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Steampunk desktop themes: your screenshots

Started by Stefan Freestate, August 17, 2007, 02:41:47 PM

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Whats your desktop like?

Mac
84 (55.6%)
Linux
67 (44.4%)

Total Members Voted: 148

Banfili


Deimos

Wow. Just...Wow. What some people can do.... (she said, as she turned her attention back to playing in the sand box... :P)
"Unless you're prepared to surrender everything, don't surrender anything."

Society: Be yourself.
Me: OK
Society: No. Not like that.

yereverluvinunclebert

#1177
I had to take a break from my SteamyDock project. It is highly complex and an intriguing task but each step is a milestone in itself and extremely hard work.

I have, instead come up with a new project which has distracted me for a month or two.

It is called FireCallWin or FireCall for Windows. It has a compatriot program for Mac os/X that allows users of the two oses to talk with each other. It is a chat program that allows one-to-one chat between two people only, be they designers, lovers, geeks, nerds or artists... Designed to facilitate the sharing of information between two like minded people but without all the social chat nonsense that you receive from all the major chat platforms.

It is just one person talking to one other with no distractions, and no social overhead and NO advertising. It will also be free.

It has just one requirement, you have to install dropbox. So, it is primarily for existing dropbox users as it uses this tool as its communication medium.

Almost finished, with a dieselpunk interface initially, a steampunk interface may come later.



Right click and view image to see it in more detail

You can transfer files, images, sounds &c



Some detail of the voice recorder.

And here it is on my desktop:


Right click and view image to see it in more detail.

It is a little more conventional than some of my other programs, square in form unlike all my other creations. That is because it has been created using a conventional tool, Visual Basic. Microsoft still hasn't really caught up with the idea of non-square apps with transparent forms so everything has to be square.... however, I have made it as interesting as I can within that square format.

More information soon as it nears completion.





Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

#1178
My SteamyDock is nearing completion.

Here it is on my various desktops...





I have a few systems, Win 7, for development, an XP system a couple of Win 10 64bit PCs, one with dual monitors and the other with a high DPI system so I can test my programs. Even a ReactOS and Ubuntu for the same reasons.



Some people say that one can have too many gauges, I feel unsure of the matter myself.

Sometimes I want far too many gauges for one single man to handle. Today is one of those days.

The reason for having too many gauges is to experiment. The gauges at the top are all written in javascript using the yahoo widget engine. Those duplicated below are written in jscript for the Xwidget engine. More or less the same code.

I have resurrected those as I have managed to get a Linux Ubuntu laptop operating successfully with Wine and those Xwidgets actually run in that environment. I can have the javascript code/imagery that I originally wrote for the Mac o/s desktop and have that running on Windows XP-11 and now on Ubuntu as well. It is good to have analogues of your useful utilities available on the different oses that you have to use.

Seeing those running on Linux is a revelation as I had not expected Xwidget to operate there at all. Image to come soon. Haven't steampunked a Linux system for a while, so I need to get my noggin working on that.

The Steamydock that you can see at the bottom of each of those desktops is a Windows-only tool and has been developed and tested so it works rather well. Some final polishing to complete and I will release it.

You may think it has taken me a while and you'd be right. Instead of releasing an unfinished and unpolished tool to the public I preferred to use it as a training aid, to hone my programming skills. It has taught me a lot. The fact that I am close to finishing it as well is a positive side-effect.

Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

The lack of recent posts in this thread make me believe that Steampunking your desktop is not as popular as it once was. In fact Windows/Linux/PC customisation seems to be on the decline. It is all those phones luring you into ArseBook, FaceFeck &c I suppose...

I have been working on a new set of widgets using newer technology, the idea is to utilise such skills that I have and create desktop widgets that have the potential for becoming multi-platform. The first of which is a simple rotating earth dieselpunk widget that sits on your desk, rotating. It does not do much else at the moment as I am just familiarising myself with the technology.



It is this one...



The future proofing and multiplatform-ness of this widget tech. comes from the combination of TwinBasic and the Cairo graphics library. TwinBasic is a superset of the VB6 language providing 64bitness and multiplatform capability whilst Cairo provides the graphics and is also multiplatform. When I have the first widget under my belt it will form the basis for replicating the other widgets on that desktop.

Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

SeVeNeVeS

Where can I download these widgets? I am setting up a 4 monitor system diesel/cyberpunk and would like to experiment.
I already have the yahoo engine.
I've taken a look at your signature link and it appears your are leaving DA and it's asking  me to log in, I don't want to create an account if it's doomed.
Is there another place where they are all listed for download.
You are a great at this.
Also icons, I seem to remember they are zipped, how do I unzip and again, where to download.
Thanks for any replies and links.

