Create Step By Step

Creating Wallpapers — Step by Step

Audience: wallpaper creators. This page walks through the Portal "Create" dialog, the canonical authoring path for every wallpaper type. It covers the inputs every type collects, the per‑type source requirements and accepted file extensions, the field‑level validation rules, and what the Portal does on disk when it imports your wallpaper. After you finish here, read Create Package Format to understand the SucroseInfo.json file the dialog writes for you.

Contents

• Opening the Create dialog
• Fields common to every type
• Validation rules
• Per‑type source input and extensions
• What the Portal does on import
• After creation
• See also

Opening the Create dialog

The "Create" (Create Theme) dialog is reached from the Portal top toolbar — see Portal Interface Tour. It is the recommended authoring path because it validates your inputs, copies your source files into a new wallpaper folder, and writes a correct SucroseInfo.json automatically.

📷 Screenshot needed: The Portal "Create Theme" dialog showing the Title/Description/Author/Contact fields, tag chips, thumbnail/preview pickers, and the type‑specific Source input.

Fields common to every type

Regardless of type, the Create dialog collects the following:

Input	Goes to manifest field	Notes
Title	Title	Display title.
Description	Description
Author	Author
Contact	Contact	A URL or an email address (validated).
Tags (optional)	Tags	1–5 tags, each 1–20 characters.
Thumbnail	Thumbnail	Small static preview image; copied in as t_<name>.
Preview	Preview	Animated preview (often a GIF); copied in as p_<name>.
Source (type‑specific)	Source	A local file name or a URL, depending on type (see below).

The dialog also stamps the manifest with AppVersion (the Sucrose version that created the wallpaper) and a Version for the wallpaper itself. See Create Package Format for the full field list and defaults.

Validation rules

The Create dialog enforces these constraints before it will create the wallpaper:

Field	Rule
Contact	Must pass URL validation or email validation (the helpers Various.IsUrl / Various.IsMail).
Tags	Between 1 and 5 tags; each tag is 1–20 characters.
Arguments (Application only)	Maximum 250 characters.
Source (Url)	Must be a valid http/https URL.
Source (YouTube)	Must be a valid YouTube / YouTube‑Music video or playlist URL.
Source (Web)	Extension must be a recognized web extension (typically .html / .htm).
Source (Video)	Extension must be a recognized video extension (see table below).
Source (Application)	Extension must be a recognized application extension (e.g. .exe).
Web / Application source folder	The folder being imported must be writable / unlocked so the Portal can copy it.

Per‑type source input and extensions

Type	Type value	What you supply	Accepted extensions	Behavior
Gif	0	A .gif file	.gif	Source copied in as s_<name>.gif. Rendered through the built‑in GifContent.html wrapper (so it gets play/pause/filter properties) when on a browser engine.
Url	1	An http/https URL	n/a	Source is the URL itself; no files copied.
Web	2	A local web entry file (e.g. index.html)	.html / .htm (web extensions)	The entire containing folder is copied into the wallpaper; Source is just the file name. This is the type that receives the full JS bridge.
Video	3	A video file	.mp4 .avi .mov .mkv .ogv .flv .wmv .hevc .webm .mpeg .mpeg1 .mpeg2 .mpeg4 (and other recognized video extensions)	Source copied in as s_<name>.
YouTube	4	A YouTube / YouTube‑Music video or playlist URL	n/a	Source is the URL; rendered via the built‑in YouTubeContent.html (YouTube IFrame API).
Application	5	An executable	.exe (recognized application extensions)	The whole folder is copied. Optional Arguments (≤250 chars) stored in the manifest. Launched as a native process.

Important type‑specific notes:

• Web and Application copy the whole folder. Keep your wallpaper self‑contained inside one directory, with the entry file at the path you select. After import, Source holds only the entry file name relative to the wallpaper folder.
• Url and YouTube ship no local files — only a URL string. See Type Url and Type YouTube for caveats.
• Application wallpapers reject URLs — Aurora launches a real executable; a URL Source will not run.

What the Portal does on import

When you confirm the Create dialog, the Portal:

1. Generates a new wallpaper folder with a random 25‑character name inside your Library location.
2. Copies your source file(s) in. Source files are renamed with prefixes: source = s_<name>, thumbnail = t_<name>, preview = p_<name>. For Web and Application types the entire containing folder is copied.
3. Writes SucroseInfo.json with the fields you entered (and the AppVersion/Version stamps).
4. The new wallpaper appears in your Library, ready to Use and Customize.

After creation

The Create dialog only writes SucroseInfo.json. To add user‑adjustable controls and live data you author two optional sibling files by hand:

• SucroseProperties.json — sliders, checkboxes, dropdowns, color pickers, and the property listener. See Create Customization Controls.
• SucroseCompatible.json — audio/system data hooks and engine‑state callbacks. See Create JS Bridge, Create Audio API, and Create System API.

For complete, shipping examples to copy from, see Create Example Wallpapers. When you are ready to share, see Create Sharing Publishing.

See also

• Create Overview
• Create Package Format
• Create Customization Controls
• Create Example Wallpapers
• Managing Library