[ann] Windowblinds 5 beta for ObjectDesktop subscribers

Look a this link to Wincustomize.com. The first Beta of WB5 (4.90a) is available @stardock central for OD-subscribers!

Yes, off course it'll enable the glass effect for the Aero-lovers,

but more relevant to the Aqua-soft skinners:

More than Glass

While making Windows XP look like Windows Vista is nice, it's not the reason why the alpha blending effects were developed. Skinning, as an artform, really relies on giving artist as much freedom as possible. Today, alpha channels (different levels of visibility) are a basic part of virtually any graphical element. So to force tile bars and borders to be either totally visible or totally transparent was very limiting. For one thing, it means that there's jaggies on the edges of skins.

Furtheron, SD promisses elder skins to run faster on this new release of WindowBlinds and

Secondly, user requested the elimination of wbload.exe, the process required to manage the WindowBlinds skins.

you can put shadows on your borders and make them part of the skin. See the Arrow sample that is included. The shadows are part of the skin.

Go check it out!

#320679

I think you are right about higlighting the alpha blending features. This will have a huge impact on the potential for developing new and higher quality skins

#320682

The shadows as part of the skin looks nice and works well.

Not sure if those shadows can be applied to the taskbar yet, but it should be possible. After Yz/WFX will be needed still and have their window shadows disabled.

#320702

Updating now...

Edit: Doesn't like my laptops video card... no alpha blending. Next!!!

#320716

I may some how pay for windowblinds if it is really good

#320724

Fantastic news. *twitch* I can't wait to try this out.

#320741

Surprised nobody posted about this until now. It was out yesterday afternoon, and seeing as how titlebar ppa is something that so many people were looking forward to, I expected there to be a countdown leading up to the beta.

#320764

About half of the people that installed it couldnt get it to work including me.

#320810

If you have problems after installation (for me everything turned to windows classic) it might be related to the license activation. Unfortunately I uninstalled and reinstalled WB5, before I realized my firewall caught an outgoing session to stardock.com.

Disabled firewall for a while for the time of installation, everything was fine afterwards.

#320883

perfect. now to actually get people to create skins for WB again...

#320899

i tried the beta, i got lucky and wasnt able to apply any skins!

w00t for beta versions!

#320906

Yeah, I think my problem is w/ the activation issue... I will try disabling the firewall

#320919

Ill give it a try, gotta wait tho, i dont have access to the thing!

#320922

I work in a secure environment.

Disabling firewalls is not an option. I hate it when companies assume everyone has unfiltered access to the internet.

EDIT: Well at least they do offer activation by email... lets see how long it takes to get a response.

#320943

This thread title is misleading. It's not a public beta so it's not really a release, is it?

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#320962

Now to get people to update their skins.

#320974

Sweet... recieved activation via email.

Nice, the alpha blending works on my cheap 16MB video card in my laptop.

Very impressive so far, but yea... needs better skins.

#320975

i´m really pissed - it f**ck the complete system - nothing worked and i had to delete everything and reinstall old wb 4.6 but itunes was pissed too and quitted, the antivir also made the downfall, very complex troubleshooting - tried to resolve probs all day

the activation via mail - i´ve sended mail to this written adress but nothing came back

it was so promising- the programm opened as usual but nothing worked only standard msdos outfit but unable to chnage this too - -

i hate doing unnecessary things - even in the forums of stardock thers no solution

#320979

How do u activate by email? What exactly do they do that allows you to activate?

EDIT: Oh i see, I just sent them the log.

#320980

This thread title is misleading. It's not a public beta so it's not really a release, is it?

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/Thread renamed

Yes, you're right. Then again...this beta is available publically for all subscribers (?!?) :confused:

#320992

If activation fails:

Copy activate.exe from within the sdcentral install folder in to the windowblinds install folder. Once you have done that, try and apply a theme, and it will pop up a requester to enter your email & ODNT serial.

If activate.exe cannot get to Stardock, you will be given the option to activate via email.

Follow the instructions and in about an hour or two, you will get a response from Stardock with an activation key file.

Works like a dream.

#321001

Ahh, thanks mate, it works now!

#321004

is stardock down i mean i cant connect to Stardockcentral wincustimze or stardock the website

#321040

I just downloaded WB5 beta and applied vista theme, I'm now like WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA it's so coooool, and my old themes work without any problem, this is really a great update

I'm now trying to do real alpha blended corners for Alluvium Magnite :D

#321104

I got it to work , thanks everyone...

#321108