Convergence arrives!
Tuesday, July 31, 2001 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
Convergence is the part of Stardock's Object Desktop that ties all the programs together.It allows users to create true "skins suites" called Skin packs. A skin pack is a collection of icons, skins, and themes put together into a single file. When applied, Convergence communicates with your installed programs and directs them to change their various skins to the ones in the skin pack.
So a user wanting to have a particular overall look to Windows would simply apply a single Convergence skin pack instead of having to go to WinAmp, ICQPlus, WindowBlinds, DesktopX, ObjectBar, IconPackager, CursorEx, NeXTStart, etc. and manually load the appropriate files.
In short, Convergence combes the strength of your installed skinnable software into a single super theme.
It is currently only available on Stardock's Object Desktop (www.objectdesktop.com).
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Anaxis Reaxis
Reply #2 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 4:47 PM
Reply #2 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 4:47 PM
I did the existing account log in drill and got Unknown Error twice. Then I clicked the Wincustomize button and my browser brought me here. So you know.
Walt
Reply #4 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 6:10 PM
Reply #4 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 6:10 PM
now to secretly figure a way to get treetog to make skins for desktopx.. j/k This is an awesome idea
Third Eye
Reply #5 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 6:24 PM
Reply #5 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 6:24 PM
Sweet BETA. This is very promising.
In the future are you going to have the option for a type of plugin or something for other skinnable apps than just the ones here on WinCusto?
In the future are you going to have the option for a type of plugin or something for other skinnable apps than just the ones here on WinCusto?
paxx
Reply #7 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 8:14 PM
Reply #7 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 8:14 PM
Very neat, but how does it work?
Say I want to download one of treetog's suite for ICQ, Windowblinds and Winamp. Do I download each skin separatly? or, if I understood the description correctly, do Treetog have to actually make a predetermined package? Then if a package includes 15 different apps but I only have 2 or 3 of them, do I still need to download the whole thing?
Would it be possible to program this website in such a way that I could select the respective skins I wish to have, then at the click of a button, the website would package it all together so I can download and apply my customized skin pack. Anyway, just a question, followed by a suggestion.
It's a very neat idea of an app.
Say I want to download one of treetog's suite for ICQ, Windowblinds and Winamp. Do I download each skin separatly? or, if I understood the description correctly, do Treetog have to actually make a predetermined package? Then if a package includes 15 different apps but I only have 2 or 3 of them, do I still need to download the whole thing?
Would it be possible to program this website in such a way that I could select the respective skins I wish to have, then at the click of a button, the website would package it all together so I can download and apply my customized skin pack. Anyway, just a question, followed by a suggestion.
It's a very neat idea of an app.
Frogboy
Reply #9 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 8:52 PM
Reply #9 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 8:52 PM
Treetog would simply upload a single Convergence skin pack. You would download it and apply it. It takes care of the rest.
Similarly, you can take existing skins on your system and make skin packs out of them for personal use.
Similarly, you can take existing skins on your system and make skin packs out of them for personal use.
paxx
Reply #10 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 9:33 PM
Reply #10 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 9:33 PM
OK, so both are true. I can download them seperatly then make myself a skin pack out of the individual packs, or I could download a prepackaged bundle. Gotcha.
But still, is my idea feasible? is the skin pack just a zip file renamed? I know there are server components that can zip files on the fly, so maybe my idea would be an interesting thing to consider and a great addition to your software.
But still, is my idea feasible? is the skin pack just a zip file renamed? I know there are server components that can zip files on the fly, so maybe my idea would be an interesting thing to consider and a great addition to your software.
Draginol
Reply #11 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 10:29 PM
Reply #11 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 10:29 PM
Re your idea, that would be put in a skin browser or something. 
T-Man
Reply #15 Wednesday, August 1, 2001 9:12 AM
Reply #15 Wednesday, August 1, 2001 9:12 AM
Paxx, your idea could be implemented but It would be very server instensive having to build packages for everyone on the fly. In my opinion, if this was to be done it would have to be a pay service and not a free service do to the intensive upkeep and developement that it would require.
paxx
Reply #16 Wednesday, August 1, 2001 10:22 AM
Reply #16 Wednesday, August 1, 2001 10:22 AM
If it was done on the client side (as Brad suggested, as an implemented feature in a skin browser) then it wouldn't add any load on the server, and it would be equally cool.
The main point being to avoid downloading a huge theme featuring 10 applications when one only has 3 of those apps.
Now that I think about it, it would even help the web site as it would reduce the bandwidth usage.
And, please do NOT interpret this as a critic, Convergence is the software a lot of people have been asking for ever since the days of skinz.org. It's a huge achievement and I have to congratulate Stardock for the initiative. I am only giving suggestions to make it even more cool.
Once again, way to go Stardock!
The main point being to avoid downloading a huge theme featuring 10 applications when one only has 3 of those apps.
Now that I think about it, it would even help the web site as it would reduce the bandwidth usage.
And, please do NOT interpret this as a critic, Convergence is the software a lot of people have been asking for ever since the days of skinz.org. It's a huge achievement and I have to congratulate Stardock for the initiative. I am only giving suggestions to make it even more cool.
Once again, way to go Stardock!
T-Man
Reply #17 Wednesday, August 1, 2001 11:33 AM
Reply #17 Wednesday, August 1, 2001 11:33 AM
Hmm, I was thinking server side but I guess it could be done on the client. We would just have to store all the invididual files separately as well as a skin suite. Download the individual files and once they are downloaded then package them as a whole.
Now a problem I see with that, lets say you download a suite and only have two apps. You then send that file to a friend of yours. But he has 5 apps. He doesn't get to see the whole suite because he received the file from you. So at that time the Suite has been modified. (just thinking out of the box)
Now a problem I see with that, lets say you download a suite and only have two apps. You then send that file to a friend of yours. But he has 5 apps. He doesn't get to see the whole suite because he received the file from you. So at that time the Suite has been modified. (just thinking out of the box)
Attila
Reply #19 Wednesday, August 1, 2001 8:47 PM
Reply #19 Wednesday, August 1, 2001 8:47 PM
Definately sounds interesting, I can't wait to give it a try.
beaker
Reply #20 Wednesday, August 1, 2001 11:07 PM
Reply #20 Wednesday, August 1, 2001 11:07 PM
Call me disgruntled, but why am I not surprised it's part of OD?
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Reply #1 Tuesday, July 31, 2001 4:19 PM
I'm looking forward to trying it out!