Making skins without 3rd-party programs

[sнυи]

Stuart a ton of the stuff you ask about can be found out using Google in like 5 seconds, come on.

STYLEXP IS THE SAME AS THE UXTHEME.DLL PATCH EXCEPT IT USES MORE RESOURCES

If you have a decent processor and just have to use a nice WindowBlinds theme you find, use WindowBlinds, then. I think just visual styles look nicer than bulky WB crap.

Visual styles on deviantART

[Wan]

At least in my machine, WB runs pretty fine, the resource usage is decent.

Sadly, there isn't any way to use any other msstyles without patching Windows (damned digital signature <.<), but once you have it patched, you can install any msstyles, and since the DLL that loads them is just a modified version of the original, it doesn't take any extra resources.

The bad thing is that, by default, WindowsXP's UXTheme system doesn't allow fancy things like transparent windows/borders/menus/etc, something that WB (since v5.0) DOES allow...

[sнυи]

Originally Posted by Wan

At least in my machine, WB runs pretty fine, the resource usage is decent.

Sadly, there isn't any way to use any other msstyles without patching Windows (damned digital signature <.<), but once you have it patched, you can install any msstyles, and since the DLL that loads them is just a modified version of the original, it doesn't take any extra resources.

The bad thing is that, by default, WindowsXP's UXTheme system doesn't allow fancy things like transparent windows/borders/menus/etc, something that WB (since v5.0) DOES allow...

Not everyone wants to make their XP look like Vista. I don't see the point of translucency/transparency. Find me a nice-looking WB skin that utilizes 5.0's capabilities (I used to use 5.0 as well as Kol's Vista skin back when I was like "zommug vistas plz").

[stuartwood89]

I have no idea what the point in making your winXP PC look like it has vista, really. I mean, it's like putting a nismo sticker on a datsun cherry. Anyways, I've started using stylexp themes, just a lot easier to use really. I've also downloaded stylebuilder, so I can build that skin I promised this guy like months ago, before I even started this thread lol. I went to all the trouble to ask the author of the 'redshift v2' Firefox theme if I could use his images and he hasn't heard from me in ages. Whoops.