Theme Questions ( Sergio & Grim Check please! )

[Kukag]

Hey guys, alright so this is mainly pointed to Sergio & Grim cause I know they know how to do it but anyone who knows can contribute.

So I was wondering if you could help me get started with customizing my windows 7 further. Taskbar, Explorer, etc. I have restorator and I'm pretty good with photoshop so I'd like to see what I can make.

Please help me I have no idea about any of this, like what the uxtheme is I don't know lol

Thanks,
Kukag

 

[Mark]

You need to get Uxtheme patcher first and then all I did was download a nice theme from DeviantART and start by opening the msstyle in Restorator and extract the image folder and then go through that and find the parts of the theme that have been changed and then edit those parts in Photoshop and then once you have done all your edits you can use Restorator again to add them back in to the msstyle.

I did try using Vista Style Builder but it didn't seem to work to well for me and when ever I tried to save the theme it would rename all the images and break the theme.

 

[Kukag]

Hmmm mind giving me a link to a sample theme you think I should download to start editing?

Thanks,
Kukag

 

[Mark]

This is the one I used Dark7mix-gray and red preview by ~adrianodj25 on deviantART

 

[Kukag]

Ok awesome thanks a bunch.. Oh 1 more question what Uxtheme patcher did you use? Theres to many threads to find one in here that works for x64. Also what does this do just allow for editing right? its not going to mess with anything I currently have correct?

Thanks abunch!
Kukag

Edit : oh and the link you gave me was a preview how do I actually download it?

Thanks!

 

[Mark]

That's correct, it just allows you to use different themes, this is the one I used, but it is for x64 so you will need to get the x86 if that is what you are using.

 

[Mark]

Here is the download page if you are having a problem finding it. TCP-Z, Best TCP/IP Patch: Universal Theme Patcher
or
http://www.freewaregeeks.com/?page=detail&get_id=1898&category=11#

 

[Kukag]

Thanks for the UXtheme and i needed the 64bit version so it works, what I was having trouble downloading was the theme, the link you gave me was just a preview so theres no actual rar its just a jpeg image.

thanks,
Kukag

 

[Mark]

Thanks for the UXtheme and i needed the 64bit version so it works, what I was having trouble downloading was the theme, the link you gave me was just a preview so theres no actual rar its just a jpeg image.

thanks,
Kukag

Maybe it wasn't that one then, I used a few bits from a couple of his themes, I think it was these 2.

Dark7mix Theme UPDATED by ~adrianodj25 on deviantART
adriano7Dark-UPDATED by ~adrianodj25 on deviantART

 

[Kukag]

Hmmmm neither of those have a .msstyle and is there a place where I can figure out which image corresponds within windows? Its hard to know what I'm editing just by the look of the image.

Thanks,
Kukag

 

[Mark]

Hmmmm neither of those have a .msstyle and is there a place where I can figure out which image corresponds within windows? Its hard to know what I'm editing just by the look of the image.

Thanks,
Kukag

Both of those come with an installer, that's why you didn't see it, so you will have to install it first to gain access to the msstyle, the installers also add icons by replacing the imageres and shell32 dll's so if you don't want the icons when using the installer, you simply delete those 2 dll's before you run the installer.

Once you have run the installer the theme will automatically change to the new one and all the files are then located in c:/Windows/Resources/Themes.

Good luck.

 

[Kukag]

Could I just extract aero.msstyle and edit that? Also do you know which image # corresponds with what?

Thanks,
Kukag

 

[Mark]

Could I just extract aero.msstyle and edit that? Also do you know which image # corresponds with what?

Thanks,
Kukag

You could just modify the default theme but you will have less options as it has not had the extra elements added to customize like the themes I mentioned.

Unfortunately I don't know what all the numbered images correspond to, you really just have to look through them and see if you can spot the image you think corresponds with what.

If you use an app like Vista Style Builder it will give a description of the ellement you want to modify and lists the corresponding image and I have found it useful for a few that were hard to spot, but as I said before I have had no luck with saving any changes to a theme using that program but perhaps you might have some better luck.

 

[Kukag]

Damn I wish it wasn't a paid for app, alright well thanks again man!

Kukag

 

[Kukag]

Ok sorry for the double post but I just thought of a great Idea.................

For me, Sergio, and GRIM please post you AIM, MSN, YIM, etc and I'll contact you guys I got a good idea.

Thanks,
Kukag

 

[Mark]

If you want to join over at my site I can chat to you on the chat box if that makes things easier.

Link is in my sig

 

[Kukag]

hmm I don't see any chat box, you sure it isnt on a specific theme? Here add me on msn,

thanks,
Kukag

 

[Mark]

hmm I don't see any chat box, you sure it isnt on a specific theme? Here add me on msn,



thanks,
Kukag

Sorry mate it's not enabled for new members but I added it for you now.

 

[pongster]

Hi MrGrim,
Been wanting to ask this about Visual Styles and Restorator, if you don't mind. I just want to change the background color of the navigation pane in explorer.exe... Have tried all the Restorator Tuts available on DeviantArt and I can't figure out how to change the background color. I can change the text color in the nav pane, in the shellstyle.dll, but figure the nav pane bg must be in the msstyles somewhere...

 

[t41]

here is one with the msstyles inside the zip file, it is one you could practice on.
Hard to improve on this one though.

:: ThaImpact VS - 7 Version :: by ~DjabyTown on deviantART

ps -I sometimes use this patcher - http://uxstyle.com/ as well as the one from deepxw -