J. Wilhelm

Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 16, 2023, 06:49:39 AM
Where can I download these widgets? I am setting up a 4 monitor system diesel/cyberpunk and would like to experiment.
I already have the yahoo engine.
I've taken a look at your signature link and it appears your are leaving DA and it's asking  me to log in, I don't want to create an account if it's doomed.
Is there another place where they are all listed for download.
You are a great at this.
Also icons, I seem to remember they are zipped, how do I unzip and again, where to download.
Thanks for any replies and links.

That post you refer to was written almost two years ago! As to DeviantArt being like an old girlfriend... Well, I don't know. I never had a green GUI themed girlfriend with plastic surgery before.

yereverluvinunclebert

You'll have to make your way to Deviantart for the widgets but be warned they aren't the latest versions always, as I have been making slow but steady improvements over the years. Unfortunately, like Miss Haversham I keep them to myself these days, mouldering only on my old system. I don't even bother updating Deviantart or anywhere else.

Log into DA, find my account, download those that you like and drop me a line here in public if you think you need an update. The widgets on DA are both Y and Xwidgets, The YWidgets are the preferred, superior types. Avoid the XWidgets unless you want to run them on Linux with Wine. If you are on Win/Mac stick with the YWidgets.

The icons are there on my DA account, find my main page and you will see categories. Find Icons.

My SteamyDock isn't quite ready for release yet but when it does it will come packaged with all of them including many new icons. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for this one until I find time to complete it.

I'm building these only for myself these days to avoid being pushed to deliver so I won't disappoint...


Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

SeVeNeVeS

I've downloaded what I can and some won't work in windows 10, but you sir are a widgit god.

Great stuff and thank you, amazing stuff.

yereverluvinunclebert

Let me know what does not work in Win 10 and I will most likely, have a solution and a download for you. I have all my latest widgets working in Win10 and 11.
Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

SeVeNeVeS

#1185
I'm good with what I got but I would like the broadband network in/ out with a moving needle, if at all possible in the Panzer mode. If not doable no worries................ still very impressed and a big thank you.

Still playing but at the moment I have.....
Lively Wallpaper running "Matrix" (yeah, I know old hat, but I like it)
Kauna set to sound out, great little thing and allows animated gifs as a background.
And of course some great widgets created by your good self.

If there are any other handy little gizmos anyone knows about, please post her.

yereverluvinunclebert

#1186
First of all, we need an image - this is an image thread so, show your desktop.

Tell me which version of the widget you are using.

The network gauge is a difficult one. It can't work the speed of the gauge unless it knows the Mbps of your ethernet card. In the prefs enter a value in mb for min/max that corresponds to the h/w you have.

I notice mine isn't working too! It obviously has a bug or something in Windows has changed. I will do some digging. The YWidget uses something called WMI and that is meant to return a byte value from a particular network adapter. On my Win7 system, WMI is running but it is not returning a value. Will test two systems to see if they are working.

For the moment, load the Xwidget engine, no problems running both engines, they are slimline and do not compete. I have always done the same. Try the Xwidget network IN or OUT versions, set the maxBandwidth field in both to zero. Then do some i/o using youtube and see if they read something and the gauge responds.



This shows these Xwidgets working on Win10.

The Xwidget version is working on my system and I have a new version. We can try the new version next.

Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

#1187
Assuming all is well in the Ywidget version use the network device dropdown to select a different network adapter. It is currently selecting the first by default and it may not be the one that you are using. Once done, restart the widget.

Then reduce the max speed to something sensible until the widget responds to the throughput you are pulling through the adapter.



Here it is working on my Win7 lappie.



It isn't working on my Win10 desktop but it might just be Win10 or  WMI - more digging to be done.
Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

SeVeNeVeS

#1188
I've changed all the settings but can't get the needle to move. No worries.
A quick screenshot of the flipped monitor with the widgets at the moment.


Hold your horses there. your shot is showing something completely different to what I got. It shows network in and network out and a core temp gauge, I didnt see those on deviant art. could give me some download links if you would be so bold, I thought I trawled your page to death. I'm not too good with this internet , techie stuff so the simpler the better. ;D

Many thanks for your efforts.

yereverluvinunclebert

#1189
Yes, well, try to make sure you read my responses carefully as the info. will be there for you.

First of all. The version number please of the YWidget please. That will help me diagnose the problem with your network widget, that assists me. Then tell me which entries were present in the network device dropdown.

If you do a shift+ctrl+right click on the YWE icon in the tray and select turn on debug mode, when you restart any widget you will have a debug window. If you restart the Y network gauge, the error will show there. Send me the error here. Turn off debug mode after.

