Skinners, Artists, Coders, and Testers Needed: Community Suite
Happy Birthday!!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by ZubaZ | Discussion: Community
After the success on the Troll Thumping Day Suite some members of the Mother Thumpers are coming together to create the "Happy Birthday Suit(e)".
I envision this suite centered around a DX gadget that counts down to your birthday. On your birthday the gadget will prompt you to download the most recent incarnation of the suite components so for your special day, your desktop will celebrate with you.
At this point we have some components assigned to artists but this is a collaborative project and welcome input and assistance from everyone. Please jump in and help out if you'd like.
WB - theAVMAN - complete, uploaded
Vista Logon - RickJF - complete, uploaded
Dream - Carguy - complete, uploaded
Tabbed Docks - mommaTee - complete, uploaded
Zoomer Docks - mommaTee - complete, uploaded
XP Logon - RickJF, sAARge - complete, uploaded
Winamp - TheD2JBug - complete, uploaded
Avatar - Hog56 - complete, uploaded
SoundPackage - Robjk - complete, uploaded
DX Birthday game - Haptork - complete, uploaded
DX Clock - theAVMAN - complete, uploaded
Dock icons - RickJF - complete, uploaded
RightClick - Lantec - complete, uploaded
Rainlendar - 2of3 - complete, uploaded
Bootskin - RickJP - complete, uploaded
IconPackage - MommaTee - complete, testing
Sidebar - Mike - complete, uploaded
Xion - alibear123 - complete, uploaded
Cursor - sAARge - complete, uploaded
Sysmetrix - Lantec - pending - drafts posted in thread
DX Countdown Widget - theAVMAN, milksama
DX Weather - puterdudejim - complete, uploaded
DX Calendar - puterdudejim - complete, uploaded
Launch date: Unknown at this point
(Happy Birthday Karma and Snowy! - Original date May 6th, 2008)
Please see the link below for the original suggestion.
Reply #302 Tuesday, February 26, 2008 8:01 PM
How do you connect to the IRC channel? I have mIRC.
Reply #303 Tuesday, February 26, 2008 9:23 PM
easyest way is through SDC use the chat function to join the #stardock chat then join #birthday.
Reply #304 Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:52 PM
Let me know if u use MSN ....
Reply #305 Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:56 PM
Reply #306 Wednesday, February 27, 2008 3:25 PM
Tuesday Night- IRC - HG_ELIMINATOR, ZUBAZ, AND SK showed up. Discussed cakes, plates, and how bad Zubaz needed a shower. Very close to done on the taskbar start-menu stuff...just tweaking buttons and adding animation. Then we move on to the rest.
Should be on tonight around 7 east coast time. You can find me in IRC, on messenger, and venting my frustrations on Twitter (That's where I bad mouth everyone who's pissing me off in IRC). I am also on Gizmo (which is how I connect to MSN Mssngr) so if you have Gizmo, we can conference call. I don't know how much more available I can make myself. lol.
Please join the IRC. The room is #birthday. It's been fun, informative, and it's a great place to discuss ideas in real time. Alos a good place to let me know what images you want from me let others know what you want to share.
Reply #307 Friday, February 29, 2008 10:52 AM

We can use the cake for other stuff, including a wall. As well as the present. And I still want to put the WInky w/balloons animation on top of the menu.
Here is an alternative...

Be honest. Speak up. Say what you want.
The 2nd option is I try again to come up with another cake.
Reply #308 Friday, February 29, 2008 11:10 AM
Just a thought on the cake start menu. And I know youve gone through alot of changes already. But just a thought. What if you went back to a chocolate cake and kept the top light colored frosting but got rid of the lower row of frosting in the middle? Maybe thatd help the icons and font look better?
And since you metnioned the wallpaper. I cant remember what thread it was in but i remember seeing a post you made with a picture of winky and a bunch of characters from other skinning sites. Why not a wallpaper with your cake(with candles) and presents as a centerpiece with Winky and the other characters partying?
Reply #309 Friday, February 29, 2008 11:19 AM
Option one is more fun . . but not as usable. That really is too bad.
Reply #310 Friday, February 29, 2008 11:23 AM
what do u say ??
Reply #311 Friday, February 29, 2008 11:26 AM
the whole suite iz fun ..... so why not menu style .... ???
with some adjustmentz it'll look fantastic ....
Reply #312 Friday, February 29, 2008 12:50 PM
Option one is more fun . . but not as usable. That really is too bad.
I hope I'm not disappointing you. to quote you, it just looks like a 'monstrosity' when you try to use it.
1. Chocolate just doesn't work in the overall color scheme and as limiting as any skin is with icons, as far as matching 'em up, the chocolate would really limit your choices.
2. Removing the cemter layer of icing is an option. What say you all?
Tried several colors. The most readable is black and it just takes away from the cake. It dulls the whole menu, if that makes sense.
This open for all to agree or disagree on. I'll go with what the majority wants. The new menu can be dressed up with balloons and such. The cake and present can be moved around (Put it up top with the intention of having the animated candle up there on it). I will post some different versions, including a cake with no middle icing.
That's my biggest problem. Maybe it's cause I'm not good enough and that is why the cake doesn't work, but it looks more like an interesting concept than something someone would actually use for a day. I want it to be unique and stay on the theme, but also something that won't be an eyestrain to use. It should be fun.
Reply #313 Friday, February 29, 2008 12:56 PM
*ALSO..bad wallpaper for this shot. The purple on the taskbar and startmenu are transparent.
Reply #314 Friday, February 29, 2008 1:00 PM
Will still look a good fun birthday theme with flat menu so I think you should go with that.
Reply #315 Friday, February 29, 2008 2:13 PM
With the original start menu I would possibly set the cake flat instead of tilted towards you and take a larger cut out of it to allow the center to be the divider and the cut sections to fit as the 2 halves of the menu (if this makes sense to you) this may lend to it being easier to make the fonts readable etc.
Reply #316 Friday, February 29, 2008 5:41 PM
try to make a big cut ... and put all the text in the cut .... then i'll be easier to read ... and it'll be also unique ...
Reply #317 Friday, February 29, 2008 9:14 PM
How about just the plate...with a candle and some crumbs layin in it?
Reply #319 Saturday, March 1, 2008 12:22 AM
The plate from the bottom right with the winky from the bottom left put on the plate upside down so you see winkys head sticking out from under the cake with the cake from the bottom right with the frosting changed to the frosting from the top of the cake in the back right?
But seriously..
That cake on the bottom right looks like it might work with the icons and font alot better eh.
Still think the start panel on the screenshot in post #308 just the way you have it with the cake and ice cream on the top and the winky animation added will look great.
Reply #320 Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:42 AM
the cake which in on right botton loookz perfect .... and i think it will work perfectly as well ........... u did right to to removing the cenrel layer of cream ........
what about to add a candle or some thing like that ... on the top of cake ...
weldone Po' .....
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Reply #301 Tuesday, February 26, 2008 7:35 PM
hehe.