Yesterday, we announced the availability of TweakVista Beta to Object Desktop subscribers, and at long last people outside of Stardock are taking this fantastic application for a spin.  Personally, this is one of my favorite applications that we've developed in the past few years, it's just that well-done and so insanely useful I wonder how I've managed to run Vista as long as I have without it.  If you're a power user and try to get every bit of juice out of your system, this is a must-have utility.  It's well-built, easy to use, and extremely powerful.  For me, this ranks up there with Multiplicity on the list of applications I can't live without.

Now there are all sorts of great features packed into this utility that let you really optimize the performance of your system, to get it running just the way you want it.  Several simple service profiles have been pre-built and provided that will immediately give you a performance boost, and the amount of information you're given regarding what's taking up resources on your system is great and I'm sure there will be articles and walkthroughs of those features, today I want to talk about my personal favorite: Process & Service Profiles.

It's one of those features that unless you know where to look for it, you very well might miss it.  Of course, before you go looking for it, I'm sure you'd like to know what the heck it does!  Have you ever taken a look at your process list and wondered what the heck srv32gremlin.exe is?  A search of Google will sometimes give you something useful, but more often than not it's all gibberish, or other people posting to forums and blogs asking what the heck the process is for.  What we've done in TweakVista is built a profile database that the application can directly access to check to see if any information exists for a given process or service.  If the entry exists, it returns the information, along with a link for you to add your own comments and input.  If no information exists, you can fill it out yourself and submit it for inclusion. 

The idea is that given time and enough users filling out information on what's running on their PCs, we'll be able to compile one of the most complete and detailed lists of processes and services on the 'net.  All neatly integrated into the application and available to anyone on the Internet the TweakVista Forums.

Now that you have some idea of what the feature is, lets get around to finding it and using it.

Open up TweakVista, and select "Resources" from the list of options on the left of the window.  Next, select the "Process List" tab in the right portion of the window.

 

This is a list of active processes much like you'd see in the normal Vista Task Manager, however we tweaked what you see a bit, making it more useful to power users, developers and anyone trying to figure out what's sucking down their resources.  On this list, merely select one of the running processes and at the bottom of the screen you'll see a little bit of information about it such as the application name and where it's installed.  And at the very bottom there is a link "Look up this process on TweakVista.net"  Clicking on that will bring up a profile on the selected item, if it exists.  The image to the left is the process profile for TweakVista.exe.  At the bottom, you have the option to contribute your own input.  That link will take you to a thread on the TweakVista forums where you can add your thoughts and comments on a particular process.

If you choose something that does not yet have an entry in our system, you will be asked if you would like to provide it yourself.  Clicking yes will bring up a window that asks you for some basic information on a process, and then any special instructions for uninstalling it.  Once you submit it, it is added to our processing queue for evaluation.  A moderator will look it over and add it to the site if it's deemed appropriate (i.e. people submitting a description saying nothing but "This sUx0rz m0nk3y buTt!" will not see their contributions added).

Since we just launched the beta and the website just went fully live yesterday, the list of processes with descriptions contributed is small.  We're hoping that by the time beta is over and TweakVista is released as a final product, that testers will have contributed a significant number of descriptions to our profile list.  Think about how much easier troubleshooting your relative's Vista-running PC will be if you can quickly discover if an application that's running in the background is some system-crippling spyware masquerading as something more innocent looking like winSpeedTrac.exe.

So give the feature a whirl, and let us know what you think!

Keyboard Launchpad 1.6 by Stardock was recently released, and this is another application that is very useful, but one I think some people aren't that aware of.  So let's take this opportunity to walk through KLP, and see some of it's features.  If you are not familiar with KLP (Keyboard Launchpad), it is an application that allows you to easily assign hot keys to launch programs, perform system commands, control application functions, and much more.

KLP is part of Object Desktop, or as a stand-alone product.  A limited shareware version is also available as a free download.  Keyboard Launchpad 1.6 adds categorization of hot keys, Windows Vista support, and the ability to assign hot keys to control iTunes(R) music player.

I have been watching the galleries over the past week, and I have been waiting for Friday to come because I saw so many skins that I wanted to feature.  It really gets tough some weeks because due to time and space constraints, it's hard for me to feature all the skins I would like, so having to narrow all of them down to 5 or 6 is difficult. 

It's always good to browse the galleries, and the personal sites of the artists here because many times there are works there that are not featured in the general gallery.

Now let's get to the picks!

