Neil Banfield Neil Banfield

WindowBlinds 6 Beta Feedback

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WindowBlinds 6 Beta Feedback

from WinCustomize Forums

Please post all feedback about the WindowBlinds 6 beta on this thread.

Note that the beta is for 32 bit XP and Vista systems only.  Please do not post about it not working on 64 bit XP/Vista.  Please continue to use WB 5.51 on those platforms.

This beta is for Object Desktop customers ONLY.  Standalone WindowBlinds 5 owners will not be able to activate this build.

Please note that you must have Stardock Central 2.46 Build 154 or later to install the WindowBlinds 6 betas. If you try and use older versions, it'll eventually timeout and give you an error about an invalid URL.

If you have problems with it running at all, please uninstall WB6, reboot and then try reinstalling WB6 again.

149,865 views 537 replies
Reply #76 from WinCustomize Forums Top
No blur on overlapping titlebars on Windows XP is perfectly normal and there are good technical reasons as to why this is the case.


Ok then, good to know.
Reply #77 from WinCustomize Forums Top

iconv.dll is not a dll used by WindowBlinds.

By edit do you mean double clicking on an image?  If so whatever app is associated with editing .PNG is incorrectly installed on your PC.

You may need to close & reopen the sidebar when changing sidebar skins.

WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #78 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Works good here. I had a problem at first. I had uninstalled WB5 then installed WB6 Beta right away no skins worked. I then uninstalled WB6, restarted and then install WB6 Beta and it worked. I noticed i only have 2 skins that work on this though. The Leo and the Diamond. I have seen people talk about a Dragon skin yet i dont have it?
Reply #79 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The dragon skin is Molten...check the start menu.

What do you mean those are the only 2 that work?
Reply #80 from WinCustomize Forums Top
They are not the only 2 that work. But they were the only 2 that i seen added upon install of WB6. I still have all my other skins that were previously installed. No sense of testing the Beta if i use skins that do not take advantage of the new style. (Blurred window)

Okay i do have Molten. I am currently using Leo. I have tried Diamond. I will try out Molten next.
Reply #81 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have seen people talk about a Dragon skin yet i dont have it?


Makaveli213....The "Dragon skin"...Its called "Molten" and should be in your list.
Reply #82 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I didnt really have any problems  , I do have two suggestions,

1. I think it would be less problematic if the the install automatically uninstalled WB5-rebooted-started WB6 install on startup (auto). No one really wants to see classic   

2. As a preference only, I don't care at all for the dotted lined parts of the interface. Looks cheap and unfinished.

That aside, Great update and super job on the animation in the Molten skin, Chaninja's I assume.
Reply #83 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Really cool thanks for the update

the install need to be more clear but it's all i noticed for now
Reply #84 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Edit, after further review I am having a couple of significant issues , When Maximizing a window.. during the "window animation" when resizing to Maximized, momentarily, the titilebar fonts, in several skins is appearing HUGE..

The same thing is happening when letting go of a taskbar button to activate a window. momentarily the taskbar font appears HUGE

Secondly, several skins are missing pixels above the maximized windows, LEO being one of them, also my Vienna WB

This is after several un\re-loads \ reboots.
Reply #85 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Miranda IM crashes upon start on Windows XP. That doesn't happen if set as per application. Doesn't happen in Vista with excact the same build (0.7 beta 35).
Reply #86 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The problem with Miranda IM has been fixed in the next beta build.
Reply #87 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Didn't read eveything before but here's my bug report

1°) it had broken my catalog skins and i can't find anymore the way to rebuilt it ...

2°)
The Start Menu now supports animation

pretty nice on the Molten skin

3°)
Users can now recolor a skin and save that setting on a per skin basis

can't see how to save anything ...

4°)
In addition, WindowBlinds now supports “Advanced HSL Coloring”. Users can choose a single color to change instead re-coloring the entire skin

Doesn't work at all

5°)
Users can choose a single color to change instead re-coloring the entire skin

tried that on Molten skin, i chosed "freen" and it became "red"

6°)
Explorer background bitmaps can now be included as part of the skin

tried that on different skins, doesn't work on any

7°)
• Control transparency and blur on start menu, menus, taskbar & window frames. Has some limitations on XP
• Save all skin changes as presets
• Edit a sidebar skin from within WindowBlinds
• Alter the mouse over animation speed
• Alter the default button pulsing speed
• Handle skin upgrades in an improved fashion
• Use the Aero frames with the rest of the skin

????? can't see nowhere anything relative to these points

8°) didn't tried anything on "wallpaper" just because all the previous "Wallpapers functions" even in previous WB versions are just weird working here ...

9°) going quickly back to WB5 ...

[System Information]

XP SP2 Home Edition french

WindowBlinds version : WindowBlinds 6 (6.0 (beta build 17 x86))

WindowBlinds is installed correctly on this PC

WindowBlinds appears to be activated on this PC

Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins.

