Welcome Guest! To access all forums & features, please register an account or sign-in. → Why register?



Stardock Decor8 - Custom Start Screen Backgrounds Finally!


46 replies to this topic - - - - -

#16 GP007

    Neowinian ULTRAKILL

  • 13,726 posts
  • Joined: 04-February 07
  • Location: Greece
  • OS: Windows 8 Pro 64bit
  • Phone: HTC Windows Phone 8X

Posted 09 November 2012 - 15:31

I just wonder why MS didn't give us this option OOTB, maybe in the next big update but for now if you have the same background set on the start screen that you do on the desktop then flipping between the two feels more natural/smooth, though a blur effect helps the tiles stand out more.


#17 OP Detection

    Detecting stuff...

  • 8,369 posts
  • Joined: 30-October 10
  • Location: UK
  • OS: 7 SP1 x64

Posted 09 November 2012 - 15:52

View PostGP007, on 09 November 2012 - 15:31, said:

I just wonder why MS didn't give us this option OOTB, maybe in the next big update but for now if you have the same background set on the start screen that you do on the desktop then flipping between the two feels more natural/smooth, though a blur effect helps the tiles stand out more.

Yea I was wondering that, I guess its the whole experience thing they don't want people seeing 'Metro' look bad if someone sets a more crappy background than are stock

#18 LaP

    Forget about it

  • 3,207 posts
  • Joined: 10-July 06
  • Location: Quebec City, Canada
  • OS: Windows 8 Pro

Posted 09 November 2012 - 16:06

Windows 8 is certainly great for Stardock ;)

#19 Osiris

    Neowinian God!

  • 10,709 posts
  • Joined: 31-October 01
  • Location: Australia

Posted 09 November 2012 - 16:15

surely there's a 'skins' file or something that must store these or point to where they are stored...im surprised there isn't a quick free solution for this yet?

#20 OP Detection

    Detecting stuff...

  • 8,369 posts
  • Joined: 30-October 10
  • Location: UK
  • OS: 7 SP1 x64

Posted 09 November 2012 - 16:29

View PostOsiris, on 09 November 2012 - 16:15, said:

surely there's a 'skins' file or something that must store these or point to where they are stored...im surprised there isn't a quick free solution for this yet?

I think the default win 8 images are stored inside imageres.dll, there are a couple of homebrew apps floating around that claim to be able to change them too

#21 TheLegendOfMart

    Neowinian DOMINATING

  • 8,752 posts
  • Joined: 01-October 01
  • Location: England

Posted 09 November 2012 - 16:36

View PostCSharp., on 09 November 2012 - 12:06, said:

Neat app! One item of functionality I'd love to see is a gaussian blur effect that could automatically be applied to the chosen background picture.
Couldn't you just add the effect manually to the desktop wallpaper you are using and tell Decor8 to use that???

#22 CSharp.

    Neowinian Senior

  • 1,512 posts
  • Joined: 04-December 01

Posted 09 November 2012 - 16:47

View PostTheLegendOfMart, on 09 November 2012 - 16:36, said:

Couldn't you just add the effect manually to the desktop wallpaper you are using and tell Decor8 to use that???
Yes, of course. :) Takes a lot more time to experiment with multiple wallpapers that way, though.

View PostLaP, on 09 November 2012 - 16:06, said:

Windows 8 is certainly great for Stardock ;)

That's for sure! I already bought Start8. Might end up buying Decor8, too. Windows 8 is getting more expensive by the day… :p

Here's a better (png-)version of the blurry background by the way. The other one had pretty visible compression artifacts...

Attached Files

  • Attached File  blur.zip   1.23MB   37 downloads


#23 GP007

    Neowinian ULTRAKILL

  • 13,726 posts
  • Joined: 04-February 07
  • Location: Greece
  • OS: Windows 8 Pro 64bit
  • Phone: HTC Windows Phone 8X

Posted 09 November 2012 - 16:56

View PostDetection, on 09 November 2012 - 16:29, said:

I think the default win 8 images are stored inside imageres.dll, there are a couple of homebrew apps floating around that claim to be able to change them too

That's probably part of it for sure but the bigger issue is that depending on the background the tiles borders can get lost in there. Maybe if MS does allow us to set our own pictures in the future they'll compensate with adding a thin border or drop shadow to the tiles so regardless of the image in back they don't get lost.

