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WindowBlinds 7 Beta 2 with Windows 7 Theme Support!

WindowBlinds 7 Beta 2 with Windows 7 Theme Support!

Beta for Object Desktop subscribers

Stardock is excited to announce the release of Beta 2 for WindowBlinds 7.  WindowBlinds is an application that lets users change the look and feel of Windows XP, Vista, and now Windows 7 by applying themes (also known as skins).  This latest beta release introduces a wide range of improvements and features over earlier betas. 

This beta 2 update includes:

  • Live previews.  See the changes you make in settings in real-time
  • Completely new user interface which includes grab and throw scrolling, reflections, and a simpler layout.
  • Improved Windows 7 support
  • Improved skin coloring (see video)
  • Improved sub-style selections, and skin search
WB_Visual_Styles_Corporate 8-5-2009 1-53-43 PM
 New UI Skin coloring 

WindowBlinds 7 – Beta 2 is available for download via Stardock’s Impulse for Object Desktop subscribers.  Purchase WindowBlinds 6 now, and you will get the upgrade to WindowBlinds 7 for free when released! 

For more information, please visit www.windowblinds.net.

90,345 views 110 replies
Reply #76 Top

so why does the interface have Color spelled incorrectly as Colour
End of quote

because the coder(Neil I assume)...isnt an Americano...I believe he be from the land of ENG. :D

Reply #78 Top
A slight update to the color change issue I mentioned in reply #75. It works fine in Vista, its in Win7 that it isn't reflecting the changes. Although I tried another skin, Miricla, that says you can do color changing but it does not do it in WB 7. I think this might be something to do with this skin since others change colors (have commented in that skins comments). A couple other notes in Vista (maybe in 7 also haven't tried) Using the menu "Skin Options" and "Install Skin", installing a skin with .wba said there was no .uis file, yet if I applied after the download from the website it loaded fine, but isn't in the WB Config listing. I've noticed this before actually just not mentioned it. However, in SDC I right clicked on the downloaded right and chose "Open", it not only applied itself (after clicking tooltip) but it appears in WB Config. So some oddity there. The small screenshot for Miricla is not complete (again may be an author issue?) The scrollbar for scrolling through skins does not move if you click in the middle of it. I can only drag the scrollbar.
Reply #79 Top

Quoting Snowman, reply 10
...and I'm getting the dreaded 'invalid registration' notice when trying to update to WB7 B2

Been troubleshooting a bit with Zu, but still no go....
End of Snowman's quote

I've finally managed to get hold of Beta 2....

Had to nuke WB, reset the data in Impulse AND restart Impulse before the correct update appeared.

Why do it the easy way.....

Reply #80 Top
Okay, Here's one. While in the new interface my list of windowblinds stops at the letter "I" (even after I do "rebuild List").
End of quote
I finally updated to the beta just now and I have the same issue. My list stopped at Psycho at first and i tried rebuilding the list 3 times before I decided to see if it was a number of skins issue. I deleted one skin and then it did show one more skin after Psycho. If I use the old interface it still shows my entire list of skins so I assume it's something in the coding of the new interface that is only allowing it to show a certain number of skins. Not sure though. Hopefully it won't be an issue for long because I really enjoy the look of the new interface and look forward to being able to use it full time with all the options. and great work on the Corporate skin danillo :CONGRAT:
Reply #81 Top

Quoting zakai1369, reply 80
Okay, Here's one. While in the new interface my list of windowblinds stops at the letter "I" (even after I do "rebuild List").

I finally updated to the beta just now and I have the same issue. My list stopped at Psycho at first and i tried rebuilding the list 3 times before I decided to see if it was a number of skins issue. I deleted one skin and then it did show one more skin after Psycho. If I use the old interface it still shows my entire list of skins so I assume it's something in the coding of the new interface that is only allowing it to show a certain number of skins. Not sure though. Hopefully it won't be an issue for long because I really enjoy the look of the new interface and look forward to being able to use it full time with all the options.

and great work on the Corporate skin danillo
End of zakai1369's quote


There's a hidden scroll bar near the bottom of the interface.  It's rather minimalist.  It's right above the tabs at the bottom for color, style, wallpapers, etc.  If you mouse over it, you'll see a narrow, about 2-pixel gray line, and the larger about 10-pixel bar to move back and forth -- that should take you to the end of your library of skins if you move it left or right. At first, I thought I had lost the last half of my library, too, but then I noticed the line.

