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Learning DX Step-By-Step - #6

User Input / Save / Retrieve

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 by RomanDA | Discussion: DesktopX Tutorials

Step-by-Step Tutorial

#6 - User Input / Save / Retrieve

A series by RomanDA

Listing of other DX Tutorials: Click here
Today's Lesson: "User Input / Save / Retrieve"

In this lesson we will cover how to gather information from a user via a popup dialog box, and to how to store and retrieve this data from the registry.

As in the previous tutorial, the goal here is for you to learn how to create an object, add code to it, and be able to edit that code to make changes to the way the object/widget behaves. The code is provided for you to copy/paste, but it would work best if you type in the code, to see how DX "Auto-fills" the info as you type. Its really the best way to see how DX works.

In order to use these Tutorials you will need to purchase DesktopX for $14.95 from Stardock.

Lets get started.
STEP 1 - What are we doing here?
Why do we want to get input from a user?
Well that's all depends on the gadget/widget you are creating. For a Weather widget you need to get the City code or Zip code to use. If you have a "to-do list" widget, you would want to get the item they want to add into the list. There are a lot of reasons you need to gather input from the user.

Why store the data in the Registry?
I have picked using the Registry over using the built in functions because I have had issues with them not working 100% and they only work when you run it as a widget/gadget not in "builder" mode, and we want to see how this works. A lot of people do not like to send things to the Registry but I have not had any problems with this, some people have told me they needed to "allow" the program to write to the Reg, but after that it worked fine.

Alternatives:
You can store data in a TEXT file, an INI file, or even an XML file. Just about any place you want to store things. The problem with this is that you need to know the location of this file on the user's computer. This can cause problems, but there are a lot of widgets that use this method. I have used it as well, there are ways to cope with trying to locate the file. Not something I'm going to get into on this tutorial.
STEP 2 - Lets Get Started- Make a TEXT object.
As in the previous tutorials, I think you should know enough by now so that i can move past the every-single-step process.

Create a TEXT object.
Add the text "Click to Add Text"
Then pick the font/color/size that works best for you.
Once that is all done lets add a VERY simple script to allow you to ask for some input, and quickly show that info.

ADD the following at the bottom of the existing script items (Object_OnScriptEnter/Object_OnScriptExit)

Function Object_OnLButtonUp(x,y,dragged)
If dragged = False Then
x = InputBox("Please Enter A Piece of Text To Add to " & vbNewLine & object.text , "Add Some Text")
If x <> "" Then object.text = object.text & vbnewline & x
End If
End Function

Lets break the above apart.

Function Object_OnLButtonUp(x,y,dragged) This line creates a FUNCTION that is called when you RELEASE the "Left" Mouse Button, IE: when you click your mouse.
The X/Y/dragged are used to determine if you DRAGGED the mouse when you went to click the mouse.
If dragged = False Then we use this so that it wont activate the function every time you MOVE/DRAG the item around the screen.
Meaning, if the object is not dragged then run the function.
x = InputBox("Please Enter A Piece of Text To Add to " & vbNewLine & object.text , "Add Some Text") X is the variable we want to store the data into.
The INPUTBOX is used to prompt the user for "input".
the format is inputbox(message,title)

We are putting in a message:
"Please Enter A Piece of Text To Add to "
(existing text here)
Then we have a TITLE called "Add Some Text"
If x <> "" Then object.text = object.text & vbnewline & x If X <> "", which means if there is SOMETHING in the variable X then take the object.text and add the existing object.text and X to make a new piece of text.
the vbnewline puts a NEW LINE or linefeed after the existing text.
This will basically add the text the user inputs to the next line under the Existing Text.
End If
End Function		 End the IF DRAGGED...
And end the Function.

The way this will work is very simple.
The original Text object shows:
 Click to Add Text

When you click on the object you will see a dialog box like below:


Then you put in your text that you want to add "2nd Line of Text"

The next Object will now look like:

Click to Add Text
2nd Line of Text

You can keep adding more and more lines to the object.

This was simply to show you how to get "input" from the user.
The next step will be to take this data and store it somewhere.
STEP 3 - STORING User Entered Data
Using the same style entry box above we want to store a single piece of data into the registry.
To add this to the registry, we need to create a link into the Registry by using the WScript.Shell, we open a link.
Then we use the .REGWRITE command to send info to a particular part of the registry.

