Classic Shell: Forum

I am using 4.0.4 on windows 8.1, style "classic with two columns". I want to change the user picture in the top right corner to be a bit bigger, but cannot figure out how. I edited the user_image in the skin file, and even replaced the bitmap frame with one to match the larger size (72x72), but no luck.
Can anyone tell me what I'm missing/doing wrong?

thanks

You also need to set User_image_size and maybe User_image_offset.

Make sure you open the correct skin with the .SKIN extension (and not .SKIN7) in Resource Hacker. Because the files in C:\Program Files\Classic Shell\Skins are UAC-protected, copy them to some other folder like the Desktop, rename the skin that you are using and then open it in Resource Hacker. If you edit them in place inside C:\Program Files\Classic Shell\Skins with Resource Hacker, the saved changes may not be saved unless Resource Hacker is running as administrator.

Here is a snippet from the "User Picture (Classic Skins)" section of the Skin tutorial at http://www.classicshell.net/tutorials/skintutorial.html

The start menu can also show the user picture. You enable it by setting the size of the user picture. All original skins use 48x48 pixels, but you can choose any size up to 128x128:

User_image_size=48

You must also set the position of the image inside the menu:

User_frame_position=-10,6

Positive position is measured from the left and top, and negative numbers are from the right and the bottom. So "-10,6" means 10 pixels from the right and 6 pixels from the top. The horizontal position can also be "center", "center1" or "center2". Then the image will be centered over the whole menu, or over the first column, or over the second column:

User_frame_position=center2,6 - center on top of the second column

Optionally, you can specify a frame bitmap:

User_bitmap=12 - the resource ID of the frame bitmap
User_image_offset=8,8 - how many pixels between the top/left corner of the frame and the top/left corner of the user picture

The frame is drawn on top of the user picture, so it must have a hole where the picture is supposed to be. That means the frame bitmap must have alpha channel.

By default the user picture is drawn opaque. You can control the transparency of the picture with this property:

User_image_alpha=200 - set the transparency to 200 (out of 255)

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

I set the User_image_size (to 72), and made the frame 96 by 96. Do you have to set user_frame_position and user_image_offset to something else? I left those alone...
Also, the frame didn't have a "hole" in it, it was just a black square with a white line going around the square ~6px from the perimiter. Is it possible that by editing and resaving the bitmap in photoshop the alpha channel got removed?

Also, whenever i try and replace the bitmap in 12, it gives me an error. I got around this by deleting it and inserting the edited one, but I'm not sure that it worked...

Ok, so I resaved the file under a different name and it worked, but now this happened:

You need to adjust the image offset and also the top padding of the second column (Main2_padding)

@pizza, were you able to change the user picture size eventually? Otherwise attach your skin here and tell us which size you want.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

@GauravK Yea I managed to change the size, thanks for the offer. Now I need to change the offset/padding and see if that works.

Changed the padding, and everything works now! The only problem now is that the shutdown dialog doesn't include "sleep"

The shutdown dialog is controlled by the system. Maybe sleep is disabled or not supported by your hardware.

The option is definitely available as I can access it through power options