Vista Water Bubbles Blue v2.0! for BootSkin
By unclerob

 

Blue water bubbles.  A huge step up from the default bootscreen, and unclerob has some other color variations as well.

 

 

 

 

 

The Cat 1024 for DesktopX Themes
By buzzh58

 

The colors and clean look of this DesktopX theme got my immediate attention.  It includes a custom wallpaper, start menu, and more.  Another resolution is also available.

 

 

 

 

Necromancy: Inferno in Dreams
By DuckStar

 

This is definitely one of the best "flame" dreams out there.  It's seamless and goes great with darker skins.

 

 

 

Slider for IconPackager
By Skinhit

 

 

It's been a few weeks since we have seen some new Icon Packs, and this addition is worth the wait.  Great job!

 

 

 

 

Vienna XP for WindowBlinds
By vStyler

 

 

This is an excellent WindowBlinds skin.  No need to go on about it, just download it and see for yourself.  There is also a matching cursor, weather widget, etc., so be sure to check the galleries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This has been an exceptional week, and make sure you check the galleries here on WinCustomize as there are some fantastic submissions.  See you next week!

I thought I would put this out for discussion. Much has been said regarding premium content especially since Master Skins were made available. The reasons cited were (as I recall) along the lines of 1) expanded availability of quality content 2) competition among skinners to produce very high quality content 3) more improvements in WinCustomize 4) more skinners and better retention of skinners. So, is this being attained?

I am definitely a self oriented person. I don't mind paying for some stuff, if I feel I need it or if I feel it's something I want. Along those lines then since skins are something I sometimes want, the purchase decision for me is, basically, am I getting enough for my money?

Based on my experiences so far I believe I am getting good value in my purchases. To that end, I've lately put together some screen shots showing how by mixing free and premium content, you can have excellent looking desktops for your own personal use as well as obtaining the satisfaction of doing some customizing of your own with Object Desktop.

The contrary points of view seem to be of the form first, they were always free before and second, the Master level skinners won't have any incentive to produce free content. It is my contention, since most people I know are also self oriented, the more successful premium content is the more the whole community and I will benefit.

How can this be? The answer is I have been getting higher quality content since skinners are now being compensated for their hard work, as they experience success at it, the more effort they will put into their work. I as a self oriented person benefit directly from this. In fact it is this very self oriented nature of the activity that ensures plenty of high quality content and a real possibility of continued improvements for the whole community. As far as I can see it, I can't find any genuine downside to premium content other than the grumbling that occasionally occurs because it's new.

Whether or not all of the above mentioned four points are being achieved I think it's still too early to know. I do know I like what I see so far. So, what's your experience been?

Many people have asked how to make .Dreams, so it's obviously time for a guided tour of DreamMaker.  Dreams are animated wallpapers that run on Windows Vista Ultimate using Stardock DeskScapes.  DeskScapes is an enhancement to Windows DreamScene that adds features such as dynamic dreams, triggered dreams based on conditions such as the time of day, and much more. 

To create and use your Dreams, you will need a few things.  First, you will need Windows Vista Ultimate, and DreamScene which is available through Windows Update.  Next, you will need to download Stardock DeskScapes and DreamMaker (both free) from Dream.WinCustomize.Com.

In this first tutorial we are going to create a simple looped video Dream using DreamMaker.  The next item you will need is content.  Alex Kipman from Microsoft posted a series of tips on how to create animated wallpapers.  I would suggest giving that a good read before you start making your content.  Now your content can come from a variety of sources.  Some people render animations using 3D programs such as 3DS Max and Maya, and some record video using HD cameras, and some use applications such as Adobe After Effects.  There are many ways to create content, and that will be your decision on how you pursue that.

For this tutorial we want either a .wmv or .mpg file.  Preferably a .mpg as .wmv files can be more CPU intensive. 

Once you have your video file, start DreamMaker.

 

I can't believe it's May already, only a couple weeks of school left for the kids, and summer begins.  In case you missed it, I posted this months edition of "This Month in Dreams" where I highlight Dreams (animated wallpapers) submitted to WinCustomize. 

Also, let me take this chance to remind you there is one month left in the ObjectDock contest, so be sure to get those docks done because I can't wait to see the final submissions.

Now for this weeks picks.

 

Green Light in CursorXP
By J. Aroche

 

 

J.Aroche always makes some fantastic cursors, and this one is no different. Be sure to check out the man others in his gallery.