In this case we are going to use the "KEY" you see listed below. You could use just about anything.

The HKCU = HKEY_Current_User - you could use HKLM - for Local Machine. I prefer to use the Current User because this way each person could have their own settings on the machine.

As for the rest of the key, that is open to your desire, for now we want to use \Stardock\DesktopX\Widget\Tutorial6\SavedInfo

This can be done right in the previous code like this:


If x <> "" Then 
  object.text = object.text & vbnewline & x
  Set Sh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
  Sh.RegWrite "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Stardock\DesktopX\Widget\Tutorial6\SavedInfo", X
  Set Sh = Nothing
End If

This Just adds the value of X into the KEY "Saved Info".
Of course every time you run this it overwrites the info with the next piece of text you put into the INPUTBOX.

It would not look like what our text.object looks like now. So if you want it to match the widget's info with what you are storing in the registry just change the RegWrite line and replace the X with object.text

If we click on the widget, and add the "2nd Line of Text" to it, then we look in the registry we see the following in the KEY:



You can see the KEY at the bottom of the REG Editor, and see the value stored in "SavedInfo".

If you continue to add things, you will see this change, over and over.
STEP 4 - Retrieving the Data From the Registry
So, we stored the data into the Registry, and into the actual object (kind of dumb to do it in both, but it helps us see what's being stored).

Now we want to pull that data into another object. So lets make a new TEXT object, put in the text "Click to Restore" (you can save a LOT of time by "right-clicking" on the existing object and hitting "CLONE". This makes a duplicate object with all the same code already in place!)

We want to add a very simple script to this object.

Function Object_OnLButtonUp(x,y,dragged)
  If dragged = False Then
   Set Sh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
   On Error Resume Next
   X = Sh.RegRead("HKCU\SOFTWARE\Stardock\DesktopX\Widget\Tutorial6\SavedInfo")
   Set Sh = Nothing
   If X <> "" Then object.text = x
  End If
End Function

You will notice about 80% of this is the same. What is different is:

 On Error Resume Next
 --- This is used to keep the program working if the registry entry doesnt exist.
 X = Sh.RegRead("HKCU\SOFTWARE\Stardock\DesktopX\Widget\Tutorial6\SavedInfo")
 --- Pull the data from the KEY and store it in the variable X
 If X <> "" Then object.text = x
 --- In this case we want to make the entire Text object match what we stored
     in the registry key.  But we also want to Make sure that there was
     something in X from the registry.  Thus the "IF".

You could make a lot of modifications to this one, but it has a great base to build from.
An option would be to make a "function" or "SUB" that does the load and store.
CONCLUSION
There are a lot of usages for these items. Anytime you want to get user info, or store/retrieve data from the registry you now know what to do.

Keep in mind that you can read in ANY "KEY" from the registry, so you could easily modify this to pull in the data in the key for say... Who the "Registered Owner" of the pc is

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\RegisteredOwner

There are lots of things you could pull from the reg. and update as well. SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Take care when you write to the registry.

Check back as I add new Step-By-Step Tutorials on how to make this a link to a folder, web-site, or just about anything you want!

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

Enjoy,
RomanDA
 http://romanda.wincustomize.com
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This Week in Skinning - April 6th

Skin Roundup for 4-6-07

Friday, April 6, 2007 by Island Dog | Discussion: Community

I can't believe it's Friday already, where has the time gone? Well not too sure, but it's time again for "This Week in Skinning", and I hope you got a chance to check out the newest regular feature, "This Month in Dreams". The feedback was great and I appreciate the comments I received.

If there is any suggestions or features you might like seen, always feel free to drop me an e-mail or PM. Now off to the picks!

Philo for CursorXP
by Richard Mohler

Richard has created a nice, clean cursor that fits great with many themes. Nice work!

Download





Firestorm in DesktopX Themes
by BoXXi

This is a theme that immediately caught my eye. It's hard for me to describe, but that's not a bad thing. You just need to download this and check it out.

Download




Electric Twist in Dreams
by TheMasterBaron

This Dream can be a little busy for some, but overall it's a nice creation of colors and looks pretty cool on the desktop.

Download




The land of sky blue waters in Wallpapers
by teddybearcholla

I really like the watercolor look of this wallpaper. Always nice to see something different and subtle. Very nice work.

