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Windows XP Themes, how do you make them?
emberfly
post Mar 14 2009, 10:47 PM
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kthxbai
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I can't find any tutorials on youtube... cry.gif

How do you make them? Where can I find a tutorial? Do I need to download a program to edit themes?
 
emberfly
post Mar 14 2009, 10:56 PM
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kthxbai
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QUOTE
"The theme file formats are not public; Microsoft retains the design control for themes, to allow a consistent user interface and ensure design continuity. A theme developer's kit will not be available with Windows XP."
-- Microsoft

Fortunately, the theme API has been flushed out and now anyone can make a full-blown theme. Themes can consist of many different components ("visual style" window settings, wallpapers, sounds, screensavers, icons, cursors, even Windows Media Player skins), but we currently focus on the visual styles and wallpapers. We also host XP login screens.

The only tool specifically designed for developing visual styles is by TGT Soft and is released as a beta. Check out TGT Soft's download page. You will need both StyleBuilder and Style XP to develop themes. To create a skin manually download ResHacker and start off with an existing .msstyles file.

To see how to make a boot screen, check out this page.

Once you've made a visual style, login, or wallpaper, please submit it as a .zip file using our submission guidelines. We will add the submission to our site immediately after it has been approved.
 
emberfly
post Mar 14 2009, 10:59 PM
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oh i thought that was an error >.<
 
shakeene
post Mar 28 2009, 03:39 PM
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i run vista, sorry.
 
schizo
post Mar 28 2009, 07:25 PM
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Moved to...Webmaster's Corner?
(I don't know what XP themes involve, but this doesn't belong here...move it if it's wrong).
 
heyo-captain-jac...
post Mar 28 2009, 07:42 PM
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QUOTE(schizo @ Mar 28 2009, 07:25 PM) *
Moved to...Webmaster's Corner?
(I don't know what XP themes involve, but this doesn't belong here...move it if it's wrong).

Moved to technology?

Webmasters corner wouldn't be right either. This is UI tweaking, not web design.
 
karmakiller
post Mar 28 2009, 08:11 PM
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I hate to bully a topic around, but this does fit better in Technology.
 
Jghelfi
post Mar 29 2009, 02:40 PM
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wow, seems complicated? haha
well it does have a little tutorial in it which is a good thing if you ever get stuck on something.. but i will probably use this...
 
illriginal
post Mar 29 2009, 02:53 PM
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Making themes with Windows XP totally blows chunks. If it was straight forward using photoshop and making the theme all in .png (then later compress it into a whole theme) it would be awesome.
 
Jghelfi
post Mar 29 2009, 02:55 PM
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that would be pretty cool, compared to all these designers that use XP.
----------------------EDIT-------------------
i mean, well all the designers that are good at well, Designing Stuff!
 

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