Just wondering... I just got Vista but one thing I really miss is the customization of all the Visual Styles and Windowblinds themes...

you've got to be patient, the VS has been out just for a month in the retail market.

Anyway, my actual dream is to have a new version of Luna Element for Windows Vista. I'd really like em3 to start working on it soon, but I know this is very unlikely to happen... he's already given us another masterpiece (LE5.1) lately, so we'll have to wait.

My favorites are... VS: Thallos, GuiAir, Reluna... and for WB: Azeris2 and iFlex

Windowblinds 5.5 (still in beta I think) will let you use old WB themes with Vista, and old Visual Style files can be converted with SkinStudio.

Guess I'll wait... Can't use Aero anyway.

I can't wait for a good port of Watercolor.

As the other poster said, Windowblinds is in beta for Object Desktop subscribers, and it will be released shortly. It's running current WB skins very well, and it's possible to convert XP .msstyles for use with Windowblinds.

I would like to see another Luna Element as well.

I'd rather have it the other way round so you don't need that WB stuff. There was a good reason for WB before Win2k, but since Windows supports themes by itself, WB is totally pointless and superfluous.

Actually not. With Windowblinds you can change the colors of your themes on the fly, you have effects such as per-pixel alpha blending, you don't have to hack your files to get them to work, and much more.

Regardless of that, converting existing .msstyles to use with Windowblinds is the only way you are going to get old .msstyles to work with Vista.

Third party themes themselves are totally pointless and superfluous. After all, they only change the look. But we all do it anyway.

And XP doesn't even come close to being able to do what WB5+ can do, so it's not as if WB is just offering a rehash of something already in the OS - and right now WB offers the ability to use XP themes in Vista without having to do the long port process, in both cases it's offering something Windows itself doesn't.



Now you can argue all you want about whether or not the things WB does are something you find worthy, but you can't deny they are features Windows does in fact not offer by itself.

WB5 is so much more than what XPs theming engine can do. Please be informed before posting...

i already asked em3 whether he could make a vista port of luna element, unfortunately he has to upgrade first. Anyone want to buy him an upgrade?

Agreed. I used Watercolor with ergonomic color scheme for 5+ years. Hopefully someone makes a nice Watecolor port using Aero.

ME 2

when i recieved my copy of windows vista, i was really dissapointed because i was unable to use the UI Windows Aero, but when windowblinds 5.5 comes out of beta, if you have windows vista and want the Aero theme then download the MilLork Vista Theme 1.0 Final. i have been through alot of themes looking for one that is virtually the same as windows Aero, so if you are like me and want to use Aero, then wait for windowblinds to come out of beta and then download it and the theme and there you go hehe

Except what you don't seem to understand is that WB themes skin ALOT more of the GUI than msstyles do. Even if you could convert a WB to msstyles, you would be losing most of the skin's features, and many elements of the skin. In fact, I can't even use msstyles anymore (converted to WB or not) because none of them are complete enough for my tastes. I hate how half of the GUI is unskinned with msstyles. It makes perfect sense to convert msstyles to WB, but NO sense to convert the other way around.

Yeah, Luna Element is pretty rad.

I think that LE5 is better than LE5.1 though, I just can't seem to adjust to it..

Still, would like a few more Vista visual styles sometime soon, getting bored of the generic aero..

What I miss in Vista is that there is no Windows XP theme! It only has classic theme wich is odd

I just bought a new laptop with vista on it and noticed the same thing... thought MS would of thought about skinning and make it a big part of the OS...

Virgin Post!!!! TY TY

You like Luna? You are a failure.

Luna is fine, be quiet. It is certainly clearer and cleaner than Aero. I am also surprised they didn't include it. Politics probably.

Luna doesn't look that great on Vista IMO, but if that's what you like then go for it.

Indeed
I could not resist to make it when I tried Vista...
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/43180389/

Since this is on the topic of vista themes. All I would say is be patient. I also use mac os x and the theming on that seems to have died. no good themes at all they are all grey or black and seem to use the same basic layout. I hope with vista i will get better theming quick. I have to admit though the vista gui is already better then apple a+ for vista on that. I would bet that the creator of the visual styles or i will call them themes are already going at it.

I don't know exactly why there aren't a lot of themes for Vista...but maybe they are like me, and just enjoy aero.

It's nice. I've enjoyed it greatly.
Also. Everyone has been skinning XP to look like Vista. So why change Vista? LOL

it's cos everyone wants to show off their new laptop etc. with vista on - changing the theme to anything but the vista one would just make people think you'd got a skinned xp.

Thats the same reason so many people who havn't got xp are getting vista-like themes - to show to others.

Personally, I'm bored of both the vista aero and the vista basic theme, and I'd like a new skin for both - I use vista basic on laptops cos it saves so much battery, and vista basic on low memory systems because the dwm process seems to consume so much system memory and cpu. So looking forward to some USEABLE themes to be made (ie. themes that take up less screen real estate, and are thin on unnecessary icons, details, etc., to make the windows UI more like it was back in win95 - every control had a single pixel border and no margin, rather than wasting lots of space around everything - I think thats a side effect of trying to make things have curved corners.)

Also, what would be really good, if anyone out there can make it happen, is a "hue changer" for the currentr vista basic theme - it could look so much better if it wasn't always pale blue.

I love the fact you can style vista WITHOUT installing loads of software.
On Xp i had WB, CursorXP, Logon Studio, BootScreen software, Icon Packager etc etc....

NEVER again!

i can finally theme all these things and have a clean system without slowing down my PC!

MUCH better!

My Themes http://ukintel.deviantart.com/gallery/

Well, I got mine for £19 each ... two copies. Vista Ultimate. Fully boxed, legit copies. Handy to know microsoft employees...

I think Em3 should ask around and see if any MS Employees are willing to buy him a copy via the Microsoft in house employee shop system.

I also only paid £17 for each copy of XP Pro a few years ago too ...

Anyone know if there is an OS X theme for Vista somewhere, I have been searching all over but can't seem to find one

Though not "designed for Vista", OSX Tiger [WindowBlinds] looks and functions GREAT in Home Premium for me.

Thanks! Will have a look.