Style Builder Explorer Edits?

[Hendrick]

I found a theme recently that I really liked (here on Neowin actually.) However, there were a few places where it seemed a few minor edits could really improve the skin. I was able to get most of them, except edits in Windows Explorer. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to edit this section of the style.

The area to the right of the vertical line is where I'm referring to. (System Task, Other Places, and Details). I've tried modifying things in the Explorer Bar section of Style Builder, but it doesn't seem to do a whole lot.

Thanks for the help.

[kimsland]

Actually I usually remove that panel, as seen (howto) in this pic: http://i41.tinypic.com/vpdch1.jpg

[Hendrick]

I do use it sometimes though, just trying to figure out how to edit the panel. I don't know how I've missed it, it seems like I've crawled over this program for an hour just trying to find it. I haven't had a problem with anything else, just this panel. (I honestly can't find anything to edit any part of Windows Explorer, so it's more then just the panel, it's the explorer as a whole.)

[kimsland]

Oh its editable all right.

Its just that the "themes" must be used. Not you and your personal editing, which may (likely) corrupt Explorer.exe

Now I did have a link to an excellent theme site, but I wanted to say the following for the first time ;)

Just Bing it :D

[Hendrick]

I have a feeling changing from Kumo to Bing was a great choice for Microsoft... No matter how you put it, I don't think Kumo could become a verb... :p

What exactly is the difference between the theme and the msstyle, or am I completely missing the point? (I know themes also contain the background and a few select icons, cursor package, sound package, ect. But can a theme control Windows Explorer, while the msstyle cannot?)

[kimsland]

This graphical area is out of my normal tech support area (sorry)

But I have myself done all the "msstyle" addons (or edits)

I eventually stopped when one did kill my Explorer.exe, and thought, nup, that's it I'm just keeping default.

And you can see by the pic I uploaded, I also turn everything off.

I hope you receive better (much better) support replies, and I suspect you will.

[Hendrick]

Alright, thanks for the help.

After doing a little research on my own, I discovered what you were talking about, the Shellstyle.dll that I have to modify.

This website here, has been a lot of help in understanding what changes what. However, when I make changes, it doesn't seem to effect the appearance at all.

This is the area which is edits that left panel, could someone correct me if I'm wrong?

<style resid=taskpane>
element [id=atom(sectionlist)]
{
/*background: rcbmp(113,5,255,0,0,1,0);*/
background: rgb(22,26,37);
padding: rect(-55rp,-50rp,10rp,0rp);
borderthickness: rect(55,55,1,4);
bordercolor: argb(0,255,255,255);
}

And if so, why is it that the background image is still showing, and not the set color edit that I made? Even when I change that image the original image that is references, it doesn't seem to make any difference at all...

[Hendrick]

Alright, so I was finally able to make the edits I needed... I had the wrong folder path. One last question. (Or two.)

I'm again in Shellstyle.exe, trying to modify this Windows XP Theme that I found. I'm using Resource Hacker to modify the Shellstyle.exe. Here's my problem:

I have two issues when you look at it. First of all, the "Files and Folder Task" part does not seem to have a border. Not sure why. Second, the "Files and Folder Task" does not align up with the corresponding box below it.

Now, here, (I believe anyways) is the code from Shellstyle.exe that relates specifically to this area:

<style resid=sectionss>
<!--SNIP-->
tasklist [id=atom(tasklist)]
{
/*original
background: argb(0,255, 255, 255);
borderthickness: rect(0,0,0,0);
bordercolor: white;
padding: rect(12rp,10rp,12rp,10rp);
animation: rectanglev | s | fast;*/

background: rgb(22,26, 37);
borderthickness: rect(1,0,1,1);
bordercolor: rgb (0,0,0);
padding: rect(12rp,10rp,12rp,10rp)
animation: rectanglev | s | fast;
}
</style>

And:

<style resid=sectionss>
<!--Snip-->
button
{
/*Original
content: rcbmp(112);
contentalign:bottomleft;
foreground: rgb(0, 0, 0); 
fontweight: rcint(10);
padding: rect(10rp,0rp,1rp,0rp);
borderthickness: rect(0,0,0,0);
cursor: hand;
animation: rectanglev | s | fast;*/

/*Mine
background: rcbmp(115,6,#FF00FF,0,0,1,0);
foreground: rgb(210,214,217);
fontweight: rcint(10);
padding: rect(10rp,0rp,1rp,0rp);
borderthickness: rect(2,2,2,0); //border size is set here, still not showing
bordercolor: rgb(0,0,0); //border color
cursor: hand;
animation: rectanglev | s | fast;*/

cursor: hand;
}
<!--Snip-->
button [id=atom(header)]
{
/*Original
foreground: argb(0,0, 0, 0);
fontweight: rcint(10);
padding: rect(18,0,0,0);
animation: rectanglev | s | fast;
borderthickness: rect(0,0,0,0);
content: rcbmp(112);
contentalign:bottomleft;*/

background: rcbmp(115,6,#FFFFFF,161,21,1,0);
foreground: rgb(210,214,217);
fontweight: rcint(10);
padding: rect(10rp,0rp,1rp,0rp);
borderthickness: rect(2,2,2,0);
bordercolor: rgb(22,26,37);
cursor: hand;
animation: rectanglev | s | fast; 
}

I'm not that familiar with rcbmp, so it could be one of the entries in there that is incorrect. I found a website earlier today that explained it, but I forgot to bookmark it, and I can't seem to find it again.

Thanks again!