 

 

 

 

Blue Horizon in Dreams
By chaorendabusi

 

This dream looks great with a darker WindowBlinds theme, and looks great on the desktop.  It's not too busy, but it definitely stands out.  Great job.

 

 

 

 

Aquarium Tabbed & Side Docks for ObjectDock
By WebGizmos

 

Webgizmos is making ObjectDock backgrounds for the premium suites, and one of them is a background for the Aquarium suite.  Check his gallery for many more ObjectDock backgrounds.

 

 

 

 

Captain America v1.0 in WindowBlinds
By unclerob

 

 

 

If you are a fan of the Captain America comic series then this WindowBlinds skin is perfect for you.  Even if you aren't familiar with it, this is still a great skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks again for another great week, and keep those suggestions coming.  See you next week!

 

Step-by-Step Tutorials	#9 - Wallpaper Changer
A series by RomanDA

Listing of other DX Tutorials: Click here
Today's Lesson: "Wallpaper Changer"

In this lesson we will walk thru a few built-in commands in DX that allow you to create a Wallpaper Changer.
We will start simple and add to the script.  It is amazing all the things that are built into DX.

We will use the file dialog box, the wallpaper changer, create a "right-click" menu and even a custom preference window.

For this and all the Step-By-Step DX Tutorials you will need to purchase DesktopX for $14.95 from Stardock.

Lets get started.

STEP 1 - Using the System.FileOpenDialog & System.SetWallpaper

---

Create a new object (look at the old tutorials for info on how to do this).

Once it is created (you can use any image you want, but for me I'm just going to use the standard round DX image.

Add the following script:

Vbscript  Code
	Function Object_OnLButtonUp(x, y, Dragged)   If Dragged = False Then     '--- Change the line below to pick the folder     '--- where you keep your wallpapers -----     FolderName = "C:\wallpapers"     wallpaper = System.FileOpenDialog("Select Wallpaper...", "", FolderName , "Wallpapers|*.jpg", 0)     System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, 3   End If End Function

Looking at the above script we have some new things in here.

Vbscript  Code
	System.FileOpenDialog("Select Wallpaper...", "", FolderName , "Wallpapers|*.jpg", 0)

The FileOpenDialog is a built-in DesktopX function.  It allows you to select a file from a standard windows looking open dialog box.
The format is very simple. 

• "Select Wallpaper..." - Title for the window
• "" - default file (say you want it to come up with a file selected, this would be that file name)
• FolderName - The default folder to open
• "Wallpapers |*.jpg" - this is the file Extension to use, in this case JPG
• 0 - flags (to learn more about all these flags look over: https://www.stardock.com/products/desktopx/documentation/scripting/system_namespace.html )

The way this works, is you click on the object, it pops open the FileOpenDialog , then you select your wallpaper this file name gets saved into the Wallpaper var.

Vbscript  Code
	System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, 3

This is another built-in DesktopX command.  It does exactly what it says "SetWallpaper".  It gets passed 2 items:

• wallpaper - the file we picked from above, has to have the entire path (IE: c:\wallpaper\mywallpaper.jpg )
• 3 - There are 3 options for this: (we will add a right-click menu later to select this)
  • 0 = use default wallpaper
  • 1 = Center wallpaper
  • 2 = Tile wallpaper
  • 3 = Stretch wallpaper

So with just the above script you have created a object/widget that allows you to click, pick a file, and have it set the wallpaper to that file.

This is good, but every time it loads it points to that same folder, what if you had multiple folders?  What if you want it to STORE what folder you picked the last time?

STEP 2 - Pulling the Folder name from the Open Window Dialog box

---

Lets add a few lines of code to our script.

Our entire script looks like this now:

Vbscript  Code

'Called when the script is executed Sub Object_OnScriptEnter End Sub 'Called when the script is terminated Sub Object_OnScriptExit End Sub Function Object_OnLButtonUp(x, y, Dragged)   If Dragged = False Then     FolderName = "C:\wallpaper\"     wallpaper = System.FileOpenDialog("Select Wallpaper...", "", FolderName , "Wallpapers|*.jpg", 0)     System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, 3   End If End Function

By Adding dim FolderName at the very top of the script it will make that variable Global, meaning it will be able to read/write to that var from any/all functions/subs.
If you don't add this it will not be able to pull the value of FolderName from the other functions.