Download




Easter Eggs in Wallpapers
by sydneysiders

Well Easter is approaching, so this obviously fits right in. It's a real nice Easter Egg wallpaper, so be sure to hop (get it...hop) on over and check it out.

Download




W1 for WindowBlinds
by windoe

A real nice dark skin with a nice combination of colors. Be sure to check out his personal page on WinCustomize for more great works.

Download


As usual another great week for submissions. For those who celebrate Easter, have a great holiday weekend and I will see you next week!

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WindowBlinds: Change the Color of Your Visual Style

WindowBlinds Custom Color Support

Thursday, April 5, 2007 by Island Dog | Discussion: WindowBlinds

One of the coolest features of WindowBlinds is the ability to change the color of your visual style on the fly.  This is a feature I feel is overlooked sometimes, so I wanted to write a brief guide about it.  It's very simple to use and depending on the skin itself, you can drastically change it's appearance, or just make a slight color change to match a wallpaper. 

Open up the WindowBlinds configuration window and select "Change Colors in Skin", then check "Enable custom color support".  The sliders will now become active and you are free to adjust them to obtain the color you want.  The preview window will give you a real-time view of what color changes are being made. 


You also have the options for HSL based coloring, and Gamma adjustment for even more control.  Once you find the color that fits just hit "Apply my changes" and your new color will take effect.  To undo the coloring just uncheck the "enable custom color" box, and hit apply again.

This is my desktop using the OpusOS skin.


This is the same skin with the colors adjusted.


You see with just a few clicks and some slight slider adjustments you can alter a visual style to your liking.  It's also great for skins that you might have used often, and would like to "update" them with a new look. 

 

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Learning DX Step-By-Step - #5

Using WMI

Thursday, April 5, 2007 by RomanDA | Discussion: DesktopX Tutorials

Step-by-Step Tutorials

#5 - Using WMI

A series by RomanDA

Listing of other DX Tutorials: Click here
Today's Lesson: "Using WMI" Windows Management Instrumentation

In this lesson we will cover how to use Microsoft's WMI to find out some basic info about our windows computer.
In order to use these Tutorials you will need to purchase DesktopX for $14.95 from Stardock.
Lets get started.

STEP 1 - Create a text object.

I'm not going to go back over the first 4 tutorials, if you haven't read them, and gone thru them, please go back and do that first.

Create a TEXT objet, make the default text something like "TEST" it doesn't matter, make it the size you want (big enough to read on your screen).

 

We are simply going to be using this text object to display the info we gather.  Again, this is just to show you HOW to use WMI to retrieve info from your computer, not how to make a pretty widget.  We can do that later. 

 

Don't worry about adding scripts yet, we will do that in a later step.

STEP 2 - WMI Basic connection

WMI is used to pull information from your system, things like Computer name, User name, What drives are attached to your system.  We are going to pull this information from your computer using a simple script in DX.

Open your object, click on NEW for the script.
We will be adding some info to the "Sub Object_OnScriptEnter"
 

Vbscript  Code
  Dim objWMIService
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\cimv2")
Set compinfo = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_ComputerSystem")
The DIM is used to Declare variables and allocates storage space.
The first SET command is used to make the connection to the local computer.  I could get all technical on this part, but if you really want to know all the details on this connect string visit this site.
The 2nd SET command is used to pull the information you want from the computer.  In this example we are wanting to get the user name, domain name, and computer name.  This works like a SQL Query string, there are a ton of options for this as well.  Again, this is a BASIC tutorial, so if you want more details, look the commands up.

Lets break this line apart:
Set CompInfo Set the variable CompInfo to the info we pull from WMI
objWMIService objWMIService was setup in the previous SET command to
point to the WMI service.
.ExecQuery ( Execute a query into the WMI database
"Select * we want to "SELECT" * - EVERYTHING
we could have picked just 1 item if we only wanted say the Username, etc.
from Win32_ComputerSystem") The data we want is coming from the Win32_ComputerSystem part of WMI
There are DOZENS of these tables in WMI.

HERE is a great place to learn all about WMI
 Lets look at what information we can pull from this one table:
I'm not going to go through ALL of this, I just want you to see what is available from this 1 table.
 
