Document Structure

Skin

Skin is the top-level root element for the file. Top-level elements appear directly under <Skin>.

skin.xml Snippet:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Skin>
  <Styles/>
  <Forms>
    <Form name="MyDialog" title="My Dialog"/>
  </Forms>
</Skin>

Externals / External

Externals is a top-level namespace import block. External declares one imported namespace pattern that can be referenced elsewhere in the skin.

skin.xml Snippet:

<Externals>
  <External name="@Main.*"/>
  <External name="Standard.*"/>
</Externals>

<Styles>
  <Style name="MyLabel" inherit="Standard.AddIn.Label"/>
</Styles>

Attribute Name	Description	Type
name	Namespace pattern imported by External.	identifier

name	Description
@Main.*	-
PresonusUI	-
PresonusUI*	-
Standard.*	-

Notes

• Imported names do not render on their own; they make host-provided resources available for later references.

Resources

Resources is a top-level skin block used to define reusable named assets for the form.

skin.xml Snippet:

<Resources>
  <Image name="ImagePreview" url="images/image.png"/>
</Resources>

Notes

• Declare named assets here and reference them from other elements/controls.

Shapes

Shapes is a top-level container for named vector shape resources. Child element details for Shape, ShapeImage, Rectangle, Triangle, Ellipse, and Line are grouped under Image & Shape Resources.

skin.xml Snippet:

<Shapes>
  <Shape name="DividerShape" size="0,0,120,12" style="scale">
    <Rectangle size="0,4,120,4"
               style="fill stroke"
               Brush.color="hsl(204,11,64)"
               Pen.color="hsl(0,0,12)"/>
  </Shape>
</Shapes>

Styles

Styles is a top-level container for defining reusable skin styling rules for controls, including colors, fonts, and alignment helpers. Style-level details for Style, Color, Font, and Align are grouped in Style Helpers & Host Styles.

skin.xml Snippet:

<Styles>
  <Style name="MyEditBox" inherit="Standard.AddIn.EditBox">
    <Color name="backcolor" color="#1A1A2E"/>
    <Color name="textcolor" color="#FFFFFF"/>
    <Font name="textfont" themeid="PresonusUI" size="13" bold="true"/>
  </Style>
</Styles>

Forms

Forms is the required container for dialog definitions.

skin.xml Snippet:

<Forms>
  <Form name="MyDialog" title="My Dialog"/>
</Forms>

Form

Form defines one dialog surface.

skin.xml Snippet:

<Form name="MyDialog" title="My Dialog" firstfocus="NameHere">
  <Horizontal margin="0">
    <DialogGroup>
      <Vertical margin="10" spacing="5">
        <!-- Form content here -->
        <EditBox name="NameHere" attach="left right"/>
      </Vertical>
    </DialogGroup>
  </Horizontal>
</Form>

Attribute Name	Description	Type
attach	Content attachment/alignment.	token
buttons	Dialog button set for Host.GUI.runDialog().	token
firstfocus	Initial focus target.	identifier
height	Explicit height.	number
datatarget	Data target binding.	identifier
helpid	Help identifier.	identifier
image	Background image resource reference.	identifier
layerbacking	-	token
name	Dialog identifier used by runDialog(...).	identifier
options	Visual or behavioral options.	token
selectname	-	identifier
sizelimits	Defines size limits.	tuple
size	Explicit size geometry.	tuple
style	Style reference.	identifier
title	Visible title text.	text
tooltip	Tooltip text.	text
width	Explicit width.	number
windowstyle	Host window chrome and behavior.	token

buttons	Description
apply	Apply changes without closing.
cancel	Cancel and close without applying.
close	Close the dialog.
okay	Confirm and close the dialog.

layerbacking	Description
optional	-
true	-

options	Description
colorize	Colors the form area.
windowmovable	Allow drag from form area.

windowstyle	Description
above	-
center	-
customframe	-
dialogstyle	-
floating	-
fullscreen	Uses fullscreen window behavior.
inflate	Expands the dialog content area.
maximize	Enables a maximize-capable window.
intermediate	-
panelstyle	-
pluginhost	-
roundedcorners	-
restorepos	Restores the previous window position.
restoresize	Restores the previous window size.
sheetstyle	-
sizable	Makes the window resizable.
titlebar	-
translucent	Uses translucent window chrome.

• Form image="..." sets a background image for the whole dialog.
• context.runDialog() automatically creates Cancel and OK buttons.