Vbscript  Code
	Dim foldername 'Called when the script is executed Sub Object_OnScriptEnter End Sub 'Called when the script is terminated Sub Object_OnScriptExit End Sub

We are going to add a way to pull the Folder name from the one we selected in our Dialog box.
To do this we need to "pull" the file name, and then strip that out from the var.

We are going to assume that the user clicked on another drive/folder/filename from the open dialog.
Let's say I picked:  D:\My data\Wallpapers\ZubazisUgly.jpg

Breaking this apart:

• Set filesys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
  Sets the var FILESYS to a FileSystemObject
• f = filesys.GetBaseName(wallpaper)
Pulls the File name from the entire path
  In this case it pulls: ZubazisUgly.jpg
• t = instr(1,wallpaper,f)
This finds the position of the file name in the path, so that we can strip it out.
• FolderName = left(wallpaper,t-1)
  This pulls the LEFT T-1 characters from the string so we end up with just the path:
  D:\My data\Wallpapers\

Vbscript  Code

Function Object_OnLButtonUp(x, y, Dragged)   Dim filesys   If Dragged = False Then     FolderName = "C:\wallpaper\"     wallpaper = System.FileOpenDialog("Select Wallpaper...", "", FolderName , "Wallpapers|*.jpg", 0)     System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, 3     Set filesys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")     f = filesys.GetBaseName(wallpaper)     t = instr(1,wallpaper,f)     FolderName = left(wallpaper,t-1)   End If End Function

This is all well and good, but the next time we click the button it will still use the C:\wallpaper folder, so we want to add a little more code to save and restore this var.

STEP 3 - Adding the Save / Load registry functions

---

We are going to add (2) new functions to the script:

• The SaveSettings and LoadSettings are functions we talked about in Tutorial #6.
• We are storing the FolderName into the reg key "HKCU\SOFTWARE\desktopx\wallpaperpicker\folder"
• We use a DEFAULT of the Current DesktopX Executable Directory so that it loads up using the folder the EXE was run from.
  You don't want to hard-code a folder here because not everyone's pc will have that folder location.

Vbscript  Code

Function SaveSettings()   Set Sh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")   Sh.RegWrite "HKCU\SOFTWARE\desktopx\wallpaperpicker\folder", foldername   Set Sh = Nothing End Function Function LoadSettings()   foldername = Desktopx.ExecutableDirectory   On Error Resume Next   Set Sh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")   FolderName = Sh.RegRead("HKCU\SOFTWARE\desktopx\wallpaperpicker\folder")   Set Sh = Nothing   Err.Clear End Function

STEP 4 - Putting it all together

---

Lets see what the entire script looks like now, with all the above included.

Vbscript  Code

Dim foldername 'Called when the script is executed Sub Object_OnScriptEnter End Sub 'Called when the script is terminated Sub Object_OnScriptExit End Sub Function Object_OnLButtonUp(x, y, Dragged)   Dim filesys   If Dragged = False Then     Call LoadSettings()     wallpaper = System.FileOpenDialog("Select Wallpaper...", "", FolderName , "Wallpapers|*.jpg", 0)     System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, 3     Set filesys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")     f = filesys.GetBaseName(wallpaper)     t = instr(1,wallpaper,f)     foldername = left(wallpaper,t-1)     Call SaveSettings()   End If End Function Function SaveSettings()   Set Sh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")   Sh.RegWrite "HKCU\SOFTWARE\desktopx\wallpaperpicker\folder", foldername   Set Sh = Nothing End Function Function LoadSettings()   foldername = Desktopx.ExecutableDirectory   On Error Resume Next   Set Sh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")   FolderName = Sh.RegRead("HKCU\SOFTWARE\desktopx\wallpaperpicker\folder")   Set Sh = Nothing   Err.Clear End Function

This should allow you to click and open a dialog box, allowing you to pick a folder/file to set the wallpaper, then it sets the wallpaper, and stores the selected folder.

STEP 5 - Adding a Right-Click menu for options.

---

The next step is to add a menu so we can pick from default/centered/tiled/stretched for the wallpaper.
I made a tutorial a while back on how to add a Right-click menu - CLICK HERE to view that, I'm not going to go thru this step by step, I'm just going to give you the working code.  If you want a break down of how the menu works, please use the above link to the other Tutorial.

The code below will popup a menu when you right-click.  It gives you 4 options, from changing to the default wallpaper, to making it tiled/stretched.
It will do this immediately so you can see what it does, it also stores the info in a Var (WPFormat) so that the next time you pick a wallpaper it will use this same setting.  With 1 exception the 0.  This is designed to set the wallpaper to the default, so we don't want to STORE that, we will default it back to 3 (stretched). 