WMI Information
  class Win32_ComputerSystem : CIM_UnitaryComputerSystem
{
  uint16 AdminPasswordStatus;
  boolean AutomaticManagedPagefile;
  boolean AutomaticResetBootOption;
  boolean AutomaticResetCapability;
  uint16 BootOptionOnLimit;
  uint16 BootOptionOnWatchDog;
  boolean BootROMSupported;
  string BootupState;
  string Caption;
  uint16 ChassisBootupState;
  string CreationClassName;
   sint16 CurrentTimeZone;
   boolean DaylightInEffect;
   string Description;
   string DNSHostName;
   string Domain;
   uint16 DomainRole;
   boolean EnableDaylightSavingsTime;
   uint16 FrontPanelResetStatus;
   boolean InfraredSupported;
   string InitialLoadInfo;
   datetime InstallDate;
   uint16 KeyboardPasswordStatus;
   string LastLoadInfo;
   string Manufacturer;
   string Model;
   string Name;
   string NameFormat;
   boolean NetworkServerModeEnabled;
   uint32 NumberOfLogicalProcessors;
   uint32 NumberOfProcessors;
   uint8 OEMLogoBitmap[];
   string OEMStringArray[];
   boolean PartOfDomain;
   sint64 PauseAfterReset;
   uint16 PCSystemType;
   uint16 PowerManagementCapabilities[];
   boolean PowerManagementSupported;
   uint16 PowerOnPasswordStatus;
   uint16 PowerState;
   uint16 PowerSupplyState;
   string PrimaryOwnerContact;
   string PrimaryOwnerName;
   uint16 ResetCapability;
   sint16 ResetCount;
   sint16 ResetLimit;
   string Roles[];
   string Status;
   string SupportContactDescription[];
   uint16 SystemStartupDelay;
   string SystemStartupOptions[];
   uint8 SystemStartupSetting;
   string SystemType;
   uint16 ThermalState;
   uint64 TotalPhysicalMemory;
   string UserName;
   uint16 WakeUpType;
   string Workgroup;
  };

What we want from this table is:

  • UserName  - User Name
  • TotalPhysicalMemory - Total Memory
  • Domain - Domain name (If there is one)
  • Name - Computer Name

STEP 3 - Pulling info from WMI

So, we know how to make the connection to WMI, and we know what table we want.
Lets get the USERNAME that is logged into the current computer.
 

Vbscript  Code
  For Each objComputer In CompInfo
  PCName = objComputer.Name
  Next
  object.text = "ComputerName: " & PCName

Let's look over this one too.

I'm not going to break everything apart, but the basics are this:
the FOR EACH is used to pull 1 item at a time from the COMPINFO we set before, and store it in the objComputer variable. 
Then we assigning the variable PCName to the .NAME field from the table.
Then we take and set the TEXT of the object to "ComputerName: " & PCName

SAVE & APPLY this now, and see what happens.
What you SHOULD see is your text object showing something like:
ComputerName: MyPcsName

Not to hard was it?  Lets add a little more. 

STEP 4 - Adding more info

Open the object back up, EDIT the script.  Lets add a little more info.
 

Vbscript  Code
  For Each objComputer In CompInfo
  PCName = objComputer.Name
  PCDomain = objComputer.Domain
  UserName = objComputer.UserName
Next
  object.text = "ComputerName: " & PCName & vbnewline
  object.text = object.text & "Domain: " & PCDomain & vbnewline
  object.text = object.text & "UserName: " & UserName & vbnewline

We added the Domain name (if there is one, you may not have one), and the Username.
Notice the USERNAME has the domain name as part of it? (if you have a domain, otherwise you wont see this).
We want to pull JUST the user name out from that. So lets add a simple IF statement to the script.

Vbscript  Code
  If len(PCName) > 1 Then
  t = len(PCName)+2
  UserName = mid(UserName,t)
End If

Insert this script right below the UserName = objComputer.UserName line.
This simply looks at the PCName to see if its LENgth is over 1 character
Then it gets the length of that name + 2 spaces (the \ and then the first letter of the name)
Then it sets UserName to the MIDdle of the the string UserName starting at the T postion.

Don't worry I will put the entire script at the bottom in one place, so you can copy/paste it if you want.

STEP 5 - What Drives do we have?

We are going to add a little more to this script.  One of the things people have asked to see is how to determine what drives, drive letters, etc. are on your pc.

