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Topic: «AWM with Stardock Software » on forum: Technical Support   Views: 9664
 
Jonathan Woodward
Registered user
 
 Posts: 24
Joined: 01/27/2006
Posted: 01/27/2006 09:25:49
 
 
 Hello, I am evaluating and interested in purchasing actual windows manager.  However, after installing AWM with Windowblinds, the titlebar skins hide the additional titlebar buttons and shifting the buttons has no effect.  After browsing the forums, I have noticed previous posts with similar problems involving Windowblinds and Objectdock.  Apparently this is a skinning issue but I really don't know much about skinning to try to fix this problem myself.  If there is a quick fix, I would try it out but ultimately, should i just wait for the next major release to address these Stardock incompatibilities?  Thanks in advance!
 
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Tobiel Sayre
Registered user

home user/amateur skinner
 
 Posts: 37
Joined: 07/14/2005
Posted: 01/27/2006 16:52:07
 
 
 First of all, let me admit WB is updated many times per month. The version I have not applied myself yet because of testing so many beta and alfa versions of other things plus 1 or 2 more time consuming things (they are fun, but, once more it´s only a hobby for me, and I neither work nor would be qualified for program design on behalf of Stardock´s or actual tools com), is this weeks latest WB version.

For your question, that might not be necessary. Because independent from new possibilities in future AWM + Stardock updates I have already managed to get buttons visible in SOME much older Window Blinds skins.

For the support offered by Stardock, considering you are a registered paying customer, you can even get a support ticket which is an unusual feature by Stardock normally, because the majority of their numerous users is helped by users and staff in their 3 NORMAL forums.

You should not enter the forums from any browser. Instead, first download their free SD central browser which is also meant for downloading of all versions of the tools and keeps track of your registration, shows u which versions can be updated, i. e., of WB, skinstudio etc. and gives u further tips if installed right including your registration e-mail etc.

Then enter the forums from THIS tool, or better yet, subscribe to their monthly free newsletter, which sends you monthly links to even more forums normally inaccessible but also allowing for your getting a support ticket.

However, all of this was NOT necessary for me for solving this problem:

First, you should find a rather elementary skin and test where its normal buttons are located, not the AWM buttons. This CORRESPONDS to but does not EQUAL the title bar and can ve VERTICAL, OUTSIDE of the window shell frame, HORIZONTAL, but IN or BELOW the window, and still is the title bar for you. In fact, these skins are so experimental and playful it can almost appear to be an exception if the normal closing, maximizing etc. buttons of the WB SKIN ITSELF appear horizontally on the right corner where u expect them.

Then, once you know where those buttons appear, ONLY SOME allow to make the AWM buttons visible if shifted a bit (try minus and plus shifting, depending on AWM version of lets say up to 5 of 10 shifting distances).
Then, suddenly, in blue, at least in some medium old or older WB skins, AWM btns appear IN ADDITION TO the WB skin OWN buttons, so you have separate closing, maximizing, etc. buttons NEXT to each other, BOTH of which work.

One typical problem might be some WB skins title bars are skinned to make right clicking the title bar cause a rollup or unroll. But if you installed AWB 3.8 and set transparency to be influenced by double clicking titlebar, this will not work, be overruled by WB and clash sometimes.

Best WB skin for u is an older one first, but one that DOES not roll up when right clicking or double clicking title bar.

Forthcoming AWM versions might be heading more to get compatible by changing the last difference I just mentioned. But still, AWM buttons and WB buttons might not be the same thing.

It might depend on what you are trying to do most times to solve that more on the WB button half or the AWM button half. Most times, I found myself using both programs. Of course, some windows are so small they dont even have SPACE for showing all buttons unless you first try to change THAT (the size). This is another thing I often managed with AWM if it was a special crazy window.

Good luck, ask the makers of WB or some experienced skinners like SKINSTUDIO himself for more if it still did not help you.

SATYROBE/TAXIFUNK/Tobiel Sayre registered user; non-staff
 
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Tobiel Sayre
Registered user

home user/amateur skinner
 
 Posts: 37
Joined: 07/14/2005
Posted: 01/27/2006 17:08:32
 
 
 APPENDIX: COMBINING OBJECT DOCK plus and AWM 3.8

(a separate topic) - short amateur tip:

Object dock plus, which is what I use, behaves like an animation, so its hard to catch in screenshots. It already behaves a bit early its own 64bit like way, but is in an interesting transitional stage.

I managed to combine AWM 3.8 and ObjectDock plus the following way:

First, leave AWM off. Then turn Object Dock plus on.
If it behaves unwilling, right click the Object Dock plus tray icon, but dont click any of its 4 position, then click a bit around your taskbar where there are no icons etc. If that does not help, refresh your desktop wallpaper. Suddenly Object dock plus tabs show up.

THEN turn AWM 3.8 on. It works, but if you have an old Graphics card and only 512MB DDR RAM like me, a bit slower. Still fine, though.

If you activate AWM 3.8 BEFORE Object Dock plus, much more difficult with my old hardware.

Observing this I still got everything to work. Make your things work NOW if possible. The future is another interesting topic. But there are some features I also like about the OLD or CURRENT versions, not just of AWMs, in general. Wish u the best, and thanks for taking time for mailing and asking all these things. It is quite interesting and productive.

But I really think some of it is making your own tests, and of course, I am just an amateur. Good luck on this, too. ;)

But here´s a window screenshot for enjoyment meanwhile, proving that windowblinds and ActWinMan and ActTitle buttons alread work together. I explained how to do this with out skinning in another thread today:Click here to read how this works

User added an image

SATYROBE/TAXIFUNK/Tobiel Sayre registered user; non-staff
 
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