Vxp - WIP

[BMac]

Looks great man. This will definately be my new theme when its done.

[Iguanadon]

will be the first non Microsoft theme on my new laptop ...if I can wait long enough. :p

[Chickie]

Looooooove it. Can't wait to have it. :blush: :D

[#Michael]

Teaser screenshot for everyone (click on computer for full picture):

[Veedems Veteran]

I'm afraid to be honest, but what the hell. I mean no offense, I'm just giving my opinion:

This looks like Winswy's interpretation of a b0se theme. Again, no offense, but it's what I think when I look at it. Maybe it's the taskbar, but meh, I don't know.

[Bant Veteran]

yes...very much.

its reasonable looking, but not something i would use.

keep at it, looks like a lot of people like it.

[Winswy]

I'm afraid to be honest, but what the hell. I mean no offense, I'm just giving my opinion:

This looks like Winswy's interpretation of a b0se theme. Again, no offense, but it's what I think when I look at it. Maybe it's the taskbar, but meh, I don't know.

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Well, the taskbar is HIGHLY likely to change as the theme has grown into something a bit different than i initially envisioned. i dont see how it resembles anything bose has done, care to point out in which area?

[#Michael]

I can see where it might have a slight resemblence to a b0se taskbar, but I would take that as a compliment more then anything.

This is one of the most original themes on here in months. Every other release has been a vista mod or a new luna element or os x mod or classic inspired theme.

For once there is something original. There are very few authors/vs that enjoy using. This is one of them.

[Iguanadon]

I can see where it might have a slight resemblence to a b0se taskbar, but I would take that as a compliment more then anything. 

This is one of the most original themes on here in months.  Every other release has been a vista mod or a new luna element or os x mod or classic inspired theme.

For once there is something original.  There are very few authors/vs that enjoy using.  This is one of them.

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I agree, the only thing that reminds me of b0se work is the nice match in colors and the overall smoothness of the style.

[Bant Veteran]

the entire theme is a play on bose's xpmc, specifically the all programs menu hover image, captionbar textbox, and progressbar.

highly inspired, and poorly executed imo. its sloppy, and its lazy... the whole theme looks to have made use of one main photoshop style that was inspired by boses hover image, with slight modifications in color and stroke size depending on the element. boring.

[Winswy]

Bant?, ummm what kind of drugs are you on? Are you trying to make an ass out of yourself? Does it bother you when other themers get attention? :blink:

I took a few minutes to download B0se' xpm theme and make a couple of comparison screenshots.

Are you seriously trying to say that these two themes look ANYthing alike, let alone one heavily inspired by the other??

Everyone take a nice long look at all the elements in each theme and tell me that ANYthing from my VS was taken from xpm. Other than the beige and blue which are basic windows colors, not owned by ANYone they are two Completely differnt looking visual styles.

Now everyone knows i take flak over my decision to sell certain visual styles that i design but dude..i seriously do not understand why you found it neccesary to come forward and personally attack me with the kind of comment and language used in ur post, it's quite obvious to me that your comment was written with some kind of chip on your shoulder.

Lazy?? what the hell? who are you to call me lazy? I work 50 - 60 hours a week and come home and spend 40 more working on my graphics, not moving onto to the next element of a theme until i am satisfied that its perfect and bug free, anyone that knows me will correct you to the contrary.

Poorly executed? in YOUR words.. " looks like a lot of people like it" I can't imagine why people would like such a poorly executed visual style??

lastly you mention my ..Progress bar is a play on Bose's?? :no: Well then Please be so kind as to link me to the image that shows my progress bar? Funny, i havent even designed OR shown the progress bar YET !

I know from time to time u like to spazz out and act like an idiot, we have all seen it but please, keep your personal attacks out of my threads in the future, you and your pathetic attempts to undermine my hard work are not wanted or appreciated.

To the MANY that are supporting this effort, i offer my thanks and appreciation.

