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Theme Toolkit Documentation

Comprehensive user guide, packaging standards, and cross-platform theme creation manual for Theme Toolkit.

🎨 Theme Toolkit User Guide

Welcome to the Theme Toolkit documentation. Theme Toolkit is a cross-platform desktop theme creation, packaging, and application studio built with Tauri v2, Rust, and modern front-end web technologies.

It empowers creators and system customizers to build, preview, package, and deploy complete desktop theme experiences across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

🌟 Core Capabilities

Theme Toolkit unifies desktop theme authoring across disparate operating systems by abstracting platform-specific formats into a coherent visual studio:

  • Sound Scheme Management: Curate and test event sound schemes with automatic audio loudness normalization (-14 LUFS, -1.0 dBFS true peak).
  • Wallpaper & Dynamic Backgrounds: Build wallpaper collections, timed slideshows, and multi-monitor backdrops.
  • Cursor Schemes: Configure animated and static cursor states with precise hotspot coordinate mappings and multi-DPI resolutions.
  • Color Palettes & System Accents: Define synchronized accent colors and dark/light mode variations.
  • One-Click Native Packaging: Export lossless, installable theme packages tailored for each operating system:
    • Windows: Microsoft Win32 .deskthemepack archives built using MSZIP Diamond Directive Files.
    • macOS: Solar/timed Dynamic Desktop HEIC containers and .soundpack bundles.
    • Linux: FreeDesktop Sound Theme v0.8 packages, XDG xcursorgen cursors, and GNOME/KDE background XMLs.

🛠️ Workflows & User Guides

1. Creating a New Desktop Theme

  1. Launch Theme Toolkit and select Create New Theme.
  2. Specify the theme title, identifier slug, author, and version.
  3. Configure your core assets:
    • Sound Scheme: Select .wav audio cues for system events (Logon, Asterisk, Critical Stop, Notification, etc.).
    • Wallpapers: Import high-resolution 16:9, 16:10, and 21:9 imagery.
    • Cursors: Import standard Windows .cur/.ani or SVG vectors for cursor rendering.
    • Color Schemes: Choose dominant accent colors and glass backdrop preferences.
  4. Preview the full composition in the real-time desktop simulator.

2. Exporting & Distribution

  • Choose Export Theme and select your target platform or choose Universal Bundle to build packages for all three platforms at once.
  • The output directory will contain verified, standalone installation files ready for end-user distribution.

📖 Companion Technical Wiki

For in-depth architecture, Win32 CAB packaging algorithms, HEIC dynamic metadata specs, and XDG sound spec implementations, visit the Theme Toolkit Architecture Wiki.