Ways to "Modernize" the desktop in Windows 8?

By efjay
in Microsoft (Windows)

 Share

Recommended Posts

Enthusiast

phailyoor

Posted
Posted

RTM has been out for a while but I don't think I've seen any themes for the desktop to make it more "Modern". Anything coming or any tips to make the desktop more visually similar to the Modern UI?

You don't think it's modern enough? There are all solid colors and everything. If you don't like the desktop background, then change it to a solid color. If you're thinking about icons, they might be sorted out by the October release to the public, or you can make them yourself.

Grand Master

shockz

Posted
Posted

You don't think it's modern enough? There are all solid colors and everything. If you don't like the desktop background, then change it to a solid color. If you're thinking about icons, they might be sorted out by the October release to the public, or you can make them yourself.

The icons are done and final. They won't be changing by the public release.

Contributor

CyclingGuyNOLA

Posted
Posted

I have been replacing all the icons with more modern icons, took away transparency on taskbar and a few other minor tweaks to get mine more modern looking and quite content so far.

Contributor

CyclingGuyNOLA

Posted
Posted

How were you able to remove transparency on the taskbar?

Not really removing it but an app I wrote for Windows 7 that changed the Taskbar Coloring, I have working on Windows 8 with a release to public version within the week.

So far this has been the only way I have been able to find that works.

Grand Master

devHead

Posted
Posted

RTM has been out for a while but I don't think I've seen any themes for the desktop to make it more "Modern". Anything coming or any tips to make the desktop more visually similar to the Modern UI?

Go to deviantart.com and Customization > Icons and search for Metro. You'll finds tons of good stuff.

Grand Master

Calum Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

I've changed the colour of the Desktop background and window frames/Taskbar to all match the colour of my Start screen. If there was any transparency, I removed that (I can't remember whether there was or not, and I'm not on that PC at the moment). I also removed the clock and other icons (including all notification icons) from the Taskbar, so that the only things placed on the Taskbar are running Desktop apps. That has all helped somewhat :)

Veteran

Nazmus Shakib Khandaker

Posted
Posted

I don't think that transparency is anti-metro/modern. In fact, many of you are missing the point of Metro. Metro DOES NOT mean remove all shadows, 3D effects, and graphics candy, no, no, no. If you thought Metro was anti special effects, you have it all wrong. Rather, metro is about not mimicking real world objects and embracing digital authenticity. That is, the Metro design language should not mimic wood, glass, plastic, rubber, etc. Metro should treat digital UI as digital and embrace its uniqueness. Of course, metro can have gradients and transparencies! Have you not noticed the Xbox app, which has a gradient. Heck even the tiles in the start screen have gradients! The desktop controls have fade effects and eye candy. What Windows 8's desktop lack is the mimicking of real world objects, like glass and metal. Aero had glass and metal effects, which have been removed. However, TRANSPARENCY is not glass. The Windows 8 taskbar is transparent, but doesn't have the glass effect. But taskbar buttons glow but doesn't mimic real world objects. The final goal of metro: it can look beautiful without having to copy real world objects. I will leave you off with this example of digitally authentic user interface of the future. Notice that the futuristic UI doesn't mimic real world object, yet it has eye candy and looks beautiful. Watch the video:

Grand Master

bandit_liberty_rumble

Posted
Posted
Metro DOES NOT mean remove all shadows, 3D effects, [...] metro is about not mimicking real world objects and embracing digital authenticity.

3D/Shadows/Depth is an (in my opinion useful) imitation of real world object behavior, isnt' it?

  • Ice_Blue and .Neo
  • Like 2
Veteran

Nazmus Shakib Khandaker

Posted
Posted

3D/Shadows/Depth is an (in my opinion useful) imitation of real world object behavior, isnt' it?

