Hacking making skins on cyclo ds

[mario41001]

NUB ALERT

Is there any program to make skins for the cyclo ds? or can it only be done some othr complex way...

 

[TraumaHoundNDS]

Only as complex as you want to make 'em.

You'd need a few things:

1) Images (sourced or your own)
2) Image-editing software, free (like GiMP or Paint.net) or commercial (like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro)
3) The Skin Tester (or something to edit the skin.xml file by hand, which would be annoying but could be done.)

Beyond that, time and effort are your only barriers.

 

[tsol]

wow, i had no idea the skin tester could edit xml, i had been doing it in notepad

;

 

[auREAX]

wow, i had no idea the skin tester could edit xml, i had been doing it in notepad

;

Real men use notepad.

Also, here's a tutorial from the Team Cyclops forums: http://www.teamcyclops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=701

Q: How do I create a skin?
A: First of all, you need a better graphic editor than Paint *cough* - like Photoshop. If you don't have 500$, you can go with the best freeware app for PC: GIMP.
Next you have to create the background for both screens. If you use the regular skin.xml file, you have to name the BG for the touchscreen bottom.bmp and the BG for the topscreen top.bmp. Simple, isn't it?
Info: Color transitions cant be displayed properly, because the Nintendo DS screens are limited to 16bit, this means you can't see as many colors on DS as on your computer!
If you want to use one picture for both screens, this information will help you to keep the proportions: the space between the two screens is around 90pixel!
Be sure both backgrounds have the dimensions of 256x192 pixel and saved as a 24bit bitmap(.bmp) or you'll get a black background!

Next the buttons on the touchscreen. The dimension should be 128x192 pixel. Each button is 64x64 large and is made out of two pictures: the selected(left) and the unselected(right). You can see which button is which in this picture:

Now you have to choose ONE color which should be transparent if you don't want to fill the whole space of 64x64 for each button. The most used one is magenta(#ff00ff), because it mainly doesn't show up in the visible graphic (use darkblue if you are going to do a Barbie skin

)
Fill all the space which should be invisible with this color! Remember, everything else than magenta will be visible(!), so you can't use anti aliasing for the edges

Also save this one as a 24bit bitmap(menu-icons.bmp).

The next part are the cheat-icons. If you do only want a skin for yourself and a good boy, you can skip this part
This part is nearly the same as the buttons. You have a 32x48 which is made of 6 different icons. The best thing I can do to teach you this part is showing a picture:

Hint: do not use larger dimensions for each icon - it won't look good!

Now the easiest part: the scrollbar.
The scrollbar is made out of two parts: the bar and where it scrolls

The picture is 8x64 pixels large. The first 48 pixels(y axis) are for the bar. the size of the bar is fixed on the CycloDS Evolution, no stretching!
The rest is for the rail. Use magenta as the transparent color as well, if you want to.
Heres also a picture which might help you:

Your skin is nearly finished, all you have to do is to edit the skin.xml file(use Notepad). Heres a example of the file:
CODE


ÂÂÂÂ
ÂÂÂÂMy new skin
ÂÂÂÂMaxÂÂ
ÂÂÂÂ1.0

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ÂÂÂÂ
ÂÂÂÂ
ÂÂÂÂ
ÂÂÂÂ

ÂÂÂÂ
ÂÂÂÂ
ÂÂÂÂ
ÂÂÂÂ
ÂÂÂÂ
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now put everything(top.bmp, bottom.bmp, menu-icons.bmp, cheat-icons.bmp, skin.xml) in a folder called skin. Put this folder on your microSD card in the CycloDS folder.
That's all you have to do. Your skin is finished!

Visit this thread if you still have problems with creating a skin or want a free sample.



Q: The background(s) of my new skin is/are black! What can I do?
A: Please check if the dimensions of the related background are 256x192 pixel. Check if you saved it as a 24bit Windows Bitmap(.bmp) file called as in the skin.xml file(standard: bottom.bmp or top.bmp). Check if the bitmap is in the correct folder.



Q: My buttons/icons/scrollbar shows parts that should be invisible. What can I do?
A: Be sure you set the transparent color for the right parts in the skin.xml file correctly. Check if the color you choose to be transparent is the right one. Remember: anti aliasing is NOT possible!



Q: How can I snap a clean screenshot of my skin?
A: Theres a great tool by ste123: Skin tester
You might have seen a thread about it but never wanted to click it, but now, you have to