WindowBlinds 4.59 for Object Desktop users..

Glow effects and more..

http://www.objectdesktop.com
from WinCustomize Forums
WindowBlinds 4.59 beta is now available for Object Desktop users.  WindowBlinds is a program that changes the look & feel of the Windows GUI (title bars, Start bar, push buttons, task panel, etc.).  The new beta version is testing out alpha blended glow effects.  MikeB's Tronnix is the first skin to test out this new feature. Skinners can effectively add light sources to buttons and other elements of the GUI.
15,407 views 22 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm excited
I like alot of the darker skins, but have a hard time reading menus & dialogs on most of them. Will we be able to touch up older skins by adding this effect to the fonts or backgrounds? If not, I hope some skinners decide to shine up a few of their darker creations from the past-- there's alot of good work that would be usable to a new audience with just a touch of glow.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Is the 4.59 beta available to users of WindowBlinds also? I purchased 4.5 WB as well as DX3.
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Probably not. They want you to dish out the whole $50 bucks, which kinda sucks. I recently bought WB and IPackager seperate because I have no use for the other stuff since I don't like a cluttered desktop, but that's probably not good enough for Stardock even though combined my total was $35 bucks.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This is one of the coolest features added to WB for a while. I have to try it out on one of my skins lying around. There is one that I really will benefit from it.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I agree with Nail Z.There r those people that dosent want a cluttered deskstop.Why dont do it separately?It would be nice and appropiate for people like us.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It would be nice and appropiate for people like us.


Think of it this way; the ODNT subscribers (of which I am since 2001) have to put up with the crashes and tweaks so that you, the real winners don't have to deal with buggy software.

If you want the betas that badly, upgrade. No one is forcing you to "clutter up" your desktop with the other apps. I would like to point out that the other apps in the ODNT suite de-clutter more than they clutter. Cases in point: Right-click, Keyboard launchpad, ObjectBar. And IconX and IconPackager are a break-even in regards to clutter . . . icons just look better.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Looks like a happy marriage of WIN-FX and WB ...
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Looks like a happy marriage of WIN-FX and WB

Indeed it does. That reminds me, I've never figured out how to define a WFX shadow in WB. WFX got an option "Use shadows defined by current WindowBlinds skin". Anyone?
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ok, how do I upgrade? Please tell me. Iv'e looked and looked and the only reference I can find to upgrading the software I JUST bought, is in peoples random comments. As a matter of cluttering, my point is not everyone has the same needs and clutter is a matter of opinion. Personally I like 4 regular sized kick ass icons and the kick ass taskbar on my desktop and absolutly NOTHING else. I purchased WB. I purchased IPackager. I should be able to have access to the betas of these two apps and have the option to "put up with crashes and tweeks".

It also would have been nice to know that even though I purchased the software, I would not have access to any new betas for it unless I bought the whole shabang. It probably wouldn't have changed my desicion but at least I wouldn't feel like I was being heavily pressured into taking $20 out of my wallet and setting it on fire by buying software I wouldn't use. I know that Stardock is first and foremost a business. Businesses are about making money which is fine. However, something about Stardock reminds me of the big evil corporations that are currently destroying the world. Just doesn't sit well with me.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Have you set the Preferences in Stardock Central to also show Betas? If not, you won't see them.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ok, how do I upgrade?

Upgrade:
Link
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Nail - We used to provide beta copies of WindowBlinds to people who had just purchaed WindowBlinds.  But it was a support nightmare for us. For whatever reason, the users who purchase stand-alone programs tend to be a lot less tolerant of bugs in betas than the users who bought Object Desktop.  We have no idea why but that was the case and so we started making them only available to users who purchased Object Desktop.  When the beta is complete, you will receive WindowBlinds 4.6.

Secondly, the upgrade to full Object Desktop can be found on the purchase page on Stardock's home page: https://www.stardock.com/order.asp  Third option down.