Then if no joy, load the Xwidget engine, no problems running both Y and X engines, they are slimline and do not compete. I have always done the same. Try the Xwidget network IN or OUT versions, set the maxBandwidth field in both to zero. Then do some i/o using youtube and see if the gauges read something and the gauge responds.

To run the X versions:

When you visit my main page on DA, go to gallery, https://www.deviantart.com/yereverluvinuncleber/gallery then find the Xwidget category near top, click that.



You will see Xwidget replicas of each of the Ywidgets. They will be functionally similar. Always use the Y Widgets in preference to the X versions, except when the Y version does not work as in this case.

Install the Xwidget engine first, then install each widget as you require. This will be the 1.0 version of the Xwidget, there is an improved 1.1 version coming. I will let you know when that is done.

To install an Xwidget, download, unpack to a usefully named folder, place the contents into :
C:\Users\<your username>\Documents\XWidget\Widgets\new folder of your choice
Find the .xwl file in the new widget and double click on it.

Nice screenshot.
Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

Sevenes, do post your resulting screenshot.

The main Xwidget I continue to use, even when all the Y widgets are running well, is the volume Xwidget.
https://www.deviantart.com/yereverluvinuncleber/art/XWIDGET-Version-1-0-1-Dieselpunk-Volume-XWidget-761692195

Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

#1191
I have just created a new widget, my first for a few years. I'm not planning to get into 'widgeting' again in a big way, I'm just experimenting with a new technology, new to me at least. This new technology is the combination of VB6 and a 'wrapper' around the Cairo graphics library that gives you access to some graphical capabilities that VB6 never had. In the case of this widget it is the transparency of images and backgrounds that I am using to create a rotating earth on a dieselpunk gauge. This Cairo wrapper was written by a VB6 guru by the name of Olaf Schmidt, a clever chap indeed. 

You can see the rotating earth widget there alongside all my older javascript widgets. It operates in a similar fashion to the others. If you fancy modifying it yourself I will release the source on github. There is nothing yet to download as I am still testing it myself on Win7/10 and 11. This is just a heads-up! I'll pop a note here when it is done.




Showing PanzerEarth in operation on Windows 7

Panzer Earth Widget.

The Panzer Earth Widget is a simple utility displaying a rotating earth in a dieselpunk fashion on your desktop. It can be resized and placed anywhere on your desktop. It uses minimal resources and helps give your desktop a dieselpunk make-over. This help file describes just the rotating earth widget and not the other widgets shown above.  Right-click on the widget to display the function menu, mouse hover over the widget and press CTRL+mousewheel up/down to resize. It works well on Windows XP to Windows 11.

Basic Functionality
When you install and run the widget for the first time it will present you with the licence screen and launch the prefs. You must accept the licence terms to proceed further. The Preference screen allows you to configure the functionality of  the rotating globe component of the Panzer Earth 'widget'. The Rotating earth will also appear on your main monitor, animating slowly using minimal resources. This widget's functionality is limited as it is just a template for widgets yet to come, however, it can be increased in size, animation speed can be changed, opacity/transparency may be set as to the user's discretion. The widget can also be made to hide for a pre-determined period. If the application is already running then you can double-click to run a new instance of the binary and you will have two or more globes running on the desktop.


Fig 01a. Showing The Panzer Earth Widget in small mode.



Fig 02. Panzer Earth Widget showing right click menu options.



Fig 06. The About Window.

The Preferences:
The configuration of the widget is performed using the preference utility. It is an approximate analogue of the Yahoo widget preferences screen and replicates some of its functionality.



Fig 07. The General Prefs pane.

I may be creating a few more of these widgets using this one as a template. It contains all the fundamental code I need to create more.

When there is a download location, I will let you know.
Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

#1192
I have uploaded the code for the PzEarth widget to github, so that any that are interested can download the source and make changes themselves.

It is here:
https://github.com/yereverluvinunclebert/Panzer-Earth-gauge-VB6

If you care to, then you can download the whole thing and then extract just the setup.exe file, that is the file you'll need to run, that will install and configure the Pz Earth Widget on your desktop. It is for Windows only or Linux via WINE.

When you run it, if you have a half-decent a/tool it will flag the setup.exe and the resulting Pz earth.exe  as being suspicious. That is due to the fact that neither of these binaries is yet known due to this being a brand new build -  a/v tools won't know about it yet.

So, feel free to give it a go. Read the instructions that come with it! There is a help that is launched just after installation.

Please note that I am making changes regularly to the code and so the setup.exe will slowly become out of date, however, I will create a new one periodically.
Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

#1193


Current desktop on my 4K screen using Windows 10 with the PzEarth Widget running and its configuration utility bottom right.

