Updating Premium Pack

This forum is for discussions on the Help & Manual Premium Pack and the Premium Pack Toolbox configuration utility introduced with Premium Pack 3

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alanmcd
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Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 3:02 pm

Updating Premium Pack

Unread post by alanmcd »

Typically I do as recommended, move the skin I use to another dir (away from Program Files) before further customsing with my logo etc.

Now when an update comes, I assume I have to remember what customising I have done, then do the same to the new updated skin.
What's the easiest way to make sure I am doing the skin update properly (with my customising)? Do I need to fully document my customsing so I remember? OR can I use Beyond Compare?

thanks
Alan
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Tim Green
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Re: Updating Premium Pack

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Alan,

You can use Beyond Compare. Skins are actually fully functional if you unpack them, all you lose is the display of preview image when you select the skin in the Publish screen:
  1. Unpack the new and old skins to empty folders with a zip utility (change the extension to .zip to do this if necessary)
  2. Change the name of the project.hmxp file to anything_you_want.hmskin
  3. Do your compare. Most changes will be in the script files anyway, so if you're careful you can usually use diffing and merging to transfer your mods.
  4. Test with the unpacked skin.
  5. If you want, change the main file name back to project.hmxp, repack and rename the packed skin
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Tim Frost
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Re: Updating Premium Pack

Unread post by Tim Frost »

I always use Beyond Compare for this exact purpose, but it is much simpler if you add *.hmskin to the list of ZIP archive types under Tools/Options in Beyond Compare. This eliminates all the unpacking that Tim describes. I first review in BC the changes that have been made in the skin from one version to the next, then move my modified skins to a backup folder, replace then with copies of the new released skins and use BC to copy over my changes into what become my new working skins. Once you have done this update on a couple of new skins it becomes a really simple process the next time.
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Tim Green
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Re: Updating Premium Pack

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your additions: I don't use BC myself, and I wasn't sure whether it could handle zips or not. I still use WinMerge, out of old habit, and my versions of the skins are always unpacked anyway since I'm usually editing them. 8)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
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