-
How To Make Themes
This tutorial will guide you through the steps to use to make themes. You may want to modify or rearrange themes to suit your own preferences. (This tutorial assumes a basic knowledge of Win95/98/2000/WinNT.)
1) Software needed/recommended - a themes program (Plus! or one of the substitutes), a graphics package (PaintShopPro, PhotoShop, PhotoPaint, etc.), an icon/cursor application (MicroAngelo or other), a wav file editor (Wav Studio or other) and WinZip.
2) Create a folder with the intended theme name. Keep all components of your theme in the same folder.
3) Locate a suitable wallpaper image. Larger is better there is less distortion in a large image made smaller than in a small image made larger. You may also want to locate 3 other images similar in content or color scheme to use as logo files.
4) Convert your images to \"bmp\" files. Size the main one to your preferred dimensions. Most wallpapers are 640x480, 800x600 or 1024x768. (If you\'re making logo files, they must be 320x400.) Open MSPaint (one of the programs available in your \"accessories\" category), retrieve your image and set it as your wallpaper.
5) Open your control panel and select \"display.\" From here, click the \"appearance\" tab. Here\'s where you change the colors to match or complement your wallpaper. \"Desktop\" is the color underneath your wallpaper which appears as the background for the desktop icon descriptions. \"3D objects\" are the tool bars and window frames. \"Title bars\" (active and inactive) are the color strips that appear across the top of a window frame. Once you have all your colors in place, click the \"save as\" button and give your color scheme the same name as your theme. Then click \"OK\" to exit display properties.
6) Locate or create four suitable icons (my computer, network neighborhood, trash empty and trash full). There are many sources of free icons on the Internet. The names of the icons should reflect the name of your theme and the object it represents for example, \"theme name my computer.icons\". To apply the icons, go to your control panel and select \"display.\" Within the display window, select the \"Plus\" tab. Here you assign your new icons. Highlight the icon you wish to change, click the \"change icon\" button and select the icon you wish to use. Do this for all four icons. When you\'re through, click the \"OK\" button.
7) Locate or create pointers if you wish to use something other than the default set. Make sure that each pointer has your theme name as part of the name of the pointer (for example \"my theme movie.cur). To assign new pointers, go to your control panel and select \"mouse.\" Click the \"pointers\" tab. From here, you assign the new pointers. If you wish to use \"animated cursors\" for the \"working in background\" and \"busy\" events, many are available on the Internet. Once you\'ve assigned all your pointers, click the \"save as\" button and type in the name of your theme. When you\'re finished, click \"OK.\"
Locate or create \"wav\" files for the event sound effects. Many are available on the Internet. You need approximately 10-17 different wav files. The normal events for which wav files are assigned are: asterisk, critical stop, default sound, exclamation, exit windows, maximize, menu command, menu popup, minimize, new mail notification, program error, question, restore up, restore down, start windows, system default and empty recycle bin. Some wav files are appropriate for combinations of events for example, you can assign the same sound to \"restore up\" and \"maximize\" or \"restore down\" and \"minimize.\" For events other than \"start\" and \"exit,\" the time length of the wav file should be one second or less. \"Start\" and \"exit\" can be longer anywhere from 5 to 12 seconds is OK. To assign the sound effects, go to your control panel and click \"sounds.\" A window will open that allows you to select a specific event and assign a wav file. Highlight an event (asterisk, for example), click \"browse,\" and locate the wav file you wish to assign. Do this for each of the desired events. When you\'re through, click the \"save as\" button and type in the name of your theme. Click \"OK\" to exit sound properties.9) All of the major components are now in place. If you\'re using Plus to install your themes, go to the control panel and select \"desktop themes.\" A window will open which allows you to save your theme. Click the \"save as\" button and type in the name of your theme. Make sure to select the \"save as\" location as the folder in which all your components are stored. Click \"OK\" when you\'re through. If you\'re using a program other than Plus to install/apply themes, please follow the specific instrutions included with it for the \"save\" procedures.
10) Since \"bmp\" files are generally too large for use in themes to be downloaded over the Internet, you may want to convert it to a \"jpg.\" To do this, you\'ll need one of the graphics programs listed above. Open your wallpaper \"bmp\" file and save it as a \"jpg\" with the same file name.
11) To apply the \"jpg\" file as the wallpaper, you\'ll need to modify the \".theme\" file you just created. Open the folder which holds all of your theme components. Locate the file with the \".theme\" extension. While holding the shift key, right-click on the file. This will open a dialog box. Select the \"open with\" option. A window will open allowing you to choose an application with which to edit your file. The best selection is \"notepad.\" IMPORTANT - make sure the box which asks if you always want to use this application to open this type of file IS NOT checked. Locate the line in the .theme file which references the wallpaper. It looks like this Wallpaper=%ThemeDir%kiss.bmp Change the letters \"bmp\" to \"jpg.\" While you\'ve got the .theme file open, you might want to make sure that the path for each component line has the \"%ThemeDir%\" instruction. When you\'re through, save the file.
12) If you want to include logo files, use your graphics program to convert the photos to 256-color bmp files. They must also be exactly 320x400. The opening splash screen is the \"logo.sys\" file. The splash screen which indicates that shutdown is in progress is the \"logow.sys\" file. The final splash screen which lets you know that shutdown is complete is the \"logos.sys\" file. Make sure that you type the \".sys\" extension as part of the file name.
13) Locate your \".theme\" file and double-click it to make sure that your theme appears as you intend. If all the parts install correctly, congratulations! You\'ve made a Desktop Theme!
14) If you intend to distribute or share your theme, you should \"zip\" it. Do to this, open WinZip using the \"classic\" interface. Select \"new\" to create a new zipped file. Give the file a name similar to your theme. You may save the zipped file in the same folder as your theme components. When asked to designate the \"add from\" location, select the folder in which all your theme components are stored and push the \"add with wildcards\" button. All of the files within that folder will be compressed into the \"zipped\" file. You\'re now ready to share your creation with your friends.
-
good luck!
[/color][/font]
poor class
