RustyBlade

Join Date 03/2003

DavidK is on to something. His skin really out performs most other WB4 skins. Link and notes inside.

I am a new WB4 owner running XP Pro. I don't know what this guy is doing differantly but WB4 is much faster with his skin than about a dozen later model skins I have tried. This is most noticable while web browsing. Images and stuff load much faster. There had been a hit, but there I didn't care as everything about WB4 is so cool. Yet I have to say DavidK is on to something that should be shared.

I believe this is the link, if not just search for DavidK, then go for his Alien Technology skin. His smart buttons work too.

https://www.wincustomize.com/window.asp?Cmd=AUTHORINFO&accountid=96

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

https://www.wincustomize.com/download.asp?SkinID=3186&LibID=1

That's the link to the DL..

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Actually, David has a history of making skins that outperform other skins. He's been one of my favorites for quite a while *s*

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BoXXi

Join Date 03/2001

+393

David is one of the recognised masters of WindowBlind skinning, I am always amazed at the completeness and useability of his skins. Just take a look at "SETI Green" and "SETI Glass" for a perfect example of this mans design and skinning abilities.
Yep, David is definitely up there with the skinning Gods!

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treetog

Join Date 03/2001

+29

another curiosity abour Master David skinning windowblinds. All his wb skins are made just using a notepad.

Boy! I can tell you, the guy must be really a Master for doing such complex wb skins on a notepad

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DavidK

Join Date 03/2001

wow... I missed my hero worship again

Always seems to happen when I'm on the road... You guys are too kind.

Thanks a lot, I'm glad this skin came out so usable, that was the goal. It was originally designed to be an embeded interface shipped with a new computer so I tried to make it as fast and as liveable as possible. The project died and the skins sat in limbo for about 6 months until theGreenReaper released his transparency plugin and I decided it was worth finishing them just to use the plugin.

If there are any tricks to share it would be these things:

Avoid stretching anything. Use tiles for all the borders and everything else you can.

Reduce the color depth to 8 bit (256) for everything (except tga files). (probably the most important thing for speed)

Avoid transparency.

Clean up the UIS file in Notepad (which this skin could use some more of).

Include UIS1 skins for apps like Photoshop or Corel, or to just run as fast as possible as the main skin.

All three of you that responded to this thread are excellent skinners whose Windowblinds skins deserve the same praise for the excellence and effort you put in them. I appreciate the kind words, especially from such talented people...

DavidK adds RustyBlade to his Christmas card list

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DavidK

Join Date 03/2001

hey and my buddy treetog too! the acknowledged skinning god... thanks but I have to admit, after I make the skin in Notepad I use SkinStudio now to add the new features and check the code. There's always some new undocumented feature that you'll find in SS that you'd never know about otherwise. Like the "top" menu item graphic, that was a cool one to discover lurking in SkinStudio.

or I just wait for a new treetog skin and copy all the stuff he did

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good stuff!!! I have been reverse engineering your stuff and I have to say it is a marvel. Perticularly how you use plug-ins.

Yes SETI is one of my favorites. I have been working onmy own SETI (made one bitmap so far

) and I admire your work.

Sooooo... no stretching huh??? and the transparentcy? hmmmmm... that makes sense.

I don't get the notepad thing though, how do you know the code will work? Do you save if and then test it every other major save?

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DavidK

Join Date 03/2001

Usually I build a basic skin in Notepad using the new graphics which I make in Photoshop beforehand. Then I take another skin's UIS (one of my previous skins) open that in another Notepad and start copying code where it fits and just re-do any numbering or positioning variables and path statements. After I think it's safe to load it I run the skin and continue adding code and tweaking button positions and such with Notepad, re-loading the skin frequently to test it.

After it's mostly finished I open it in SkinStudio and start looking for stuff I missed or things I can add. SkinStudio does a great job of testing your code and it lists all the sections so you can see if you left anything out. I also use SkinStudio to generate a UIS1 version and then go back and re-do the code for it in Notepad and re-do the titlebar grapics in PS. Lately I've been doing more in SkinStudio, like the colors and text settings, testing the button margins, some stuff is easier to do that way.

It wasn't that long ago that a text editor was the only way to make a Windowblinds skin. If you try it I'll bet you find it's an easy way to make skins.

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Your alien technologie skin rocks indeed!!
That is such a nice AND complete skin...
I think we can add davidK to the 'expert' skinners list

(atleast, if you wasn't already on that)

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treetog

Join Date 03/2001

+29

"I think we can add davidK to the 'expert' skinners list
(atleast, if you wasn't already on that)"

Styl skinner:

David is on the Master skinners list indeed since 4 years ago, he is providing top notch skins for many different applications to this community, being one of the most downloaded authors in all the skins sites.

DavidK = Respect GO! GO!

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yup David is one of the masters
you need to check out his Doreen's TV windowblind (that's my favorite one!)
Doreen goes into brag mode hehe!
(Thank you David KISS

)

note to self: maybeee reinstall windowblinds after I finish resusciatating my machine later on tonight

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yeah, I did like that one.

didn't know at the time it was named after someone.

haha, you not the only one resusciatating you computer. I need a new one but I keep pushing back the date to buy cause money funds are low... reall low. empty really.

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werewolf

Join Date 04/2001

+28

I had to add something here, seeing as how Alien Technology was such an inspiration

I never thought I would ever like a green theme on my desk, but if you look at the screenshot on my profile there it is. Alien Technology Green in all its glory. The wallpaper, I think, sets it all off very nicely. I would like to thank Vlad for that as well, while I'm here.

Aside from the technical proficiency DavidK has, there is something I really can't quite put my finger on regarding Alien Tech. It's a very cleanly done skin and fast as well, but...it's the little things which are so cool. The menu graphics for one...I don't think I've ever seen the menus done like this, very innovative. The special buttons on the bottom are a great touch as well. Then there is the omniprescent alien dude staring at me all day. Hmmm. Thanks David for sharing your talent with us. I sure appreciate it.

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Doreen's TV!! Yeah, that's really a fun and original blind!

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