Edited September 4, 2005 by Winswy

[Winswy]

xpm

[Bant Veteran]

sorry if you can't take a little criticism.

i think you misunderstood my original post, i was referring to bose's progressbar and all programs hover. i never said you took anything, i was just alluding to the fact that your vs is not an original vs, it has been done before, and it has been done better. You started this theme days after bose released the first screenshots of xpmc. this is no coincidence..i might go so far as to say even your vs' name was inspired by the simplistic xpm. you were inspired. and thats GOOD. thats how we grow as artists. we take from eachother, and learn, and build from it.

but your graphic ability is not going anywhere. i am not calling you a lazy person, i was calling your use of photoshop styles lazy, you basically take one style, and plaster it over an entire theme...congratulations, you have succesfully placed a 2px white stroke around almost every element in your visualstyle. you have mastered the 2 tone gradient, and you have successfully applied dropshadows.

get some variety in there..play around.

i dont care how much you work a week. most people i know, including myself, work... i dont go spouting it off like its out of the ordinary. i spend time on visualstyles after i work too! amazing!

about the 'popularity' of this theme..... i was being generous when i said it looks like a lot of people like it. i cant rationalize everything other people do or like. i don't know why they like it. and i'm not telling them they shouldnt like it. but i am telling you i dont like it. and i'm telling you why.

you lack originality and graphical talent, you have little understanding of aesthetics and you can't take criticism.

i have no chip on my shoulder, obviously i managed to place one on yours.

[Deanobear]

john... wonderful VS... if I used windows these days, this would be the theme I'd be using. :woot: perhaps you can brush up on KDE themes/window decs :ninja:

it's nice to see something "original" and fresh, not a "re"hash of luna.

I wouldn't worry about the previous person's posts... reminds me of an old movie... about a jaded movie star... spiraling into madness... "i'm ready for my close up mr de mille" :devil:

[Veedems Veteran]

you have little understanding of aesthetics

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I'm not going to become a part of this back and forth battle, but I wish to elaborate a little on that one comment. Winswy, I'm not taking away from your hard work, but Bant does have a point (and I rarely, if ever, agree with him). I do think you have some graphical ability, but it seems that, in any themese I have seen, you have had trouble polishing things off and putting them together. That's where the aesthetics come in. I have almost no graphical ability whatsoever, but I do believe I have an eye for aesthetics. You, on the other hand, have some ability, but it just doesn't seem to fit.

This theme? Your best yet, by far. It's nice to see you get away from overly done bevels, but I think you should spend some more time polishing the graphics a bit, namely, the menus.

[#Michael]

For those that haven't seen the seen it yet and haven't played with it will be very surprised when it is released. I have downloaded b0se's xpm and played with it and I think it has similiarities with it but differences far out weigh it.

This theme in my opinion even in the unfinished state it is in right now is 10x better than some of the crap that is shown on here. And I defiantely think this is going to get great reviews when released.

And Bant, just because you have't released a good theme lately, doesn't mean you get to rip on people. IMHO your iOn theme wasn't your best work, you complain about winswy's use of a bevel, that theme was over the top.

[Veedems Veteran]

And Bant, just because you have't released a good theme lately, doesn't mean you get to rip on people.  IMHO your iOn theme wasn't your best work, you complain about winswy's use of a bevel, that theme was over the top.

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His ION theme, while not my taste, does not use bevels in the sense that we are talking about here. A gradient and a bevel can yield similar results. Also, there's no need to bash someone else's work. Neither you nor I have made a theme and here we are, critiquing a theme.

[#Michael]

His ION theme, while not my taste, does not use bevels in the sense that we are talking about here. A gradient and a bevel can yield similar results. Also, there's no need to bash someone else's work. Neither you nor I have made a theme and here we are, critiquing a theme.

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But that is exactly what Bant is doing and I for one am standing up for an author that I happen to like.

This to me is an original VS that for once is different than the 50 different vista themes, 500 os x mods, and god knows how many classic inspired themes.