(Philips 190C (19inch LCD MONITOR 190C7)) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X

Wblind.dll 2007/08/01 10:46:20
Wbsrv.dll 2007/07/31 10:39:18
Wbconfig.exe 2007/08/01 15:27:45
Wbload.exe 2007/07/30 13:14:11
Wbhelp.dll 2007/07/24 10:21:07
Wbui.dll 2007/07/24 10:21:06
Tray.dll 2007/07/24 10:21:49


Reply #88 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ok i just loaded my current WIP skin, the titlebar button "area" is now lower in the titlebar than in WB 5, it is no longer centered, the system Icon and Fonts also not centered. Looks bad.

So..now, I cant really design it correctly for release as it looks different depending on what Version of WB you are using.   
Reply #89 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Didn't read eveything before but here's my bug report

1°) it had broken my catalog skins and can't find anymore the way to rebuilt it ...

You can rebuild the skin list from the Skin Options drop down in the Change how my windows look screen.  Click it and a menu appears which lets you pick Rebuild skin list.

2°)

The Start Menu now supports animation

prettu nice on the Molten skin

3°)
Users can now recolor a skin and save that setting on a per skin basis


can't see how to save anything ...

On the change colours in skin page, there is a combo box that says Change setting for all skins.  Click this and a drop down appears with create new / delete preset.  Do this to make a new preset and then adjust it as you want.  This is now saved against that skin and can be picked from the Change how my windows look page under the substyles drop down (far right under the preview)


4°)

In addition, WindowBlinds now supports “Advanced HSL Coloring”. Users can choose a single color to change instead re-coloring the entire skin


Doesn't work at all

Yes it does.  You pick a colour in the skin, set a range and then change the colour using the usual Hue slider on the far left.  To open the advanced HSL dialog, you need to ensure you are in HSL mode and then click the icon with the dotted rectangle around it to the right of the hue slider.


5°)

Users can choose a single color to change instead re-coloring the entire skin


treied that on Molten skin, i chosed "freen" and it became "red"

Freen?



6°)

Explorer background bitmaps can now be included as part of the skin


Tried that on different skins doesn't work on any

Only some skins come with that (Diamond does) and it is a Vista only feature.



7°)

• Control transparency and blur on start menu, menus, taskbar & window frames. Has some limitations on XP
• Save all skin changes as presets
• Edit a sidebar skin from within WindowBlinds
• Alter the mouse over animation speed
• Alter the default button pulsing speed
• Handle skin upgrades in an improved fashion
• Use the Aero frames with the rest of the skin


????? can't see nowhere anything relative to these points

Control transparency and blur is on the Control transparency and blur page.

Saving skin changes as presets is done via Change colours in skin and control transparency and blur.

Sidebar skins are vista only as is use aero frames with the rest of the skin.

Adjusting the pulsing and mouseover speeds is done from the Advanced User settings page

Handling skin upgrades better is transparent to the user.  There is no visible UI for it.

 

Reply #90 from WinCustomize Forums Top
VStyler: The position of titlebar buttons etc does not change from release to release.  As far as I am aware it is working exactly as it did with WB5.5.
Reply #91 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I tried to install it on my machine and it wouldn't change anything. When I went back to WB5, it was back to normal. When I clicked on a skin it was seem to change but after only one second, it was revert back to Windows XP style.
Reply #92 from WinCustomize Forums Top
CameronMitchell: I would uninstall WB5, reboot and then install WB6.  If you have problems applying a skin, try applying classic first.
Reply #93 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Neil.. I am fanatical about placement \ centering, I can assure you that there is a definite difference in placement between the two. Also.. Load up Leo or Vienna and you will notice there are missing pixels above the Max titlebar.

I will provide screenshots of both if neccesary.
Reply #94 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Vstyler....I noticed in the skin I'm using (Ecliz) that the titlebar font stuck up above the window edge a bit which it didn't do before....so I changed the font and it seemed to fix it then changed it back and it was ok. Might work....did for this skin at least.

And I just tried both Leo & your Vienna skin and didn't see the missing pixels.
Reply #95 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Nice work stardock
Neil.. im on vista ultimate, and find little problem with taskbar, all my skins.
on xp, in this build not see this.

When taskbar bottom, behind all skins little white thing.
Taskbar top or left-right no prob.

Reply #96 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I can confirm there is a problem with maximized Vienna blind. Bad look of this skin on wb6 Strange, but it is different with Leo, at least i think it is ok, no missing pixels above the max titlebar for me.
Reply #97 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Shot at 2007-08-02
Reply #98 from WinCustomize Forums Top

It looks like your caption height is set larger than it should be.

What dpi are you using and have you changed the font settings in WBconfig?  Changing the titlebar font can impact the caption height.

Reply #99 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Shot at 2007-08-02


Definite difference I would say.

As far as DPI and Font settings, I never change either of those, always use stock OS settings.

Others have noted missing pixels. I'm emailing you this WIP skin.. perhaps it will help.
Reply #100 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ok, revised my post:
if checked: never blur the background even if the skin has blur enabled, always work fine my vista machine!

Hey John! here not see this..