Skins With Plug Ins

[Guest littleone]

Wow, like skins with plug ins, but how do you create them? Is there a 'simple' prog to let you do it, and can you edit ones that are built as .hme files, to change colours etc.? Do they slow the phone down? Sorry bout all the questions but would like to learn about these skins. Any info please guys.

[Guest drblow]

Hello - welcome to the forum!! :)

There is a stack of info available here about making skins with plugins, and also a stack of skins available to download!

It's always a good idea to do a search on a topic before posting questions - if you do this you will find a huge amiount of info here about creating skins. Click to find out more. Then you can start wrapping your head around xml coding! :wink:

Good luck!

[Guest littleone]

Thanks for that drblow. Followed the link and shedloads of stuff on plug ins. Didnt think of trying a search (so i'm a plonker), but looked at several posts and couldnt find much info. Will know to do a search now. Any idea about editing a skin with plug ins that is in hme format. Have tried thememaker but it cant open a file with plug ins in it. Once again thanks.

[Guest drblow]

Em... I'm not 100% sure, but I think the .hme files are just executable from the PC rather than by installing to the phone. The theme generator from microsoft is good enough for setting colours & background, but if you want to get into skinning the phone then forget that prog!!

All skins have plugins - even the very simple Orange Large font homescreen (the time/date function is still a plugin!). It's just a question of how many, where & what you want to have on the screen. Every skinner here will tell you that the best way to learn is to open up some xml files with notepad on the PC, & just have a look at how they are put together. Believe me, I knew NOTHING about xml, just a little html - & I picked it up eventually - after many hours reading modaco threads!!

There is also a simple homescreen prog available from wfcontracting (which is Will, one of the forum Mods) - can't remember, but I think it's www.wfcontracting.com - but I could be wrong. It's definately a good prog to get you started actually creating xml files from scratch.

Anyways, keep at it, all will become clear littleone. :)

[Guest littleone]

Thanks for that brblow, I'll have a look at some to see how they're put together, and start playing. Thanks again.