My boss decided to take a job creating a DNN skin for a client. No one of us is even remotely qualified or even familiar with DNN. And I got dumped on the job because I'm less obvious about being a flake than most of the rest of us.

We have a PSD of the design from the web designer, and I've been desperately reading everything I can about DNN and skinning, and I'm at a complete and utter loss of how to go about creating a skin. Help!?

I have Visual Studio 2010 (which I've never used before, ftr) installed, and I installed the skinning starter kit from the main DNN site, but it doesn't seem like it's loading things properly, and I'm really not sure what to do even get it set up properly (every tutorial seems to assume that I'm working with my own site, not with someone else's site), let alone how to go about converting the design into a skin (I understand the whole modules/containers/etc. thing and know what each thing should be, but not how to make it). All of the tutorials I've been able to find are more focused on telling you how to install the skin after someone makes it for you - well I'm supposed to be the one making it, not installing it!

If I had more time, I'd read around some more, maybe go and find some books, and try and learn how to do this properly, but I'm supposed to do this by Monday so I'm really freaking out now.

Is anyone willing to lead a complete and utter flake through the creation of a DNN skin with VS2010?

Aliya,

Given what you've said, it's probably going to be a challenge to get this done by Monday. Nonetheless, there are some good resources here. Please look in our Tutorials section where you will find a whole set of skinning tutorials. Most are how to make skins rather than how to install them! Here are some tutorials that might help you get started:

* Planning a DotNetNuke website
* Skin Design Considerations
* Creating a Skin Template
* Setup Preparations for Skinning
* Introduction to Skinning
* How to create a skin (using tables)

* How to test a skin
* Troubleshooting DotNetNuke Skins

* How to create a pure CSS skin

* Introduction to CSS and inheritance in DotNetNuke skins
* How to create an XHTML Compliant DotNetNuke 4.4

* How to create a DotNetNuke CSS skin from an XHTML template – part 1
* How to create a DotNetNuke CSS skin from an XHTML template – part 2

* How to Package a Skin for DotNetNuke 5

I think that after you've dealt with the introductory tutorials, the tutorials on creating a skin from an XHTML template might be helpful. Particularly so if you know something about XHTML templates.

The other good news is that you can completely do all of your work in an HTML format for the skins and CSS. The tutorials should make that clear.

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With all of that said, it might be better to seek out someone who can do this for you, particularly as you have the PSD files available. If you want to write to me privately (use the contact form at patapscorg.com) I can give you some names and email addresses. Depending on the complexity of the design, this could be something that an experienced skin designer can do in a day or two.