New Exclusive Content Coming to WinCustomize

Make WinCustomize.com your homepage!

from WinCustomize Forums
With the launch of the new Stardock website, Object Desktop 2007 and Windows Vista just around the corner, the time has come to kick it up a notch, so to speak, here on WinCustomize, the premier online community for all things UI customization.  A lot of work is going on behind the scenes right now for WinCustomize.com.  You've already seen the new forums, and the increase of activity here on the front news page, but we have even more great stuff in store for you in the coming months!  There's going to be a site refresh like there was for WinCustomize 2k5, new exclusive content in the form of tutorials, interviews and articles, not to mention contests!

One of the main goals is to engage the community more in what goes on here day-to-day.  We'll be working to bring new and interesting skinners to everyone's attention.  We'll be taking steps to ensure this is a more welcoming place for someone new to skinning.  A new emphasis will be placed on getting better help resources to the community.  And we'll be working to highlight community work and projects a lot more.

This article is focusing on what we're doing from a content and community perspective.  At the moment we can't say much on the technical refresh, but definitely expect to hear more about that as we get closer and closer to the unveiling of WinCustomize 2k7. 

So here's a taste of some of the fun and interesting content you can expect to see in the coming months:

  • Skinner of the Month
    Every month, we'll be picking out a different skinner from the community to profile.  These will tend to be lesser known skinners who show promise and deserve some recognition for the contributions they're making to the site and skinning as a whole.
  • Community Interviews
    At least once a month, we'll sit down with a member of the community and ask them questions about their work, their views on skinning and computing in general etc.  You'll even be able to submit your own questions.
  • Tutorials
    One of the areas we lack in currently is the tutorials section.  While we have many excellent articles in there at the moment, such as RomanDA's DesktopX Widget tutorials, there are still many gaps we need to fill.  The best place for these articles to come from is from the community who uses the tools on a daily basis.  I will be in contact with skinners in the next few weeks polling for interest in writing these articles.  But even if you aren't contacted and want to write one, please drop me a line, I'll be more than happy to work with you.
  • "How I Did This"
    This is different from a tutorial, which steps you through the technical process behind building a skin, icon set, cursor etc.  What these articles will be, are a look at the creative process behind the works.  Instead of focusing on the "How" of building a UI element, we'll be taking a peek at the "Why"
  • Contests/Competitions
    Starting soon, we will start running periodic contests and competitions here on WinCustomize.  They will range in size from small tasks like designing a limited icon pack around a central theme, all the way up to large suite and multi-category competitions like the GUI Championships of years past.
  • Pick of the Week
    Every week, members of the moderator team will toss out what their favorite submission for the week was, be it a cursor, a wall, WindowBlind etc.  This will hopefully encourage more people to submit their work, or existing members to try and refine their work a bit more in hopes of getting included in this weekly feature.
  • All-New Skinnable Look & Feel to WinCustomize
    This is both a technical improvement and new content.  Part of WinCustomize 2007 will be a much more customizable interface that will be faster than ever before.  Expect more details on this bit in particular in the coming months.

There will of course be more content coming your way in the form of more news, maybe some product previews and perhaps, if you're all really good, we'll preview some of the new site as we get it pieced together.  Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for news on the 2006 GUI Championships!  That'll be coming up really soon!

Something else to keep an eye out for is a revival of the Under the Skin podcast, hosted by our very own DoctorNick and CerebroJD.  We're the only customization community out there that has its own podcast!  Be sure to check it out, and I'm sure they'd welcome community participation.  So if there's anything going on here on WinCustomize or skinning in general that you want to talk about, give these guys a ring.  The show really depends on regular community participation!

We want WinCustomize to be a site you come to each and every day for news, articles, contests and more.
15,251 views 29 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Sounds like this is going to be an exciting place in the coming months. I'm looking forward to finally being able to skin Wincustomize again among other things.

Woohoo
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
coool

Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Sounds like exciting times ahead. Bring it on!!!   
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The up and coming areas sounds promising.
I really am looking forward to the "How I Did This" section.
It'll be great to see the creative process of the object dock icons and themes.

Solid.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Great cant wait for a step by step windowblinds creation tute for dummies like me
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Great work.

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
awesome! Looking forward to it!
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Why do you insist on subscribers writing the instructions to skin studio, why can't the creators of skin studio write the instructions? Would General Motors ask the consumer to write the owners manuel? You put out a new version of Skin studio and windowblinds and leave the on line tutorials to someone else and the ones you have now are outdated and cover the basics only. What exactly is the mission statement at stardock I wonder. I've never seen a company quite like it, build a product and then let consumer figure it out on their own. Like Sweetasman01 who wants the instructions, how many consumers are out there trying to figure things out on their own because you refuse to write the instructions down somewhere? I've never had anyone explain why you can't skin the "all programs" portion of the start menu, I've never seen the instructions on how to skin extra images or create avi for use with the program, in fact there isn't any instruction on the throbber section. I have been critcal of this for quite sometime and still subscribe, still renew year after year, it will be like that so long as you stay in business. But there are new skinners in the distance who should be able to read about skinstudio and see items like "comes with step by step instruction". Who knows.........maybe sales would increase a little. I don't want tutorials scattered around the web, I want the responsible party to own up to their obligation. I want the insiders to share their knowledge of how to make the damn thing work. I don't care how you built it, that's your business but the consumer needs to know to make it work.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
@Adam Michael - I totally agree with you on this one. There is no definative step by step manual on skinstudio and a lot i had to figure out for myself. I do not expect to buy a product with a "You figure it out" implication. I disagree with the above statement that WC is the premier for all things UI customization as, compared to similar sites, WC lacks categorys and does not deal in some of the more popular UI categorys.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Stee03 If you feel we lack where others are strong, please pass along recommendations as to what we should be including. Constructive feedback is very much needced.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
An owner's manual for a car doesn't teach you how to drive.   

