» Messenger Skins » Resources for skin creators

Create a Skin

Of je nu een totale beginner bent die zijn of haar eerste skin wilt maken, of je bent een master skinner die al in de oude MSN dagen skins maakte, deze pagina is de beste plek om te starten met het maken van een Messenger Plus! skin. Iedereen kan een basis skin maken voor Windows Live Messenger met Messenger Plus!, alles wat je nodig hebt is een goede wil en wat tijd. Vergeet niet je skin in te sturen als het klaar is, als je wilt dat andere mensen het gebruiken.

Zorg ervoor dat je de Officiele Documentatie eerst leest, vooral de Getting Started sectie. Alle andere informatie hieronder zal je leven als skinner makkelijker maken. De vriendelijke mensen op het forum kunnen je helpen als je nog steeds vragen hebt na het lezen van de documentatie.

Official Skinning Documentation

The official skinning documentation is written by Patchou, it can be downloaded here or from inside Messenger Plus!. The CHM help file guides you trough everything you need to know to make a skin, it is the most important document for everybody who wants to make a Messenger Skin with Messenger Plus!. This file is only available in English.

NOTICE for Internet Explorer 7 users: You may need to access the properties of the file and click "unlock" to see the content of the documentation properly. This is a problem caused by Internet Explorer security. You can also access the documentation directly from the preferences of Messenger Plus! where this problem doesn't happen.

User created tutorials

These tutorials are written by other skinners, they offer additional help to the official documentation. The subject and depth of each tutorial varies, but they are all made to make you understand skinning better, definitely check them out.

• Change the contact list background, by vikke
• How to find CmdIds, by vikke and CookieRevised
• How to hide elements (Forced Hiding & Skin Options), by aNILEator
• How to update your skin for a new Messenger version, by Sunshine
• Replace "_Multi" images, like Maximize & Close buttons, by aNILEator
• Willz Windows Live Messenger Skinning Guide, by Will "Willz" Ingles
  • Willz - 1 - An Introduction to skinning
  • Willz - 2 - Welcome to skinning in Messenger Plus!
  • Willz - 3 - Getting around MSNRLE
  • Willz - 4 - The Windows Live Messenger Resource Bible

Useful Software

The applications below can be very handy when creating skins. It's not necessary to use them (you can use any kind of text and graphics editor you want to make skins), but several experienced skinners use these tools to make their life easier.

• AptDiff, by Brother Technology
  A Visual text / binary files comparison and merging utility for Windows, useful when updating your skin for a new Messenger version.
• Open Live, by Will "Willz" Ingles
  Open Live is a special version of Windows Live Messenger 8.5 that has been edited to make a skinners life a lot easier. Learn by example from this skin.
• Resource Hacker, by Angus Johnson
  View and extract resources from Messenger's library.
• SkinTools, by vikke
  A small simple Messenger Plus! script to help you out when skinning.
• XMLSpy, by Altova
  Very good XML editor capable of perfectly rendering XML Schema files (you will need the professional version which is available as a free trial).

External Resources

Additional help and skins may be found at these addresses:

• Official Skins Forum
  Where a lot of skinners come to discuss what they made and offer help.
• Design Evolved
  Created by and for skinners. Home of talented skinner Willz.
• MPskins.net
  Skinning resources. Read the official documentation online.