Windows 7 Themes and Beyond with WindowBlinds

Monday, October 19, 2009 by Island Dog | Discussion: OS Customization

Windows 7 has greatly improved its own theme capabilities, which are far better than you found in Windows XP or Vista.  With Windows 7 you can now change the colors of theme, background, sounds, screensaver, etc. and even package those themes for sharing. 

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I have seen some nice combinations of themes, and it’s such a far departure from the Luna days most of us should remember.  Even though the integrated Personalization options have widely grown over time, there are still limitations to be had.  If you want to truly customize your desktop, third-party software is what you will need.

Being that the Windows 7 launch is in October, it’s also very close to the release of Object Desktop 2010, which includes huge updates like WindowBlinds 7.  If you want to extend your personalization and customization needs beyond what Windows offers, this is what you want. 

10-19-2009 4-33-01 PM

With WindowBlinds 7 you have many more options and features available for Windows 7.

Some of these include:

Take a look at my current Windows 7 desktop using a skin created by a community member of WinCustomize.com.

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Here is the same desktop with a texture applied to the skin.  The customization options are nearly endless!

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First Previous Page 1 of 2 Next Last
amitsaran
Reply #1 Monday, October 19, 2009 5:09 PM

Nice shots ID......some really good things coming up with Windows7 and WB 7

vStyler
Reply #2 Monday, October 19, 2009 5:29 PM

Hopefully there is no limitation on user imported texture sizes.. Ive seen quite a few screens now of new user textured themes and although I agree it is a nice option for the end user, the main thing that stands out to me is the obvious tiling of the textures.. it just doesnt look good to see the same texture patterns tiled accross a frame or start menu, frame... especially on a large monitor at something like 1920... the tiling would be really obvious.

I'm all for being able to texture as long as the texture size is not limited.

 

 

Neil Banfield
Reply #3 Monday, October 19, 2009 5:46 PM

The texture limit would be about 16000x16000 though that would be a bit large!

It is interesting to create textures from wallpapers using the create effect option.

vStyler
Reply #4 Monday, October 19, 2009 5:51 PM

Good to hear Neil.. well done old chap

Leo the Lion
Reply #5 Monday, October 19, 2009 10:39 PM

vStyler
Good to hear Neil.. well done old chap

John you're showing your 'Britishness'........Old Chap.........Good for you..........Tally Hoo! Bandits at four o'oclock and all that!!!! Hehehehehe

Nice article ID 

carlobee
Reply #6 Tuesday, October 20, 2009 12:15 AM

that looks awesome!

zakai1369
Reply #7 Tuesday, October 20, 2009 1:53 AM

It is interesting to create textures from wallpapers using the create effect option.

 

I tried this. I used a wallpaper to create a texture. If I go back to the create a texture section again the new .tga file shows up in the dropdown list but when I go back to the main interface it is not added to the pictured blocks of texture you see there.

Fuzzy Logic
Reply #8 Tuesday, October 20, 2009 3:18 AM

Tally Hoo

I think that should be 'Tally Ho!'

Neil Banfield
Reply #9 Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:59 AM

zakai1369

It is interesting to create textures from wallpapers using the create effect option.


 

I tried this. I used a wallpaper to create a texture. If I go back to the create a texture section again the new .tga file shows up in the dropdown list but when I go back to the main interface it is not added to the pictured blocks of texture you see there.

The blocks of texture will be based on the first texture in an effect, so if you have one texture on the frames and another on the taskbar, the mini preview will use the one for the frames.

Vampothika
Reply #10 Tuesday, October 20, 2009 7:19 AM

wow that texture idea is really cool! i love the concept!!

zakai1369
Reply #11 Tuesday, October 20, 2009 11:13 AM

The blocks of texture will be based on the first texture in an effect, so if you have one texture on the frames and another on the taskbar, the mini preview will use the one for the frames.

Ahh okay. It did have a blank one at the end that I couldn't see there until I clicked on it because I only set the texture for taskbar only and left the frames and start menu without one. I must have messed something up though because it seems it saved the texture as a blank image. I went through and did another one and it works fine. Thanks.

 

storm347
Reply #12 Tuesday, October 20, 2009 6:49 PM
nice ideas ID   
winstar4
Reply #13 Wednesday, October 21, 2009 12:48 AM
Thanks   
bk13GarbageMan
Reply #14 Wednesday, October 21, 2009 9:00 PM
Just wondering.......If someone wants to upload a texture, is there going to be a texture gallery on the new site, or are We going to have to put it into the graphics gallery????
holyfire1993
Reply #15 Sunday, October 25, 2009 8:01 AM
I tried to apply bootskin vista onto windows 7 operating system it gives me permanent damage to my com. pls remind me if there is a bootskin for windows 7...Ahhhh!
Neil Banfield
Reply #16 Sunday, October 25, 2009 8:07 AM

There is no Windows 7 version of BootSkin currently.

You should not use the Vista version on Windows 7.

Unkn0wn
Reply #17 Sunday, October 25, 2009 8:41 AM

Would be nice to have the option to remove the user pic in some themes.

2of3
Reply #18 Sunday, October 25, 2009 8:46 AM

Would be nice to have the option to remove the user pic in some themes.

it is possible but only if you have skin studio.

 

Open the skin in sks.

Edit Start Menu and Taskbar

Edit Start Menu

Top Part, extra tab

scroll down to Hide the user picture

check the Enabled box

apply

zakai1369
Reply #19 Sunday, October 25, 2009 12:51 PM

Or you can open it in SKS and go to the "How Do I?" section and choose it from the dropdown list and click enable.

Unkn0wn
Reply #20 Sunday, October 25, 2009 1:31 PM

Wonderful thanks, it would be nice if this was in Windowblinds 7 as an option.

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