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I don't understand what Nailz's rant is all about. So you don't get to try the beta, you do get the point upgrade when its fully released as part of the 4.x purchase of standalone WB. So you don't really miss out.
This was a nice surprise. It will be interesting to see how other skins put it to use, though it is a nice effect with the one skin that already uses it.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Great work, guys!

You've got the best brains, I would have never thought of anything like this!
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Have you set the Preferences in Stardock Central to also show Betas? If not, you won't see them.


I had no idea I needed to do that, and I don't see where "preferences" are on the Stardock page, please show me.

Frogboy, I find your reason for not releasing the betas to be perfectly sound. If you guys had mentioned that from the get go, I never would have seen a problem. As for the upgrade, I didn't know that meant basically buying Object Desktop. Like I said before I didn't buy it to begin with because I have no use for the other programs, so why would I pay another $35 to "upgrade" (buy OD)? I'm pretty new to the whole customizing thing and theres probably plenty that I just have to learn, but being the average joeuser type I'm finding this experience to be confusing to say the least. Theres so much content to sift through and I can't find a good FAQ or help page anywhere. If someone could please direct me to one it would be much appreciated. There are some fantastic and truly gifted artists here and I just want to be able to use the software I bought to the fullest extent in order to fully enjoy thier art. That is all.

**EDIT** after more looking I found the FAQ. thank jebus. I'll shut up now. That is all.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Hi Nail - you get WindowBlinds 4.6 when it comes out for free.  We just don't make the betas of new versions (4.49, 4.59, 4.69, etc.) available to stand-alone users.  But when 4.6 comes out, you'll get that for free.

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanx Frogboy, after doing some extensive reading I'm feeling a lot more comfortable navigating on Stardock and especially WinCustomize. This site has a huge amount of content and it can be a bit intimidating for someone that's relatively new to the skinning community, especially since everyone else seems to have been here for so long and already knows the in's and out's. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in my frustrations but everyone makes mistakes after all, my apologies.

I have to say that my overactive imagination has become quite inspired from some of the artists here. I've got tons of ideas floating around my head, if only I knew how to skin things.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
had no idea I needed to do that, and I don't see where "preferences" are on the Stardock page, please show me.

Not the Stardock website, but "Stardock Central". The software used to download the Stardock software you have bought/subsribed to. At least if you are Object Desktop user. Not sure if you use it when you only buy standalone software.
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I love WindowBlinds, am a several year ObjectDesktop subscriber and don't mean to be too critical, but

I don't understand why you guys would go through the effort to add a "feature" like this. Any skinner can create this effect in a couple of seconds when they create the button (and a fair number of users could modify it in a similar fashion in almost as little time). Maybe I'm being picky, but aren't there "meat and potatoes" updates that could be done instead? I can't even figure out why you would head in this direction.

When I see stuff like this coming out when other Stardock apps have features that have been in need of some serious overhauling for quite some time (like DesktopX systray/taskbar support which is ages old, or being unable to save themes in RightClick (although that may be fixed now)) I wonder who comes up with the "To Do" lists
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I think you are misunderstanding the feature.

This is something no skinner could do before.  The term glow is being used, but a better term would be an overlay.  The per pixel alpha graphic can overlay the original item (titlebar button, button, etc) and overlap other things.

So titlebar button overlays can expand past the windows borders.  Thats the big thing, for mouseover effects you are no longer constrained by the size of the original control.  You don't have to use if for glows as it could be used for tooltip like effects etc.

Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The Start menu bug for transparent seems to be back in beta. Have to open close then open start menu for transparency to work, a couple times have had to reload skins.
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think it is completly reasonable to wait for 4.6. These are the rules. If we don't like it then we must lump it. No one twisted our arms to buy piecemeal. The only thing I am not happy about is IP3. I feel like I've thrown $14.95 down the drain. The latest build still locks up my computer and it is frustrating because all the other Stardock stuff up till now works great. I want to know when IP3 will be fixed for us all.