Am I not doing something right or is this the way these are?

DesktopX is a desktop extender allowing for objects, widgets, and themes. It does not skin the Windows GUI. You will need WindowBlinds for that.

wtf is wrong with these forums!!! I just replied to one of my threads that says "why" because I typed why, pressed the space bar and it submitted on it's own. So, I typed another one, which it let me finish and posted it, but that one was not showing up in the forums, so I replied to the why one with the same message as I stated above and it replied to the message that originally didn't show up. It posted to the one that I was not even in or replying too!!! Retardation!!!

Anyway, enough of that bs, with regards to WindowBlinds, I didn't think you could use both Desktop X themes and WindowBlinds at the same time, can you?

I didn't think you could use both Desktop X themes and WindowBlinds at the same time, can you?

Yes. You can.

Forums seem fine.

OK, so basically what I'm saying is how can you use something like Q's Simple Vista DX with window blinds? That is an excellent theme, but it only themes the taskbar, start menu and background. Has some widgets with it. Maybe it doesn't theme the start menu, I can't remember. But what you end up with is a killer looking desktop, but everything else is XP.

DesktopX has settings in the configuration panel to select whether the Windows taskbar and or desktop icons are visible. These are typically set by the DesktopX author to indicate how the DesktopX theme is intended to be used. If you want to see say a Notepad window skinned in your DesktopX theme, then you would use Window Blinds for that. I always use Window Blinds and DesktopX together and I try to match my current Window Blind skin choice to my DesktopX theme choice. Sometimes DesktopX authors include in their themes a replacement for the Windows taskbar. This is fine because Window Blinds can still be used to skin the appearance of the other Windows components. Its up to you how much of Windows you wish to have themed and skinned and what combinations of available downloadable authored works you wish to use. Check out the Screen Shots section for some ideas and try out all the components of Object Desktop. Customizing is fun!

DesktopX does not skin the start or the taskbar or anything.

Everything is created. Your normal bar can be hidden when using a theme with a constructed bar.

Sometimes you can get a desktopx theme and find a matching WB skin

Magicka,

Please try to listen very carefully here. I'm going to try and put this in the simplest terms that I possibly can. (And help me guys to make sure I explain this well)

You need to understand the difference between a visual style (WindowBlinds skin) and a desktop theme (DesktopX themes).

1) Visual Style: A visual style is a set of graphical componants that give you the "look and feel" of your Windows environment. Typically we call them skins. Changing a WindowBlind skin is similar to changing the appearance of the "Windows and buttons" settings from the Display Properties control panel; under the Appearence tab.

2) Desktop Theme: These are the objects that make up your desktop environment, that conform to a common theme (all the objects are similar in look, though they have different functions). Examples of objects are widgits and gadgets (weather meters, to do lists, RAM and Memory gauges/meters), the Windows taskbar, an object dock, an object bar, icons...etc).

The critical part you need to understand is that these 2 "things" are different animals, yet work together to give you the total look and feel of your desktop environment and functionality.

Using DesktopX, you create objects (like those mentioned in number 2). Some of thes objects will take on the look and feel of the visual style (WindowBlind skin) you apply, for instance the Windows taskbar; while others wont, for instance icons, or wigits and gadgets.

Using WindowBlinds, you change the overall look and feel of the Windows themselves (and the windows taskbar), for instance the title bars, scroll bars, min/max/zoom buttons, or virtually every componant that makes up a window, the Windows Taskbar, and the Start menu.

Do you see how it works now? DesktopX gives you the ability to create an object or a functional object, and WindowBlinds defines the look and feel of the Windows.

Now, I'll tell you how to make your desktop look like Q,s Simple DX DesktopX theme:

1) Write Q from the email listed on his WinCustomize site, and ask him what WindowBlind Skin and wallpaper he is using on the screenshot he used to display the objects he created using desktopX; download the skin and apply it using WindowBlinds and apply the wallpaper.

2) Apply Q's Simple DX theme using DesktopX.

Once you do these 2 things, your desktop will look and feel just like the screenshot Q used to show us his DX theme.