Out of all the skin making programs which one is best and

Miaka_22 · 28th March 2002, 15:53

which one should I start out with? If I have to start with a simple one to get the hang of it I will but then I want to move to a more advanced one. If there is one that does all that please let me know.

Atmo · 28th March 2002, 16:14

The best skin making programs are your own creativity and a graphics program like:

MSPaint
Paint Shop Pro
Photoshop
Gimp
(There's more but these are the most popular)

If your talking a program that does the skinning for you (dont recommend em but they do serve a purpose) take a look around the generated section of the winamp.com skins database until you find one with a style you like and have a look in the readme if the author has included one..

Mr Jones · 28th March 2002, 18:30

http://www.1001winampskins.com/winamp_skin_tools.html

StillWater · 29th March 2002, 02:28

I agree with Atmo, it's always much better to use a graphics program and do it yourself, you're much freer, and you will inevitably create a much better and much more personally rewarding skin.

But there are a couple of tools to make the task less ardous. The link Mr. Jones has given you is good.

I would definitely recommend the "wizard" program in that link. You do your overall design on the Main.bmp (the base of your main window), and then use the wizard to extract the excact parts it needs into the other files (such as the play/pause etc. button file, or the shuffle/repeat button file etc.) You can then edit those files, knowing that they will be perfectly lined up with the base. If you don't know what I mean, you will soon enough once you start skinning.

Also, once you've completely finished your skin, it's worthwhile getting the "decreaser" program from that link as well. It makes your skin smaller (Kilobytes-wise) without at all sacrificing any picture quality. It works for most skins, but I had a problem with a couple, so make a backup of your skin first, just in case it doesn't work. If it works, it should be fine. I made one of my skins go from about 205Kb to 146Kb. This is good, because often people will be discouraged from downloading your skin if they see that it is too large. If your skin is a picture skin, it will be quite large. It will also have a larger percentage cut from it when decreased.

Atmo · 29th March 2002, 07:14

Theres nothing wrong with skinning programs, it's just that they really limit what can be done..there are skinners that are good now that actually made their first skins in programs, then after they'd learned a bit about them they graduated to using photoshop/psp/mspain etc...

~Supey · 29th March 2002, 14:36

Quote:

Originally posted by Atmo The Freak
...graduated to using photoshop/psp/mspain etc...

teehee
I've expected someone to call it that for a while...

you could also call it MSPainNTArse

StillWater · 29th March 2002, 14:55

Quote:

Originally posted by ~Supey

teehee
I've expected someone to call it that for a while...
you could also call it MSPainNTArse

Couldn't agree more

Atmo · 29th March 2002, 15:13

LOL...i actually saw that typo after i made that post...was too lazy to edit it as i was really tired...i didnt think it'd get noticed...

MSPainNTArse

~Supey · 29th March 2002, 15:28

hmm...it's kinda ironic tho...I stayed up till 4 last, er, this mornig using MSPainNTArse

and those buttons in my sig were made using MSPainNTArse too...

oh well....I guess I'm just thilly

skinme! · 29th March 2002, 17:52

Quote:

Originally posted by dbleja
Often people will be discouraged from downloading your skin if they see that it is too large.

Alternatively, just make your skin irrestibly good.

Atmo · 29th March 2002, 18:00

Who really looks at the size of the file anyway?? Im on 28k dialup (woohoo australia has brilliant phone line quality

) and even a big skin doesnt take that long to download...

If its good, the size of the skin doesnt matter...

~Supey · 29th March 2002, 18:05

actually it sometimes does...

my computer's about dead and the hdd's are all full so I had to go through and delete almost all of my favorite skins so the computer would stop crashing every two minutes

size does matter...only just a little

skinme! · 29th March 2002, 19:55

Quote:

Originally posted by ~Supey
size does matter

So that's why the pretty girls always laugh in my face... i'll fix them thar pesky gurls.

StillWater · 30th March 2002, 00:07

I've seen more than one review on winamp.com saying something like "5 stars. great skin, I really like this, this and this. But 200kb, it's just a bit too big for me to download"

Atmo · 30th March 2002, 09:27

Ive downloaded an 800kb skin...but for that size everything possible must be skinned...most of mine are around the 200kb mark, and at 28k only take a minute to download...

By the way ive found that the average size (out of just over 700 skins ive got) is around 130kb...

skinme! · 30th March 2002, 09:39

IF 200k is waaaay too big to download, what do these people play on Winamp? 8sec 56bit mono mp3s?

Atmo · 30th March 2002, 09:55

Quote:

Originally posted by skinme!
IF 200k is waaaay too big to download, what do these people play on Winamp? 8sec 56bit mono mp3s?

LMAO...

I agree....skins take up a helluva lot less than the mp3's....

StillWater · 30th March 2002, 10:51

I know, I've got a few gig of MP3s, and 21.9MB of skins (157 skins).

But it must be said that occasionally skins are larger than they need to be. I downloaded a skin once - it was about 500kb, and wasn't very complex, so I opened it up to see why it was so big. Inside was a whole other skin by a different person. It wasn't mentioned in the Author's notes on winamp.com, it wasn't mentioned in the readme.txt, nothing, it was just sitting there doubling the size of the skin.

Atmo · 30th March 2002, 10:57

Quote:

Originally posted by dbleja
I downloaded a skin once - it was about 500kb, and wasn't very complex, so I opened it up to see why it was so big. Inside was a whole other skin by a different person. It wasn't mentioned in the Author's notes on winamp.com, it wasn't mentioned in the readme.txt, nothing, it was just sitting there doubling the size of the skin.

