Retrophase Options

[Spencer]

As of today, I propose a new project for AeroXP, self-codenamed Retrophase. The general outline of this project is to duplicate the 40xx experience as fully as possible on Windows Vista Beta 2, since the community will be stuck with this build for a while. This project will bring together the three kinds of developers here at AXP: gadget developers, skinners, and application developers.

Several tasks are involved with this project, some easier than others. Here's what will have to be done.

1. Create 40xx lookalike gadgets and 40xx Sidebar styles.
2. Complete documentation (preferably on our Wiki) of the contents of aero.msstyles.
3. A modified dwm.exe (or similar file) that extends glass further into the client area of Explorer and Internet Explorer windows to allow for a larger toolbar.
4. As many resources as possible from era builds.
5. Plex, Slate, and Jade styles
   • For all themes, complete documentation on what you, as a skinner, changed in the MSStyle to create the look so that easy porting to newer builds is possible.

This will require community collaboration, not competition. The goal of this project is to see how accurate we can come with our styles, not how good you think a particular style looks. If you want to create a new skin based on our work, tuned to your liking, you may do so, but after giving full credit to the skinner and AeroXP.

Optional features include:

• Working, implemented PPA
• Working, implemented Desktop Aurora
• Aero Glass taskbar notifications
• Skinned bundled applications
• 5112 style theme

I stand fully behind this project, and will be contributing everything I know about Vista's themes along the way. In fact, I've already started...

So who's with me?

EDIT: Some preliminary work has been started. You can find the aero.msstyles breakdown here, Michael's theme here, a new theme coming from Skatari soon, and a .NET 3.0-powered sidebar from Karl.

[nexus]

*I think the sidebar stuff could be pulled off.
*I dont think the big back forward buttons could be done but its worth a try, even still you could at least pull off similar looking glass pngs and similar looking buttons (remeber 4074 did have small buttons, but no one never activated them for a screenshot)

*Would love to see slate, jade, etc. themes for people that cant get glass running. (all those themes were definatly more "thought out" than vista basic)

*PPA is utterly impossible, sorry. although i would love to be proved wrong.
*DA is probably equally impossible yet you could try running a xaml fullscreen in background z-order. Either that or you could run the old flash stuff which looked like crap when you moved windows around over the flash app, yet it at least worked.

Finally i would love to see this actually go somewere but for reasons I wont discuss here (msn me later and ill explain.) That this wont get very far. Untill then you can probably use your imagination and figure out what I mean...

[jordy.green]

I think if i take a look into the DWM.exe i could have a look about skinning to give the 40xx look for vista now i would definately give it a try.

I had a look using reshack but it didnt work could anyone else give a name of software that will let me modify it.

[Spencer]

This is what I was talking about earlier. For everyone on the Managed Connect Program, please comment/vote/validate. Hopefully this will be a minor change that will make it in next build. If Bruce happens to pass by, sorry I haven't caught you on MSN, and I'd like to hear your thoughts, too.

I think if i take a look into the DWM.exe i could have a look about skinning to give the 40xx look for vista now i would definately give it a try.

I had a look using reshack but it didnt work could anyone else give a name of software that will let me modify it.

Visual Studio.

[Dannydeman]

In the early avalon builds the XAML aurora files runned in Internexplorer like a webpage. And when you used Active desktop you could set the aurora as a activedesktop but is was very slow...

[Guest_grabberslasher_*]

*PPA is utterly impossible, sorry. although i would love to be proved wrong.
*DA is probably equally impossible yet you could try running a xaml fullscreen in background z-order. Either that or you could run the old flash stuff which looked like crap when you moved windows around over the flash app, yet it at least worked.

Just as a programmer, I don't see why both of those are impossible. You would have to re link Explorer with the MIL dlls, and use a xaml container view in place of the preview pane view. While I have virtually no experience programming Windows, I'm pretty sure that in theory that method should work. I have done similar things on Mac OS X.

[AlphaAddict]

Great idea , But how can we create say the classic trey tile ?
This requires not only procedural code and XAML which the windows sidebar dosnt support i doubt it could be pulled of without making a new windows sidebar

As for the themes its a good idea , i was planning on doing the same thing with "longhorn mamorial pack"

If you can get vista looking like that great

Attached File(s)

 DX_Flip.jpg ( 219K ) Number of downloads: 452

 

[Guest_casablanca_*]

I think that this is a great idea!

[cm_mc]

ireally miss the centered buttons in the taskbar, insted of being left allign
like this:
 dsk_copy.jpg ( 68.45K ) Number of downloads: 359

[SRO]

As of today, I propose a new project for AeroXP, self-codenamed Retrophase. The general outline of this project is to duplicate the 40xx experience as fully as possible on Windows Vista Beta 2, since the community will be stuck with this build for a while. This project will bring together the three kinds of developers here at AXP: gadget developers, skinners, and application developers.

Several tasks are involved with this project, some easier than others. Here's what will have to be done.

1. Create 40xx lookalike gadgets and 40xx Sidebar styles.
2. Complete documentation (preferably on our Wiki) of aero.msstyles and what 5384 does and does not support.
3. A modified dwm.exe (or similar file) that extends glass further into the client area of Explorer and Internet Explorer windows to allow for a larger toolbar.
4. As many resources as possible from era builds.
5. Plex, Slate, and Jade styles
   • For all themes, complete documentation on what you, as a skinner, changed in the MSStyle to create the look so that easy porting to newer builds is possible.

This will require community collaboration, not competition. The goal of this project is to see how accurate we can come with our styles, not how good you think a particular style looks. If you want to create a new skin based on our work, tuned to your liking, you may do so, but after giving full credit to the skinner and AeroXP.

Optional features include:

• Working, implemented PPA
• Working, implemented Desktop Aurora
• Aero Glass taskbar notifications
• Skinned bundled applications

I stand fully behind this project, and will be contributing everything I know about Beta 2's themes along the way. In fact, I've already started...

So who's with me?

This sounds like an interesting project dude, but why? Why would we want to go backwards?

ireally miss the centered buttons in the taskbar, insted of being left allign
like this:

I must be missing something (sorry ), why are you missing the center alignment feature if you have it available in 5384 (which, I assume is what you are running - this is what your build string says)?

~SRO

[cm_mc]

that is a mockup i did.. if you know how to active center aligment in vista beta 2 let me know

[jordy.green]

Apart from not being able to see it not bad.

But if some people could provide me with some 40xx resources ill get into the swing of things with this theme.

[cr1t1cal]

I must be missing something (sorry ), why are you missing the center alignment feature if you have it available in 5384 (which, I assume is what you are running - this is what your build string says)?

~SRO

can u do centre alignment in beta2? if you can how???

[Michael]

You can count on me Spencer !

[XDude]

Woot! finally some new action in vista, vistaitself is getting boring, i'm happy that people would like to improve it