Classic Shell: Forum

I'm not sure if this has been requested before but I'd like to see the ability to use images for captions, kind of like what TClock does.

I used to use this all the time back on 9x versions of Windows to change the start menu image to another version of Windows.

That's what the menu skins are for.

I suppose so, I guess I was thinking of something else. From what I was able to work out so far is that the images used for the captions are small, I was meaning to use larger images but I wasn't sure if it was possible. You can just delete the topic, I think it's in the wrong place for what I'm thinking about anyways.

If you want a larger caption, you can use a larger main bitmap and adjust the numbers for the slices accordingly.

The first 3 numbers of the parameter, Main_bitmap_slices_X relate to the caption area. Set the numbers to the left, middle and right slice of the caption area of the bitmap. Look at the Caption sub-section under Main Menu section in the Skin tutorial for other parameters related to the caption: http://www.classicshell.net/tutorials/s ... #main_menu

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Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

The problem is I'm still not exactly sure how it all works. Here's what I'm trying to to:

165.bmp is the current image, Bitmap_157.bmp is what I'm trying to replace it with.

Now, when I try to replace the smaller image with the larger one, I get what you see in menu.png

Ok, I'm starting to get the hang of this a little more but I'm still having a few issues.

I realized I forgot the border part in the image so I've got that covered now I'm just not sure what I need to edit next, the skin I'm using has more than 1 style & the Main_bitmap_slices section isn't in the sub-skin file so I'm not sure what in the main file I'd need to edit.

[edit]

Ok, I think I managed to figure most of it out but when I select the skin the caption image I used doesn't show up, I'm pretty sure it's the bmp image I'm using but I'm not really sure how to get it into the correct format.

I got it, it seems I screwed up one of the numbers which caused the image to not show up.

[edit]

Seems I have 1 problem left, the image is getting stretched a few pixels & I'm not sure how to fix that.

Finally got it after playing around with the image size & Main_bitmap_slices numbers. This would be a lot easier if someone would make a skinning program though

I have similar problem. I wanna use Windows 98 visual style and I already set classic theme, change icons and etc. and I need to use Windows 98 start menu caption image with Classic Shell. I took it from Windows 98's explorer.exe and place it in my theme(1.bmp in bitmaps, use the original size) and I try to change Main_bitmap_slices_X and Main_bitmap_slices_Y first 3 numbers of both of them, but still can't get a proper result cause sometimes image too stretch by heigt and sometimes it on top.


Here is my settings: Main_bitmap_slices_X=21,1,1,0,1,0 Main_bitmap_slices_Y=1,200,32
Image Size is: 21x233
Please Help with this

Try Main_bitmap_slices_Y=0,120,113
It will make it so that the bottom 113 pixels don't get stretched.

Hi,
I was wondering if it would be possible to make the top 230 or so pixels not get stretched. I can't seem to figure it out.

The first number of the Y slices is the top pixel count that is not stretched. The second number is the pixel count that is stretched (it can't be 0). The third number is the bottom pixel count that is not stretched.
So do something like Main_bitmap_slices_Y=230,1,2

Thanks so much Ivo. I also forgot about the Skinning Tutorial page, so that was helpful too. Also I had meant to say the bottom pixels for the image, but I figured that out myself thanks to you.

Anyway, I'm working on a skin that will let you choose between every Windows version (including the betas). Just to be sure I don't leave anything out, here's a list of the ones I have so far:

Windows 95
Windows 98
Windows ME Millennium Edition
Windows NT Workstation
Windows NT Server
Windows NT Embedded
Windows 2000 Professional
Windows 2000 Server
Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
Windows 2000 Embedded
Windows 2000 Terminal
Windows Powered
Windows XP Professional
Windows XP Home Edition
Windows XP Embedded
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
Windows XP Media Center Edition
Windows XP Starter Edition
Windows XP Freestyle
Windows XP 64-bit Edition Version 2003
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Windows Terminal Server
Windows Embedded
Windows Embedded Standard
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition
Windows Server 2003 Standard x64 Edition
Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition
Windows Server 2003 Datacenter x64 Edition
Windows Server 2003 for Small Business Server
Windows Server 2003 Web Edition
Windows Server 2003 Appliance Edition
Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition
Windows Storage Server 2003 R2
Windows Home Server
Windows Vista
Windows Server 2008 Standard
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter
Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V
Windows Web Server 2008
Windows Small Business Server 2008

NewShell (Windows NT 3.51)
Microsoft Windows (Codename Chicago)
IE4 Preview Release (Windows 98 beta)
Windows Millenium (Windows ME beta)
Windows Codename Neptune
Whistler 2001
Codename Whistler
Codename Whistler Server
Codename Whistler Advanced Server
Codename Whistler Datacenter Server
Windows .NET Standard Server
Windows .NET Enterprise Server
Windows .NET Datacenter Server
Windows .NET Web Server
Microsoft Small Business Server
Longhorn Professional
Code Name Longhorn
Windows Server Code Name Longhorn

If anyone notices that I missed anything/got anything wrong, please let me know.