Note the Xwidgets are all disabled so that's why the gauge pointers are missing and the Xwidget clock is stopped at nine minutes past one.

P.S. slowly working my way through these widgets to get them up to scratch before placing them into archive on github.

P.P.S Screenshot of the Pz.Earth widget running on Linux coming soon.
Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

Just testing my dieselpunk Panzer Earth VB6 Widget on Linux/Wine. Rather successful.



Shown from left to right, the preferences, the widget, the licence window, the one-page help, the about and finally the help in CHM form, all installed using the default setup.exe, installs and runs beautifully.
Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

#1195
I am working on my next new-technology widget using VB6, RC6 & Cairo. Currently, still producing a 32bit widget but ready for a 64 bit version, coming in a year or so (when 64bit TwinBasic matures).

The more complicated widgets have all the graphical user interaction that the old Yahoo widgets (now obsolete) used to provide. I am working on two more complex programs, the Panzer StopWatch and the Panzer Just Clock.


Fig 01. The Panzer StopWatch


Fig 02. Panzer Just Clock

Rewriting these using VB6 with a slightly alien graphical framework with a new method of coding (to me) is a significant chunk of work. I am making progress.

The programs are not yet downloadable nor installable as they are incomplete. However, I have written the HELP documentation for both and all the main code functions as it should. They are on github and I will post links later when there is something meaningful to download.

Just an update!



The six VB6 programs including four VB6 widgets are shown within this picture of my current desktop. It is 4K so, may take a while to draw.



Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

#1196
This is the old Pz Just Clock (Yahoo Widget) alongside the newer VB6/RC6 version (right). The newer version can make use of High DPI 4K screens and display itself with a clarity the old YWE version just could not.



Quick postscript: I haven't released these to the public as I am developing them to teach myself new technologies. As a result my desktop is totally unique. You can find them on github if you are desperate but no support from me!.  Releasing them is a pain in the ar5e as it means I have to fix things.
Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

#1197
Just for your information: Regarding the Xwidget versions of my graphical widgets (as distinct from the Yahoo and the VB6 widgets).

The Xwidget engine is likely to stop working within the next 18 months or so. This is due to Microsoft taking the decision to make the running of their vbscript package as a feature 'disabled by default' whereas at the moment it is installed and 'enabled by default' on all Windows systems. Vbscript is a programming language based upon VB6 and it has been a useful vector of attack for malware writers. Therefore, MS has decided to disable it at some point in the near future.

I imagine, going by other announcements of deprecations from Microsoft that it will be within a year to 18 months. Some time after that it is likely that vbscript will be removed altogether but that might not be for a few years yet.

The result is that the Xwidgets I created may simply stop working at some point. They don't actually use vbscript, being written in jscript instead (a somewhat similar scripting language) but the Xwidget engine relies on the sort of components that MS will be disabling. It may generate errors but I expect it will just fail at some point.

It will affect the widgets you can see on this page: https://www.deviantart.com/yereverluvinuncleber/gallery/59981273/xwidgets as well as the Xwidgets created by countless other developers. Oh dear, never mind, move on...

With that in mind I aim to replace the Xwidgets I deem essential, with new VB6 versions. Watch this space for information as I actually get around to finishing one of my new VB6 widgets. Coming soon.

P.S This does not affect the Yahoo widgets as seen here, https://www.deviantart.com/yereverluvinuncleber/gallery/59981269/yahoo-widgets - they will still continue to operate as they always did for the foreseeable future.


Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

I have managed to get my github repositories largely uploaded, still a work in progress.  IT is here: https://github.com/yereverluvinunclebert

This is where all my FOSS code will reside for all my widgets/trinkets. All the Yahoo widgets will be downloadable from here, all latest functioning/buggy versions, the Xwidgets too (soon) though the latter are deprecated. None of the YWE and Xwidgets will be receiving regular future updates. 

The new VB6 widgets/trinkets are installable by seeking out the setup.exe and running it. Note that the setup.exe for each will inevitably be an old version as I am coding ALL the VB6 widgets now and fixing things as they arise. You can download the code and build it yourself as long as you have the VB6 IDE installed and follow the instructions!

I cannot assist you. There will be no support nor assistance offered as these new programs are ALL under development. When they are complete I will build a new setup.exe for each and from that point support will be offered. Feel free to tinker.





 
Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute

yereverluvinunclebert

Making good progress on converting my old Konfabulator/Xwidgets to Windows binaries.



So far, created CPU, Drive, RAM and OHM temperature widgets. Working on each to complete, some animation code to complete to allow smooth pointer movement. Working on my desktop rather well.

Available on github if you want to code and experiment (I doubt you will but you can). For the casual installer, not yet ready for download.
Steampunk Widgets and Icons of Some Worldwide Repute