Vbscript  Code

Function Object_OnRButtonUpEx(obj,x,y,dragged)   If Not dragged Then     Object_OnRButtonUpEx = True     Set mainmenu = nothing     Set mainmenu = DesktopX.CreatePopupMenu     mainmenu.AppendMenu 0, 0, "Default Wallpaper"     mainmenu.AppendMenu 0, 1, "Center Wallpaper"     mainmenu.AppendMenu 0, 2, "Tile Wallpaper"     mainmenu.AppendMenu 0, 3, "Stretch Wallpaper"     result = mainmenu.TrackPopupMenu(0, System.CursorX, System.CursorY)     Select Case result       Case 0         WPFormat = 3         System.SetWallpaper "", 0       Case 1         WPFormat = 1         System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, WPFormat       Case 2         WPFormat = 2         System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, WPFormat       Case 3         WPFormat = 3         System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, WPFormat     End Select     Set mainmenu = nothing   End If End Function

STEP 6 - Putting it all together

---

We are going to add a few more DIMs at the top:

• Dim Wallpaper - stores the selected Wallpaper name
• Dim WPFormat - Stores the Current Wallpaper "format" - stretched/centered/etc.

Here is the FULL script, if you just want to copy/paste this into your object, its your call.

Vbscript  Code

Dim foldername Dim Wallpaper Dim WPFormat 'Called when the script is executed Sub Object_OnScriptEnter   Call LoadSettings() End Sub 'Called when the script is terminated Sub Object_OnScriptExit   Call SaveSettings() End Sub Function Object_OnLButtonUp(x, y, Dragged)   Dim filesys   If Dragged = False Then     Call LoadSettings()     wallpaper = System.FileOpenDialog("Select Wallpaper...", "", FolderName , "Wallpapers|*.jpg", 0)     If len(wallpaper) > 2 Then       System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, WPFormat       Set filesys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")       f = filesys.GetBaseName(wallpaper)       t = instr(1,wallpaper,f)       foldername = left(wallpaper,t-1)       Call SaveSettings()     End If   End If End Function Function SaveSettings()   Set Sh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")   Sh.RegWrite "HKCU\SOFTWARE\desktopx\wallpaperpicker\folder", foldername   Sh.RegWrite "HKCU\SOFTWARE\desktopx\wallpaperpicker\WPFormat", WPFormat   Set Sh = Nothing End Function Function LoadSettings()   foldername = Desktopx.ExecutableDirectory   WPFormat= 3 'use stretch for default (change to whatever you want)   On Error Resume Next   Set Sh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")   FolderName = Sh.RegRead("HKCU\SOFTWARE\desktopx\wallpaperpicker\folder")   WPFormat = Sh.RegRead("HKCU\SOFTWARE\desktopx\wallpaperpicker\WPFormat")   Wallpaper = Sh.RegRead("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Wallpaper")   Set Sh = Nothing   Err.Clear End Function Function Object_OnRButtonUpEx(obj,x,y,dragged)   If Not dragged Then     Object_OnRButtonUpEx = True     Set mainmenu = nothing     Set mainmenu = DesktopX.CreatePopupMenu     mainmenu.AppendMenu 0, 0, "Default Wallpaper"     mainmenu.AppendMenu 0, 1, "Center Wallpaper"     mainmenu.AppendMenu 0, 2, "Tile Wallpaper"     mainmenu.AppendMenu 0, 3, "Stretch Wallpaper"     result = mainmenu.TrackPopupMenu(0, System.CursorX, System.CursorY)     Select Case result     Case 0       WPFormat = 0       System.SetWallpaper "", WPFormat     Case 1       WPFormat = 1       System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, WPFormat        Case 2       WPFormat = 2       System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, WPFormat        Case 3       WPFormat = 3       System.SetWallpaper wallpaper, WPFormat        End Select     Set mainmenu = nothing   End If End Function

CONCLUSION

---

I hope you took the time to enter the code (not just copy/pasted the entire thing) so you could work thru the tutorial step-by-step and see how things work.  You will notice I added a small IF under the Open Dialog box so that it only does anything if you select a file, it will crash out without that code if you don't select a file.

I hope you have enjoyed this step into DX, and look forward to the next installment..

