How do you guys go about making your skin ?

[m_masta]

Hey guys,
I've decided to be bold enough and start thinking about making my own screen, but I needed a little feedback.

1) How do most go about starting out? Do you guys get all your buttons beforehand, or sort of build them as you go?

2) What is the better (read easier) software to create various buttons. I don't have much artistic skills, so I'm always amazed at the level of complexity of some of the graphics used.

3) Do people mind if some buttons from their skins are used/modified ?

4) What kind of manhours am I looking at ?

5) Any good tips for a first timer? Things I should look out for and avoid?

Thanks guys,

[Naylia]

Well artisticly I can handle drawing stick figures at best so I usually find a generous soul willing to provide artwork. Then i started by building off of one of the other skins, using their events so that I wouldn't have to do as extensive testing.

Time committment, well I thought it would be easy but the more you get into it the more things you realize you want to do. I travel every now and then for work so have found that it's a good hobby for killing time at the hotel at night while watching tv.

[jowaldo]

1) I kinda did that as I went along. To save yourself some trouble and from getting messy, you should plan ahead so the buttons have a continuous theme to them. My buttons weren't consistant in my skin, and thats what I've been workin on lately is re-doing a lot of them.

2) I use photoshop..

3) You can use mine if ya want, just give me credit if ya do use them.

4) As many as you want, depending on how simple or complex you make it

5) Plan ahead how you want everything to flow, the overall layout. Use other skins (I used stevens older default skin when I learned) to see how some of the more complex parts work.. that will save you tons of time.

[m_masta]

1) I kinda did that as I went along. To save yourself some trouble and from getting messy, you should plan ahead so the buttons have a continuous theme to them. My buttons weren't consistant in my skin, and thats what I've been workin on lately is re-doing a lot of them.

2) I use photoshop..

3) You can use mine if ya want, just give me credit if ya do use them.

4) As many as you want, depending on how simple or complex you make it

5) Plan ahead how you want everything to flow, the overall layout. Use other skins (I used stevens older default skin when I learned) to see how some of the more complex parts work.. that will save you tons of time.

Thanks for allowing me to use your buttons; I definitely plan on crediting "anything" that I may copy.
Are you artistically inclined? How did you go about designing the buttons?

masta

[jowaldo]

I wouldn't say I'm artistically inclined.. I got most of the ideas in my skin myself, but was "inspired" by some styles of different programs websites etc.. but all of the buttons are for the most part original. Colby gave all the buttons a glossed look to them for me, which really helped give my skin a polished look.

A lot of my buttons have just evolved over time with me playin with them in photoshop..

[Atlas]

I would also suggest searching google for "photoshop tutorials". There are several for buttons. Even if you don't want that style it will get you familiar with the tool...ie layers, gradients, masks, etc. If you don't have a photoshop copy, you can use gimp also. It is free. I made several of my buttons for my own skin using gimp

[rika]

1-2) I started with a blank canvas 1024*768 in fireworks and then just paste backgrounds and button png:s as you make them, that way you can easy set effects and layout as you go along. Fireworks is a easy program to use with the same kind of possibilities as in photoshop. When you are happy with the screen copy your png:s to your skins button folder and in skin editor place your png:s in the same place as in your fireworks screen.

3) First get an ok from the author. (I think that sharing is the thing when you publish a skin tough)

4) A shortcut is to use an already made skin and just change the buttons and backgrounds to your own. That way you don’t have to redo all the events in the event manager.

5)

5) Plan ahead how you want everything to flow, the overall layout. Use other skins (I used stevens older default skin when I learned) to see how some of the more complex parts work.. that will save you tons of time.

Look into jowaldos skin-posts a lot of god tips there...

Rika