It is currently March 28th, 2024, 4:01 pm

Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Get help with creating, editing & fixing problems with skins
EB_Troller
Posts: 12
Joined: June 10th, 2018, 4:28 am

Re: Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Post by EB_Troller »

Also, the skin cant be saved as a layout. I loaded all my skins, and go to save them as a layout, but every time i click load, it just disappears.... :17what Click again, nothing comes up.. so i couldnt add a layout while packing the skin, which i then have to click all of them manually after installation. i believe the second step it asks:" After installation>Do nothing/Load Skin?" I chose Load Skin but i have to choose a folder location ? :U .... that way i can only choose one of many skins that i have.
User avatar
SilverAzide
Rainmeter Sage
Posts: 2588
Joined: March 23rd, 2015, 5:26 pm
Contact:

Re: Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Post by SilverAzide »

Perhaps the problem is not the skin... perhaps the problem is the name. By any chance, is the name of the skin in Chinese characters? Perhaps there is a bug someplace where skins are not being saved properly in that encoding. Try renaming your skin to something very simple, like "1.ini" and see if it makes any difference. (Keep the folder names simple too, just for testing.)
User avatar
jsmorley
Developer
Posts: 22628
Joined: April 19th, 2009, 11:02 pm
Location: Fort Hunt, Virginia, USA

Re: Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Post by jsmorley »

The problem is with having multi-byte Unicode characters in the "config name" of a skin. The reason this is a problem is that Rainmeter.ini, the settings file for Rainmeter, is encoded as ANSI, which will not support these characters. So when you create a config name (the folders under ..Rainmeter\Skins) that has characters like 雨滴桌面 in them:

C:\Users\Jeffrey\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\雨滴桌面\MySkin.ini

The [ConfigName] section that is created in Rainmeter.ini when the skin is first loaded will be:

[????]

And so it won't be activated when Rainmeter is started.

You have two options:

1) Change the name of the folders under skins to not include any multi-byte Unicode characters.

Note, it doesn't matter what is in the rest of the path to the folders, C:\Users\雨滴桌面\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\MySkin is fine. It doesn't matter what the skin .ini file is named, C:\Users\Jeffrey\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\MySkin\雨滴桌面.ini is fine. What can't be Unicode are the folders under \Skins that comprise the "config name".

There is a potential problem with C:\Users\雨滴桌面\Documents\ as the path to your "personal folder", as Rainmeter won't properly store that as SkinPath in Rainmeter.ini either, but as long as you have done a standard install, that won't matter, as when Rainmeter can't read the SkinPath option properly, it will default to the value for your personal folder in Windows, and all will be well. If you have done a portable install of Rainmeter, don't use Unicode in the path.

2) In your text editor, change the encoding of Rainmeter.ini to UTF-16 Little Endian (Unicode).
1.png
Then load the skin(s) you created. Note that this will need to be done with any saved Layouts you have as well, as they are also going to be encoded as ANSI.

I prefer this second option myself... This will allow you to name folders and files any way you want, and why shouldn't you be able to?

--------------------
This is a major design flaw in Rainmeter that we are looking into. Not only is this limitation not being a good "netizen" in a globalized world, but it's just confusing. Those Unicode characters in the config name work fine in Manage, so you can create and load and edit and refresh the skin, and it looks like all is well, but it won't work. The skin won't be activated when you restart Rainmeter. You can only see the problem if you edit Rainmeter.ini and find the invalid [ConfigName] section.

It's a little tricky to fix, since having a new Rainmeter.ini be UTF-16 LE is simple enough, but converting the million or so existing Rainmeter.ini files, and saved Layouts, that existing users have will take some thought and needs to be done very carefully.
User avatar
balala
Rainmeter Sage
Posts: 16110
Joined: October 11th, 2010, 6:27 pm
Location: Gheorgheni, Romania

Re: Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Post by balala »

Please open the Rainmeter settings (right click the Rainmeter icon in the Notification Area and click Edit Settings). Post back here the SkinPath option, within the [Rainmeter] section (probably the first section of the Rainmeter.ini file).
User avatar
jsmorley
Developer
Posts: 22628
Joined: April 19th, 2009, 11:02 pm
Location: Fort Hunt, Virginia, USA

Re: Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Post by jsmorley »

balala wrote:Please open the Rainmeter settings (right click the Rainmeter icon in the Notification Area and click Edit Settings). Post back here the SkinPath option, within the [Rainmeter] section (probably the first section of the Rainmeter.ini file).
See my previous post...
User avatar
balala
Rainmeter Sage
Posts: 16110
Joined: October 11th, 2010, 6:27 pm
Location: Gheorgheni, Romania

