Help with titlebar buttons...Please

Can't seem to get them aligned/sized properly

from WinCustomize Forums
OK, this may be a dumb question and/or may have been asked before. I have searched the forums and tutorials and have been unable to find the answer. Thought maybe one or two of you nice folk might be able to enlighten me.
I have recently decided to try to create a skin. I created the titlebar and am trying to place the titlebar buttons (close, min., etc). However, when I create the buttons and place them in their respective positions, they don't seem to view correctlywhen I test the skin. So, you have a window open and you see the buttons..you roll over the "Close" button and the rollover effect seems offset (not that the button has moved, but like it is cut from the file incorrectly). Then when you press the button, it seems to be correct again. I have tried different layouts with different spacing between the buttons, and I just can't seem to get it. I'm using the latest version of SkinStudio (5.01.049). Has this been an issue? Can someone please help?
skinning
3,790 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Post a screenshot and you'll get an answer right away.

It sounds as if your images are misaligned in the image strip you built for the buttons.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'll post a screenshot when I get back to the house. I'll probably have to post a couple of shots for you to see what I'm talking about. Thanks for the quick reply.
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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OK...lets try this... here is a screenshot...



do I need a set spacing between buttons for the original image file? It seems to do this type of thing on my buttons no matter what the spacing...but, I'm a noob!
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
definitely looks like a spacing issue...each section of your button image has to be exactly the same size...if the width of your whole image isnt a multiple of 3...it wont look right.  
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
looks like the middle button has no borders  
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OK, so the answer is that the file must be exactly divisible by 3? I guess I should have thought of that. I thought that the program would automatically divide the image file in exactly 3 parts...no matter what the overall size is. I created all 3 buttons from the same image (so they are exactly the same size), placed them side by side, combined them and exported it as a single image. The image size was 83.4 x 18.8. I didn't realize that it only worked with whole numbers. So I went back and expanded each button to 30 x 20.1 which made the image size 90 x 20.1 and what do you know...IT WORKED!!!!
Like I said...I should have thought of that.

Thanks for the insight!

P.S. 83.4 is divisible by 3...it's 27.8
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
hehe fractions dont count    
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
So I found out...however, I could find absolutely nothing that would tell me that. Are there any somewhat updated SkinStudio tutorials around? The only ones I could find were so outdated that really weren't much help. Like version 1.0 and 2.0... Skinning tut
This was about all I could find.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yea no fractions, and no there is no updated tut for SkinStudio that I know of. Most of the skinners (myself included) find things out by either trial and error or by posting like you did.   
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I thought I read in another post taht SKS was getting an update.  Maybe an updated tut will come along?
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Man that would be nice. I have only been around here since '04 and I tried playing with SS back then. Never could seem to get it to do what I wanted. So I searched for tuts, never found any and gave up. I figured after a couple of years, someone might have come up with tutorials for the later versions of SS. Guess I won't give up so easily this time and start asking questions.