Reply #82 Top

Quoting zakai1369, reply 80
Okay, Here's one. While in the new interface my list of windowblinds stops at the letter "I" (even after I do "rebuild List").I finally updated to the beta just now and I have the same issue. My list stopped at Psycho at first and i tried rebuilding the list 3 times before I decided to see if it was a number of skins issue. I deleted one skin and then it did show one more skin after Psycho. If I use the old interface it still shows my entire list of skins so I assume it's something in the coding of the new interface that is only allowing it to show a certain number of skins. Not sure though. Hopefully it won't be an issue for long because I really enjoy the look of the new interface and look forward to being able to use it full time with all the options. and great work on the Corporate skin danillo
End of zakai1369's quote

The UI currently has a limit of 499 skins, this will be expanded in later updates.

Reply #83 Top

There's a hidden scroll bar near the bottom of the interface. It's rather minimalist. It's right above the tabs at the bottom for color, style, wallpapers, etc. If you mouse over it, you'll see a narrow, about 2-pixel gray line, and the larger about 10-pixel bar to move back and forth -- that should take you to the end of your library of skins if you move it left or right. At first, I thought I had lost the last half of my library, too, but then I noticed the line.
End of quote
Thank you for trying to help but yes I used the scrollbar. ;)
The UI currently has a limit of 499 skins, this will be expanded in later updates.
End of quote
okay that's what I figured. thanks for the info. WOW! though, I knew I had alot of themes in there but never counted how many. :LOL:
Reply #84 Top
Question: I've already purchased Windowblinds 6.4 a WHILE ago. Will this be a free upgrade to those of us who've had Windowblinds 6.4 for a while. or will it only be a free upgrade for those who purchase Windoblinds 6 from this point on?
Reply #85 Top
I cant get it where to find as i am a OD subscriber but cant see or find where to get WB7 update. It shows as an Update in Impulse but when i click it says my Registration isnt valid for it. So i updated my regi' and it still wouldnt show or let me get the wb7 beta. How do i do this ?? Thxs
Reply #86 Top

In the upper right of Impulse click teh "Install all Updates" button.

Reply #87 Top

In the upper right of Impulse click teh "Install all Updates" button.
End of quote

The only problem I've noticed with that is if I only have one update, it doesn't show the "Install all Updates" button.

Reply #88 Top

Dunno if it's only a problem here, but WB seem to ignore the 'Play sounds' setting in the config.
I haven't got it checked off (I hate skins with sounds), but still sounds are played, when using the captionbuttons.
Only way to eliminate the sounds is to delete the .wav files from the skin folder.

If anyone wanna test it, here's the skin it happend with: [link]

Could offcourse also be because it's a rather "old" skin, (WB5) but still....

Reply #89 Top

I miss the drag and drop wallpaper ability. I now have to put them in the WB wallpaper folder manually,which is a pain. Is this feature/function going to be to be available in WB7 at a later time, or am I missing something?

Reply #91 Top

On the old interface wallpaper section I could drag any wallpaper to the bottom and it was added to the WB wall folder and could be selected from the WB config. Now it just shows current wall where the drop area was. It shows a crossed out circle when I try it.

Reply #92 Top

He's right Neil. It was there, gone now, but this is a beta we're talking about.  Surely, being who you are, you must have known the drag and drop ability was there?  x_x

Reply #93 Top

 Also, I miss the sort by installed date, or by author, or by name. The star rating is nice, but the others are needed too. It will take some of us a long time to rate them, we have so many.  :|

Reply #94 Top

or by author, or by name
End of quote
You can type into the search box and it won't sort, but it will find.

Reply #95 Top

You can type into the search box and it won't sort, but it will find.
End of quote

Actually, sort by installed date was the one I used most. But I gotta say, this interface rocks!!  I love it! Especially the "spotlight" effect. And sadly, the thumbnails actually look to be of a higher quality than the actual skins.  Not that the skins are of poor quality, just that the thumbnails look somewhat High Def!

Reply #96 Top

Is this feature/function going to be to be available in WB7 at a later time,
End of quote

Well?

Reply #97 Top

Well?
End of quote

Deep subject....  ;P

Reply #98 Top

Is this the latest beta build WindowBlinds 7.0 (build 191 - Windows 7 Edition) 08/05/2009???  Thanks

Reply #99 Top
I've just got to say that I personally found the scrollbar on the new interface to be a little bit of a pain since it has no arrows at the ends to scroll through with. But....... I just now thought to try putting the mouse between the skin names and dragging without using the scroll bar and finding that it worked is great!! :CONGRAT:
Reply #100 Top

You don't have to drag between the skin names, anywhere will do.  If you do a flick like motion (mouse down, rapid move, mouse up) the list will scroll quickly.