Monday, September 8, 2008

OBIEE Setting up an Compagny custom "Skin" and "Style"

OBIEE uses “Styles” and “Skins” to generate the graphical representation.
These can be found in the ..\OracleBI\web\app\res\ directory. On a default install the content of sk_oracle10 and s_oracle10 is used. A lot of people edit directly in these two directories running a huge risk to loose everthing when an update of OBIEE is installed! It's much safer to make your own "Skin" and "Style" directories.
To make a custom “Skin” and “Style”:

1. Make a copy of the sk_Oracle10 and rename it sk_MyCompagny (Capital sensitive) both in ..\OracleBI\web\app\res\ directory and ..\OracleBI\oc4j_bi\j2ee\home\applications\analytics\analytics\res

2. Make a copy of the s_Oracle10 and rename it s_MyCompagny (Capital senstive) both in ..\OracleBI\web\app\res\ directory and ..\OracleBI\oc4j_bi\j2ee\home\applications\analytics\analytics\res

In the instanceconfig.xml file (…\OracleBIDate\web\config\) add between the {ServerInstance} tags:
{DefaultStyle}MyCompagny{/DefaultStyle} (Case Sensitive)
{DefaultSkin}MyCompagny{/DefaultSkin} (Case Sensitive)

Copy any pictures you want to use to the directories in both the Web and OC4J_BI skin and style location.

Restart the presentation server, javahost and OC4J_BI (in that order). Or even better restart the whole server.

Since OBIEE and OCJ4_BI sometimes have dominance over each other (not always in the same order). It is good practice to keep the file in both directories the same.

A good tutorial on .CSS can be found here:
http://www.w3schools.com/Css/default.asp

Till Next Time

This article was original written for the Ciber Knowledge Blog:
http://knowledge.ciber.nl/weblog/?p=129

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Oracle BI Release notes also suggest copying the s_ and sk_ folders to the {OracleBIData}/web/res folders.

We have implemented custom skins and styles in a Microsoft IIS environment with very little problems - however, when we follw the same steps in a OC4J/Apache environment - we end up with a BI site with NO skins or styles visible (plain white screen and no images).

Is there an extra step needed to specfically support the OC4J installations? (Like folder access permissions, or the like?)

Thanks.

John Minkjan said...

Hi Dave,

You also need to copy the S_ and SK_ folder to your OC4J_BI serverr.
Ussally foumd in : {OracleBI}\oc4j_bi\j2ee\home\applications\analytics\analytics\res

regards

John

Chris said...

In an OC4J/Apache environment, why must another copy of the custom style and skin directories be copied to the OC4J_BI directory? Why isn't it sufficient to have them in the {OracleBIData}/web/res folders?

Is this documented in one of the 10g guides? I can't seem to find it anywhere. Thanks.

Juliana said...

John, i`m trying to customize CSS styles in Oracle 10 using weblogic. I try to change the s_ and sk_ folders in the directory C:\bea\user_projects\domains\WL_OBIEE\servers\OBIEE\tmp\_WL_user\OBIEE\u23xcw\war\res

but it just appeared a white screen with no skins and no style. Would you help me?

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hi Dave,
I like the details.
I have the same problem as Juliana.I've followed your instructions and even used the --/analysisRes--.OBIEE wiht(OC4J)..but still can't seem to creek it. the white screen appears with the backslash on with out the backslash the skin is showing without the portallogo.can you please help...

Cheer,
Chessed