 

The code we are going to add looks a lot like what we used above:
 

Vbscript  Code
  Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\cimv2")
Set DriveInfo = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_LogicalDisk")
object.Text = object.Text & vbnewline & "DeviceID | DriveType | Description "
object.Text = object.Text & " | VolumeName | FreeSpace | FileSystem"
For Each objDrive In DriveInfo
  object.Text = object.Text & vbnewline & objDrive.DeviceID & " | "
  object.Text = object.Text & objDrive.DriveType & " | " & objDrive.Description
  object.Text = object.Text & " | " & objDrive.VolumeName & " | "
  object.Text = object.Text & objDrive.FreeSpace & " | " & objDrive.FileSystem
Next

We are pulling a lot of info from the WIN32_LogicalDisk table.  add the code, see what shows up.
You should see something like: 

DeviceID | DriveType | Description | VolumeName | FreeSpace | FileSystem
C: | 3 | Local Fixed Disk | Boot-2006b | 30640107520 | NTFS
D: | 3 | Local Fixed Disk | Storage-2006b | 14589018112 | NTFS
E: | 5 | CD-ROM Disc | 20030803_1304 | 0 | CDFS
F: | 5 | CD-ROM Disc | | |

STEP 5 - Here's The code:

Promised to post all the code in one place, here it is:

Vbscript  Code
  'Called when the script is executed
Sub Object_OnScriptEnter
 Dim objWMIService
 Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\cimv2")
 Set CompInfo = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_ComputerSystem")
 For Each objComputer In CompInfo
  PCName = objComputer.Name
  PCDomain = objComputer.Domain
  UserName = objComputer.UserName
  If len(PCName) > 1 Then
   t = len(PCName)+2
   UserName = mid(UserName,t)
  End If
 Next
 object.text = "ComputerName: " & PCName & vbnewline
 object.text = object.text & "Domain: " & PCDomain & vbnewline
 object.text = object.text & "UserName: " & UserName & vbnewline

 Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\cimv2")
 Set DriveInfo = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_LogicalDisk")
 object.Text = object.Text & vbnewline & "DeviceID | DriveType | Description "
 object.Text = object.Text & " | VolumeName | FreeSpace | FileSystem"
 For Each objDrive In DriveInfo
  object.Text = object.Text & vbnewline & objDrive.DeviceID & " | "
  object.Text = object.Text & objDrive.DriveType & " | " & objDrive.Description
  object.Text = object.Text & " | " & objDrive.VolumeName & " | "
  object.Text = object.Text & objDrive.FreeSpace & " | " & objDrive.FileSystem
 Next
End Sub

CONCLUSION

There are a lot of things that can be done with this info.  Things like making a Drive monitor, or a simple piece of text with your username etc on it.
WMI is EXTREMELY powerful, you can pull things from other computers on your network, A simple GOOGLE search will show you TONS of places with lots of script examples. 

Check back as I add new Step-By-Step Tutorials on how to make this a link to a folder, web-site, or just about anything you want!

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

Enjoy,
RomanDA
 http://romanda.wincustomize.com
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IconPackager 3.2 supports Windows Vista

Change your icons on Windows XP or Windows Vista

Wednesday, April 4, 2007 by Frogboy | Discussion: IconPackager Talk

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

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ObjectDock 1.6 nears general release

Add a dock to Windows XP or Windows Vista

Tuesday, April 3, 2007 by Frogboy | Discussion: ObjectDock

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.

3 Reply 52 Referrals

Animated Wallpaper: This Month in Dreams - March '07

Best Dreams for Stardock DeskScapes

Friday, March 30, 2007 by Island Dog | Discussion: Animated Wallpapers

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)

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.

14 Reply 41 Referrals

This Week in Skinning - March 30th

Skin Roundup for 3-30-07

Friday, March 30, 2007 by Island Dog | Discussion: Community

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

 


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

 



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

 

 



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

 



California Coastlines in Wallpapers
by Bebi Bulma

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

Download

 



Sui Generis in WindowBlinds
by Ingui

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

Download

 




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!

 

 

4 Reply 22 Referrals

Windows Themes: Ready to Change Your Desktop Theme

Parts 1 - 4

Thursday, March 29, 2007 by Island Dog | Discussion: Beginners

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.
3 Reply 62 Referrals

Vista Themes: Changing My Desktop

Thursday, March 29, 2007 by Island Dog | Discussion: OS Customization

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?

0 Reply 81 Referrals
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