Add image to start menu?

[RECONBunny]

I know there is a way to do it but to simply put it I want to somehow do this:

https://i.imgur.com/fELWrcJ.png

[devillnside]

I know there is a way to do it but to simply put it I want to somehow do this:

https://i.imgur.com/fELWrcJ.png

if you have windows style builder then replace the default start menu images with your image ... just make sure the margins are set correctly as well as your image dimensions....

you're looking for the images located @

Start Menu > Panels > Aero > Top > Programs List > Programs List

Start Menu > Panels > Aero > Top > Programs List > Programs List Extended

& if you want the same image to be there when you open the all programs menu then replace the image @ the following location also:

Start Menu > Panels > Aero > Top > Programs List > NSCHost

[RECONBunny]

My first instinct is to export it then add the image and re-import it but it's SUPER thin.

https://i.imgur.com/eArAv9I.png

What do I do with this?

I found this video but I am still confused a little bit. Why are my ProgramLists so small? I do see I need to cut the image into 4 segments but I am struggling with how to begin. Something with calculating the width of some of them and adding them together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pN5ZXmjB5Y

[devillnside]

My first instinct is to export it then add the image and re-import it but it's SUPER thin.

https://i.imgur.com/eArAv9I.png

What do I do with this?

I found this video but I am still confused a little bit. Why are my ProgramLists so small? I do see I need to cut the image into 4 segments but I am struggling with how to begin. Something with calculating the width of some of them and adding them together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pN5ZXmjB5Y



that is the stock windows 7 program list.. you want the image you posted in op .. then you will have to make a new one to fit your custom image.. & why do you need to split it in four?? i didnt quite get that ..as for the video you posted i cant see it as all this page show me in the videos place is a Secure Connection Failed dialog

[RECONBunny]

Video plays fine for me. Here is the raw link: https://youtu.be/_pN5ZXmjB5Y

[devillnside]

okay saw the video..so where are you facing the problem?

[RECONBunny]

I went through and looked at all 4 of the items I would need to replace and their dimensions are as follows:
MorePrograms: 12x31
ProgramsList: 20x342
PlacesList: 9x373
Logoff: 3x54


In WSB it displays what each element looks like when you click on its name in the list. Then on the right it shows you a preview. If you click on the preview image you can adjust the WIDTH and HEIGHT of the elements but I cannot save these new widths. Mine are all as small as they can be but why? In his video his dimensions are much larger. It's like someone shrunk them to their maximum.

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[devillnside]

I went through and looked at all 4 of the items I would need to replace and their dimensions are as follows:
MorePrograms: 12x31
ProgramsList: 20x342
PlacesList: 9x373
Logoff: 3x54

In WSB it displays what each element looks like when you click on its name in the list. Then on the right it shows you a preview. If you click on the preview image you can adjust the WIDTH and HEIGHT of the elements but I cannot save these new widths. Mine are all as small as they can be but why? In his video his dimensions are much larger. It's like someone shrunk them to their maximum.

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you got this all wrong ...firstly when you click the preview the popup window that has the sliders which you think are for adjusting dimensions are not for that purpose.. the sliders adjust the image preview to show the effect of margins on the image.. (in image properties see Sizing: Margins & Content:Margins)
secondly.. as i said before, these are the default windows images for start menu ..(it comes with the OS)... if you want a custom start menu you need to make custom images from scratch, then you can have any size you want
if you really want to go ahead with this,, i suggest you do some reading first.. you can find detailed guides on WSB & theme building here:

http://virtualcustoms.net/showthread.php/40302-Themebuilding-getting-started

http://virtualcustoms.net/showthread.php/28810-Complete-Guide-to-Theme-Building

hope that helps

[RECONBunny]

Hey thanks I am looking through that but it's a lot. So quick question, all I really want to do is this:

https://i.imgur.com/pcNWyO6.png

Default Aero theme with just this one image on the start menu is all I want to do. What section of this massive tutorial do I go to for this? All it seems to be is showing you where the locations of these are so you can edit them. I know where they are but not sure how to get started. Mr. Grimm said something about margins.

[Shemhamforash]

Default Aero theme with just this one image on the start menu is all I want to do. What section of this massive tutorial do I go to for this? All it seems to be is showing you where the locations of these are so you can edit them. I know where they are but not sure how to get started. Mr. Grimm said something about margins.

Replace the image in Start Menu > Panels > Aero > Top > Programs List > Panels > Programs List.

Here is the default image I modified so it's wider, you can use this for your image:
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Added image:
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Screenshot:
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[RECONBunny]

We are on the VERY right track here but it stretches the image. How do I make the image you gave me taller so it scales properly?

https://i.imgur.com/J4VyKuj.png

The width is right but the height is off by 93 pixels.

[Shemhamforash]

We are on the VERY right track here but it stretches the image. How do I make the image you gave me taller so it scales properly?



