Having a slight difficulty getting my custom (XP) bootskins to display correctly when designed to incorporate a progress bar. My process for creating the skins is thus (all work done in Photoshop):
1) Skin image chosen/designed and sized (640 x 480).
2) Image manipulated into custom design, including progress bar and its location. (X-Y location for progress bar determined for .ini file.)
3) Progress bar image is copied from custom skin design and made into its own image file (bar "slot" on skin image filled with custom background color). I now have two custom images: the skin and its relative progress bar.
4) Both the skin image and progress bar files are decreased to 4-bit color setting -- in Photoshop this is done via Image > Mode > Indexed Color... and setting the "colors" option to 15 (not 16, as 15 is the only way to save the BMP as a 4-bit image). Choose the best "Palette" (Local) option which makes the image look best, then apply and save as 4-bit BMP. I first perform this function for the main skin image in order to get the setting which gives the image its best look, then use the exact same settings on the progress bar image. I now have a skin and progress bar image in 4-bit BMP format.
5) Necessary specs are written into bootskin .ini file, including location of progress bar.
6) Necesary files (skin, bar and .ini) are placed in appropriate skin folder.
HERE'S THE PROBLEM:
Custom skins made via the above process are displayed in the BootSkin app preview mode looking exactly as designed, colors and functionality and all. But after setting the custom skin to boot with the computer, during the boot process when the skin is displayed the colors are washed out and vastly distorted -- nothing like the image is supposed to look. However, if I use the exact same skin image for booting but WITHOUT the assigned progress bar (i.e., remove the progress bar info completely from the .ini file), the skin boots perfectly (just without a progress bar) and looks fine. Keep in mind, both the skin and progress bar images are 4-bit, came from the same master image originally, and were formatted via the same method.
Umm -- what gives?
Suggestions are appreciated.
Thanx....