Re: Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Post by balala »

jsmorley wrote:See my previous post...
Right, sorry my inattention...
EB_Troller
Posts: 12
Joined: June 10th, 2018, 4:28 am

Re: Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Post by EB_Troller »

SilverAzide wrote:Perhaps the problem is not the skin... perhaps the problem is the name. By any chance, is the name of the skin in Chinese characters? Perhaps there is a bug someplace where skins are not being saved properly in that encoding. Try renaming your skin to something very simple, like "1.ini" and see if it makes any difference. (Keep the folder names simple too, just for testing.)
Uhh. they are all in english, they are all in the format of : SteamLauncher ( [name of program]Launcher )
EB_Troller
Posts: 12
Joined: June 10th, 2018, 4:28 am

Re: Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Post by EB_Troller »

balala wrote:Please open the Rainmeter settings (right click the Rainmeter icon in the Notification Area and click Edit Settings). Post back here the SkinPath option, within the [Rainmeter] section (probably the first section of the Rainmeter.ini file).
SkinPath=C:\Users\VULCAN\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\
This is the skin path i think :U
User avatar
balala
Rainmeter Sage
Posts: 16110
Joined: October 11th, 2010, 6:27 pm
Location: Gheorgheni, Romania

Re: Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Post by balala »

EB_Troller wrote:SkinPath=C:\Users\VULCAN\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\
This is the skin path i think :U
Have you read jsmorley's reply above (https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?p=149470#p149470)?
EB_Troller
Posts: 12
Joined: June 10th, 2018, 4:28 am

Re: Custom Skins doesn't work with layout

Post by EB_Troller »

jsmorley wrote:The problem is with having multi-byte Unicode characters in the "config name" of a skin. The reason this is a problem is that Rainmeter.ini, the settings file for Rainmeter, is encoded as ANSI, which will not support these characters. So when you create a config name (the folders under ..Rainmeter\Skins) that has characters like 雨滴桌面 in them:

C:\Users\Jeffrey\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\雨滴桌面\MySkin.ini

The [ConfigName] section that is created in Rainmeter.ini when the skin is first loaded will be:

[????]

And so it won't be activated when Rainmeter is started.

You have two options:

1) Change the name of the folders under skins to not include any multi-byte Unicode characters.

Note, it doesn't matter what is in the rest of the path to the folders, C:\Users\雨滴桌面\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\MySkin is fine. It doesn't matter what the skin .ini file is named, C:\Users\Jeffrey\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\MySkin\雨滴桌面.ini is fine. What can't be Unicode are the folders under \Skins that comprise the "config name".

There is a potential problem with C:\Users\雨滴桌面\Documents\ as the path to your "personal folder", as Rainmeter won't properly store that as SkinPath in Rainmeter.ini either, but as long as you have done a standard install, that won't matter, as when Rainmeter can't read the SkinPath option properly, it will default to the value for your personal folder in Windows, and all will be well. If you have done a portable install of Rainmeter, don't use Unicode in the path.

2) In your text editor, change the encoding of Rainmeter.ini to UTF-16 Little Endian (Unicode).

1.png

Then load the skin(s) you created. Note that this will need to be done with any saved Layouts you have as well, as they are also going to be encoded as ANSI.

I prefer this second option myself... This will allow you to name folders and files any way you want, and why shouldn't you be able to?

--------------------
This is a major design flaw in Rainmeter that we are looking into. Not only is this limitation not being a good "netizen" in a globalized world, but it's just confusing. Those Unicode characters in the config name work fine in Manage, so you can create and load and edit and refresh the skin, and it looks like all is well, but it won't work. The skin won't be activated when you restart Rainmeter. You can only see the problem if you edit Rainmeter.ini and find the invalid [ConfigName] section.

It's a little tricky to fix, since having a new Rainmeter.ini be UTF-16 LE is simple enough, but converting the million or so existing Rainmeter.ini files, and saved Layouts, that existing users have will take some thought and needs to be done very carefully.
I tried the second mathod, but i dont have that drop box where u can change the encoding of a file, so i open rainmeter.ini and save it as rainmeter.ini but with a encoding of Unicode. and it still didnt work. :( i reinstalled the rainmeter entirely, wiped out all my settings and all that and did the standard install :U.. is it possible that i send u my skin pack and u have a look? :U
Post Reply