How to create your own CloneCD Skin?

If you wish to modify the look of CloneCD, you can do this by creating "CloneCD Skins".
First of all, this information applies to CloneCD Version 2.7.5.1 or higher. You should not use Skins with earlier versions of CloneCD.

Every Skin needs to be in an own Directory in the Graphics directory of CloneCD's programm directory:

Elaborate Bytes
   |
   --- CloneCD
          |
          ----- Graphics  <- Place your directory here!!!!
                   |
                   ---- My Personal Skin

You should look at the files in "Graphics" and "Modern" to get started quickly.

With Windows ME and Windows 2000, you can "Drag & Drop" your skin directory in CloneCD's Skin selection Dialog.
If CloneCD is uninstalled, added Skin directories will not be deleted.

Description of Skin.ini:

Your skin needs a Skin.ini file in its directory.
If the file is not there, the Skin won't be loaded. If version is < 2, the skin won't be loaded.
This Version information is important, if CloneCD changes the "Skin" loading in the future.
The comment will be displayed, if the user selects the skin directory.
Please keep it small (up to 55 characters).
The character " is not allowed. Adding a comment is optional.
 
[DE], [ES], etc. are locale specific comments. If they are missing, the default will be used.
The default comment - if present - shall be in English.
 
Here is an example:
 
---- Skin.ini Start ---- cut here ----
[CloneCD]
Version=2
Comment=Modern 256 colour Skin by Elaborate Bytes
 
[DE]
Comment=Moderner 256 Farben Skin von Elaborate Bytes

[ES]
Comment=Skin moderna con 256 colores hecha por Elaborate Bytes
---- Skin.ini End ---- cut here ----
 
 
Description of Skin .bmp:
 
You can provide up to three images within a single bitmap. All images must be the same size and next to each other in a horizontal row.
CloneCD displays one of these images depending on the state of the button.
 
Image position and button state Description:
 
First Up:
This image appears when the button is unselected. If no other images exist in the bitmap, this image is used for all states.

Second Disabled:
This image usually appears dimmed to indicate that the button can't be selected.

Third Clicked:
This image appears when the button is clicked. The Up image reappears when the user releases the mouse button. If this image is missing, the first image will be displayed.

If only one image is present, CloneCD attempts to represent the disabled state by altering the image.
You should always provide a "disabled state" image in your bitmap, as CloneCD's attempt to represent a disabled state is far from being perfect.
 
The lower left pixel of the bitmap is reserved for the "transparent" color. Any pixel in the bitmap that matches the colour of the lower left pixel will be transparent. 
 
Note, that using "Version 2" Skins with older versions CloneCD won't work, as the "Number of States" was hardcoded in the program.
Using old skins with the new version (after adding a Skin.ini file) should work fine, as CloneCD will determine, how many images are in the bitmap.