teknidermy

So. I want to make a skin for something.

I'm thinking of a skin with little animations or neat sliding buttons, in a format not more complicated than a text file linking to image files crafted in MS Paint. I want to have full control over the visual appearance.

Is there any modern skinnable application that lets me do this? To be clear: I don't really care about the functionality of the application, I just want to spend some time doodling around again in MS Paint and notepad.

Is there such a thing as a "modern skinnable application"? The only slightly modern thing I've seen is Xion [link], except that it works with PSDs, so you'd need PhotoShop.

Otherwise, perhaps check out RainMeter: [link]. It does a lot more than back in the days.

I've not skinned anything for desktop apps in many moons but I've been skinning for years on windows mobile devices (and now for the iPhone for several years) though just like making desktop themes got more complicated over the years so has making themes for the iPhone over the past year...

This Doreen character up there ^^^ can point you in the direction of potentially interesting apps to skin on your phone though.

Desktop skinning is sooooo yesterday. (or I should say sooooo many years ago)

Make that decades Doreen... ;)

My phone is one of those with two weeks uptime, and thus without a touch-screen, camera etc. So that's a no-go. Last year I did have a go at customizing an iPod touch, but somehow it was an unsatisfying experience for me as you never get full control. I did customize the iPod stand though.. -> http://i.imgur.com/pxMxU.jpg (that's the "prototype" I whipped up in five minutes from discoloured LEGO bricks, since then I constructed more of them as gifts for friends).

Xion is interesting and one I completely forgot. My last serious attempt at a skin was actually for that app: [link] (and also my last less serious attempt at a skin [link] ...). It seems to be a well maintained app with a fun (easy, accessible, I remember helping the author fix some bugs) skinning format. I'll look into it.

Rainmeter looks awesome these days! But a bit too powerful for what I had in mind. Going to play with it one of these days though.

I also found an image of the last fully skinned (not saying properly :p) desktop I had -> http://i.imgur.com/rEbZn.png Sometime in 2002 I think.. Sweet memories :)

Welll you need to find something to skin before the mood leaves you!

I go through phases which last anywhere from days to months and then I get totally sick of skinning and don't even want to look at it! (I think it's triggered by my hormones or something)

Since I'm mostly on this here netbook of mine these days, I'm more interested in removing stuff from what little screen estate that do have, than in dressing things up individually.

By the way, TrueTransparency [link] is an interesting one as well. It basically started as a way to have translucent window frames on XP and friends, but the way it does that is by... skinning your windows. Think WindowBlinds, but without six trizillion parts, no price tag and somewhat unstable.

/me wonders how that pekomon is breaking the link parser. Must be that one-letter subdomain.

And he better watch "i" that cuz Apple may come sue him over it too!

TrueTransparency looks like a modern eFX. The download page is down though.

I currently run winXP with the classic look. TrueTransparency seems like a way to make the GUI occupy even less screen estate.

It seems to be the fate of all skinnable apps to vanish from the web. And sooner than later. However, TrueTransparency is still available if one asks the Oracle for advice: [link].

The Oracle answered. App works like a charm. Low memory footprint, smooth, hasn't crashed yet..

I recall some redraw issues at times, but I can't remember quite what they were or when they happened. Anyway, fairly easy to skin and had a big (visual) impact on your system, so it should keep you occupied.

TrueTranspary has been removed from the computer. Over the past two days it crashed twice in the middle of a (powerpoint) presentation I gave. And when this application crashes it does it thoroughly.

A bit annoying when your computer has to be rebooted during a training ;) (instant break-time basically)

I'm playing around with Rainmeter though. I just have to find a use for it..

Reminder for all those interested in skinning: work and play don't mix well. But then again, I'm not surprised it crashed with an Office program. The Office suite tends to play by its own (foul) rules.

I guess I forgot about that disclaimer..

I'm now trying to chance the interface of my handheld GPS unit ([link]). It's interesting as it will come down to resource file hacking. Unlike Microsoft products and most phones I already found there are no "locks" put in place against this. Fun :)

Downside being that resource hacking is so tedious. Especially if stuff breaks down halfway. Yes, I'm looking at you, visual styles that go corrupt half the time I try to change something.

Indeed. The horror that were visual styles. It's a good thing we left those behind and evolved to the Windows 98 / XP classic look ;)

The resource hacking on the Garmin actually works like a charm. It helps that the binaries are not signed or "DRM-ed" in any way.