» Messenger Skins » Resources for skin creators
Create a Skin
Whether you are a total beginner wanting to know how to make your first skin, or you are a master skinner from the old MSN days, this page is the best place to start to make a Messenger Plus! Skin. Anybody can make a basic skin for Windows Live Messenger with Messenger Plus!, all you need is the will to put some time into it. Remember to send us your finished skins if you want other people to use them.
Make sure you read the Official Documentation first, especially the Getting Started section. The other resources listed below will then make your life as a skinner easier. If you read the documentation and still have questions, the nice people on the forum will help you.
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
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.
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