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Old 07-15-2016, 10:19 PM   #1
SmajjL
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,779
Default [ReQ] How it was made

Warning, lots of text.
A tut requested, and this is my fearless attempt.

So with notepad++, I open rtconfig in the unpacked Paulie theme, NP++ because it shows row-numbers and is theme'able etc.

First, one small tweak so we get FX & Params, Sends, instead of meter only on this narrow layout.
(Layout "15. Meter on Top - Narrow" "mcp_meter_on_top") @ row 1158, set mcp.extmixer.mode [0] instead of [1]

Copied Layout "15. Meter on Top - Narrow" "mcp_meter_on_top"
And all that belongs to it before layout 16 starts.
Click & hit Return on row 1208 so we push down some text & paste.
Just so you see end of a layout, and paste in the right place, ok.

I renamed my copy/paste of Layout "15. Meter on Top - Narrow" "mcp_meter_on_top" to >
Layout "152. Meter on Top - Narrow" "mcp_meter_on_top2"
Because 16 was taken.
EndLayout ; end of "152. Meter on Top - Narrow"

Since we want more layouts of the same for different scenarios we are using folders so we can have different graphics per layout, if no folders at all, the theme only have one mcp_extmixbg to get graphics from etc, ok..

So now we have to make a Windows folder and name it mcp_meter_on_top2.
Just copy the already existing mcp_meter_on_top folder to the desktop and rename it there, and move it back to the Paulie folder.
The stuff inside is identical and none of them have mcp_extmixbg or mcp_fxparm_norm you need to borrow them from Paulie folder and copy to mcp_meter_on_top folder, and to your new second one.

Now you need Gimp. http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
Excellent!
Ps, don't close Gimp or the opened images until we finished so we can undo/regret stuff, ok.
And, menu on top, Windows, Single window mode if you like that.
On the left you see tool icons and that a fresh install default might be to tight, we want to see more of the tool options.
Right next to the ruler, you can drag it out, same on the other side if you want that.
You can Dock also by just dragging the icon/name but I leave it as is so we see the same.
Gimp have themes also, I know default is very bright, another time. Right!... ->

Now open mcp_fxparm_norm in the Paulie folder to copy a little knob.
Ctrl + scroll wheel zooms in&out, you see that if we try to select and copy the knob we have some lines and some almost transparent graphics in the way that will be copied, we don't want that.
Find the eraser, make the size 1 pixel when working to close to the knob and more/bigger when not, and if you can find the Brush Icon, click and change to 2. Hardness 100.
Zoom in and erase around the knob knowing we are going to select with a rectangle soon, so no need to erase much more then necessary, stuff on the right.
Beautiful! so make a selection around the knob incl shadows (Rectangle Select Tool), 22x22 pixels seems ok, you see selection size info furthest down while moving or in tool options.
Right mouse click on the image, edit, copy, this will be in the memory as long as you don't copy something else.

Now open mcp_extmixbg in the mcp_meter_on_top folder.
Now that! is way to small to fit our knobs right? 75x81 pixels it says on top of Gimp and we just copied a knob 22x22?
So, menu on top, Image, Scale Image.
We want to change the height only and the link icon chain thing is locked, click it please, now you can, go for 200 on height for this 'example.
The scaling made the pink lines messy, and pink lines MUST be Pink as in Red 255 Green 0 Blue 255, well fix that soon.

Find the pencil tool and hold CTRL so it turns into color picker, pick something in the middle.
Now select everything minus one pixel all around as you see, there is transparent stuff, miss that on purpose, the pink lines lives there.
Alt, you can menu, select all, and shrink one pixel, ok!
Bucket fill tool in the selection until happy (or drag the foreground color into selection)
Now Menu, Select, Invert & press delete, then Menu, Select, None.

