New at this, need guidance

Tuesday, August 27, 2013 by Allquixotic | Discussion: WindowBlinds

Hi, all.

I am trying to help someone who is running Windows 8 and wants to have windows' caption (title) left-aligned like it was on Windows 7. I have a license of WindowBlinds and SkinStudio. I'm fine with the fact that applications that have custom window decorations will ignore whatever settings I attempt to enforce, but what I do want is that, any application which does not customize its window decorations, will have its window title (caption) left-aligned.

Ideally I would like the rest of the appearance of the OS to be as close as possible to vanilla Windows 8. Unfortunately I couldn't find out how to open the Windows 8 skin by Microsoft in SkinStudio, and the Stardock theme called "Win 8" isn't even close to the native Windows 8 theme because it has glossy control buttons (min/max/close), transparency effects, and different colors.

Is it possible to do this with SkinStudio? If I can make the theme and show it to the user who wants to use it, they'll buy a copy of WindowBlinds for themselves.

Thank you.

doortech1
Reply #1 Friday, August 30, 2013 3:21 AM

Sorry to tell you, you can not open or alter a windows theme with sks.

 

You will have to find a windowblinds skin you like to use, or create a new one, or, learn how to alter a windows theme manually.

 

FYI,you need an authors permission to alter any windowblinds skin if it is to be distributed or not just for personal use,so if you find a skin that is close and want to alter it at all,get permission to avoid problems.

Snowman
Reply #2 Friday, August 30, 2013 5:34 AM

doortech1
FYI,you need an authors permission to alter any windowblinds skin if it is to be distributed or not just for personal use,so if you find a skin that is close and want to alter it at all,get permission to avoid problems.

Not entirely true.
Permission is only required if the edited skin is to be shared online.

For personal use you can do whatever you want without permission.
(Who'd ever know about it?)

doortech1
Reply #3 Friday, August 30, 2013 2:06 PM

You quoted my words, yet still failed to read them>

DPCloud
Reply #4 Friday, August 30, 2013 2:13 PM

Not entirely true.

 

You quoted my words, yet still failed to read them

You did the same

doortech1
Reply #5 Friday, August 30, 2013 4:31 PM

How so?DP.

 

The op clearly states the intent to send the altered windowblind to another person. So, unless it is okay to share an altered piece of art with another without permission, I don't see where I misspoke or mis-commented.If that is okay to do, which I find hard to believe,then Maybe. Still would seem like theft whether or not anyone new or not.

DPCloud
Reply #6 Friday, August 30, 2013 4:51 PM

How so?DP.

I was playing, sorry

doortech1
Reply #7 Friday, August 30, 2013 6:34 PM

No need to be sorry. But, if I was missing something and \or lacking knowledge of the subject, I would prefer I guess for future reference , to know the rules.Laws.

 

Your still my favorite butt.Need a new texture yet!

Allquixotic
Reply #8 Friday, August 30, 2013 7:32 PM

Thanks for all the "replies", but there's very little here for me to go on besides the first reply that says that I basically can't make a theme that looks exactly like the original Microsoft Windows 8 theme but with the title bar text left-aligned. Is that correct? If not, what steps can I take to do that? I am not looking to re-use someone else's WindowBlinds theme, as the user who asked for this theme specifically said that they do not want any further customizations to the look and feel of the OS aside from this one change.

Furthermore, this user is within my family unit, so I'm pretty sure that even if I did "distribute" my modifications of someone else's theme, that would constitute personal use. In any case, I have absolutely no plans to host this on the public Internet for download by the general public. The legal issue really doesn't concern me; I am actually trying to accomplish something, but because I am new to the software, it's not clear to me how I would do that.

It appears that even the stock Stardock themes for "Windows 7", "Win8", etc. do not even come close to mirroring the look and feel of the OS they claim to mimic, so maybe it is completely impossible for WindowBlinds to do this? Again, I'm asking a question, not making a statement, because I don't know the answer. Any insight that can be supplied, either regarding the method of minimally modifying the stock theme, or the feasibility of creating a theme (from scratch or otherwise) that extremely closely mimics the stock Windows 8 theme, would be very useful. Messages which contain neither type of information will unfortunately not be useful to me, although I thank you in advance for your input regardless.

Thanks!

DPCloud
Reply #9 Friday, August 30, 2013 8:18 PM

Your still my favorite butt.Need a new texture yet!

Sure, need a wall?

http://www.zedge.net/wallpaper/9927547/dont-judge-me-4s/?cep=1

doortech1
Reply #10 Saturday, August 31, 2013 4:12 AM

someone with knowledge of this edit process for personal use would probably be easier to find at Deviant Art, or the like. Lots of themes out there, maybe check around some.

 

I wish I could make you a skin, but I have no windows 8 to reference things. Good luck.  

 

By the way, I did not mean to lead you to believe this was impossible. Just not with a windows theme through stardock apps.Someone may be able to, including yourself if you skin, make a window blind that is a replica of what you want with that one change.I am not sure what 8 even looks like, but, may be an option.

doortech1
Reply #11 Saturday, August 31, 2013 4:15 AM

I think  Shell Style themes is the terminology.So, search that maybe for tips on editing it yourself.

doortech1
Reply #12 Saturday, August 31, 2013 4:18 AM

One more thought, Have you searched help at Microsoft, or a general search, on if windows 8 has an option built in to shift text.

Uvah
Reply #13 Saturday, August 31, 2013 8:27 AM

A suggestion. Go here https://forums.wincustomize.com/447931/page/1/#3393036

Download the SKS tutorial by Vampothika. In the skins list in windowblinds there is a skin called Win8 Metro. You''l need a color picker which you can google. Install it and you'll be able to copy the colors of the Win8 desktop, buttons, windows, frames etc. Open the Win8 Metro skin in SKS and following the tutorial you can change the colors to match 'Vanilla Win8'. This is as close to what you want as I can figure to get. Good luck.

BTW...if you don't have WindowBlinds there is a free 30 day trial version available.

Jafo
Reply #14 Saturday, August 31, 2013 9:03 AM

Allquixotic
Furthermore, this user is within my family unit, so I'm pretty sure that even if I did "distribute" my modifications of someone else's theme, that would constitute personal use. In any case, I have absolutely no plans to host this on the public Internet for download by the general public. The legal issue really doesn't concern me;

Actually, to be clear, 'distribution' does not have a dispensation for 'whom'.  It cannot differentiate between relatives/family members.  The act of 'distribution' is simply a 'third party'.

In simple terms....'own use' is specifically that.

And not getting too 'existentialist' it can be argued that the use of an 'artwork' or 'IP' outside of its intended use can be seen as a violation of copyright, even IF there is no subsequent 'distribution'.

However,

In our 'skinning world' there is a differentiation between 'personal USE' and 'public distribution' to the degree that reworking/altering a skin for your family member would be comfortably seen as 'personal use'...

As to the replication of a default Win8 'style' with an altered text alignment....that is possible with the use of Windowblinds and SkinStudio, with a skin creation...

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