Size of theme pictures

[binstpa]

I want to make my own themes - what size do the images need to be - both for the background and for the drop down menu.

[devhen]

Search for Microsoft Theme Generator v2.0 on the Microsoft web site. This is all you need. If you want high-quality themes, however, that don't use compressed JPEGs you will have to choose the BMP option, which makes the themes quite a bit larger in size but worth it if you have the space. This is the only downside to the Microsoft Theme Generator.

To really get MS Theme Gen to work for you, visit this forum thread (http://www.pocketpcpassion.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27025) and scroll down to my post near the bottom of the page (my user name is devhen). Read that and you'll know how to use MS Theme Gen to create the highest quality themes possible. And I mean that. MS Theme Gen is actually an awesome tool if you use it the right way, which isn't necessarily the way it was meant to be used. You know how M$ is, you have know how to abuse the software in just the right ways because if you use it the way it was meant to be you're screwed. M$ sucks. :devilboy:

:mrgreen:

[andrewlwood]

here's Devhen's post:
There's a trick to creating great themes with Theme Generator v2: Run the program and press 'Create a new theme'. Choose your today screen image and then press Next. Just click Next on the next page to 'Use the Today image from the previous screen.' Now customize the colors and click Next. Give the theme a name and then click 'Advanced Options'. Set it to 'Windows Bitmap' and then press OK. Now click Finish to save your theme. Now click 'Open existing theme' in Theme Generator. Open the theme you just made. Click Next to go to the Start image screen. Click 'Modify this image' and use the transparency option to make the image lighter than the original. This way the Start menu items that are in black will be visible against the background image. Click Next until you get to the last screen. SET IT TO WINDOWS BITMAP AGAIN and save it. Now the start menu image lines up with the today screen image and its just the right brightness to display the start menu items

But Devhen, why do you complete the theme and then go back to change the transparency on the today graphic? You can do that the first time through without having to save and reload.

[devhen]

right, but if you do it the first time you'll see that the start menu and today backgrounds don't line up so you have to manually adjust them and try to get them to line up, which is virtually impossible because the start menu image will be scaled and not the same size as the today image. if you go through once and then start again the images will both be the same sizes and the start menu image will be perfectly placed to line up exactly with the today image.

what i failed to mention in the post that andrewlwood quoted is that you MUST SET IT TO BMP both the first time through and the second time if image quality is important to you with your today theme. if you don't it will use JPEG and even if you set it to the lowest compression/highest quality the images will still be very noticably degraded in the finished theme.

you should be able to line up the start menu and today images the first time without having to go through the process twice but you can't. why? oh, no reason, micrsoft just doesn't think about their software before they code it. precious, isn't it, the microsoft development roadmap:

check your bank account --> listen half-a$$ed to what the purpose of the application should be --> build the application in one quick thoughtless motion --> don't bother to test it --> check your bank account again --> talk to the press and tell them some bullsh*t about how this software helps everyone and its not just to ensure control of the market --> check your bank account again --> go to the weekly 'we're getting away with murder' meeting in bill's office .... i could go on and on and on and on... i better stop :mrgreen:

*Post edited by moderator 5/8/03 11:22 EDT for language.