I am a begginner in the world of skinning, and hope to become as good as some of the other authors I have seen out there.
Spacing and sizing scrollbars and account elements
Published on September 16, 2005 By firstliight In OS Customization
I was wondering if any one here knows how to add spacing between the user
accounts and the scrollbar so that the accounts are not like they are stuck
right against the scrollbar.

I also would like to know if any one knows how to add spacing between the
user accounts them selves so that they do not look like they are
stacked right on top of each other?

Also could any one tell me how does one change the size of the scrollbar
graphics, like the up and down buttons and the slider thumb and the
bitmap that the thumbs move on top of?

I hope that someone knows how to do any of these changes, it
would help me a great deal when designing logon screens.

And just one more question, does anyone know, what type of script is being used in the UIFile?

I would really like to learn the program language.

If you would like to take a look at my first logon screen it can be
viewed at this link: http://firstliight.wincustomize.com/ViewSkin.aspx?SkinID=5193&LibID=26&comments=1

I am working on my new logon screen, but I need to know the answers
to these questions before I can finish it.

Thank you

firstliight

Comments
on Sep 18, 2005
hey, i saw your post in my old thread...

Hmm, i havn't worked with logons in so long, so this might be wrong

first off, i do not believe it is possible to change the size of the scrollbar; if you use large graphics i think they will automatically be resized down to the regular size.

to change the spacing between user accounts and scrollbar, you can play around with the padding margins under:
style resid=hotaccountlistss
.
.
.
logonaccount [selected]

you can create a
padding: rect(xrp,xrp,xrp,xrp);
borderthickness: rect(x,x,x,x);
and play around with different numbers for x's (its mostly trial and error, play around with the numbers, see what they do)
or you can also change the padding and borderthickness values under element [id=atom(userpane)] (should be right below logonacount [selected]

- OR -

and easier way to add space between the accounts WITHOUT changing the UIfile is by adding some magic pink around the bmp you use for the user accounts (should be bmp 112) by doing this, you then create the illusion of space between the panels, without having to mess around with the uifile (although if things start to fall outside of the user account background, you still might have to go back in and play with the margins a bit)

I don't know if the logonui script is based on some exisitng script or not, what I usually do is just take apart other logons out there and play around with settings, seeing what does what and experimenting; its all trial and error for me

If you want more information on the uifile, check out the Doom3 logons available here at wincustomize, the author has added comments and prettied up his uifiles, which might be useful if you're mucking around in there.

btw, if you would like, you can send the logon you're working on to me (email: wu.sean@gmail.com) and ill see what i can do to help when i get some time (don't have as much free time anymore now that school's started )
on Sep 18, 2005
I think a good piece of reading is in order here and will help a lot @
Link

If not then let me know and I'll see what I can do - but some of the stuff you are trying to do is a part of the ui that has yet to be written in by anyone there 1stlight - padding will help - but some is in the way the ui is described with vb in windows and it is written for stablity - not what you plan to do. Some of those changes would make it not so stable and could cause a crash or even a worse problem. But as always problems are made so someone else can solve it. Let me know if I can help?
Shelby_gt


Email

on Sep 18, 2005
Thanks guys, I will try to see what happens with what you have provided and post the results, if any.