Tutorial: Learn to skin WA3

[mc^^^^]

Due to a number of posts asking "how do i start skinning" i have made this tutorial on the xml basics and how to position and change the size of buttons.

If you change the main graphics with your own size png's it will freeform skin wa3. To move the buttons around here is an example.

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here is the play button in player-normal.xml:

<button
id="Play"
action="PLAY"
x="39" y="194" <1>
image="player.button.play" <2>
downImage="player.button.play.pressed" <3>
tooltip="Play" <4>
/>


<1> x&y are the coordinates for the buttons as they will appear on the player. eg:39 pixles across & 194 down.

<2> The link to the normal play button in player-elements.xml

<3> The link to the normal play button when pressed in player-elements.xml

<4> The text shown in the song info box when play is pressed.



And now here is the play button in player-elements.xml

<bitmap id="player.button.play" <5>
file="player/buttons-play-unpressed.png" <6>
x="0" y="0" <7>
h="17" w="17"/> <8>

<bitmap id="player.button.play.pressed" <5>
file="player/buttons-play-unpressed.png" <6>
x="0" y="0" <7>
h="17" w="17"/> <8>


<5> The button id as pointed out in player-normal.xml

<6> The picture related to the id.

<7> The x&y coordinates of the image inside the png.

<8> The hieght and width of the button as it appears on the player.


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Once you know that it isn't too hard to figure out the other minor bits. Hope I helped!;)

[Gonzotek]

Nice...

I had to figure that out by myself. Your explanation is nice and clear and very much appreciated :)

However, could you add a comment to the ID and ACTION tags from player-normal.xml. I know, they're somewhat self-explanatory, but...you know..someone will eventually get it wrong :)

-=G=-

[mc^^^^]

i dont follow

[Gonzotek]

Sorry, I meant just something along the lines of..

"Don't change the id and action tags unless you are changing the scripting of the default skin, and if you don't know what that means, don't change them ;) ".

You know, just to save someone the time it takes to find out the hard way that the skin breaks if you change them without changing the coresponding script and recompiling.

You explain it better than me.
-=G=-

[jezz-]

thanks [][][]-pyuria-[][][]
much appreciated...

[lunarboy1]

hopefully there is still more to come:) you should check with the WA3 unofficial site with all of the "stuff" or whatever that thread was named and see what they have got there. Why bust your ass on a tut when part of it may allready be there. I know pixelpusher did a lot of the tuts on that thread and might have covered some stuff that you might do.

Just trying to make everything fit together because i would rather see one giant great tut than a bunch of half assed not finished ones.

[KJ]

thank you very much for the effort :)

[mark e]

Ih my god. It's too hard to my brain.
Thanks [][][]-pyuria-[][][]

[mc^^^^]

thought i would bring this back up from like page 40 :)
people like this tut so i bring it back up for the n00bies :)


(sheesh, this waz back when i waz pyuria!:confused: )

[thepyr0x]

yeah it's a cool tutorial, but I found that stuff pretty self-explanatory to me. What i need is a tutorial on getting started on scripting...

[DJ ROACH]

I am building a folder for WA3 skining and including this in it, this is going to be my first time skining WA3 so I am still collecting the needed info thanx.

[DJ ROACH]

ok, I have compiled what I Know so far on WA3 skinning, This is all stuff I have made available to myself by just looking around.

A compiled How to Skin WA3 (http://home1.gte.net/res0ia5q/wa3skining.zip)

Credit is given in author

please tell me if I am misssing anything.

Thanx

:)

[kingo'mountain]

roach, could you please do a .txt version of this?

btw.... great stuff!

[DJ ROACH]

I just started working on it this morn'n I'll let you know when its done.

[DJ ROACH]

ok here it is, i lost it on the last one so youll have to deal with it until i feel like messing with it.

author of is lited in your explore as well as in the summary under properties

.TXT version (http://home1.gte.net/res0ia5q/wa3skinningtxt.zip)