As mentioned, the docs included (though they mention 4.3.1) are the most current available.

I'm not aware of a comprehensive skin tutorial though I'm sure there are many.

I don't know if you're primarily designer/developer or somewhere in between but as a quick overview:

While we all create skins by writing a bit of html/css there are 2 ways to continue once we've figured out the basic look:

1. convert it to an .ascx file - containing the 'tags' (eg <dnn:login runat='server' id='dnnlogin'> )referring to the 'skin objects' (eg login, menu, copyright etc) and with the attributes for these skinobjects contained in the tags

or

2. convert it to an xml/html pair - with a 'token' (eg [login]) in the html and the attributes for that token in the xml file.  The xml file only contains tokens which you use and only the attributes you wish to assign.

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I use the ascx method since I'm marginally more of a developer than designer (though I love design).
When you add a skinobject to the ascx file there are 2 entries to make.  One at the top of the file under the page directive that looks something like <%@ Register TagPrefix="dnn" TagName="LOGIN" Src="~/Admin/Skins/Login.ascx" %>.  Then in the html below you insert <dnn:LOGIN id="dnnLogin" runat="server" /> and the login link will be rendered at that point on the page.

If you look at the documentation you will get a complete list of skin objects and properties.  You'd just change 'login' in the lines I mentioned to 'breadcrumb' or whatever skin object you use.

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The 'columns' are totally configurable.  All you need to do is define one main content area called 'ContentPane'.  All other 'panes' are optional and may be positioned in any order.  Creating one of these content areas is as simple as inserting a few attributes into an html tag...

<div id="ContentPane" runat="server">

usually you'd add the class="contentpane" in there too so that you can style it.

Want another pane? 

<div id="InfoPane" runat="server">
 or <div id="whatever" runat="server">

I'm not aware of a skin editor (which doesn't mean much).

And do have a google for dnn skin tutorials.  I'm sure you'll find something more if you still need it.

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/Brian C

If you refer to the Sample Skin in the docs, it's not a real skin.  The code for it is in the docs.

As for the XML, it's for the attribute specifications of the skin objects you put in your skin.  If you use an ASCX file, these are the attributes assigned in the ASCX for each token, such as the ID for a ContentPane.  If you're basing your skin on an existing one, and not changing the attributes of the tokens or not adding new tokens, you really don't need to change anything.  I'd personally remove unused tokens, but you don't have to for the XML to work.  Some designers work totally in an ASCX file, but most I've talked to will work with both HTML and tweaking the ASCX.

Jeff

Hi Psiegers,

If you've some problem to create the xml file for html document you can find help using the Yannick's SXE. It's winform application and absolutely free!

http://skinobjects.purplebox.be/SXE/tabid/139/Default.aspx