Enjoy, RomanDA AKA: David A. Roman http://romanda.wincustomize.com

This is a follow-up tutorial from my Creating 'Shell Animations' for SkinStudio Part 1 tutorial. In Part 1 I showed how to create a simple animation in Flash using motion tween effect. If you have missed out the Part 1 then I suggest you to read it first WWW Link before proceeding with Part 2.

At the end of Part 1 we ended up with an animation that looked like this:


In Part 2 we will continue from where we finished in Part 1. So if you don’t have the source file from Part 1 you can get it WWW Link here. Now we are ready to start. Flash offers some additional effects from just motion tween that we used in Part 1. You can animate brightness, tint, alpha and transform.

--------------------------------------

TRANSFORM
First we will go through the transform animation. Remember the ‘Free Transform Tool’ that we used in Part 1. The same tool will be used for animating. Let’s say that we would like the ‘AB’ object to become bigger in the middle of the animation, rotate a bit and transform. In order to apply an effect in a place that you want you will need to create a keyframe.

So first click on the frame 17 in layer ‘animation’ and press ‘F6’ key to insert a keyframe (1) and then select the ‘Free Transform Tool’. Now you can rotate, resize and transform the object.

If you position the mouse cursor on the any of the small squares (2) the cursor will change to two-way arrow and that means you can resize the object by left-clicking and dragging.

When you position it over the edges (3) it will change into two opposing arrows and that means it will skew the object.

Finally if you position it a bit outside of the corners (4) it will turn into a round arrow and in this case you can rotate the object.



Try them all out a bit until you get the desired transformation. Once finished press CTRL+Enter to see the result.



Free transform tool is a quick way to transform your objects. But if you need to precise when transforming your objects you can use the ‘Transform Window’. If it’s not open you can bring it up by pressing the CTR+T and enter the modifications you want to make.



--------------------------------------

BRIGHTNESS, TINT, ALPHA
Now that we have transformed the object we can also apply some animation to its color and transparency. Click on the keyframe that you created earlier (1) in this tutorial in ‘animation’ layer and then with the ‘Selection Tool’ that we used in Part 1 as well click on the object (2) that you transformed and in ‘Properties’ window (3) some options will appear.





In this tutorial we will focus on options in ‘Color’ section. When you click on the drop-down menu you should get the following options. None, Brightness, Tint, Alpha and Advanced. They are pretty self-explanatory.

To change the brightness choose (1) Brightness and set the percentage you wish to use.

In Tint (2) you set both colour and the percentage you wish to apply.

In Alpha (3) again only the percentage of the transparency you wish to achieve.

Finally the advanced option click on the ‘Settings’ (4) button that appears and you will get a new Advanced Effect window (5) where you can set combinations of all Tint and Alpha effects.



Press CTRL+ENTER to preview the animation and if happy with it export it to AVI as described in Part 1. WWW Link



This covers the basics of animating in Flash. You can get the final Flash source file WWW Link here.

Note that you can apply the effects that we used in this tutorial on any keyframe that you create. So for example you could make the object in the first keyframe red in middle green and transformed in the final keyframe transparent to 0% so that it will gradually disappear imitating the delete action.

There is one more part Timeline effects like explode and blur which I will cover in Part 3 of my tutorial.

WinCustomize 2007 was mostly about building a more robust and stable foundation to handle our ever-increasing traffic and site complexity, with that accomplished we're setting our sights on 2008.  The WinCustomize 2008 project is heavily focused on improving the user experience of submitting, browsing and downloading skins.  We have spent the past several weeks internally picking over what we do and don't like about how the site works, and what we'd like to see improved.  As we work on finalizing features, page layouts and other design elements, I will be making posts like this one seeking community feedback and suggestions.

One area we've decided is in need of some tender, loving care... and a rather serious overhaul... is the upload system.

Our upload page has been largely unchanged for quite a while now.  And while it serves its purpose, it's neither as friendly, nor as robust as many what other sites on the net user to allow users to upload content.  The time has come to spend some time and energy to bring the upload system up to speed with the rest of the site, and with the rest of the web.  We've spent time going over sites like DeviantArt, Customize.org, Flickr, MySpace, Photobucket etc to see how they do things, and what we might like to use over on WinCustomize.  But, at the end of the day we're not the ones who will really "live" with whatever is finally implemented. 

So, before we start the deep dive into designing and developing a new upload process, we want your views and opinions on what you would like to see included in a new upload system.  It can be additional options, it can be technical features on the page such as batch-uploading etc.  We want to know what the artists and regular contributors most want to see in the submission system.