Macromedia and Stardock

Tuesday, November 26, 2002 by tinkergaloot | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk

Will some Stardock apps, noticeably Windowblinds. Window FX and ObjectDock, ever be fully compatible with Macromedia programs?
For example, skinning any Macromedia proggy with Windowblinds causes toolbar buttons to not function; applying shadows to menus with Window FX causes the menus to freeze, and locks up the proggy so I have to bring up Task Manager and end the "not responding" program, thus losing everything since last save; restoring Macromedia proggys from ObjectDock causes ObjectDock to crash.
It would be great to see these 3 Stardock products work seamlessly with Macromedia stuff, Dreamweaver MX, Flash MX, Homesite 5 and Fireworks MX are 4 of my most used programs, and it's a bit annoying to be unable to use them with Stardock apps.
16 Reply 4 Referrals
paxx
Reply #1 Tuesday, November 26, 2002 9:51 PM
I use Dreamweaver MX and Flash MX all day long (used to use Homesite but it's incorported in Dreamweaver MX now). No problem with Object Dock whatsoever. No problem with menus and shadows with Windows FX either. But I must admit I have Flash, Dreamweaver and Photoshop set in my Windowblinds exclusion list, not because it crashes, but because I find skins too distracting when I'm actually doing some work.

tinkergaloot
Reply #2 Tuesday, November 26, 2002 9:57 PM
Your lucky paxx. The windowblinds problem has been around for a while, there were a few message a while ago in the WB newsgroup reporting this problem, but no answer was ever forthcoming if my memory serves me correctly. What I've found also is that it's not confined to my machine, also happens on my laptop, which is running WB 3.41 at the moment and with a different installation of MX suite, and also happens on my work machine, again with different installastion of MX suite, and with WB 3.5.
FWIW- home desktop running Win2K, laptop running Win 98 and work PC running XP Pro.

joetheblow
Reply #3 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 12:21 AM
I hav some problems with Photoshop a couple of times but then I set a UIS1 skin to Photoshop and that ended it.

Maybe you should try that. Use a UIS1 skin on Macromedia stuff.

Griffinme
Reply #4 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 8:56 AM
I used to have that problem with Photoshop. Either a newer version of WB fixed it or changing video cards did. I suspect that it was WB though. For a long time I was able to work around the problem by using a UIS1 skin. I second joe's suggestion.

DorcasGood
Reply #5 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 11:24 AM
The MX products and Photoshop don't use standard window controls. Stardock only correctly skins software that uses standard Windows display controls. I don't know all the technicals terms and issues but basically, software can be written all kinds of different ways and it's not feasible for Stardock to figure them all out. They stick to a Microsoft standard because most software developers do as well. But beyond that it would be difficult to keep up.

Carlitus
Reply #6 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 11:44 AM
You can also try the Vantage Browser http://www.vantagebrowser.com/english.html
to check compatibility between Stardock products-Flash.
This is a skinneable browser (like neowin), but it uses Flash for windows decorations (as WB).

joetheblow
Reply #7 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 4:52 PM
Also keep in mind that Adobe and Macromedia was made for Mac's. So if Stardock is basing there controls off of Windows standard then it wouldn't be a surprize that they do not want to work well.

I am still waiting for WB to work with Power Point. Not that I use that program very much but I can't stand it being the way it looks while other stuff is skinned.

joetheblow
Reply #8 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 4:54 PM
Carlitus, what does this thing Vintage Browser do?? I can't seem to find any info on it. or even a piture.

Help....

Koasati
Reply #9 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 7:57 PM
I have no problem with WindowBlinds, or Objectdock, in conjunction with Dreamweaver.
Guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

Carlitus
Reply #10 Thursday, November 28, 2002 2:20 AM
sorry, this is the english page:
http://www.vantagebrowser.com/index.asp?idioma=engl

joetheblow
Reply #11 Thursday, November 28, 2002 10:44 AM
thanks

tinkergaloot
Reply #12 Saturday, November 30, 2002 12:20 AM
Just uninstalled Object Desktop and removed all references to Stradock from the registry. Re-installed Object Desktop components and now all Macromedia stuff works faultlessly. Maybe the order in which things are installed impacts upon performance, kinda like the way ATI Catalyst driver installation works, but needless to say I'm a lot happier now that everything is skinned and functioning correctly.

Jafo
Reply #13 Saturday, November 30, 2002 1:11 AM
tinker...had you installed the Macromedia stuff before OD, etc, or the other way round?
It's more likely to be that order than the order of installing 'each' Stardock proggy...

tinkergaloot
Reply #14 Saturday, November 30, 2002 1:34 AM
Jafo- thats what I meant, Macromedia installed before Stardock stuff ,sorry, I should have made that clearer. Remembering back, I had Dreamweaver 4, Fireworks 4 and Flash 4 installed long before I installed anyhting from Stardock, and there were no problems when I first installed Windowblinds, then when I updated to a later version of Windowblinds
things started going awry, and got worse when I updated to the MX series. Maybe cleaning out the Registry when uninstalling helped...
Either way, something I did worked...for a change.

Jafo
Reply #15 Saturday, November 30, 2002 1:52 AM
It's always a good feeling when you get the better of that beige lump sitting by your desk....

BTW...threatening it with a bucket of water has been known to work....
Wear rubber shoes, though....

tinkergaloot
Reply #16 Saturday, November 30, 2002 2:51 AM
I just threatened to replace it with a Mac... ;
worked like a charm...

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