creating themes from .msstyles files

In your resource editor program, if you have the ability to edit .ini files, find your skins normal, large and extralarge .ini files and edit the color settings inside each file and then save and reapply the skin.

Should look something like this for the start panel color:

;-------------- Start Panel -------------------
[StartPanel]
bgtype = none
DefaultPaneSize = 0, 0, 380, 440

[StartPanel.UserPane]
UserPicture         = True
ImageLayout         = Horizontal
TextColor           = 255 255 255 (Edit the color here)
Font                = Franklin Gothic Medium, 14
DefaultPaneSize     = 0, 0, 380, 64
BgType              = Imagefile
Transparent         = True
ImageFile = Blue\StartUserPanel.bmp
Imagecount          = 1
SizingMargins       = 59, 60, 62, 0
sizingType          = Stretch
TEXTSHADOWOFFSET= 2, 2
textshadowcolor     = 9 66 139
TextShadowType      = continuous
FillColorHint = 31 113 216; Average background (blue)

and this for the tooltip background color is actually an image:

;----------- tooltip --------------------------------
;Set the color or image background for tooltips
[Tooltip.Close]
BgType = ImageFile
ImageFile = Blue\BalloonClose.bmp  (Edit this image)
imagecount=3
sizingtype = truesize
Imagelayout = vertical

This information was taken from the Luna.msstyles in Windows XP.

Hope this helps, been a long time since I worked on any .msstyles.

LightStar! Thanx very much!

I must have failed to subscribe to my own thread because I never got any notification of a response. This is just the kind of to-the-point, no nonsense answer I've been looking for!

So, this text you've pasted above is part of the Luna.msstyles file? I've looked at that thing a million times and don't recall seeing any thing like it! I guess I wasn't paying enough attention. Luna metallic is the base file I've been using for all my customizing.

I'm pretty sure I can edit .ini files with Resource Hacker. I'm on a public computer right now but as soon as I get home I'll search for them.

If I can't edit them with ResHacker, I'll find another resource editor. There seem to be a few freeware programs around.

Thanks again very much! I really appreciate it!

If you open the .msstyles ifle with a resource editor such as ResEdit or ResHacker, you will see a section called TEXTFILE.  You will find the Normal, Large and ExtraLarge _INI sections there, inside those you would edit the settings and then save your changes and re-apply the .msstyles.  Make sure you make a backup copy of your .msstyles file first though before editing, you never know what could go wrong.

Here's what I find in the string table TEXTFILE under; NORMALMETALLIC_INI

000D284C 3B 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 ;•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
000D285C 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 -•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
000D286C 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 -•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
000D287C 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 -•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
000D288C 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 -•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
000D289C 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 0D 00 0A 00 3B 00 20 00 66 00 -•-•-•••••;• •f•
000D28AC 69 00 6C 00 65 00 3A 00 20 00 4C 00 75 00 6E 00 i•l•e•:• •L•u•n•
000D28BC 61 00 5C 00 64 00 65 00 66 00 61 00 75 00 6C 00 a•\•d•e•f•a•u•l•
000D28CC 74 00 2E 00 69 00 6E 00 69 00 0D 00 0A 00 3B 00 t•.•i•n•i•••••;•
000D28DC 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 -•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
000D28EC 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 -•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
000D28FC 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 -•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
000D290C 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 -•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
000D291C 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 2D 00 -•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•

And there's a lot more of course.

That's why I didn't pay any attention to it. It doesn't have an .ini extention so I didn't think anything of it. 

Looks like the information you pasted is in the column on the right in my version of xp. There's nothing as clear and easily understood as what you've got. Even if I find the specific terms "TextColor or StartPanel, I don't know if changing it in this format will work.

I'll do a little more digging and see what I can figure out. At least you've got me pointed in the right direction so thank you once again.

By the way, how do I subscribe to a thread on this site? I can't seem to find the usual button. 

Jeez, did not see your response, sorry.  Editing that code is really not possible unless you are knowledgeable.  I never used those programs you are talking about, I used ResEdit 2.20 at the time from TGTSoft (since gone out of business).  I still have it here though and it was a free application, it is however only available on 32-bit.  PM me with your email address if you would like it.

