DirectSkin Helps Developers create “skinnable” software
Stardock releases DirectSkin 3.0

Canton, MI (May 21, 2002) - Stardock has released DirectSkin 3.0 today, a program that allows software developers to make their applications fully skinnable and Windows XP theme aware. DirectSkin is based on the same WindowBlinds technology that has been used by millions of PC-users world-wide. DirectSkin Version 3 offers improved compatibility for applications written in Visual Basic, C++ and Delphi languages. DirectSkin also supports the custom controls or SmartButtons that are in the latest build of WindowBlinds.

DirectSkin is an OCX that developers include in their project file. Once added, developers can apply visual styles based on Stardock WindowBlinds UIS skin language. Developers can create their own custom visual styles (e.g. “skins”) or can use some of the thousands of visual styles that have already been created.
In the recent years, Microsoft, Netscape, AOL and countless other companies have developed software that can be skinned. However, writing the interface can be difficult and time consuming, and getting users to support whatever skin format or language your application uses can also be difficult, even for large companies. With DirectSkin, a developer can make their application skinnable in a matter of minutes and can take advantage of the thousands of skins already available along with the existing tools to create skins in the standard WindowBlinds™ visual style format.

“More and more applications are becoming skinnable,” said Kris Kwilas, Project Manager at Stardock. “There is an increasing divide between applications which have flexible customizable user interfaces and legacy applications that have the plain Windows Classic look. DirectSkin makes it easy to give your application a totally new look and can let your users apply new visual styles as well.”

Many companies are using DirectSkin to give their users options. TecSec®, Incorporated, a leading provider of advanced information security and privacy products and solutions recently selected Stardock’s DirectSkin software for its Privity™ suite of software products.

“By integrating DirectSkin into our software, we wanted to give our users the ability and flexibility to customize the appearance of our software to fit their preferences,” said Jim Miller, Vice President of Software Development for TecSec.

Another DirectSkin user, Barry Weingart, designer of iO – the Intermedia Organizer, said “Direct Skin has enabled us to design our application’s user interface in a way that easily exceeds normal Windows products as well as allow our users to further modify iO for their own personal tastes. The ability to extend the Windows interface with rollup and window locking features is great.”

"DirectSkin provided several important advantages for us during the development of our Visual Communicator software. In addition to implementing a highly customizable interface that can be quickly
tailored to meet the needs of our customers, DirectSkin also helped us get to market quickly because we were able to focus directly on the core capabilities of our software," stated Brett Weshner, director of
business development at Serious Magic.

DirectSkin has numerous advantages. For example, because it uses the popular WindowBlinds technology at is base, it has already been used on millions of PCs. Developers will not have to worry about whether the skinning may cause problems on a particular operating system/hardware combination. Another advantage for developers is that DirectSkin extends existing Windows controls and APIs. This means developers do not have to use some proprietary set of APIs or controls to make their application skinnable.
Several licensing options are available. DirectSkin is designed for professional developers and is backed up by significant developer support resources. Interested developers can contact directskin@stardock.com for details and pricing.

More information can be found at the DirectSkin home page: http://www.directskin.com
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DirectSkin 3.0
Stardock Corporation
17292 Farmington Rd.
Livonia MI 48152
Phone: (734) 762-0687
Web: https://www.stardock.com
Email: sales@stardock.com