering if there is another place where the system fonts could be edited at also. That for both XP or Vista? Seems as with everything in the past in sks. There is always a place to add something to get it working like you want. The ole skinner tricks that some always figured was an error with the skin. But was really a code added to make things work correctly. I like that kind of stuff. But things change with each wb version we go to and it seems somethings that did work before do not now. Or they do but differently.

For the most part on that - those fonts are held in cache now by wb and the system. But not always...
A logoff usually clears this and a login reloads whatever is set. But as Mike has said with the classic widgets - it can be this or that. I've found - it really depends on the skin sometimes. Like some skins I can not get them to change at all ever. Not sure why either?

SGT