#24 AsherGZ

    Grand Master

  • 607 posts
  • Joined: 30-June 11
  • Location: Karachi, Pakistan
  • OS: Windows 8 Pro x64

Posted 09 November 2012 - 18:59

It's cool for a while, but now I see why Microsoft didn't include this feature by default. But now it seems like I'm stuck with this because I can't see a 'restore to default' option anywhere. And even though there are the default textures to choose from, they don't really restore your original background but instead replace it with some messed up zoomed version of it. I want my good ol' Start screen back. :(

#25 MorganX

    MegaZilla™

  • 2,057 posts
  • Joined: 16-June 04
  • Location: Midwest USA
  • OS: Digital Storm Bolt, Windows 8 Pro w/Media Center Pack, Server 2k12 - Core i7 3770K/16GB DDR3/HyperX SSD/EVGA Nvidia 650 Ti
  • Phone: Lumia 920; Surface RT, HTC 8X, HTC the ONE (soon)

Posted 09 November 2012 - 19:05

View PostGP007, on 09 November 2012 - 15:31, said:

I just wonder why MS didn't give us this option OOTB, maybe in the next big update but for now if you have the same background set on the start screen that you do on the desktop then flipping between the two feels more natural/smooth, though a blur effect helps the tiles stand out more.
I thought I wanted this, but having used 8 for a while now, I don't. You would really have to have the perfect background for it not to be a distraction and I'm not there long enough. I think the plain options available OOTB are best for usability. JMO.

I'll have to give this one to MS. I'm sure they tested it thoroughly. IMO you have to add way too much blur and/or opacity to make it viable.

#26 GP007

    Neowinian ULTRAKILL

  • 13,726 posts
  • Joined: 04-February 07
  • Location: Greece
  • OS: Windows 8 Pro 64bit
  • Phone: HTC Windows Phone 8X

Posted 09 November 2012 - 19:08

View PostMorganX, on 09 November 2012 - 19:05, said:

I thought I wanted this, but having used 8 for a while now, I don't. You would really have to have the perfect background for it not to be a distraction and I'm not there long enough. I think the plain options available OOTB are best for usability. JMO.

I'll have to give this one to MS. I'm sure they tested it thoroughly. IMO you have to add way too much blur and/or opacity to make it viable.

That could be it, still, no harm in having the option for those who want it.

#27 Neil Banfield

    Neowinian

  • 242 posts
  • Joined: 05-October 01

Posted 09 November 2012 - 19:22

View PostgzAsher, on 09 November 2012 - 18:59, said:

It's cool for a while, but now I see why Microsoft didn't include this feature by default. But now it seems like I'm stuck with this because I can't see a 'restore to default' option anywhere. And even though there are the default textures to choose from, they don't really restore your original background but instead replace it with some messed up zoomed version of it. I want my good ol' Start screen back. :(
Select no background and it will use your OS settings.

#28 Neil Banfield

    Neowinian

  • 242 posts
  • Joined: 05-October 01

Posted 09 November 2012 - 21:15

You may also find more simplistic wallpapers rather than photos work better and for 1.0 we plan to include a number of enhancements to reduce any distraction while at the same time allowing you to customize what you see.

I will add that some of the Microsoft defaults are far from non distracting though!

#29 Livin in a box

    Oh man. I shot Marvin in the face.

  • 2,384 posts
  • Joined: 03-January 09
  • Location: Manchester, UK
  • OS: Windows 8 Pro
  • Phone: HTC Desire S

Posted 09 November 2012 - 21:19

I can imagine Microsoft adding in this functionality into a big update in the future, but if they don't then this looks a great program. I would buy it but with Start8 I don't really use the Metro Start Screen that often so it'd be a bit of a waste :p

#30 TCA

    Unspecified Psychotic disorder; Homicidal tendencies; insomnia.

  • 2,754 posts
  • Joined: 18-February 04
  • Location: Hells Asylum
  • OS: Windows 8 x64

Posted 09 November 2012 - 21:53

Now I know what Sekyal was talking about in the Window Like/Hate thread...I didn't know it was a stardock app. so, I Googled "decor8" and this is what it gave me.

http://www.decor8blog.com/

Sooo I thought, "wtf does crafts have to do with Windows?" until I looked here instead. I may have to give the trial a shot. But I feel really stupid right now :blush: