Stardock releases beta of StyleVista

By #Michael
in Tips, Tweaks & Customization

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Grand Master

#Michael

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Posted

index.3.jpg

Stardock has released the first beta of a new program called StyleVista. StyleVista allows Windows Vista beta users to alter the existing "Aero glass" interface to have different opacity levels and different colors.

By default, Windows Vista's new user interface has semi-transparent title bars and borders. While it looks quite cool, it is not currently configurable. StyleVista enables users to change both the color and opacity (how transparent the title bars and borders are) of the GUI for the active and inactive window.

StyleVista is not similar to Stardock WindowBlinds which can change the actual skin of the GUI. It alters the existing GUI. Stardock may make some of the features in StyleVista part of WindowBlinds 5 which is due to go into beta next month.

StyleVista is a free and can be downloaded at Stylevista.net

Screenshots:

sv3_small.jpg

sv1_small.jpg

sv2_small.jpg

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Grand Master

Veedems Veteran

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While that's definitely a cool concept, I have some doubts about this. First of all, anyone legitimately using Longhorn should be more concerned with things other than the looks. Second, with the rumored project M slated to, perhaps, replace the current theme, does this have much of a shelf life?

Grand Master

#Michael

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While that's definitely a cool concept, I have some doubts about this. First of all, anyone legitimately using Longhorn should be more concerned with things other than the looks. Second, with the rumored project M slated to, perhaps, replace the current theme, does this have much of a shelf life?

586387856[/snapback]

Two things come to mind.

1. Will project M ever see the light of day? And even if it does, will it make it into Vista? No one knows at this point. Look at all the features that were supposed to be in Vista that are now dropped or planned for releases after the rtm of Vista.

2. When you are a company that specializes in customization of OS's like Stardock does, isn't one of their main goals to start development of programs for use on the newest os?

Grand Master

Veedems Veteran

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Two things come to mind.

1. Will project M ever see the light of day?  And even if it does, will it make it into Vista?  No one knows at this point.  Look at all the features that were supposed to be in Vista that are now dropped or planned for releases after the rtm of Vista.

2. When you are a company that specializes in customization of OS's like Stardock does, isn't one of their main goals to start development of programs for use on the newest os?

586387887[/snapback]

Well, project M is said to be the Luna of Vista. If that's the case, this will all be for naught.

Grand Master

P!P

Posted
Posted
People besides beta testers are running Vista.

Get over it.

586388642[/snapback]

You just blew my mind. ;) I've been testing Vista since launch (legally) and isn't the point of testing to test out the OS as well as apps on the new OS? That would include UI programs.

Community Regular

c242

Posted
Posted
stylevista? give me a break

you couldn't come up with a different name?

586389129[/snapback]

Hmm according to the given historical fact that the makers of that other "tool" You might be reffering to weren't "the company that started the 3rd party visual styles craze with the first software and tools" as they state so hypocritical the name is really okay.

In fact I had a good laugh when I read it. :D

Stardock deals with the new technologies Vista is using and shares a small part of it's efforts with people. So what ? But some people will still find reasons to bash them...

Community Regular

c242

Posted
Posted
That just stole the name StyleVista before the StyleXP guys could take it. :whistle: This program is sort of "noobish" in the current release.  Hopefully they will add a lot more features like making the taskbar transparent.  :rofl:

586389659[/snapback]

I think TGTSoft will be pretty f***d, when Vista comes out. The transparent taskbar will come with WindowBlinds 5. This tool has another purpose.

Community Regular

Runiteshark

Posted
Posted

I have WB 4.51 and my taskbar is already transparent.

Or is this the alpha or something?

As for the StyleVista, I don't think much of it.

I didn't really care for the skin, because for one:

1. My windowsblinds transparency still have readable text (behind the images)

2. The text behind the Vista transparency is jacked up.

Its almost like its intentional..

Grand Master

kinetix63 Veteran

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  • Veteran
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IF project 'M' is being worked on, I am sure that Microsoft would not have included a Glass theme in to Vista if this 'M' wasn't going to somehow be used as a learning curve. I would not be surprised if Stardock are doing the same. The more they can customise now, the easier it'll be for them to create a good application shortly after launch.

Collaborator

nightRider

Posted
Posted

Can they make it work on the none-glass style? such as just changing colors?

QUOTE(Runiteshark @ Aug 17 2005, 08:37)

I have WB 4.51 and my taskbar is already transparent.

Yes but is the start button still perfectly visible? I think a transparent taskbar only looks good if only some parts are transparent, like THIS. Almost perfect.

Just a question: that forest wallpaper in your screenshot looks great. where can I get it?

Grand Master

crimsonhead

Posted
Posted
what do u mean? can it change the colors or not if glass is not enabled?

586409192[/snapback]

I assume that you can't because of:

StyleVista is a program designed to allow users to change the style of Windows Vista's glass user interface.

Why not

Download it and find out...

You could probably reshack aero.msstyles and pull out the non glass objects and replace them with the ones in the folder. Then reshack aero.msstyles again and replace the objects with the ones in the folder.

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