Windows 7 - Changing the "minimize" "maximize" and "close" buttons of a theme

Ok so I'm using a custom visual style made by another user however I don't really like the buttons used that I mentioned above. The creator states it is acceptable to change the theme to however you like as long as you don't redistribute it anywhere.

Ok so I opened up the .msstyles file (using Restorator) located in the theme folder of this VS. I went into the images directory and located what seems to be the images used for the buttons. Intuitively, it seems like it would make sense to replace those images with different ones (perhaps from another visual style) and it should change them. However, would this actually work? Could the theme get messed up in some other way (like proportions or something if the new button images are smaller)? I don't know of any other way to change them that would be easy.

But I did run into another problem. For some visual styles I can't even locate those buttons in the images directory. Where else would they be?

Use Windows Style Builder to do that...

I have used it before but it made no sense to me. When I opened up the msstyles file in it it was just a bunch of files with no organization at all and I couldn't find anything I needed.

What you're trying to change using Restorator is the Steam image #971 which is very hard to edit.
I have opened up the default Aero theme and a customized theme with Restorator showing the difference of that image after it was edited with Windows Style Builder.

Default Aero theme


custom theme


Here is what Steam image #971 looks like (it is very transparent) I imposed it on top of a gray background that is the default Aero theme the one imposed on a black background is the custom theme from the example above.


Using Windows Style Builder you can see in this example where the close button is plus X for it with the different DPI settings. Just above that is to minimize, maximize, help, restore buttons. Using the import and export buttons you can swap them out from theme to theme or use the edit button to create your own design. Windows Style Builder breaks down the Steam image #971 so it's a lot easier to edit.


Jerry

The problem is I don't see any of that stuff on the left side for mine. This shows up when I load up a .msstyles file

What version are you using?
Click on the about button


And post a screenshot of it please


Jerry

I'm using version 1.5 I think, but it's okay I got it working now (the way it's supposed to look)

But I'm having trouble doing the exporting part. I have a custom theme right now and I want to switch its current caption buttons with those from another custom theme. If I click export on the "active" close button it asks me to browse to the image file to replace it but how do I find the image file containing the caption buttons to replace it with? If I just replace it with the 971 file obviously that won't work.

I have never tried just changing Steam image #971 so I don't know.

When you hit the export button.


Do you get the save as window?


Jerry

I just tested to see if you can change just the 971 image and it does not work.
Jerry

Ah I'm so stupid, I was trying to import before I even exported so I didn't have any files to replace them with.

So if I use new caption buttons that are smaller than the original ones could it possibly distort anything related to the theme? Or do I have to change some sort of dimensions somewhere else.