skephart

Join Date 09/2010

Trying to use the demo version of WindowBlinds7 - not having much luck!

Am I doing it right?

Before buying the package, since a demo is offered, I thought I'd try it out to see if it will do what I need.

What I need to happen:

Needs to operate under windows 7 32 bit with aero enabled
A high contrast type theme, like the "high constrast" themes under the windows 7 control panel
I need to customize the theme for black backgrounds on the menu bars, window backgrounds, everything, with red text. Specifically I need things like internet explorer and the start menu to have a black background with red text.
This *has* to run as an Aero theme. That's why I don't simply use and modify one of the stock high contrast themes. They disable Aero. I don't honestly care one way or the other for how Aero looks - I have a specific technical reason why I need Aero. Basically under windows 7, running any of the non-aero themes breaks most openGL apps. Anyway, with aero, running windows GL apps works great. Without aero, you'll get corruption under menus and stuff like that.
The purpose of this exercise isn't to create a cool customized UI. The purpose is to create a night-vision friendly theme for the PC that sits in my astronomical observatory. The white backgrounds with a normal windows theme are simply too bright for use in there at night, and cause me problems when using my telescope.
The limited ability to modify Aero themes in Windows 7 is a problem - I can't change a number of UI elements that desperately need to be changed for this application - the background of the start menu being an obvious one, but there are other things like menu bars that don't seem to be settable.

So WindowBlinds sounds like exactly what I need. Except I'm finding:

I can't change the menu bar color
I can't change the title bar color
I can change the window background color
In general changes I make on the change skin system colors don't show up in the preview window. (The UI here is terrible, btw - many of the elements you can ostensibly change aren't actually shown in the preview.)
I'm finding I can customize actually FEWER things with window blinds than with the system personalization page. This is disappointing.

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong, I'd appreciate it, or hints on how to create the type of theme I'm looking for. This seems like it should be fairly simple, but so far, trying to modify the Aero Colours theme hasn't worked well for me at all.

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RedneckDude

Join Date 04/2009

+2223

So WindowBlinds sounds like exactly what I need. Except I'm finding:

I can't change the menu bar color

I can't change the title bar color

I can change the window background color

In general changes I make on the change skin system colors don't show up in the preview window. (The UI here is terrible, btw - many of the elements you can ostensibly change aren't actually shown in the preview.)

I'm finding I can customize actually FEWER things with window blinds than with the system personalization page. This is disappointing.

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong, I'd appreciate it, or hints on how to create the type of theme I'm looking for. This seems like it should be fairly simple, but so far, trying to modify the Aero Colours theme hasn't worked well for me at all.

You can use Skin Studio to tweak those things.

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Lantec

Join Date 07/2003

+346

Windowblinds applies "skins" You can do some tweaking of the skin in the UI but for the most part all the items you want to change are part of the skin. Skinstudio is used to create Windowblinds skins. You have complete control over nearly all aspects of the GUI via skinstudio.

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Yeah, I tried skin studio - it will let me change the start menu frame and background, but not the area where the menu lies - for example the "all programs" menu doesn't seem changeable. For the non-aero themes I can apparently change everything. But I need an aero theme. Are there limitations on what window blinds / skin studio can change on aero themes? Because there are far fewer options offered on the aero themes.

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OK I tried editing a different theme - corporate or diamonds. There are a TON more options available, it looks like I ought to be able to do what I want to do, at least once I figure this thing out.

What I was assuming - incorrectly I think - is that the themes that aren't UIS0 themes - i.e. not "aero" themes - wouldn't use the DWM in Win 7. However, just looking at it quickly at the output from both FRAPS and an instrumented display driver that DWM is alive and well under the advanced skin studio / window blinds themes. (Does that sound correct?) If so, this is *really great* news for me - I can create the night vision theme I want and not break the openGL apps I use to manage my observatory because of Microsoft's stupid bugs!