Playing in Hex can really 'break things' if you get too carried away.

Eons ago I 'redesigned' the 'window' that is XTGold [a Dos proggy] by editing in Hex .... got it doing all sorts of fun things....then I broke it.

I still have the 'altered' version somewhere.

Back in the dawn of time/skinning people HAD TO do these sorts of things.  These days there are REAL skinnable/skinning programs eg. Windowblinds, which make any/all of the alternatives look pretty amateurish...;)

ColdWarBaby, You said you tried Windowblinds and didn't like it. Back in the day people like Lightstar, Jafo, and so many more had no choice but to use a reshacker for the system. Hell I even did it. With windowblinds and skinstudio you can change anything you want as far as making your desktop look cool and the way you want it. Not likely to get a bad answer on wincustomize but I'm sure you are asking these questions on other forums. You are going to try things and there goes your computer it won't boot or work correctly so a full reformat is in order. That's just my opinion and advise but don't understand when an expert company like Stardock which makes programs like windowblinds, skinstudio, andf others you don't just enjoy it for the few dollars they cost. Good luck if you wish to continue hacking your system. BTW, I don't work for Stardock so this advise is from and old guy that has reformated over and over again and since using Stardock programs that has gone away and now I truely enjoy my computer knowing it will look great and boot up everytime.

Ive used both and i HIIIGHLY suggest using SKS to build any themes you might be looking to do.

LightStar,

Wow! I've been so side-tracked I haven't even had a chance to turn on my PC for a long time.

Anyway, I found a download of ResEdit 2.20 on a German site and I'll spend some time figuring it out since it opens those text ini files as you described.

I'm just trying to get things back to "normal" so I hope I'll be spending a lot more time being creative again.

Thanks a lot for getting back with that info. Really appreciate it.

vStyler,

I've been away awhile and only saw your reply a couple of days ago. Sorry!

SKS? I'm not sure what that stands for but I'd like to know.

DaveBax,

Thanks Dave and I respect your opinion. I guess I just like the idea of doing things from scratch. I'm funny that way. It's like when I was a kid playing in rock bands I really didn't want to do covers. I always preferred writing and performing original stuff.

And by the way, in my situation, those "few dollars" for various programs are something I have to be very careful about. That's why the PC I'm using is like 12 years old and I haven't upgraded any of the programs I use for almost that long.

At 65, I feel I'm lucky to have this creative outlet at all.

I'm still using Corel Photo Paint 8 as my primary graphics editing software. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It does just about anything the latest version the over priced and overrated Photoshop can do so why go into debt buying a whole new PC with a new OS which won't support any of the apps I've gotten proficient with?

I'd have to "upgrade" everything, at considerable expense, and then I'd have to relearn a whole bunch of stuff just to be able to do what I can do already with what I've got!

And it's always interesting and fun to exchange ideas and learn from folks I meet out here in the virtual world so, yeah, I'll be asking questions and making comments on all kinds of forums, from tweaking XP to political science to economics to war and Peace etc, etc, etc.

Avante!

Skin Studio.

https://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/information.asp

https://www.stardock.com/products/SkinStudio/

I'd really recommend the Object Desktop Package... if you're gonna skin, then really - listen to vStyler and Lightsta, Jafo - they're all Master skinners, and DaveBax - who is a very good skinner... and whom I expect will go far.

The biggest drawback with msstyles is that it alters system files and therefore voids any MS OS warranty. It also is no longer being developed...

Thanks Doc. I'll keep your recommendations under consideration.

$50 up front and $35 year to retain "access", whatever that means. $50 can feed me for just about a week or fill up my gas tank, whichever need comes first. I'm just one of those old blue collar workers who busted his ass all his Life but never earned enough to to adequately prepare for the future, which is now.

As you can see by my response to DaveBax, I'm lucky to be able to afford the services of an ISP.

As far as MS warranties are concerned, my OS is so old they would have long ago expired anyway.

As to msstyles no longer being developed, I'm developing some for myself! It's mostly fun.

I have to admit though, sometimes I have to wonder about my priorities!