WinStyles: 2 formats - which to use?

from WinCustomize Forums
WinStyles currently supports two types of theme formats:

.suite
and
.xptheme

What is the difference
WinStyles was designed to let people seamlessly create their own desktops using a variety of programs and then package them up together.

A .XPTheme file is basically like an extended MS theme file. It actually contains the skins, icons, themes, etc. So they tend to be large.

.SUITE files on the other hand are just a few hundred bytes because they basically just link to skins, icons and themes on the Internet.

When to use which?

When you upload a .xptheme file, you are literally distributing those skins and icons. That means you must own those skins, icons, and themes included or have permission to distribute them.

Therefore: Only submit a .xptheme file when you have permission to distribute the contents or own the contents.

.SUITE files are a convenient way for someone to create a great screenshot and say "I got this by using Joe's WindowBlinds skin, Eric's wallpaper, Brian's Icon package, Sally's DesktopX theme, and Kevin's WinAmp skin." A user just downloads the .suite and it asks which parts they want to use and it goes off, downloads them automatically and applies them.

HOWEVER:
There is a time when you might want to use .suite files when you own all the contents:

If your suite contains many many different skins, icons and themes and therefore the file size is really large a .SUITE file may make sense because then the user can picka nd choose which parts they want to use before it goes off and downloads those parts.

A good example is Chad Ross's WinStyles theme. He owns most of the contents but because it's around 9 different icons, themes, and skins in there it would be huge as a .xptheme so Chad lets the user open it up and decide which parts they want (I don't have some of the programs installed that he supports for instance so I don't want to download all that stuff).

Summary
Don't upload .xptheme files that contains things you don't own. And don't upload .suite files that contain just your stuff in which there's only a few skins in there.

It would be great to see more people make use of this. If you haven't tried WinStyles, I highly recommend it - http://www.winstyles.com.

I uploaded a new .suite file today that makes use of Alexandrie's skin, someone else's wallpaper, an objectbar theme I made and a couple other things.

Have fun!
5,250 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Umm . . . what's your reasoning behind not using .suite files all the time? Even if it only contains, say, three things, the end-user might wish to apply only two. If it saves both them downloading it, and the site from uploading it, surely that's good for both parties?
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I agree with reaper.
I've seen some WB skins that are close to 1 meg already. Add a wallpaper with different sizes in the zip and that would end up making it a pretty big file with just those two things.
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I vote for just using suite files also.

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Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
That's well and good, but we shouldn't do away with XPtheme files. What if I actually want one physical file that contains all the themes?

But this leads to another question. IIRC, Winstyles doesn't have a way of just applying a theme in which you already have its skins installed. Instead, each time I apply a theme, it unpacks it from the XPtheme file and reapplies it, which is tedious.

I'd like the ability to have it just switch to the (exisiting) skins of the approriate apps. Can it doe this and I'm not just aware of it?
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
There is one particular reason:

.Suites can be abused.

Why? Because when it downloads the individual skins, it increments the download count on individual skins. This is so that people using other people's stuff aren't inadvertently taking dowlnoads away from the other authors.

But imagine if someone simply uploaded .suites that contained their WindowBlinds skin and a wallpaper and their own DX theme that contained a single object? They effectively get 4 downloads for one.

When I designed the two formats, I took this into account and the guidelines I mention above were what I had in mind. Use .suites when using other people's stuff or if your suite contains so many skins, themes, and icons that it would be huge.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I don't agree with this philosophy Brad, but I don't forget that is your party!
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I hate .suite though i have winstyles (via odnt)when ever i try to use a .suite it crashes and does not work for me(it always worked for me in the old days of convergence).

I prefer just using the separate components of the whole suite of icons and skins.. or what ever and applying them myself.

I wish winstyles did work for me but alas it is not so ... for now.

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Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Strange that it would crash on you. Could you describe the cirumstances?

I use .suite when I don't own all the skins in the theme.

Eventually we hope to merge them some so that some parts can be included and other parts downloaded.

Then it becmes a bit more straight forward:

The author includes the pieces he thinks are CORE to his or her suite the they own and then the parts they consider to be optional parts would be part of a .suite.

For me, for instance, not core theme would be complete without the WindowBlinds skin, the wallpaper and probably either at least a simple desktopX theme or an icon package. That would be part of the suite, then I would have links for people to downlaod the cursor, the objectbar (for a pop up or start bar replacement) and a media player skin.

That way authors like myself, Adni, and others will have the choice.

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Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
A stupid Question? Do i need permission to upload .SUITE's of other peoples work?

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Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It's similar to a screenshot in that way. Since the skins are available for download to be used on your system you don't need permission to show a screenshot of your desktop. A Winstyle in the .suite format would be the same thing, the only difference being that the skin artist gets his skin downloaded and applied by the program. You're not redistributing the work which would be a problem. All you're really doing is posting a screenshot with links to the artist's skins.

The one thing that I think is very important, and often overlooked, is to give credit in your description to the skin artists. They get the credit and the download from anyone using the theme but it would be nice to say whose skins are being used right in the theme description.

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks for the info I will heed your advice.

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Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I finally started looking into Winstyles and I have a few problems with the .suite set up.

1. When I made a new .suite that included stuff that was already on my hard drive, winstyles went to the net immediatly instead of checking to see it the files were already on the HD.. I believe that this definatly needs fixing. IT is silly for the user to download something more than once and it also takes more bandwidth from the site..

2 I can't seem to figure out a way to edit a .suite file after it has been saved..

Other than these two little problems I must compliment you on coming a long ways since one of the late betas frustrated me..