That is not true. They can be USED to mimic real world objects, but they themselves are not. It's like saying colors are imitations of real objects behavior, and thus, metro shouldn't have color. That's ridiculous! The Xbox app has a gradient in its background, but it doesn't mimic real world. In fact, digital is a real world object, but it is digital. Metro aims to keep things looking digital, which OSX and iOS completely fails to do. I simply think many people just don't get the point of Metro UI. In fact, many of the hate for the design language comes from the misconception that Metro means making UI look very ugly by disabling all cool effects making the graphics power of the PC useless. Quite the opposite, actually. Metro continues to use the GPU power but does so by making UI digitally beautiful rather than redrawing wood and plastic.

Grand Master

bandit_liberty_rumble

Posted
Posted
It's like saying colors are imitations of real objects behavior, and thus, metro shouldn't have color. That's ridiculous!

Just goes to show that 'authentically digital' is nothing more than largely meaningless marketing buzzwords.

That is not true. They can be USED to mimic real world objects, but they themselves are not.

What do shadows that have nothing to do with real world object behviaor look like? The concept seems to me to be inherently derived from the real world.

A shadow is an area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object.

I also fail to see how digital "objects" could be presented in a three-dimensional space without modeling that presentation after the real world. What do you consider visual "depth" in the digital realm that doesn't imitate real world behavior?

Neowinian

Stoic Joker

Posted
Posted

That is not true. They can be USED to mimic real world objects, but they themselves are not. It's like saying colors are imitations of real objects behavior, and thus, metro shouldn't have color. That's ridiculous! The Xbox app has a gradient in its background, but it doesn't mimic real world. In fact, digital is a real world object, but it is digital. Metro aims to keep things looking digital, which OSX and iOS completely fails to do. I simply think many people just don't get the point of Metro UI. In fact, many of the hate for the design language comes from the misconception that Metro means making UI look very ugly by disabling all cool effects making the graphics power of the PC useless. Quite the opposite, actually. Metro continues to use the GPU power but does so by making UI digitally beautiful rather than redrawing wood and plastic.

That has got to be the best explination I've heard yet. Thank you.

Veteran

Nazmus Shakib Khandaker

Posted
Posted

What do shadows that have nothing to do with real world object behviaor look like? The concept seems to me to be inherently derived from the real world.

There are shadows in Metro Style apps. There is drop shadow in the active Window on the desktop. There are shadows on the xbox music, video, and games app. When you click a music item or game, you can see drop shadows, quite vividly actually. Again, there is a huge misconception about Metro.

Veteran

~Johnny

Posted
Posted

Just goes to show that 'authentically digital' is nothing more than largely meaningless marketing buzzwords.

I think you fail to understand the point of "Authentically Digital". The point is to not replicate reality - for example when creating a stopwatch, they don't want you to code a circular analogue pocketwatch with a nice polished bronze finish attached to a chain, with a button on top that you press that makes the little hands start going round, and then you have light reflections and glare and all other sorts of nonsense :p Or, you could just put some clear numbers there and be done with it.

(That's of course if you want to follow the guidelines, which is only really for people who... need guidance :p)

Enthusiast

syncore

Posted
Posted

There is already a patcher that patches system files allowing 3rd party themes in Win8 RTM. There are a couple of themes out, but only one that drastically changes Windows's appearance (it's one of those Mac OSX inspired themes, designed for Consumer Preview but works perfectly in RTM); a couple of nights ago I began working on my own custom theme; it's incredible how time consuming it is, even if you simply want to port a Windows 7 theme to 8. Give it some time and there will be plenty of third party themes available in the coming months

Grand Master

Seahorsepip Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

There is already a patcher that patches system files allowing 3rd party themes in Win8 RTM. There are a couple of themes out, but only one that drastically changes Windows's appearance (it's one of those Mac OSX inspired themes, designed for Consumer Preview but works perfectly in RTM); a couple of nights ago I began working on my own custom theme; it's incredible how time consuming it is, even if you simply want to port a Windows 7 theme to 8. Give it some time and there will be plenty of third party themes available in the coming months

I also started theming again for win8 ^^

If you need any help in wsb send me a message :p (I guess you use wsb, reshacker would be crazy)

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing