IconPackager is a program that allows users to change all (or nearly all) the icons in Windows by applying "packages" of icons.  Way back long ago, it was the very first program designed to do this on Windows. 

Over the years, the demands of icon artists have grown.  When IconPackager was first released in early 1999, icons came in two basic sizes -- 32x32 with 16 colors and 16x16 with 16 colors.  With the release of Windows Vista, icons support 256x256 true color, alpha blended icons down to 16x16 and everything in between.  Consider how large 256x256 is -- that's about the resolution of a DOS game 10 years ago.

IconPackager has continued to evolve.  The IconPackager format remains the defacto standard for distributing sets of icons to be used to change all the icons at once on a Windows system.  With IconPackager 3.2, Windows Vista's new icon features gain explicit support.

Giving Windows Vista a new iconic look

Windows Vista has lots of icons. And many of those icons are quickly seen by users.  For instance, the User Folder is a new folder in Windows Vista that users are likely to see.

User Folder in Windows Vista

In Windows XP, users noticed desktop icons and the Start menu icons.  In Windows Vista, the Start menu has fewer icons but there are a lot more icons elsewhere such as the new user folder.

The Challenges of Windows Vista

Of all the OSes IconPackager has supported, Windows Vista has proven the hardest to tame so far.  That's because Microsoft seemingly went out of their way to make Vista less friendly to icon changing.  Besides there being more icons to change, Windows Vista actually only uses 4 sizes of icons -- 256x256 (which is a new size), 48x48, 32x32, and 16x16.  When sizing icons, if a 256x256 icon isn't  available, it will use the 48x48 icon -- even if a 128x128 icon is available.

Moreover, Windows Vista will not scale up icons. It only scales down.  That means that if a 256x256 icon isn't available and you want to have your icons be say 128x128 in size, too bad, it'll just use the 48x48 and keep it in a tile:

Classic icon packages like Copperdeck won't size above 48x48 even though larger sized icons exist within the icon resource

For IconPackager 3.2, Stardock went ahead and refreshed the new included icon packages to support 256x256 (and unfortunately, Stardock IconDeveloper doesn't yet support Vista 256x256 icons).  But we are hoping to add support to on-the fly up-conversion so that icons which have at least 128x128 icons in them will be scaled to 256x256. A 2 to 1 ratio results in almost no difference in quality and would allow most of the popular icon packages to be used on Windows Vista without needing to be updated.

Folders on Windows Vista

The other challenge on Windows Vista are folder icons.  Historically, icon artists would simply create a generic folder and IconPackager would then replace the Windows default folder icon with the one created by the icon artist.

But on Windows Vista, it's a whole new world. Windows Vista has "live" folder icons. The folders on Vista show little thumbnails of what's inside. Cool eh?

Oh isn't that cool? The folder opens up and shows what's inside! Great right? Right???

 

But how do you change that? Well, it turns out you can if you look at that folder icon as two icons -- the foreground and the background. Of course, under the covers, it's a lot more complicated than that of course but to make folder icon changing accessible to icon authors, we were able to break it down into two images for the folder that the icon artist would have to make.

Changing the folder icons on Windows Vista involves a little more work -- the default folder icon is broken into two images.

 

An updated look

Since Windows Vista looks prettier, we figured it was time to update the look of IconPackager.  As much as we know people enjoyed the Windows NT 4.0 look and feel of IconPackager, we decided to update it with a new look.

Not just good for Windows Vista users

Windows XP users gain from the various tweaks we've made. They're relatively minor (at this stage, we have changing icons on Windows XP pretty nailed down).  But still, any change at this stage on XP is still good.

And for Windows Vista users, as good as the Windows Vista icons look, now you can personalize them to your own preference.

There are thousands of icon packages available and now Windows Vista users have options

Vitals

IconPackager is a free download from Stardock.  You can purchase it on its own or purchase it as part of Object Desktop which includes not just IconPackager but WindowBlinds, DesktopX, RightClick, Theme Manager, etc.

Visit: IconPackager home page

ObjectDock is the world's most popular dock program for Microsoft Windows.  The freeware program allows users to place a dock on any edge of the Windows screen and react to mouse events. Users can choose to display running tasks as well as program short-cuts.  A "plus" version adds multiple docks, tabbed docks, system tray support and more.

Right behind WindowBlinds, it is one of the most popular desktop enhancement programs available on Windows.  It has almost 3.5 million downloads just on CNET.com.

In the 4 years since it's been released, Stardock has been continually updating and enhancing it.  Now, version 1.6 is about to be released and it has some pretty significant improvements for users.  So what's new?

What's new in ObjectDock 1.6?

ObjectDock 1.6 has a lot of new features which we'll go into briefly here.

New Weather Docklet & a Glimpse at the future...

A brand-new weather docklet is included:

New feature: A better weather Docklet

Stardock is looking at Docklets as a major avenue for future enhancement.  In an age where people are throwing widgets and gadgets onto gigantic side bars and docks -- ones that are of static size at that -- docklets to us make a lot more sense. They can use a lot less space and display more information.

Updated Graphics Engine

Much of the work on ObjectDock 1.6 was to enhance Windows Vista support. But in the course of doing so, many new techniques and tweaks were made that, as a result, ObjectDock 1.6 should be the fastest dock ever -- on any platform.  Users have very precise control over the various kinds of animations supported:

ObjectDock 1.6 sports a much faster, smoother graphics engine

ObjectDock also supports up to 256x256 icons (the Windows Vista native icon size incidentally) so you can have incredibly beautiful looking images.

ObjectDock Plus supports a wide range of additional effects besides just zooming.

New Start Menu Support

ObjectDock 1.6 will include a new Start Menu docklet that will make it easier than ever for users who want to just replace the Start bar with ObjectDock.  ObjectDock is designed to work with the Start bar or to replace it entirely. But the key thing is, if users choose to replace the Start bar with ObjectDock, the Start menu needs to be the real Start menu from a compatibility and usability perspective.

Live Thumbnail support

When a program is minimized, ObjectDock will show the window with an icon in front of it. On Windows Vista, that thumbnail can update itself in real-time without slowing down the computer.

Live thumbnails on Vista and improved minimized thumbnails on XP

Windows Vista Enhancements

For Windows Vista users, new minimize and restore effects have been created. When a user minimizes a window to the dock, a very smooth but quick effect is made to indicate where the window has gone. When it is restored, the same thing occurs -- without any flicker or stuttering.  A lot of effort has been made to make sure this effect scales with the speed of the computer to ensure maximum smoothness on any system.

The Betas

ObjectDock 1.6 is currently in beta for users who have purchased ObjectDock Plus.  ObjectDock 1.6 freeware is expected out in the next couple of weeks.  We will give more details and information on new features as we add them in.  Other improvements include a new set of icons, further performance and memory use improvements, and much more.

Users can get the currently released version of ObjectDock at www.objectdock.com.

Every week on WinCustomize I write a feature called "This Week in Skinning" in which I feature some skins that caught my eye throughout the week.  The response has been great so I wanted to start another feature I am considering doing on a regular basis as well.

Animated wallpaper, or Dreams as we call them, have become extremely popular in recent months.  The Dream site on WinCustomize is the official site to get them and the dreams that have been submitted have been fantastic to say the least. I wanted to showcase some of the top Dreams for the month, so with that I introduce....This Month in Dreams.

Video: Animated Wallpaper: This Month in Dream (March '07)

• Stellar Dream
• Blue Ocean
• Bay Bridge
• Electric Colors
• Fire Scape
• Leuchturm
• Tulips
• Under-Water
• Desktop Earth
  

Dream.WinCustomize.Com

Note: Please be aware that some of the dreams appear "choppy" in the video.  This is due to the video recording software and should be improved over time.  The animated wallpapers shown all have very smooth animations.

Well March is coming to an end and I think this week will be just as tough as last week.  March was a great month for submissions is most categories.  We saw some really great cursors for CursorXP, and some really cool widgets for DesktopX. 

WindowBlinds and Wallpaper submissions were also fantastic this month as well.  Hopefully, the momentum will roll right into April, and from the looks of the "what are you working on" thread I think that's a possibility.

Now for the picks!

TEKO for DesktopX
by Murex

With the usual Vista inspired themes coming through it's always nice to see something different.  This theme includes everything from system meters to a mail checker and much more. 

Download

 

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MiniWallchanger (for RC or OB) in DesktopX
by Quentin94

This is a mini version of Quentin94's wallchange made so it will fit better with DesktopX and RightClick.  Great work.

Download

 

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Sea View in Dreams
by inspiredORANGE

Another great dream of the ocean over some swaying grass.  Looks great on the desktop and very relaxing.

Download

 

 

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Roadways in IconPackager
by Asect

I always look forward to icons by Asect, and he hasn't let me down with this icon package.  No need to to describe it, just download it and check it out for yourself.

Download

 

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California Coastlines in Wallpapers
by Bebi Bulma

Some beautiful pictures of the California coast.  Be sure to check them out.

Download

 

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Sui Generis in WindowBlinds
by Ingui

This is a very well designed skin that is very usable and clean.  Fantastic job on this.

Download

 

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Great submissions everyone, and keep up the great work.  As always check the artists personal sites on WinCustomize to see more of their works.  See you next week!

 

 

In the past few months I have written a series of articles on how to customize your desktop, and with the series wrapping up I wanted to put them into one source for easy reference. 

While these articles were based on skinning Windows XP, several of the applications can apply to Vista as well.  As more and more applications are made Vista compatible I will dedicate another series strictly for Windows Vista.

Ready to Change Your Desktop Theme?

Part 1 - WindowBlinds, Wallpapers, and IconPackager

• This article covers how to change the visual style of Windows using WindowBlinds.  It also cover how to change your wallpaper and icons.

Part 2 - ObjectDock, CursorXP

• This article shows you how to add a dock to your desktop and how to change your default Windows cursors.

Part 3 - DesktopX Widgets

• This article describes how to add cool and functional widgets to your desktop using DesktopX.  

Part 4 - LogonStudio, ObjectBar

• This articles shows how you can easily change your Windows XP logon screen, and use ObjectBar to create and use alternate interfaces for Windows.
  

Over the past few weeks I have found myself on the Vista desktop more and more despite the problems I have written about before.  So spending this much "extra" time with Vista means I can't get stuck with the basic Aero theme.

I have spent a lot of time just trying out different skins and themes on Windows Vista.  WindowBlinds has done an incredible job of making XP skins works pretty flawlessly on Vista, and it has been nice to boot Vista and see some of my favorite themes on there.

I have been reading forum posts lately and realized people don't know that ObjectDock 1.5 is Vista compatible.  Just as on XP, ObjectDock is almost a necessity for me and having it on Vista has made the "switch" that much easier.

There really isn't any difference running and using ObjectDock on Windows Vista.  You can still use the same backgrounds, tabbed docks (plus version), and icons just as you did on Windows XP.  There are many backgrounds available and for me it's almost mandatory to have a matching ObjectDock theme to go with the rest of my desktop.

One of my top favorites on XP was Acrylic by danilloOc, and has been the one I have used the most on Vista.

Next up on my rotation is Dreamland by JJ Ying. Dreamland takes advantage of transparency and has been a skin that I use when I want a real minimal desktop, and it looks great on Vista.

The last skin that I have been using on a regular basis here recently is 5imple, another skin by danilloOc. 

These are some of the themes I have been using on Windows Vista with WindowBlinds, and I recommend each of them if you haven't used them already.  So for the people who have Vista, what are some of the skins and themes you have been using with it?

Alex Kipman from Microsoft has posted a series of tips on WindowsUltimate.com on how to make a good animated wallpaper. The highlights include:

From a content perspective:

• Keep the camera angle static, so no zooming, panning etc or people will either puke or turn you off after a few seconds
• Try to bring interest in the top quarter and bottom quarter of the video so that you can get motion coming through the glass surfaces in Vista
• Keep the loop to about ~30 seconds in length
• Make sure the content is visually appealing, and the composition of the frame is appealing
• Beware of the areas of motion.  Make sure that where there is motion, that the motion is not distracting.  Make sure the type of motion doesn't make folks dizzy or lean to one side etc
• Make sure there is enough motion to warrant the DreamScene content
• Take a look at how the content looks as a still (paused).  Make sure it looks as good as a static background would look in terms of quality and appeal
• Make sure the DreamScene content looks great under the glass surface.  Some of the best content I've seen is content that only comes alive when you have about 80% of your real estate taken up by other apps and windows, and all you can see is the DreamScene content sipping through the 10% or less of the glass areas
• Make sure it is something you can easily loop
• Consider how the content looks in both 16:9 as well as 4:3.  You don't control the positioning style and your content should behave nicely in either scenario.  In our case we optimize for 16:9 but also test the content on 4:3 to ensure the areas of interest aren't cropped straight out of the video