So is our knob still in memory? right mouse on canvas, edit, paste as new layer, now how cool is that?
Find the move tool [+] and put it on top left & 3pixels down & 3 to the right.
With the measure tool, rectangle selection tool, or just count steps with a 1 pixel brush, what ever.
Now we see clear how much pink lines we would need so let's do that.
Click the foreground (the square 'black & white thing, the dark atm is foreground, the white is background)
Only full pink works, Red 255 Green 0 Blue 255 or HTML notation ff00ff. If it off by one tiny step, you wont see it, but WALTER will, and will not work.

Ok, make sure you are on the mcp_extmixbg layer now, layer is docked to the right, there should be two layers atm, the knob is just called Clipboard.
Grab your pencil tool, make it 1 pixel and click once on the top left corner, then hold SHIFT and go to the right 25 pixels (info furthest down & ruler & the knob itself & pure instinct as guide)
Now make one from top left and go way down say 190 pixels.
And now a small one furthest down corner to the right, a little something 5 pixels up & left.

Let's try this and see what we got, Menu, File, Overwrite mcp_extmixbg.png.
Oops, wait! before start Reaper, the mcp_fxparm_norm you copied to mcp_meter_on_top folder? you need to open that and press delete so it's transparent for this, layout

Now, start Reaper and go to your Paulie theme.
This is only the active mcp_fxparm_norm that we are working on so, you need to make a MCP track, add EQ, chose a preset with 11 bands and touch bands>show in track controls etc.
We only made one knob atm so, just make 3 quick ones or something.
Now that! does not look right when moving the knob, looks like we need to move more to the left, brb..
(And we have not closed Gimp for situations like this.
Back, so 4 pixels from top, 3px from left seems to be best if you go by graphics of the knob.
If by boundary, 1px from left, 3px from top.

Back to Gimp, now we have a One correct reference.
First, the layer name Clipboard annoys 'us'? double click on the name and type mcp_fxparm_norm.
Except for the obvious reasons, there is one more good reason i'll tell you why later, if I remember..

Ok, select layer mcp_fxparm_norm, there is a duplicate icon below, make One, for now, need to figure out the position space between the knobs with a quick trial & error learning... .. , hey come back here?! ok, i'll do it... ..
Where is the new knob? exactly on top of your other, Move Tool it down so the Top vs Top Layer Boundary is 27px apart, down.
Or 28 if you are counting pixels.
So, looks like we can only move mcp_fxparm_norm down two pixels before Boundary collides, great, then we know that, let's make 6 more knobs then knowing this will full! confidence..
So select mcp_fxparm_norm copy layer and duplicate 6 times, & Move Tool away so we see them all.
You know where to put them so I will not tell you.

While you sort this out I will tell you that in Menu, Edit, Preferences, Tool Options, you can tick/check (set layer or path as active)
When clicking on the knobs/layers now, it will automatically make that layer active so you can move stuff fast.
Select click & arrows work also if you prefer.
So, this is also good for doing visual mockups with pieces of images, what ever you come up with so you can build ideas fast before commit to something huge.
And if everything is named, just click on the stuff and the layer is selected and you will remember what stuff is called.

Ok, you done arranging the knobs in the right position?
Overwrite & start Reaper and do your thing, 8 params this time.
While you do that... ..
I'll make a refresh theme action for you.
Right mouse on the main toolbar BG, not the tools, customize toolbar, add, custom action (new), (filter) = theme, Drag Switch to next color theme & Switch to previous color theme into the window to the right, custom action name on top = rTheme, press OK.
rTheme should be in the list of actions now for you to add & select/close & save.
There is an icon for this you can fix/add later.

O-K, looks good, (when MCP hight is 'right' enough...) have to due for now, puh, you can of course make even taller ones, this is just a tut aimed at, this.
So, back to Gimp and let's color them, move tool active and just click your knobs one at the time, Menu, Colorize, to taste, Overwrite when done aaaaaand, I think this mini tut is over.

Don't forget the sticky threads with more precious info and, experiment on top of others themes, trial & error is a must.
And, I am no expert, yet.

That's all folks, entertainment for today if nothing else.
At least I got Gimping again, and, new Gimp 2.8.18 & 2.9.4 is about to be released for Windows any second, minute, day, aka, sooon.
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