The reason for this thread is for us Noobs to learn from you old timers.

I'm new to all this, but, WinStep is very very cool. So cool in fact, that once i installed Winstep and tried the packaged themes, all the application program windows look terrible.

This begs the question of how to make the rest of Windows be made to look better?

Apparently the answer is in skinning the rest of windows using something like WindowsBlinds or StyleXP - or, minimally, just using the Windows XP classic style to manipulate shading across the title bar (least desirable eyecandy).

I am a believer of trying to make things work togeather before buying them, but frankly, I'm sold on WinStep even if I can't get the rest of windows to skin up more than Windows XP Classic style title bar shading, but a killer looking desktop is more desirable than settling for the minimum.

So, with that in mind, if any of you experienced folks don't mind sharing your experiences with how to make the rest of the desktop/productivity apps look as good as and/or compliment WinStep I, and I'm certain many other noobs, would appreciate some input about how to do this and NOT somehow "break" Winstep in the process.

I've tried the demo of WindowsBlinds 5, but it appears to step all over the systray and seemed to get in the way or try to "compete" with what WinStep Xtreme is intended to do.

Looking forward to seeing the responses and experiences you talanted "old timers" can share with us.

Thanks to everyone in advance, who is willing to share their experiences and information with the rest of us.


cef100

Winstep applications only skin themselves. WindowBlinds doesn't interfere - or shouldn't - with them, nor vice-versa. This said, Winstep does capture the Windows systray, so if WB is trying to skin it then this might lead to some strange effects. Nobody else seems to be complaining, though...?

I'm not currently running WindowBlinds, but I never had a problem with the systray and WinStep when I was using thw two together. The only taskbar related problem I ever came across was when the WindowBlinds theme's start button extended above the height of the rest of the task bar. The protruding piece would appear to come from under NextSTART.

Never having used either of these till now, is there a way to tell WindowBlinds to ignore the taskbar/systray entirely?

Are you using something else to skin the rest of the windows or just setting the title bar, etc. to something that is complementary to the WinStep theme you use?

I'm not complaining; only trying to learn how and what works togeather with WinStep to get the rest of windows looking as nice as the rest.

It's the eternal Eyecandy quest, by a noob that doesn't know what works togeather, let alone how these pieces may work by themselves !

Not that I recall



I haven't gotten around to re-installing WindowBlinds yet (new computer that I keep formatting while I try and solve a problem it has ) When it's installed, I normally use a WindowBlinds skin I made that matches a WinStep theme I also made

I'm using one of your WsX skins now - the Recur Mini. VERY Nice!

The WB5 skin(s) you've made that match your WsX theme > do you leave the task bar/systray "unskinned" in WB5, so that you don't get any problems with the look or behavior between WB5 and WsX?

I do skin it, but NextSTART always overrides it. It did last time I ran it at least. I'll try and install it (WindowBlinds) tonight and check that out again to confirm.

After reading that you use WB5, I shutdown WsX and reinstalled WB5 and shut off anything that appeared to deal with the taskbar and systray got a WB5 included Skin loaded the way I wanted it, restarted WsX and it all seems to work fine togeather now.

Stardock appears to offer all kinds of things to change the desktop experience and also offers many of them in a bundle (Object Desktop), not only that they offer some of their apps in various flavors, ie. DesktopX vs. Desktop 3x Pro, etc.

I'm curious which of thier products you actually use. I'm concerned that if I bought the bundle, ie Object Desktop which seems to have 2 or 3 apps I "might" use (other than WB5), and some of the pieces don't play well with WinStep that the install won't let me pick just 1 or a few of the bundles pieces to avoid conflict.

What's your experience in this area? And which of thier pieces, other than WB5, have you used with WsX?

(BTW) I found a terrific site with dual monitor fractal wallpaper, if anyone is interested (this site assumes both monitors are the same size and resolution). If anyone is interested, I'm happy to share whatever resources I find.

Many of these fractal backgrounds look unbelievable with your awsome Recur Mini WsX theme; and WsX allowing mixing and matching of theme pieces for the widget's makes the possibilities endless.

WB5 handling of Dual Monitor backgrounds, isn't all that swift, most of the backgrounds that are the right size need to be handled as tiled to display properly; and WB5 doesn't seem to deal with it well, so I change it in windows display proprties and it works fine.



TIA

I have used Object Desktop with Winstep for years. One has nothing to do with the other and they play well together.

Just curious: What are your systems specs? (cpu/ram/video card)

I'm wondering about running all the toys vs. system specs. / system performance.

And are you also running any Desktop X widgets / Gadgets with WsX at the same time?

I like using WindowBlinds for my Windows skinning and progress animations (copy files, move files etc). I do own the Object Desktop because it includes SkinStudio (so I can make my own skins) and IconDeveloper (making icons). It also comes with IconPackager which I might try this time around. VirtualDesktops appeals to me as well although I'm yet to try it.

I've never had a conflict between Stardock and WinStep applications other than that annoying start button thing I mentioned earlier.

My current PC is Pentium D 3.4GHz, 2GB of RAM and a Radeon 256MB video card. All works fine. My previous PC which was a P4 1.6GHz, 768MB RAM and a Radeon 256MB video card. All worked well then too.

I normally run all WinStep modules, but don't use DesktopX.

I'll hopefully get ObjectDesktop installed today too

I've had an ObjectDesktop subscription for years. I use WindowBlinds and IconPackager.

Occasionally I'll toy with DesktopX or some other app. However, while it's nice, I don't get much productivity gain out of it. If I spent more time messing with DesktopX or ObjectBar I imagine I could. It's all a matter of prefrence.

Gadgets are nice, but I prefer useful ones. Right now I'm only using the WS Weather and Clock desktop modules. I like both Object Desktop and Winstep. I love playing around with my desktop. Though with Winstep, I think you get more instant (as well as deep) functionality for your bucks.

I've never had a conflict between any of the Object Desktop apps and Winstep. I'm running a PC with alowly 750 mhz pentium chip, 380 meg of RAM and a Gforce 3 card.

At work I'm running a PC with s 3 ghz chip, 2 gig ram, dual monitors with a geforce card and built-in intel video chips. I have no problem there whatsoever either except for some transparency issues with WindobwBlinds and Winstep on the on-board intel chipset. However I worked around those issues and now have quite a nice snazzy, if minimalistic, desktop.

So, looks like a new Core 2 Duo, lots of ram and a high end video card should work out real well.

Now if I can figure out how to use all the configuration stuff (for now forget about skinning anything) I'll be in great shape!

Again, many thanks to all of you folks out here developing tools and skins to make the workspace more functional and pleasant.