Edit:
I'm also debating weather or not I should make ones for Windows 7 and newer. What do you guys think?

I also noticed I don't have Windows Storage Server 2003 (R1) so I'll look into that as well

I'll post the skin to the User Content forum when I'm finished.

Nice, might give me a reason to go back to classic again.

So should I make caption images for Windows 7 and newer?

Caption is still applicable yes; it'll be shown when start menu style is set to 'classic'

I'd say just go for it if you don't mind doing the work.

Alright, I'm fine with doing them. But before I get to work on them, I do have a few questions about their designs.

1.) Should I have separate captions for different versions (example: Home Premium, Professional, etc.) or should I have one caption for every version (example: Windows 7)? Doing ones for separate versions would really not be that much extra work, so I'm fine either way.

2.) For the Windows 7 ones, what design should I use for the backgrounds? Should I use the light blue gradient from Windows Vista/Classic Shell:


or should I create a new gradient design? I've already got a design for Windows 8x/Server 2012 R1/R2 (which will be a flat look to go with the OS), and I have a good idea of what I'll make for Windows Server 2008 R2 (which probably won't be too different from the look of Windows Server 2008 R1). It's just the Windows 7 ones I'd like input on.

Again, I'm fine either way, so don't be afraid to suggest a new gradient design or edition branding if that's what you want.

I dont think there is a way to determine which OS is being used by a skin.. so its 1 caption image for all OS's and the text is overlaid by classic shell itself

Actually, I'm making a skin that will let you choose which OS version you want to have displayed. So if you want the menu to say 'Windows 2000 Professional' you'll have the option to do that and it will display the original bitmap from that OS. So it wouldn't automatically determine which OS you're using, it will just give you the option to have it display the original caption from whichever version of Windows the user chooses.

But I'm also keeping the option to use a custom caption like the default classic skin.


Here's an example of what it would look like (Keep in mind I'm not using Windows 2000; I'm using Windows 8.1 with classic shell):

Also, here's a download of what I have so far. Feel free to give me feedback.

[FILE DELETED]

Yikes
you added a caption for every single version of windows?
There is an option titled 'Menu caption' that allows the user to put any text they want there... (and it defaults to the name of their OS) so unless you actually plan on adjusting the theme in other ways based on the skin variation. It seems that all that work was unnecessary..

The text on the caption image is often unique & CS doesn't have any font options that I know of that would allow users to imitate the text in the exact way it's seen in the original image so it is necessary to a point.

Just something I noticed though, the borders are missing making the menus look a bit off.

I guess; if you want to use a non-standard font it would be necessary.. I just didnt see it as a big enough sticking point to add 20 variations to a skin for... its settings like this that should be part of a settings.txt file the user can edit inside the install directory (because its uncommon enough that most user should never see it, but the users who want to change it should have the capacity...

Do you have the 3D border setting enabled? Because that could be the issue.

I already know about the custom captions (my skin still has an option for that as well) but like JoshD said, I'm mainly doing this for the fonts so the menu can look more accurate. If all of the variations seem like a bit much (which I can understand, it is a lot), then you can always collapse the 'Variations' section in settings by double clicking it. This makes other settings easier to access. Also, certain captions can never match Classic Shell's default classic skin (for example Windows Home Server or Windows Codename Chicago).

Anyways, does anyone have any preferences on the Windows 7 bitmaps? Those won't take long to make (I've already finished the ones for Windows 8x, and I'll do them for Windows 10), so I'm fine with taking requests. I will say though, I'm thinking I am going to use the Windows Vista style gradient backgrounds.

Nope, not on & doesn't look right when it is either.

Alright, are you using a theme? Because it seems that the 3D border only takes effect with the Windows Classic theme. I'm not sure how to change this.

Looks like that was it, I wasn't using a classic theme at the time when I was testing it.

Since I feel this discussion would be more appropriate under User Content, I've gone ahead and posted a thread there. So I will no longer be replying to any questions/comments about the skin I'm working on in this thread. If you have any input related to the subject, post it here.