[WiX-users] WixUI Banner image sizes

[Troy Howard]

First, thanks all for helping put me on the right track with merge modules
in my last message. I figured that out and it's exactly what I needed.

My current question revolves around the stock ui in WixUIExtensions.dll and
the image sizes.

Our company currently has a number of installers that were built with .Net
Setup Projects. Those installers all use a standard banner bitmap that is
497 x 69 pixels. The WixUI standard banner is 493 x 58. In the WixUI source
code, the dialog banner sizes in the control tags are set to 370 x44, but in
the .Net Setup projects (inspecting with Orca) they are 375 x 52.

I would prefer to be able to continue generating MSIs in .Net Setup Projects
when needed, but also use Wix.

As it see it, I'm left with two options:
1. Maintain two sets of graphics, with slightly different sizes, to be used
in their respective dialogs (ie, keep a banner graphic at 497x69 for .Net
Setup Projects, and another at 493x58 for Wix projects)
2. Download the source for WixUIExtensions.dll, edit all the dialogs to
match the .net setup project sizes, recompile, and reference this customized
dll in all my wix projects.

I prefer not to have to maintain seperate graphics, because, to put it
simply, it will get confusing, and create double the work for the guy who is
generating the graphics (sometimes me, sometimes our in-house designer). I
imagine that even if we were diligent about creating seperately sized ones,
that the developers creating the MSIs might forget which one to use, ending
up with streched or crunched banners anyway... They of course won't notice,
but anyone else in the world would. I will have to be the
setup-banner-graphics-size police from now until the distant future.. etc..

I lean heavily towards the one graphic size for all dialogs option (option
2)...

So, my question is this... Since I'm probably not the only person who has
ever encountered this problem.. Has anyone else done the work already to
modify all the sizes in WixUI to match the .Net Setup projects? If so, would
it be possible for me to get the custom WixUIExtension.dll?

Also, since I imagine this will annoy a lot of people, is there any reason
why it's different in the first place? Is there any interest in updating the
"official" codebase to use the (unchangeable) standard set by the .Net Setup
projects?

Thanks,
Troy

[Pally Sandher]

You could create your own Custom UI set with your different sized
bitmaps using WiXUI rather than recompile the DLL.
Then you could specify it in your Product as you would the stock UI sets
e.g. <UIRef Id="WiXUI_MyCustomUI" />

Download the WiX Source, extract it & browse to
\src\ext\UIExtension\wixlib\
All the UI .wxs files are in there. You can copy & paste the required
parts to your own UI Fragment, modifying the Bitmap controls where
required e.g.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
<Fragment>
<UI Id="WiXUI_MyCustomUI">
[specify your modified dialogs here]
</UI>
<UIRef Id="WixUI_Common" />
</Fragment>
</Wix>

It works for me as I wanted to use the WiXUI_InstallDir without the
InstallDirDlg appearing in a couple of plug-ins we released recently
(the WiXUI_Minimal is pretty horrible IMO) which I did using this
approach with a minimum of work & fuss. I also added a custom dialog to
one plug-in which is conditionally shown after the LicenseAgreementDlg &
before the VerifyReadyDlg & it all works splendidly.


Palbinder Sandher
Software Deployment and IT Administrator

T: [phone]
F: [phone]
http://www.iesve.com

**Design, Simulate + Innovate with the <Virtual Environment>**

Integrated Environmental Solutions Limited. Registered in Scotland No.
SC151456
Registered Office - Helix Building, West Of Scotland Science Park,
Glasgow G20 0SP

Email Disclaimer


-----Original Message-----
From: wix-users-***@lists.sourceforge.net
[mailto:wix-users-***@lists.sourceforge.net] On Behalf Of Troy
Howard
Sent: 04 September 2008 07:16
To: wix-***@lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: [WiX-users] WixUI Banner image sizes

First, thanks all for helping put me on the right track with merge
modules in my last message. I figured that out and it's exactly what I
needed.

My current question revolves around the stock ui in WixUIExtensions.dll
and the image sizes.

Our company currently has a number of installers that were built with
.Net Setup Projects. Those installers all use a standard banner bitmap
that is
497 x 69 pixels. The WixUI standard banner is 493 x 58. In the WixUI
source code, the dialog banner sizes in the control tags are set to 370
x44, but in the .Net Setup projects (inspecting with Orca) they are 375
x 52.

I would prefer to be able to continue generating MSIs in .Net Setup
Projects when needed, but also use Wix.

As it see it, I'm left with two options:
1. Maintain two sets of graphics, with slightly different sizes, to be
used in their respective dialogs (ie, keep a banner graphic at 497x69
for .Net Setup Projects, and another at 493x58 for Wix projects) 2.
Download the source for WixUIExtensions.dll, edit all the dialogs to
match the .net setup project sizes, recompile, and reference this
customized dll in all my wix projects.

I prefer not to have to maintain seperate graphics, because, to put it
simply, it will get confusing, and create double the work for the guy
who is generating the graphics (sometimes me, sometimes our in-house
designer). I imagine that even if we were diligent about creating
seperately sized ones, that the developers creating the MSIs might
forget which one to use, ending up with streched or crunched banners
anyway... They of course won't notice, but anyone else in the world
would. I will have to be the setup-banner-graphics-size police from now
until the distant future.. etc..

I lean heavily towards the one graphic size for all dialogs option
(option 2)...

So, my question is this... Since I'm probably not the only person who
has ever encountered this problem.. Has anyone else done the work
already to modify all the sizes in WixUI to match the .Net Setup
projects? If so, would it be possible for me to get the custom
WixUIExtension.dll?

Also, since I imagine this will annoy a lot of people, is there any
reason why it's different in the first place? Is there any interest in
updating the "official" codebase to use the (unchangeable) standard set
by the .Net Setup projects?

Thanks,
Troy
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[Bob Arnson]

Post by Troy Howard
Also, since I imagine this will annoy a lot of people, is there any reason
why it's different in the first place?

When I created WixUI, I started with the MSI SDK samples, not with the
.vdproj UI.

Post by Troy Howard
Is there any interest in updating the
"official" codebase to use the (unchangeable) standard set by the .Net Setup
projects?

Unfortunately, that would break the graphics that users already created.

[Troy Howard]

Post by Bob Arnson
Unfortunately, that would break the graphics that users already created.

That makes perfect sense.

Perhaps once I finish making a size compatible version of the current UI,
I'll make it available to anyone else who faces this issue.

Thanks,
Troy

Post by Bob Arnson

Post by Troy Howard
Also, since I imagine this will annoy a lot of people, is there any

reason

Post by Troy Howard
why it's different in the first place?

When I created WixUI, I started with the MSI SDK samples, not with the
.vdproj UI.

Post by Troy Howard
Is there any interest in updating the
"official" codebase to use the (unchangeable) standard set by the .Net

Setup

Post by Troy Howard
projects?

Unfortunately, that would break the graphics that users already created.
--
sig://boB
http://joyofsetup.com/
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Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great
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