The only limit is your own imagination. Ya got to push outside the box and i got the perfect example. Look at my Hardwood smx for RedneckDude's WB, the first version. Looks like a piece of furniture. Even got a feature. Now look at version two, Hardwood II smx WIP. Not as easy as it looks. I like being different.

Another reason I belive we don't see that kind of quality anymore is that (to me) a Windowblinds skin just doesn't cut it anymore. Too many pieces are not able to be skinned and thus NOTHING looks 100% complete. MS has ruined Windowblinds skinning. There are some good blinds around and what can be skinned is done fairly well but I still think the small details aren't there like they used to be. I feel that quality has taken a back seat to quantity with quite a few talented people.

DX is also borked on Win7 x64. A lot of the built in tools (performance meters for example) don't work and version 4 is even worse. I fear DX has become a has been.

Iconpackager - Has hosed my system 1 too many times. Haven't used it since the last time it did it to me a couple years ago. (Blank icon issues especially if you uninstall the program).

Wallpapers - some good stuff out there but WAY too much abstract swirlyballspirograph stuff. Remember the good ol days of Nuvem and Apocalypse67? etc.

The only thing I've found to be reliable is Winstep and I'm waiting on the skinning tools for that before I have a go at it.

Uvah.. does smx work 100% on Windows7? Also, that is a FINE example of quality craftsmanship there.

Thank you Phoon. Means a lot coming from you.

SMX works beautifully on Win7. Never a problem since i started using it. IMO...Sysmetrix is underutilized.

Thanks. I still have such a HUGE list of really cool things to add that making the Theme Builder (skinning options previously were part of the GUI) kind of took a back seat. But now with lots of renewed interest in Winstep applications I fully realize I need to make the damn thing or WebGizmos will be stuck in v9.5 forever (chuckle).

That and finish the new User Guide. If you guys knew how much I *hate* writing User Guides... I would actually pay someone to do it for me.

Hmmm... Anyone interested in the job? It's 80% done. Mostly it's revising what is already there, bring it up-to-date, and adding some formatting. Would have to be someone familiar with Winstep software, however.

It's such a shame Nick essentially gave up on it as he was about to add alpha channel support.

Sometimes I think about asking him if he would mind me making Winstep Xtreme directly compatible with Sysmetrix skins. I could add a kind of 'all purpose' desktop module/widget for that.

PLEASE!!!! Ask him JC. There's so much SMX is capable of. I can practically mimic a DX now. Modules are different of course but...how I'd love to get my hands on...hmmm. Any chance of checking out version 9.5 for winstep? Ideas in mine head now that I think about it. That...DX...SMX.....what an interesting combo.

What do you mean what happened? Those are both nice, clean, usible skins. Just different styles. It's just a matter of preference as I see it. There's always been an array of different styles. Thats what makes them unique.

Josh.

True. But I feel like the minimalistic look is more user-friendly and enduring. Just my 2 cents though. I can see where you're coming from - but in my eyes, I wouldn't necessarily say that the 2nd look is less artistic by any means.

I will say that I do like the minimal skin every now and then, but I will always prefer the more original looking ones. They do need to be usable though, and that is getting harder and harder to do every time MS comes out with a new OS.

Windows 8 ??  What a drag it seems... Something even the minimalists can´t skin...coloured squares, No bevels, No shadows, No nothing... The fonts maybe, but they´ll have to be really clean to fit the Os.

Just like Phoon said "The only thing I've found to be reliable is Winstep and I'm waiting on the skinning tools for that before I have a go at it."

And the support from JC (Winstep on his forums) is just phenomenal!!

Wow! You mean what I've been telling folks for years is actually true? Who'd have thought it?

What did I tell you about the number of skinners Jorge?

Now get that skinning module done!

gawd....acsension REALLY needs an update...........

i think imaginative skins can be userfriendly if they are done right... i disagree with gaudy though, i think most artistic skins are awsome,

its out of the box.. and different from vanilla. not saying there is nothing wrong with vanilla though.

yeah and crack the whip with Nick Jorge! I LOVE sysmetrix....its one of my fave desktop apps...

A lady after me own heart Luv ya Kitty.