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Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

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jsmorley
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Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

Post by jsmorley »

There are advanced options in the tool for creating a .rmskin of your skin or suite of skins that can help with distributing updates and new versions of your work.

Advanced .rmskin Options
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SHADODESIGN
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Re: Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

Post by SHADODESIGN »

yeh you need to add a way to bring together parts of folders or existing skins into a new folder to make a new skin in a completely new folder! once all parts are highlighted or selected and add one by one! Other skin programs have this. but this has more to offer so this might be something to think about! 8-)

as at the my skin only works from each folder when I try and bring it together the centre piece goes black and white! and I can't work out why?
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jsmorley
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Re: Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

Post by jsmorley »

SHADODESIGN wrote:yeh you need to add a way to bring together parts of folders or existing skins into a new folder to make a new skin in a completely new folder! once all parts are highlighted or selected and add one by one! Other skin programs have this. but this has more to offer so this might be something to think about! 8-)

as at the my skin only works from each folder when I try and bring it together the centre piece goes black and white! and I can't work out why?
We are not going to do anything along these lines.

There are just way too many ambiguous complexities with building a process that allows you to select skins from various "root level" folders and create a single .rmskin that installs them all.

First, a decision must be made about what that means. When the .rmskin is installed are the skins installed to the original root level folders, or it the intent to create a single new root level folder and install all the skins as sub-folder under that.

If it is the former, we would never support that. We are not going to help authors to overwrite existing skins by other authors on a user's system. That can only lead to problems with users who don't understand that they are putting their current setup at risk when they install your .rmskin to try it out.

If it is the later, there is just no way to make that reliable. The way the @Resources folder works in Rainmeter is that it must be at the "root level" folder of the skin using stuff in it, and many of the skins you might "select" will have their own @Resource folders and references to it in the skins, and those will stop working. The only solution would be to somehow "merge" all existing @Resource folders into one, and put it in the new root level folder. We would never do that, as the risk of duplicate file names like "Variables.inc" or any number of other files and folders is just too great. This is certain to just blow up and cause problems.

To be honest, we are not really huge fans of folks who just take a dozen skins from other authors, stick a wallpaper behind it and release it as their own. That being said, as long as the authors have used a licence that allows it (most do) and proper credit to the original authors is given, then so be it.

However, it is up to YOU to do the up front work required to create a compilation of skins, at a single root level folder location, and resolve any issues with @Resources or other references to external files used by the various skins. Once you have the new setup created and tested, and you are sure that everything works as it should in the new location, then just create your .rmskin.

What is installed by your .rmskin will be in "your" root level folder location, will not replace or break existing skins the user may have, and will have been tested and tweaked as needed by you to ensure it works correctly.

That is how it is going to stay.
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fonpaolo
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Re: Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

Post by fonpaolo »

I know it's a very old thread, however I've ...some doubts now, considering the last time I created a complete rmskin package was five years ago. O.O

I've read and re-read the tips on how to merge a patch with an existing skin installed...
First of all, I doubt I can create an rmskin simply selecting some files from my root config folder, I'm I wrong?
Second, is there a way to delete some unnecessary files?

Depending on the answers, more questions may arise (it's not a threat...) :sly:
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eclectic-tech
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Re: Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

Post by eclectic-tech »

fonpaolo wrote: April 15th, 2020, 7:09 pm I know it's a very old thread, however I've ...some doubts now, considering the last time I created a complete rmskin package was five years ago. O.O

I've read and re-read the tips on how to merge a patch with an existing skin installed...
First of all, I doubt I can create an rmskin simply selecting some files from my root config folder, I'm I wrong?
Well, yes and no... you can create a merged patch, if you hide all folders that you do not want to change. Rainmeter will ignore those folders when you create a merged rmskin using a root folder from your "Skins" folder.

However, I find it is much easier to create a "Patches" folder on my computer, create a folder there with the root config name, and copy only the new/changed folders and files into that folder. Then when creating a new rmskin package, "Add a skin", selecting "Add custom folder", and select the root config folder you created in the "Patches" folder.
customfolder.png
Then make sure you selct "Merge Skins" on the "Advanced" tab of the rmskin creation tool.
WARNING: If you don't select "Merge Skins" the entire root folder will be deleted and replaced with only your patch folders and files.
merge.png
fonpaolo wrote:Second, is there a way to delete some unnecessary files?

Depending on the answers, more questions may arise (it's not a threat...) :sly:
Deleting has to be done manually.

Hope this helps clear some of the cobwebs for you. ;-)
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fonpaolo
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Re: Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

Post by fonpaolo »

Thanks eclectic-tech for your help. :D

I've never created an "rmskin patch" before, I still remember how to pack an entire suite and avoid to delete user configurations.
... but this is completely another question.

I managed to update my weather skin, grafting much of the latest version that I currently use in the old version available online...
Practically a Frankenstein monster! :lol:

Just to be sure, what do you mean by "hide all folders that you do not want to change"? :???:
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eclectic-tech
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Re: Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

Post by eclectic-tech »

fonpaolo wrote: April 16th, 2020, 11:09 am Thanks eclectic-tech for your help. :D
...
Just to be sure, what do you mean by "hide all folders that you do not want to change"? :???:
There are 2 methods to create a patch.

Method 1
The one I prefer is to create a separate root config named folder and put the new and modified folders and files there, then select "Add custom folder" when you create the rmskin package.

Method 2
The other method is to modify the items in your default "Skins" folder by setting the Window's property of every folder and file you do NOT want to change to "Hidden". Then select "Add folder from Skins" when you create the rmskin package. Rainmeter will ignore any "hidden" folders and files in the selected "Skin" when it creates the rmskin package.

If you are only changing a few skins I would use the first method. If you are changing a majority of the skin, perhaps the second method would be preferred, but I find changing the properties (then changing them back), a bit cumbersome and prefer creating a custom folder.
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jsmorley
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Re: Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

Post by jsmorley »

1.jpg
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fonpaolo
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Re: Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

Post by fonpaolo »

Oh, I was thinking about some "secret" function inside the rmskin advanced options... :lol:

I've to meditate about it a little bit...
40 folders to hide... :uhuh:
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DanDaBear
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Re: Updating your skins with .rmskin Advanced options

Post by DanDaBear »

You can select multiple folders, right click, select properties, and check hidden for all or them at once.
Never underestimate the power of stupid! :D