The width is right but the height is off by 93 pixels.

Here is a more accurate template image:
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My custom start menu image:
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You need to copy my SIZINGTYPE and SIZINGMARGINS:
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Now for Start Menu > Panels > Aero > Top > Programs List > Panels > Programs List Extended.

Template:
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My custom image:
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Screenshot:
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Judging by other visual styles that use an image in the start menu, it always has to get stretched to some extent.

[RECONBunny]

Something is still not right here.

https://i.imgur.com/6tCedUG.png

My start menu is taller than yours due to more programs. Not sure if that matters but I did match your margins.

I did notice in your first picture the image is proper and not stretched but in the last one it's stretched vertically.

https://i.imgur.com/Jrempc9.png

https://i.imgur.com/QS9McNY.png

The dimensions of my start menu from the top to the bottom where ProgramsList ends is:

444: High
260: Wide

The proper setting I need to use is TRUESIZE but I need a true size ProgramsList frame.

[Shemhamforash]

Here you go:

Template:
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Custom Image:
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Screenshot:
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You need to learn how TILE works in SIZINGMARGINS.

I can't help you anymore in this topic, try learning stuff yourself.

[RECONBunny]

Thanks for your help did make some progress but I have a teensy error. What I did to get a larger panel was import the blank one you sent before your latest message. Opened it and extended the height of it and exported that. Opened it in Photoshop and chopped off the bottom to get the proper height I needed. While I DID find out the proper height I need and successfully made the image fit. There are gradient errors.

https://i.imgur.com/l4sI5OK.png

https://i.imgur.com/oYS9Opv.png

What you see in the PS Screen above is the dimensions I need to work with but like i said I imported the template you sent me and chopped it off to match 444 Pixels. I guess that messed with the gradient blends so it doesn't look natural. How can I get a native 260x444 template?

https://i.imgur.com/FsM6g3g.png

I would indeed like to learn about margins.

[devillnside]

Thanks for your help did make some progress but I have a teensy error. What I did to get a larger panel was import the blank one you sent before your latest message. Opened it and extended the height of it and exported that. Opened it in Photoshop and chopped off the bottom to get the proper height I needed. While I DID find out the proper height I need and successfully made the image fit. There are gradient errors.

https://i.imgur.com/l4sI5OK.png

https://i.imgur.com/oYS9Opv.png

What you see in the PS Screen above is the dimensions I need to work with but like i said I imported the template you sent me and chopped it off to match 444 Pixels. I guess that messed with the gradient blends so it doesn't look natural. How can I get a native 260x444 template?

https://i.imgur.com/FsM6g3g.png

I would indeed like to learn about margins.

try going through the guides i linked before.. as shem said without learning (reading up on the basics & then practicing or trying various things on your own) .. you cant make any progress with this

[Shemhamforash]

Thanks for your help did make some progress but I have a teensy error. What I did to get a larger panel was import the blank one you sent before your latest message. Opened it and extended the height of it and exported that. Opened it in Photoshop and chopped off the bottom to get the proper height I needed. While I DID find out the proper height I need and successfully made the image fit. There are gradient errors.





What you see in the PS Screen above is the dimensions I need to work with but like i said I imported the template you sent me and chopped it off to match 444 Pixels. I guess that messed with the gradient blends so it doesn't look natural. How can I get a native 260x444 template?



I would indeed like to learn about margins.

You're getting this all wrong, you shouldn't have cropped the image. Honestly it's not that hard, but it's somehow very difficult to explain it to you. If I can get my screenshot to not have any or the errors that yours produced, than you can can find a way to fix them on your end. You need to try things yourself to see if something works.

[devillnside]

i'll try to explain in short.. it is not always about the dimension of the image.. Sizing Margins are:
say you have a 4x4 image & you set your sizing margins as 1,1,1,1.So that means, of the 4x4 image, 1pixel on each side will be left out of the render & windows will use the rest 3x3 portion of the image to draw on the screen.

[RECONBunny]

You're getting this all wrong, you shouldn't have cropped the image. Honestly it's not that hard, but it's somehow very difficult to explain it to you. If I can get my screenshot to not have any or the errors that yours produced, than you can can find a way to fix them on your end. You need to try things yourself to see if something works.

I am going to go read through those tutorials again. I know I shouldn't have cropped them now. But now I do know that I need an uncropped properly sized Template of 260Wx444H but I don't know how to produce that.

[RECONBunny]

i'll try to explain in short.. it is not always about the dimension of the image.. Sizing Margins are:
say you have a 4x4 image & you set your sizing margins as 1,1,1,1.Sp that means, of the 4x4 image, 1pixel on each side will be left out of the render & windows will use the rest 3x3 portion of the image to draw on the screen.

Hmm I think I understand this. I will play around with my margins but I still do need a proper sized Template of 260x444