Convert WinPaletter themes between old and new formats - Abdelrhman-AK/WinPaletter GitHub Wiki

⚠ Obsolete: Theme Format Conversion in WinPaletter

[!TIP] This guide is obsolete.
Starting with WinPaletter 1.0.7.7 and later, themes now use a JSON-based internal format. Manual conversion is rarely needed, as opening an old-format theme in WinPaletter will prompt automatic conversion.

Introduction

  • WinPaletter 1.0.7.7+ uses a JSON-internally formatted theme file, making it easier to code, edit, and maintain.
  • Older themes (pre-1.0.7.7) can be converted to the new format using the built-in conversion tools.
  • Conversion options include:
    • GUI Converter
    • Command Line
    • Command Line with a List File

[!warning] If possible, prefer updating themes directly in WinPaletter 1.0.7.7+ rather than converting older files manually.

1. GUI Converter

  1. Open WinPaletter and click the Converter button:

  2. Open your theme file:

    • Old-format files are automatically converted to the new JSON format.
    • You can also convert new-format files back to the old format (not recommended).

  3. Options:

    • Compress contents (Recommended; for new JSON format)
    • Make compatible with WinPaletter <1.0.6.9 (Not recommended)

  4. Click Export to save the converted file.
    Converter GUI

2. Command Line Conversion

  1. Open Command Prompt in the folder containing WinPaletter.exe.

  2. Use one of the following formats:

WinPaletter.exe /convert:"themefile_to_be_converted"|"themefile_to_be_exported"
WinPaletter.exe /convert:"themefile_to_be_converted"|"themefile_to_be_exported"|x
WinPaletter.exe /convert:"themefile_to_be_converted"|"themefile_to_be_exported"|x|y
  1. Arguments must be quoted and separated by |.
  • x = Compress contents (0 = no, 1 = yes)
  • y = Make compatible with old WinPaletter (<1.0.6.9) (0 = no, 1 = yes)
  1. WinPaletter will detect the file type and perform the conversion automatically.

[!warning] Manual command-line conversion is generally unnecessary with WinPaletter 1.0.7.7+.

3. Command Line: Batch Conversion Using a List of Themes

  1. Create a text file using Notepad.
  2. Each line should specify a theme file using one of the following formats:
"themefile_to_be_converted"
"themefile_to_be_converted"|x
"themefile_to_be_converted"|x|y
  1. Example of a list file:
"C:\Users\Username\Desktop\theme0.wpth"
"C:\Users\Username\Desktop\theme1.wpth"
"C:\Users\Username\Desktop\theme2.wpth|0|1"
"C:\Users\Username\Desktop\theme3.wpth|1"
"C:\Users\Username\Desktop\theme4.wpth"
"C:\Users\Username\Desktop\theme5.wpth|1|1"
"C:\Users\Username\Desktop\theme6.wpth"
  1. Save the text file (e.g., themes_list.txt) and run the following command in the folder containing WinPaletter.exe:
WinPaletter.exe /convert-list:"themes_list.txt"

  1. WinPaletter will process each line, converting files between the old and new formats.

  2. Converted files are saved in a folder named WinPaletterConversion located in the same directory as the original theme files.

[!warning] This list file method is only needed for batch-converting legacy themes. Modern versions of WinPaletter do not support the legacy formatting.