New skin development> how can we start< (1 Viewer)

[csabal]

Hi,

I would like to ask some skin guru that, how can we develop and design a totaly new skin?
Is there a guide for this?
I know skineditor, but I guess this is for "only" skin change. It is very usefull but, I need more.
Can I find somewhere all the pictures of the OSD's, menu's etc. to know what we have to do? Are there in somewhere in the MP folder?

How can we start?

Thanks for helping!

cs.

 

[butcherBoy]

take a look into the mp skin directory. there you will find a lot of xml files and a directroy containing all the images.

there is no skinning guide out.

the butcher

 

[Callifo]

You basically just have to start with a base skin in the skins directory (choose one of them), and edit away at the xml files for each section. The MyRefresh plugin is fairly handy when editting positions, but to view graphics changes you have to restart mp completely.

If you cant follow the xml layouts, then the skin editor program is probably more for you.

 

[Harley]

Hi,

..the best way to make a new skin is:

1. take one of the default skins, make a copy and rename it .

2. open the Folder Media in the Skin, here you find all gfx from the skin.

3. go to your gfx programm like Photoshop or Photoimpact or another.

- start with a background in the size 720 * 576 for a 4:3 Skin.
- make a nice background
- then make your own gfx like buttons hovers and so on (you will need about 300 for a skin)
- best way is to make the gfx on the background you have made because you see the right size of it, so if it will show in the ready skin then.
- then safe your gfx in the mediafolder with the title they have in the original, so you will have it easyer in the next steps with the xml´s and you will see your gfx all at once in the skin.
- if you have saved your gfx with the right name in the mediafolder you must go to the skinfolder and delete the compressed gfx files there are two of them in the skinfolder. That you must do because mp shows the gfx after a installation only from the compressed gfx . If you have delete them, mp will make by the next start new compressed gfx with your gfx. That step you must make averytime you changed a gfx in your mediafolder.
- now you must make the right positions and sizes , therefore you must edit all the xml´s
- there you have two ways, you can make it with the skineditor or you make it with a xmleditor and with smirnoffs plugin.
- with the skineditor you will have some problems in some screens because the editor is not uptodate with the new screens,so at the moment the best way is to make it with a xmleditor and with smirnoffs plugin.

Ok so now you can start, i hope we will have in the next time more Skins for mp and for the skinpage :wink:

Greetings 8) Harley