I've seen that too...and at times ive seen skins that have microamp skinned...but it's the template skin...its just cos the author was in a rush or didnt properly test it..

By the way 700 skins only takes up 90mb...not that much consididering i can have a different skin every day for 2 years..

28th March 2002, 15:53	#1
Miaka_22 Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 1	Out of all the skin making programs which one is best and which one should I start out with? If I have to start with a simple one to get the hang of it I will but then I want to move to a more advanced one. If there is one that does all that please let me know.

28th March 2002, 16:14	#2
Atmo The Freak (Forum King) Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 9,400	The best skin making programs are your own creativity and a graphics program like: MSPaint Paint Shop Pro Photoshop Gimp (There's more but these are the most popular) If your talking a program that does the skinning for you (dont recommend em but they do serve a purpose) take a look around the generated section of the winamp.com skins database until you find one with a style you like and have a look in the readme if the author has included one.. :Psykotech:

29th March 2002, 02:28	#4
StillWater Forum King Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Nov 1978 Posts: 3,880	I agree with Atmo, it's always much better to use a graphics program and do it yourself, you're much freer, and you will inevitably create a much better and much more personally rewarding skin. But there are a couple of tools to make the task less ardous. The link Mr. Jones has given you is good. I would definitely recommend the "wizard" program in that link. You do your overall design on the Main.bmp (the base of your main window), and then use the wizard to extract the excact parts it needs into the other files (such as the play/pause etc. button file, or the shuffle/repeat button file etc.) You can then edit those files, knowing that they will be perfectly lined up with the base. If you don't know what I mean, you will soon enough once you start skinning. Also, once you've completely finished your skin, it's worthwhile getting the "decreaser" program from that link as well. It makes your skin smaller (Kilobytes-wise) without at all sacrificing any picture quality. It works for most skins, but I had a problem with a couple, so make a backup of your skin first, just in case it doesn't work. If it works, it should be fine. I made one of my skins go from about 205Kb to 146Kb. This is good, because often people will be discouraged from downloading your skin if they see that it is too large. If your skin is a picture skin, it will be quite large. It will also have a larger percentage cut from it when decreased. Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny. All my skins: @ winamp.com @ 1K1WS @ Deviantart.com My latest Flash Project: BreathingEarth.net

29th March 2002, 07:14	#5
Atmo The Freak (Forum King) Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 9,400	Theres nothing wrong with skinning programs, it's just that they really limit what can be done..there are skinners that are good now that actually made their first skins in programs, then after they'd learned a bit about them they graduated to using photoshop/psp/mspain etc... :Psykotech:

29th March 2002, 15:13	#8
Atmo The Freak (Forum King) Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 9,400	LOL...i actually saw that typo after i made that post...was too lazy to edit it as i was really tired...i didnt think it'd get noticed... MSPainNTArse :Psykotech:

28th March 2002, 18:30	#3
Mr Jones Nothing to say... Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: UK Posts: 23,020	http://www.1001winampskins.com/winamp_skin_tools.html

29th March 2002, 15:28	#9
~Supey Registered User Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Country Club Ghetto Estates Posts: 290	hmm...it's kinda ironic tho...I stayed up till 4 last, er, this mornig using MSPainNTArse and those buttons in my sig were made using MSPainNTArse too... oh well....I guess I'm just thilly

29th March 2002, 18:00	#11
Atmo The Freak (Forum King) Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 9,400	Who really looks at the size of the file anyway?? Im on 28k dialup (woohoo australia has brilliant phone line quality ) and even a big skin doesnt take that long to download... If its good, the size of the skin doesnt matter... :Psykotech:

29th March 2002, 18:05	#12
~Supey Registered User Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Country Club Ghetto Estates Posts: 290	actually it sometimes does... my computer's about dead and the hdd's are all full so I had to go through and delete almost all of my favorite skins so the computer would stop crashing every two minutes size does matter...only just a little

30th March 2002, 00:07	#14
StillWater Forum King Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Nov 1978 Posts: 3,880	I've seen more than one review on winamp.com saying something like "5 stars. great skin, I really like this, this and this. But 200kb, it's just a bit too big for me to download" Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny. All my skins: @ winamp.com @ 1K1WS @ Deviantart.com My latest Flash Project: BreathingEarth.net

30th March 2002, 09:27	#15
Atmo The Freak (Forum King) Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 9,400	Ive downloaded an 800kb skin...but for that size everything possible must be skinned...most of mine are around the 200kb mark, and at 28k only take a minute to download... By the way ive found that the average size (out of just over 700 skins ive got) is around 130kb... :Psykotech:

30th March 2002, 09:39	#16
skinme! Forum King Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: 127.0.0.1 Website: skinme.net Posts: 3,352	IF 200k is waaaay too big to download, what do these people play on Winamp? 8sec 56bit mono mp3s? He had decided to live forever, or die in the attempt In America - a must see film

30th March 2002, 10:51	#18
StillWater Forum King Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Nov 1978 Posts: 3,880	I know, I've got a few gig of MP3s, and 21.9MB of skins (157 skins). But it must be said that occasionally skins are larger than they need to be. I downloaded a skin once - it was about 500kb, and wasn't very complex, so I opened it up to see why it was so big. Inside was a whole other skin by a different person. It wasn't mentioned in the Author's notes on winamp.com, it wasn't mentioned in the readme.txt, nothing, it was just sitting there doubling the size of the skin. Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny. All my skins: @ winamp.com @ 1K1WS @ Deviantart.com My latest Flash Project: BreathingEarth.net

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