[Bant Veteran]

your opinion is your opinion AT1981, and i respect it, just as i respect anyone elses posting here. i'm posting in this thread because i care about the theming community and i want to encourage the growth and development of themers, especially the dedicated ones that havent quite found their way. it may seem like my aproach is a bit on the aggressive side, but i didnt mean for it to end up like that. you are not coming to the defense of this visualstyle, you just tried to justify liking this theme based on its originality alone...i could take a dump in stylebuilder and that would be different from all the longhorn and luna themes that get released here... would you come and defend my crap too? what do you like about this theme? there is more to your opinion than originality, and for you to truly defend this vs, you need to be able to understand what you like and dislike, and critique it yourself.

I don't intend to go back and forth on this, i posted what i had to say and i'm done.

Edited September 4, 2005 by Bant

[Veedems Veteran]

But this thread is about the work Bant is being critical of. If any of us wish to criticize Bant's work, there's other places to do so.

[Winswy]

umm, i believe Bant was "bashing" mine? was he not, i think it only fitting u tell him not to, your so one sided bangbang.

So nice of you to Ban my vstyler account when i asked you to switch it over from winswy, which would have been a simple procedure, but no u decided to do the exact opposite of the favor i asked. I guess thats what happens when they put children in charge if adults here.

oh and.. absolutely no offense intended.. :)

Look folks, im quite comfortable within my own graphics, in my opinion Bant, nothing you have put out there is any better than anything i have done, you too use gradients, strokes, bevels, whatever, The REASON that certain elements areused throught the theme is to create a sense of uniformity, the Reason the grads are simple is because THATS how i wanted them to look, not that i am incapable of doing somthing different.

I can take criticism as well as the next guy, as long as its not obviouly formulated along the lines of a biased personal attack..which yours, and i can take a poll if you like..was. one more thing, i posted screens of elements of both VS's so that people could compare.. funny, not ONE personal has stepped up to agree with you. :sleep:

Please let it be, ive got way to much on my plate to be bothered with nonsensical bickering with people i don't even know.

Again to those who have come to my defense.. your right.. :p

[Winswy]

But this thread is about the work Bant is being critical of. If any of us wish to criticize Bant's work, there's other places to do so.

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..mmmhmm its already obvious you "have his back" no need to run it in the ground.

[Veedems Veteran]

Are you kidding me? You posted a thread about a theme you are working on. As soon as you do that, you are open to criticisms, positive and negative. However, when someone points out flaws in a theme, there's no need for people to start saying his theme sucks too. I've been one of Bant's toughest critics and I really don't care about iOn or Vxp. Either take his criticism maturely or just ignore it. If you wish to bash his theme, here's the thread for it:

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=361659

I, for one, have made my criticisms of the theme and will leave it at that.

[da_mir]

hey John excellent VS keep going with this please ! I try BETA VXP and looks very cool I just can imagine how gorgeous will be finale, after all you are only real professional and I if may say a real artist for Visual Styling .So I dont want even to comment same malicious stamens of some people here

[Darkscreenz]

Once in a great while, a community is born and artists crawl over harsh words and criticism to become better at what they aspire to be. Unfortunately, some artists hard work is sometimes danced upon by people that could care less about others feelings or anything else for that matter. I have watched time and time again as folks have posted good work and have ended up being the subject of pointless trolling and flame. From what I can see of the last few pages of this thread, Winswy has become subject to folks that have for the most part never liked his work. While this is fine and dandy to all the passing onlookers, I can only spot that once again, this community has a few people in it that have long since needed an attitude adjustment. I'm not going to waste my time quoting posts and all that BS...rather, for the folks that have a problem with how their original posts were responded to...really there is no need for ripping someone else down because they are getting positive attention. And, the last time I checked mods were not to allow trolling in a thread to the point that...obviously the point was already gotten however ill conceived it was in the first place correct? But, oh hell...if good artists like this can be subdued by ignorance, then such is the sad place this community has become.

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