No Themes for Object Bar 2

I think the main problem is that people just look at OB 2.0 and wonder what actually is new? Object 1.65 bars and skins work just fine. And I think people look at the fact that they can put in DesktopX stuff into object bar and go 'meh'. I haven't found any that I would like embedded in the bar. The only think I would want is something that can read bookmarks in firefox/opera/ie format so you can have it work with your favorite browser. However I don't have the time to look at how to script that in DesktopX, and I would rather write a .NET plugin or something.

Another problem is that the theme editor just sucks. I've lost count of people who have been interested in my developer theme, but once seeing the editor so they can set it up, they lose interest. So people aren't really bothering to post/create anything because 1) what's in the 1.65 section is good enough, or 2) people realize no one will want to use the editor to make the adjustments to personalize it for them so don't bother.

Also, if you look at the tutorial that Frogboy pointed a link to on wincustomize, its really really complex. They don't give any examples of how to use the theme editor OR skin studio. It's all using notepad. You'd think they at least would show some example screenshots of what they're doing. The fact that they think that's a good tutorial shows just how little they really care about object bar at Stardock.

That aside I am thinking of updating my Developer theme to see if I can make it appear if the left bar is broken up by using some transparency. Currently it has Programs/Documents section, then the developer projects section, then the task bar, then the icon tray. It is one solid bar. I would like there to be transparency between the section so it looks like different bubbles or something. I'll have to play around with the skin studio to see if that's possible. However I'm not a graphic artist, so it will take me some time.

All good points, Scott. Agree on the widgets. Agree on the tutorial. And I'm with you on the new editor; there are more options for plugins and objects, but the interface is a step back from 1.65. It's a royal pain to use. There's basic functionality missing.

One thing that really bugged me was when I was recently trying to switch the position of my bar from vertical to horizontal. I have a sidebar, and wanted to try it across the top. I seem to remember that you could do this in 1.65, but you sure can't do it now. After realizing I would have to recreate all my individual menus and icons in the new bar(since you can't copy them from theme to theme or bar to bar), I gave up.

I dunno. OB is still my most indispensable GUI app because of the way it lets me replace the XP start menu. The abilities to have custom menus and virtual folders alone are worth their weight in gold. I could never go back to say, trying to find Ipconfig, or Group Policy, or System Properties in one of the million scattered places MS saw fit to put them, when I can have a Settings menu with all my system settings in one place.

Growing up on Macs, that is the single thing that bothers me the most about Microsoft GUI design; they give you four different ways to do one thing, none of them intuitive, or they scatter common tasks all across the universe. I don't want to do registry hacks or tweak the start menu anymore. I shouldn't have to do that. I just want to drop my OB theme onto a new install, and remap the shortcuts.

In the end, I have to think it's just a cost / benefit thing. The application works for what it does, it just isn't particularly refined. And if you're Stardock, why keep developing OB if three people use it? My gut tells me that most people who use the OD suite don't do it to change the functionality of their OS. They just want to make their desktop look pretty. And OB is all about the former.

To the original poster: I can put up my theme if you want me to. I have one thread in here: it's screenshotted in there. I run another version now with the spaces taken out... it looks like the Mac dock as a sidebar. The thing that has stopped me is, I'm not a skinner or a programmer... I'm just a user. The theme uses a skin I ripped from a WB theme, and icons from everywhere. It isn't "new" work except in the sense that I designed the menus and layout.

Anyhow. Bigger problems there are, surely.

I love OB too. I can't imagine working without it.

I have a very simple bar with one DX object (PandoraBox2 by RomanDA) and links and menus to fit my needs.

The fact is that OB is a power-user tool. It is so different from the other eyecandy apps in the ODNT suite that I wouldn't have it in there (along with virtual desktop, Keyboard Launchpad, RightClick, Control Center, DriveScan, Enhanced File Dialog, ObjectEdit, etc.). Those apps are fundamentally different. They belong more in the ThinkDesk suite than anywhere else.

The widget-laden skins (bars? themes?) packaged with OB are nice to look at but unlikely to get used long by either the casual user or the power-user. The casual user who likes the widget concept will just use DX, the power-user will want much more customization. No one is a winner with those samples.

I wouldn't expect many new themes to be posted. Why bother?

Also, if you look at the tutorial that Frogboy pointed a link to on wincustomize, its really really complex

I missed that could you direct me to it.

I wouldn't expect many new themes to be posted. Why bother?

I have a few ideas I've been playing with and may eventually post. The problem is most links are machine specific so you end up restricting yourself to creating menus to add links to. For myself, I use a modification of the Accessorize theme having added a bottom bar (taskbar on steroids) and figured out how to keep it from changing with each Windowblinds change. I couldn't upload it cause it's based on Mike Brandt's Reduce theme. I've just been waiting to get my hands on some documentation to follow all the different directories as well as line items in the obbar files.

I missed that could you direct me to it

The only link I can find: https://www.stardock.com/products/objectbar/docs/

Brad's comments pre-launch: WWW Link

He understands the general vs. power user problem . . but doesn't have a solution. Too bad.

Thanks Zubaz

anybody planning on making some?

You know . . I wish the internets supported images   

WWW Link

And then there's this (from the above link):

The trouble most people have with ObjectBar skinning, beyond the lack of good learning samples, is the dissociation between the skin building in the bar building. Its tricky because you can't just start ObjectBar, add something and set its look...its not possible to just in the program create a grouping and then say "ok, for this grouping use this background bitmap and these margins" without doing that work up front. You first have to create a skin that lists the images and margins etc, and then apply it to the bar. This all requires a degree of planning most aren’t willing to do, as you have to have to figure out on paper really what you want your bar to be, design a skin around it with the necessary group-styles, then build the bar and apply the skin to it.

Why?

For the record, the OB, OD dev, Jeff Bargmann is a great guy and another of the SD employees that I consider a friend. I think any faults in the lack if OB world-domination is due to other pressures.

I'm sure he is! That whole "the developers of this software don't care about us, oh the humanity" forum game is pretty ridiculous, and certainly not my intent. Heck, Jeff has my eternal gratitude.

Personally, I'm just happy to see activity in this forum. I was starting to feel like I was the only one using OB.

Whoops, posted the above on the random account I made when unable to log in. How I wish the forum would take my logins consistently.

How I wish the forum would take my logins consistently.

the developers of this website don't care about us, oh the humanity

  

I'll post my super-duper simple and pesonalized OB bar later. Not that anyone will use it.

There are now TWO (count them yourself, TWO!!) OB themes in the OB library.   

My contribution: ZubazNormalv2

downloading now....

Rockin'!! Way to go, Zubaz!

1) I think that there needs to be more config at the bar level instead of the skin.
Especially font and font size
2) There should be a way to use the current WB, but with some settings available for a particular bar. (i.e., apply the current WB except make the pop-up do this instead)

Both of the above observations would make for a more personalized bar. It'd make the bar I wanted. Unfortunatly, as mentioned before, it would also make the bar less what another user might want.

I said it once before and I'll say it again, I think OB is the most powerful app in SDs productivity line of apps but it is also the most personal and the least likely to have a skin or bar that fits another user.

Let's see what other people come up with and go from there.

for some reason it initially opened with rightclick even when it was showing OB as the default


reopened with OB = all is good

way to go Z

for some reason it initially opened with rightclick even when it was showing OB as the default

Same here. Odd.

Thanks troll, but it ain't much. Let's see where it takes us.

Well, screw it. Maybe I'll post mine. But if it uses tons of icons that I can't remember the sources of, how should I handle that? I don't want to take credit for anyone's work.