Synthetica is backed on images for GUI building. The following lines explain howto create (or customize) your own Synthetica based Look and Feel by integrating customized images.

• Take a look into the 'synthetica.jar' archive and locate the 'synth.xml' file (package de.javasoft.plaf.synthetica.standard).


• Copy the 'synth.xml' file into your own LAF project.


• Place all your customized images into your package and edit the paths within 'synth.xml', so they will link to your own images by using absolute adressing (first character is a slash).


• Create your own Look and Feel class based on the example below.


• Ready - activate your Look and Feel: UIManager.setLookAndFeel("com.company.plaf.synthetica.CustomLookAndFeel");

package com.company.plaf.synthetica;
 
import java.text.ParseException;
 
public class CustomLookAndFeel extends SyntheticaLookAndFeel
{
 //Construtor
 public CustomLookAndFeel() throws ParseException
 {
   //load synth.xml from custom package
   super("/com/company/plaf/synthetica/synth.xml");
 }
 
 //return an unique LAF id
 public String getID()
 {
   return "SyntheticaCustomLookAndFeel";
 }
 
 //return the LAF name - readable for humans
 public String getName()
 {
   return "Synthetica Custom Look and Feel";
 }
} 

All available Synthetica themes were created in this way - no further coding was needed.

For limited customizing it is also possible to use a secondary xml file which contains only customized parts, so you don't have to copy the complete 'synth.xml' file. In this case Synthetica searches your classpath to find and load the additional file. The filename has to be equal to the current active Look and Feel name e.g.: 'SyntheticaStandardLookAndFeel.xml', 'SyntheticaBlueIceLookAndFeel.xml'. Please read the FAQ to get more details.

Synthetica Website:
http://www.javasoft.de/jsf/public/products/synthetica