Windowblinds wishing list

The reason for that is because the only way to get IE windows to have their scrollbars skinned is to use uxtheme.dll. And that means providing the scrollbar in a format they understand. Unfortunately uxtheme.dll is very limited. We're going to see what we can do in WB 4.

Huraaay!

Good idea treetog!

Well, here are some of my wishes for the WindowBlinds Developers who are doing a great work!

I wish that I could change:

The text of the windows toolbars, font and color.
The icons of the toolbars.
Also to have an option in the taskbar buttons not to have icons on them.

Sometimes I have wanted to have a skin cycler... so that every time I booted up I had a different skin (because there are so many awesome skins and I have a hard time choosing). Then I think, no, maybe not. But having the option maybe..... so many great skins, so little time to wear them all!

goodmorphing: there use to be some little helper app called randomblinds I think. Somewhere on www.stardock.net? I can't find it, but there really was something like that somewhere.

well, since we are talking about a wishing list, I would make 2 more requests, but please don't be mad on me, they are just request , ok?

1) animated titlebar buttons
2) pleeeeeeease, make a different vertical off set for the user pick and text (name) on the top panel of the XP start menu.

this second request is REALLY needed in most of the skins.

How about a font and font color choice for the XP Menu?

I have a request as well. Could you separate the glyph from the background on components such as the spinners? I think it would look much better. Because it seems with many skins the spinners don't look right.

Good thread idea Treetog.

My requests: On the start menu instead of the XP Highlighted option (which gives a color only when going over the items), having something that is skinnable as to give a mouseover effect (like in object bar). Also mouseovers for the icons too (like in object bar).

The new version of SkinStudio finally has that. Also button option for Logging buttons.

I think starone means mouse over icons on the start menu.

Oh, sorry, I thought she meant the buttons.

two things that have been mystifying me are:

the roll-up size is off by one pixel when switching between winXP and win2k. It's one pixel too big in 2k when at the correct setting for XP. Is this just me or is it happening to others too?

the text color on explorer toolbar mouse-overs (in XP only) seems to be controlled by some system setting and not the uis file, can this be fixed?

and other than that everything I wanted is already on the lists above (especially animated titlebar buttons and seperate vertical settings for user pic and name on the start panel)

Hmmm.... Let me see...

Vertical titlebars with true vertical text for one.

Layered titlebar buttons. i.e. you mouse over an area of the titlebar and it reveals the buttons below.

Separate images for the start menu border and icon areas. That way the menu could be skinned much like a window and would allow greater flexibility for tiling the background of the icon area (a limitation I ran into with Marauder).

Animation for the start panel items.

That's all I can think of for now, did I mention vertical titlebars? *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*

To make really exceptional skins one requires talent, can that be fixed in WB4? I want to make exceptional skins also.

The ability to have the titlebar text without a background at all....you know me....transparent to a fault...

What would you guys need to start using UIS1? I.e. what features from UIS2 would UIS1 need for more people to use it?

Actually I've started making UIS1 skins for all the new ones I'm doing (you just haven't seen any of them yet). It's great having a matching skin that works with Photoshop The UIS1 format already does a lot more than it used to like putting buttons anywhere on the titlebar and being able to cut away shapes in the titlebar with transparency.

I'd like it if titlebar text effects worked in UIS1. And it would be nice if you added the right-click rollup to skin studio - it took me forever to find which section it needed to be in to work.

I don't know if any one mentioned this, but I think there needs to be some way to re-color the part that used to be refered to as the web in windows xp. I know it has something to do with the msstyles.dll or something like that... why not make a generic one that can use what ever images you put into it... just a thought... when running most of my favorite skins, like Sage, by Treetog... skin looks good... wallpaper to match, but the skin is red and black, the wallpaper is red and black, but that area draws attention since it is blue... just saying... that's the big thing for me...

Hmmm...Good thread Treetog
Please forgive me if I sum up something that already is possible.
I would like:

- to be able to make layouts for submenu's, instead of only pull down, and place it
anywhere on the screen
- the triangle pointer arrows for submenu's skinnable
- horizontal and vertical seperators in "more programs" submenu being skinnable, which
also appears in submenu "making connections" from start panel places list
- the mouse over on bottombar in startpanel being transparent, making mouse over effect
on the logoff buttons better visible

Found bugs:

- MDI buttons aren't appearing transparent, mouse over isn't working
- Transparency in pull down item (first on top) seems to be overwritten by pull down
item, haven't checked if the same happens to pull down item (last on bottom)

Coffee maker?! Might come in handy when you're skinning on those long and cold winternights!!

I'd really like a way to specify two or more color changes when using color masks for custom color skins. Would there actually be a way to do that (might have to use more than one mask image for each section though, don't know) or do you think it would just slow it all down too much?

XP shellstyle.dll skinning tops my list. Anything other than blue luna-ish skins look like crap with the stock luna shellstyle glaring at you from the left panel. I end up using the "classic" style left panel and missing out on some cool XP features.

1) be able to color custom all font effect
2) be able to add buttons like on title bar but on start pannel (ex: add a clickable website link)
3) be able to use any kind of smartbuttons, min max close help, so user can choose what ever they want to the place they want in order they want to a place definited by the skinner.
4) replace the seperation bar on toolbar
5) be able to have a background for toolbar that will only stretch or tiled to next line not over that.
6) be able to have a grip that will use all the vertical space line to line.
7) replace the top and bottom line of the toolbar.
8) replace the left part of the window in windows XP
9) be able to use special background behind tabs buttons.
10) be able to use larger borders for tab
11) be able to use background in the tab
12) be able to change font and font color into list header buttons of XP
13) to have a background skinnable on combobox, not only borders.
14) to have transparency support for menu border.

The ability to automatically install fonts tops my list. I've recently almost threw newly downloaded skins away, because they looked like crap. Then I realized they had fonts in their folders, and the crappy looking skin all of a sudden looked great after installing their font. Makes me wonder how many good skins I've trashed in the past because of this.