Going minimal for style

Tuesday, July 29, 2014 by Matthevv | Discussion: WindowBlinds

Hey, maybe I just suck at searching the database here, but I LOVE windowsblinds and the community, and you guys continue to make amazing stuff. For years I also have been searching for a basic, very readable, minimal UI and almost monochrome blind. Like the kind found in Sword Art online's UI as I intend to use it to work with and tweak for a game I am developing, and want to have a companions WB that makes your computer look like the game. Any help in the right direction would be great, and mostly I need to just LOOK at the thing to see how it is done. it gives me a lot to work with to just see how it is. I have no intention of copying it, I just need to look at a UI and go, Oh, so that gradient goes here... and things like that. Take care and have a great day!

doortech1
Reply #1 Tuesday, July 29, 2014 6:00 PM

Have you tried the Diamond template in SKS?

Matthevv
Reply #3 Wednesday, July 30, 2014 12:41 PM

Thank you for your replies! Yes, I did check out the Diamond one, and the ones that Uvah put put did catch my eye, the last one there, Vexor, hits closest but I don't want it to be glass like that. Where I am running intro trouble is that windows has this thing about adding bold lines, leading to all of windows UI systems to look like stark two tone styles. What I am shooting for is to find a way to remove those lines and make it look like a flat box with heatpoints or swappable images. So basically it looks like a translucent metal grey box and then when you bring your cursor across things like the min, max and close windows I'll make it so that icon blazes up. But these are definitely a start. One idea you guys gave me was making the color match the bold line tone of the windows default line, therefor making the line mitigate or disappear, then use the WB translucency to make the whole thing get the fade... I might be able to work with this. Thank you again.

Further, does anyone know it it is possible to go borderless here? 

Uvah
Reply #4 Wednesday, July 30, 2014 2:00 PM

One of the WB skins that come with Windowblinds is called Win 8 Metro. Its a bit dark but you should be able to use it as another template. Check out the screenshot.

 

 

LightStar
Reply #5 Wednesday, July 30, 2014 2:09 PM

Matthevv

Vexor, hits closest but I don't want it to be glass like that.

 

A little confused by that statement as I made the skin and there is no glass in it anywhere. Do you mean the texture Matthevv? 

LightStar
Reply #6 Wednesday, July 30, 2014 2:16 PM

Matthevv

Further, does anyone know if it is possible to go borderless here? 

 

It is totally possible to go borderless Matthevv, as a close example here is a commissioned skin I did for a client a while back to give you some ideas...

Flaty by LightStar

Matthevv
Reply #7 Wednesday, July 30, 2014 2:27 PM

Oh wow that borderless one you did is amazing, well done that looks fantastic. And yes, in the Vexor one I meant the texture. Which is editable I know, but I am also making things for the less than savvy user who gets it right out of the box as it should be. Dang that one you posted is really nice. I just like the whole style in general. That clean borderless look is what I am getting at. This is great, I'll have plenty to work with. I suppose the biggest one to see was the dividing line, do you know if that green bar in your window is necessary? Or could I possibly drop it out and put a faded border... now you got me thinking.

Island Dog
Reply #8 Wednesday, July 30, 2014 4:16 PM

This is a great thread.  I'm going to highlight some minimal WB skins soon, so recommend some more so I can take a look at your favorites.

 

LightStar
Reply #9 Wednesday, July 30, 2014 4:40 PM

Matthevv

Oh wow that borderless one you did is amazing, well done that looks fantastic. And yes, in the Vexor one I meant the texture. Which is editable I know, but I am also making things for the less than savvy user who gets it right out of the box as it should be. Dang that one you posted is really nice. I just like the whole style in general. That clean borderless look is what I am getting at. This is great, I'll have plenty to work with. I suppose the biggest one to see was the dividing line, do you know if that green bar in your window is necessary? Or could I possibly drop it out and put a faded border... now you got me thinking.

 

Yes, the green bar is editable. It is the Command Bar background image. 

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