A couple of additional questions:

After playing around with this for a few more minutes, it becomes apparent that I'll need to edit a whole lot of bitmaps. That's fine, can I use photoshop to do this, rather than paint? (Paint doesn't seem to want to save transparency, and is, well, crap.)
Is it possible for 3rd party programs to call window blinds to load a theme?

I'm feeling much more positive about this software now.

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OK, dang, one last question before I hit "buy" - can I install the software on 2 computers? I want to develop the theme on my big beefy desktop PC, but actually deploy it out in the observatory. I don't really need to modify the theme on my desktop - it's just way more comfortable to work in my office on this than outside, in the observatory dome! Thanks and sorry in advance if this is a silly question.

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Cavan1

Join Date 08/2004

+173

is that the themes that aren't UIS0 themes

UISO are not actually skins, there are just Areo with textures applied.

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Cavan1

Join Date 08/2004

+173

DWM is alive and well under the advanced skin studio / window blinds themes. (Does that sound correct?)

Yes WindowBlinds uses/needs DWM for optimum performance.

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can I install the software on 2 computers?

Yes, as long as only one computer is in use at a time.

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Quoting Wizard1956,

reply 8

can I install the software on 2 computers?

Yes, as long as only one computer is in use at a time.

Thanks, I guess I could buy the whole object desktop package and then a license for window blinds for the obs computer, that way I wouldn't have to worry about it. That would work right? (Don't want to spend money I don't need to spend, but I also don't want to cheat the fine people at Stardock.)

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From the Stardock FAQ's -

Q: I have a laptop and a desktop. Can I install the software on multiple machines?

A: Yes, to a point. Only 1 copy of the product can be used at once per license. But if you want to have it on both home and work or install it on the road that is not only allowed but recommended. As long as only one copy is actively in use (someone sitting at the computer) at any one time, you are covered.

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RedneckDude

Join Date 04/2009

+2223

Quoting Hankers,

reply 10

From the Stardock FAQ's -

Q: I have a laptop and a desktop. Can I install the software on multiple machines?

A: Yes, to a point. Only 1 copy of the product can be used at once per license. But if you want to have it on both home and work or install it on the road that is not only allowed but recommended. As long as only one copy is actively in use (someone sitting at the computer) at any one time, you are covered.

As I have pointed out before, this rule seems off.

I have 3 machines in my house, all 3 have all my SD stuff installed, being used, and all 3 machines stay on all day and are used most of that time. Been this way ever since I became a customer.

Seems I must be overusing mine?

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all 3 machines stay on all day and are used most of that time.

What,one for RND, one for PuterDudeJim and one for ChubbyHusband? Must be crowded in your computer room at times.

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Seems I must be overusing mine?

Maybe if you want to post it a few more times you might just convince someone that you are abusing the terms of your purchase.

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RedneckDude

Join Date 04/2009

+2223

Quoting Hankers,

reply 13

Seems I must be overusing mine?

Maybe if you want to post it a few more times you might just convince someone that you are abusing the terms of your purchase.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

The 'intent' of the licence when mentioning 'only one in use at any one time' is to distinguish it from....buying one licence....putting it on two of 'your' machines...then giving one to your brother/whatever and you BOTH use it/them concurrently.

RedneckDude isn't 'really' overstepping the mark as the computers are 'his' AND he is their user.

If that were the case [overstepping] then I had better go sit in a corner somewhere....as at times there are situations where I'll have something like Fences or WB running on 5 or 6 systems [including VMs]....

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RedneckDude

Join Date 04/2009

+2223

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Lantec

Join Date 07/2003

+346

skephart,

There's a number of dark blinds already in the gallery. You would probably be better off to start with one of them and adjust it to meet your needs. vStyler's Venom LINK is good one to look at. It's a Master skin so it'll cost you a few dollars but you can see from the preview.....it's dark.

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willistuder

Join Date 08/2007

+275

skephart--there are a few thousand WindowBlinds skins in the gallery as well. There could very well be something you could use there (or easily modify). Check them out here: https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds

By the way--welcome to WinCustomize and the world of skinning.

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I highly recommend that you purchase Object Desktop. You will sooo glad you did!

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