I'm trying to compose my own themes for Winstep (FANTASTIC PROGRAM) and I would like to know how to create the needed configuration files, to create the theme from scratch. By that I mean all menues, shelves, and modules. I have read and printed the help manuals and none of these cover that (except to take from another theme and rename them) So what are : .nxs, .wsa, .wsm, .wsn, .wsp, .wsr, .wst, .wsw and .wsy? And how or what do I use to create them?
Thank you in advance for your time and trouble.[/b]

Hi Lynn!

The reason those file types are not described anywhere is because you are not supposed to edit the configuration files directly. In fact, a wrong value entered by mistake has the potential to crash the program because it bypasses the crucial out-of-bounds checks made by the Graphical User Interface (GUI).

In the old times (i.e. circa 1998) skinning was indeed done by editing configuration files manually, line by line. Users needed programmer-oriented minds to simply skin an application, as well as memorize what hundreds of command keywords meant - it was almost like learning a new programming language, with each application using different keywords to accomplish the same thing!

Winstep was one of the first (if not the first) to give the user to advantage of a GUI Preferences screen to do the actual skinning. So, the user enters settings through a handy descriptive GUI, and those settings are then stored as values in the configuration files.

Winstep Xtreme is composed of many applications and sub-applications, which is why you have so many different file extensions. Each refers to an application or object. To satisfy your curiosity, this is what some of them are used for:

.wst - NextSTART configuration file. Holds skinning settings for menus, taskbars, and everything NextSTART related.

.wsw - WorkShelf configuration files Holds skinning settings for the Shelf.

.nxs - NeXuS configuration file. Holds skinning settings for the docks.

.wsc - Holds skinning settings for the clock module.

.wsr - Holds skinning settings for the recycler module.

etc...

This said, the whole point is that you have no need whatsoever to handle those files directly or even know what they do. Not even I know, without having to look it up, which part of Winstep a particular file extension is related to - and I created this thing!

Before starting the skinning process, it is crucial for you to understand that NextSTART and WorkShelf (the major components of Winstep Xtreme) are two completely individual applications, although they do work together. In fact, NextSTART and WorkShelf used to be sold separately.

NextSTART controls the menus, startbar, tasklist, systray and hotspot buttons. WorkShelf controls the Shelf, the docks (NeXuS) and the modules (clock, recycler, cpu, ram and net meters, wanda, and the weather and email checkers).

The most usual way to start making a new skin is by loading an existing skin which looks as much as possible like the one you want to make. You then go to the Themes Manager tab, and change the NAME of that skin (and the name of the author) and SAVE the theme again. What this does is COPY the bitmaps and configuration files of the base theme into a new folder (whose name is equal to the name you just gave your brand new theme).

Because, as I said, NextSTART and WorkShelf are two separate and independent applications, you MUST do the above twice: once in WorkShelf (to save the new WorkShelf theme) and again in NextSTART (to save the new NextSTART theme). NextSTART and WorkShelf settings will thus share the same folder, but that's all, you will have to deal with both applications as separate applications.

After that you just keep changing bitmaps and settings (the later always using the GUI) not forgeting to save the changes as you go.

The best way to learn how to skin is by looking at other skins and understanding how other skin authors accomplished a specific effect. There is also a lot of trial and error involved, but, on the other hand, all the skinning settings and what they do is something that is extensively described in the User Guides. As you get to know the programs and the 'tricks of the trade', skinning them gets easier and easier.

Thank you so much for your quick response.
This does help answer my questions and understanding of the skinning process. I will get started with trial and error creating and practicing with this new found knowledge and hope to create many fantastic skins of my own.

Once again, thank you!

Happy skinning, glad I was able to help a little!

And please feel free to post any questions, troubles and findings into this thread - I'm sure your own process of discovery, as a new skinner, can be very useful to others who would also like to skin Winstep Xtreme but don't quite know where to start.

Hopefully other skinners will also contribute with their little tidbits of information, turning this into a very useful thread. If that happens, I'll turn it into a 'Sticky'.

I'm trying to work with the multi meters and every time I put them together I end up displaying 2 meters on each module ( 2 on cpu,2 on ram and 2 on net) Can anyone please explain what Im doing wrong or tell me how to do them correctly.
Thanks in advance

The meter modules have four different graphical ways of displaying the same information when using advanced skinning: Bar, Histogram, Multi-State and Gauge. Although you can use all four simultaneously, since they display exactly the same information the skinner should select the method that is more appropriate for the theme he or she is trying to make and leave the others disabled.

Except for Multi-state, which is strictly bitmap based, you can decide if the graphic is drawn or is part of a pre-existing bitmap (image).

When using bitmaps, for the Bar and Histograms the provided image is simply what the histogram or bar graph looks like when full.

The Multi-state bitmap will be very wide as it consists of a series of animation 'frames' along side one another. The frames would depict the meter gradually filling up, so the first frame would show it empty and the last would show it full. You don't have to have a specific number of frames, but the more frames there are the smoother the animation will be.

Gauges are essentially 'needles' (like the hands of a clock). You provide a single bitmap of a needle and the program will automatically rotate the bitmap around a center point given by you.

Your problem is, most likely, that you are using a meter background image which despicts a static multi-state image place-holder as 'empty'. What you need to do is align the coordinates of the multi-state image so it matches the coordinates of the place-holder in the module background.

If that is not it, could you then please provide a screenshot of the problem?

Thanks,

Thank you for getting back so quickly.Everthing you said in the previous post I have done so i'm wondering if the module itself is the problem. They are made in photoshop and the 1st layer is a transparent layer but there are 2 layers on top of the 1st. could this be the problem?
Thank you

Could you please send me the theme you're working on to the Winstep support address so I can have a look?

To export a theme, open WorkShelf (or NextSTART) Preferences, navigate to the Themes Manager tab and click on the Export Button (box with arrows pointing IN). This will create a .xtreme theme file of the currently active theme, which is the file you should attach to your email to Winstep support.

I'll then post my findings here, if you don't mind.

Thank you, I've sent you the file.

Ok, the problem is that your Multi-Image strip has 17 frames and a width of 944 pixels. However, if you divide 944 pixels by 17, you get 55.529411764705882352941176470588, which is not an integer number. Each frame in the multi-state bitmap MUST have the same width.

Because in this case it does not, what is happening is that the rounding errors build up and the module shows part of one frame and part of the next frame.

Thank you very much for your reply. I will work on this and hopfully get it right.

I just Downloaded this program and it awsome. I would like to make my own theme but im not sure on some things if someone could clearify.

I know how to make and draw pic's but where do i tell winstep wether to tile,stretch,ect and are there margin options so i can stretch only a defined area?

Thank you for any help and i look forward to making some themes.

At the moment there is no skinning suite available for the Winstep products in 10.x, this is because the developer, Jorge, decided to remove them and place them in a separate program. However, the separate program still has to be released (and is one of the things he is currently working at).

Thanks for quick reply. I hope he has the skin maker up soon, i would like to try for a free licenes if that is still going to..

Good program.. I tried Windows Blinds and Aston and this one is better by far.

You're welcome! We're glad that you enjoy Winstep.