From a rendering perspective:

• Render the content natively at 720p
• Have the content natively rendered at 16:9, but make sure it crops nicely at 4:3
• Cap the rendering at 30 fps. Bonus points if you can make something interesting at 15 fps. 
• Make sure the first frame and the last frame of the video go together so you get a sense it keeps going forever. 
• Output the final results as raw and uncompressed AVI (or other uncompressed and raw format)

From an encoding perspective:

• Pre-process everything to progressive (don't let the encoder do the de-interlacing)
• If you need to scale to 1280x720, do so with XScaler
• At the end of the day the biggest variable will be the bitrate.  I suggest you start with encodes at 1.5, 3 & 5 MBps and then check.  At the end of the day you are looking to find a happy medium between CPU utilization, files size (i.e., download time) and video quality.  This is primarily determined by the bitrate you choose. 
• I have mixed feelings on what the ideal key frame distance should be.  It is supposed to just repeat the current frame in the buffer but we don't want to wait too long for the next key frame.  Therefore, we go with something between 3-5 seconds. 
• Lastly you need to decide if you are going to be encoding an MPG or a WMV. 
• If you choose the WMV route I suggest:
  • 5 Mbps WMV
  • Select video stream WM video Stream 1
  • Width: 1280
  • Height: 720
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9, Pixel [1:1]
  • Encoder: Windows Media Video 9
  • Framerate: 29.97
  • Bitrate: 4991
  • Bitrate type: CBR
  • Number of passes: 1
  • Seconds / Keyframe: 1
  • Image quality: 97
  • Interlacing: Non-Interlaced
  • Buffer: 5000
  • Video Codec: Complex Auto
  • No Audio
• If you choose the MPG route I suggest:
  • 15 & 8 Mbps MPEG2
  • Stream Format: Generic ISO MPEG Stream
  • Stream Type: MPEG-2 Elementary Stream
  • Width: 1280
  • Height: 720
  • Frame rate: 29.976
  • Interlacing: Non-Interlaced
  • Aspect Ratio Code: 16:9
  • Quality/Speed: Mastering Quality
  • Bitrate type: CBR
  • Video Bitrate: 15000 (8000)
  • Profile/Level: HP@HL
  • VBV Buffer Size: 1492
  • Max GOP Size: 15
  • Closed GOP: yes
  • Chroma Format: 4:2:0
  • Intra DC Precision: 9
  • Strict GOP bitrate: No
  • No audio used
  • Insert one sequence header before each GOP

You can read the whole thing below.

 

Latest update of this great office suite.

"OpenOffice.org is the open source project through which Sun Microsystems is releasing the technology for the popular StarOffice productivity suite. It is an international office suite that will run on all major platforms and provide access to all functionality and data through open-component based APIs and an XML-based file format. It establishes the necessary facilities to make this open source technology available to the developer community."

 

Adobe has finally unveiled Creative Suite 3, which includes tools for print designers, multimedia editors and web designers.  I was disappointed to read earlier that Adobe will not support CS2 on Windows Vista.  Although Adobe claims there are only minor "issues" with CS2 on Vista, I have read many reports of people just not being able to productively use some of their CS2 applications on Vista. 

I have Photoshop CS2 and really did not want to upgrade because CS2 has everything I need, and spending $200 for an upgrade was not something I planned to do just to run Photoshop on Vista.

The estimated price for Creative Suite 3 Design Standard is $1,199 and for the Design Premium version, $1,799. The Web-oriented editions cost $999 for Web Standard and $1,599 for Web Premium.

The CS3 Production Premium is $1,699. And the Master Collection, the most comprehensive package, is $2,499."

As Photoshop is used by a lot of skinners here, do you plan to upgrade to CS3?

WindowBlinds 5.5 was recently released, and I made a video guide to show you how WindowBlinds works on Vista, and to show off some of it's features such as coloring of skins.  Another advantage is you can use SkinStudio to convert existing XP .msstyles for use on Windows Vista with WindowBlinds. 

• WindowBlinds

 

Video: WindowBlinds 5.5 Guided Tour



Higher Resolution Version