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 Post subject: Some NeXTSTEP/OPENSTEP toolbars for IZArc and Starter
PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 9:13 am 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 9:47 am
Posts: 94
Location: Baldwin Park, CA
While I was using an older free version of Power Archiver I came across
John T. Folden's NeXTSTEP toolbar for it.
Recently I've been using IZArc (which seems like a clone of Power
Archiver) and noticed it too can use user-supplied toolbars.

Having nothing to do on this laptop I threw together some toolbars
for IZArc as well as a program called Starter
(a startup/processes/services manager).
Starter can use both large and small bitmaps.
Starter: http://codestuff.mirrorz.com/

The IZArc toolbar is a work in progress (they don't look that sharp) but
anyway for those of you who use the OPENSTEP WindowBlinds
skin they're okay.

I didn't want to populate the message with screenshots so links
are provided instead.

IZArc snapshot:
http://www.geocities.com/wilmarcdw/misc ... xtstep.png

IZArc NeXTSTEP toolbar:
http://www.geocities.com/wilmarcdw/misc ... XTSTEP.zip

Starter snapshot:
http://www.geocities.com/wilmarcdw/misc ... enstep.png

Starter OPENSTEP toolbar:
http://www.geocities.com/wilmarcdw/misc ... ENSTEP.zip


Some may remember JTF's and Treetog's old Win98 boot logos.
A long time ago I made them BootSkin ready and out of laziness
just used the image. Anyhind the old WinSTEP boot logo has a
progress bar so just for fun it's here.
I know it's old and simple and time for an Xtreme logo but...

WinSTEP BootSkin snapshot:
http://www.geocities.com/wilmarcdw/misc ... instep.png

WinSTEP BootSkin:
http://www.geocities.com/wilmarcdw/misc ... inSTEP.zip

The WinSTEP.bootskin is wrapped in a zip file (I know the .bootskin
file is a zip itself but...).


Lastly, it seems the only theme I use regularly from Win98 to XP to
the laptop running XP is JTF's OPENSTEP WindowBlinds skin.
On the desktop I had been messing with it quite a bit for WB4 and
later WB5. IE and Explorer toolbars were added as well as an
attempt at NeXTish style menus.

[Hmm, just happen to have an old screenshot from the desktop
showing the IE and Explorer toolbars. Pre-Xtreme/NeXuS:
http://www.geocities.com/wilmarcdw/misc/myopenstep.png ]
Oh, and nevermind the ugly throbber. That's old.

The desktop has been in storage since July. In my state of
semi-homelessness I acquired an older ThinkPad from a co-worker
so I can stay alive computer-wise. I decided to revisit the OPENSTEP
theme and discovered the problem with my new menus, ownerdrawn
menus used in some programs, and ClearType.

Essentialy the problem seems to be an extra font drawn on top of
items hovered over by the mouse. More annoying is slow menu
activation for programs with large menus like Slimbrowser and
Opera.
For instance if you click on the File menu there will be a long delay,
an up to 100% cpu hit, and then the menu will appear. Repeat when
going across to other menus. If context menus are also ownerdrawn,
like in Opera, then those too will will have a delay.
[Not sure if the delays were also on the desktop. If so it's probably
due to the bitmaps in general since I wasn't using ClearType there -
CRT monitor y'know.]

Checking old WindowBlinds newsgroups and forum messages it seems
there isn't much that can be done. Turning off ClearType helps
but of course that looks ugly on LCD.
Some programs that exhibit this annoyance, like Starter, have the
option to turn off icons/images in menus. Doing so fixes the problem
in those programs.
Anyhind, that caused me to make substyles of the theme so one
can choose between NeXT-style menus or not.

Okay so now for the only in-post shot showing MS Paint with an image
of the start menu using the new menus and Traybar's menu (upper
right) as an example of what the menus look like in applications.
Once I get around to adding some more things to the skin things
will be fine. I tweak something and break something else.
Can you tell I'm not a skinner? Having such a hard time with an
old fairly simple skin.

Image


It looks like I'll be moving again this week and don't know when
I'll get Net access again so I decided to throw the toolbars out
there before then.

_________________
== ANIME SENSHI ==
Marc D. Williams
http://www.oldskool.org/guides/tvdog/ -- DOS Internet & Tandy 1000
http://www.digisensei.info/win3/ -- Win3.x Makeover


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