Adam N has done some good tutorials for Windowblinds but they aren't easy to find. They should be easier to access.

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Is the "New Exclusive Content Coming to WinCustomize" for subscribers or everyone? Everyone is cool . . but more subscriber love is good too.   
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Sounds like some exciting changes are going to be taking place, I am looking forward to this.

Its very cool that you are going to be getting some articles from skinners of the community, hopefully we can get some by danilloOc, treetog, and more of the greats!!

And some of us like figuring things out for ourselves when it comes to making a skin, and if we can't thats what the other community members are for, to share their wealth of knowledge.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I am also looking forward to the material on actually creating a skin. One of the first things I always do when buying a piece of software is to browse through the help section or the manual. OK, that's a lie. First I screw around with the program until I realize that I don't really understand it and then I check out the manual.

It was a real surprise when I first got some of the various Stardock programs to find that there were NO instructions of any kind on what to do. Nor on the home site outside of a few cursory items. I would love to be able to design something besides screenshots (which they haven't accepted lately even though one of them was outstanding :SNIFF!. A detailed tutorial, easily found in a permanent location just for such things, would be great. And I agree with the above comments that it would probably bring in more business from wannabe skinners who are currently too intimidated to go the full route.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Stee03 If you feel we lack where others are strong, please pass along recommendations as to what we should be including. Constructive feedback is very much needced.


I dont know about other members, but i personally would like to see categorys added for a few things ie Miranda, Trillian, Stlyer toolbar (since it is now freeware) Visual Styles, Samurize and some other dock launchers, too mention a few. I know some of these would be like a Ford showroom advertising and selling products for other car manufacturers but WC already does have categorys for products that are not releated to stardock. Even mac icons, which are not always created for PC's,can be extracted and used to customise. There is so many other products for UI customisation and sadly WC deals in only a small handful
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Is the "New Exclusive Content Coming to WinCustomize" for subscribers or everyone? Everyone is cool . . but more subscriber love is good too.
Sir Zubaz :
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
few things ie Miranda, Trillian, Stlyer toolbar (since it is now freeware) Visual Styles, Samurize and some other dock launchers


Every once in a while Stardock posts a poll for what new aps to add . . . they get the results and add teh most requested and . . nothing. No (or few) submissions.

Take a look at Kapsules, and FireFox. I think those were the last two added.
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
More tutorials definately...perhaps divided into sections eg. WB, DesktopX. Stardock offer great programs but the availale tutorials are difficult to find. Myself, well, I used to love DesktopX, but after being unable to get anything but basic tutorial stuff on its capabilities and tired of hours of relentless searching for such information, have given up on that program entirely...such a shame!
I see that there are some new tutorials in the tutorial section and that is just great! Thankyou so much to those guys who take so much time and effort to explain the steps. I know tutorials take alot of time and efffort to write and like Adam Michael I would appreciate some tutorials from the people who actually make the programs...after all, they know the ins and outs as well as anyone. How about it?! Stardock...being a multi million dollar company, surely u can get some current in-house tutorials out there relevant to the people using your products...I cant understand how it should all be left up to the consumer to educate the consumer...to those guys in the community again, who take the precious time to write these excellent guides...I'm eternally grateful.
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I see that there are some new tutorials in the tutorial section and that is just great!


I always thought it was cool that when you went to a particular gallery in WC relavant tutorials were displayed on the right sidebar. I think those should be moved up the sidebar and displayed differently.

There is so much good stuff on WC. It's almost an app as much as a web site. But with SO much content, things can get lost (or never found by a new user).
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top

but i personally would like to see categorys added for a few things ie Miranda, Trillian, Stlyer toolbar (since it is now freeware) Visual Styles,

If by 'visual styles' you actually mean 'styleXP' skins specifically then that's not too likely to happen.

 

'visual styles' is the general term which refers to both Windowblinds and themeXP skins [and others]...

Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Stee03 If you feel we lack where others are strong, please pass along recommendations as to what we should be including. Constructive feedback is very much needced.


Perhaps you could offer a cd with instructions and or tutorials that can be sent by mail if requested after puchasing Object Desktop. Most download OB but I know you offer it on cd too. I wouldnt mind paying a little extra charge for something that has a step by step instruction ( and pics or diagrams ) Im not that good at just " reading " instructions. Also - the Tutorials are sometimes written by skinners that are far advanced and they write in that fashion. My point is - even a person with limited computer knowledge can learn to skin or make something if the tutorial is explained in a way that uses more simple terms.
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Me again. Being more specific. What I really really need is a clear consise description of the 'Control selection Panel' in SS5. I want to know what each button does in laymens terms coz I have a hard time following the help panel explanations and find them either a little too jargonised or just expressing the obvious. I know its a tough call, coz the program has alot involved. On purchasing SS5 and opening up the official 'Stardock Deveopers Guide PDF', I see that the documentation provided comes from January 2004 (version 4.1 of SS). Could someone please give me the link to the version 5 developers guide as I really want to understand how to apply SS to create a WB5 skin with more creativity in the start panel and logoff dialogue. Stardock, just making u aware that in SS5, the link to the developers guide that your 'help' menu points to is outdated...in 2 years WB has seen some significant changes and your developers guide should incorporate these changes. Thanks in advance if anyone can point me to the version 5 deveopers guide.