GT3

a preview

Published on October 30, 2004 By Tiggz In WindowBlinds

Well in the spirit of experimentation I decided to test out this article making facility. As I am currrently engaged, amongst other things, in creating GT3 I thought I would offer some previews of the skin suite which will (approximately) mark my 1 year skinning anniversary.

So, without further ado, being a skinner not a writer, here are some samples of what is to come in the not too distant future...

the start menu - trying to stay reasonably close to the layout of GT2, but with extra sex appeal...

shellstyle images - these are perhaps the most significant departure from GT2 in some ways

the downloading progress animation - shown in context with the normal and light substyles ('light' here is a relative term)

a shot showing toolbar icons, custom throbber, and general windowiness - warning, it's quite a dark skin

well now, what's this?

I haven't really started into the peripheral skins yet, but here is a sample of a prospective rainy candidate

a weeny preview of a GT3 logon

Well, that's more or less the state of play atm. The windowblind is 99% complete, just undergoing final testing and addition of a special feature that should be quite fun

I hope to do a few other skins and dx objects to accompany the suite, although I'm not sure it will be as comprehensive as GT2 in that regard. Time, as ever, will tell.

Comments (Page 2)

Tiggz

on Oct 31, 2004

o my, Phoon, what have I done to you? darn, I should have put a disclaimer in the article

maybe one day I would like to make a premium package, trouble is, whilst I am an ok skinner, I am a terrible businessman

write anything you like Joe, er, within reason obviously

Jan Oscar

on Oct 31, 2004

whilst I am an ok skinner

Not! You are one elite skinner, and anyone saying otherwise, better have a d**n good argument. Don't you read comments? And what about ratings? Time for a little reminder, me thinks, and btw, congrats on submission no. 100 to Wincustomize!

As said, total submissions is 100 and 639825 total downloads, average rating 9, and of ALL your submissions, NONE is below 8. The numbers don't lie here, and look at this impressive list | www.wincustomize.com/myskins.asp?AuthorID=695407 | if you ever doubt that you are doing class A work. We all owe you, and I think you should go for it, and for the business part, I am sure the people of WC would give you premium help and advice. as they always do everyone.

4letterword

on Nov 01, 2004

-----------------------------------------------------
This is the BEST looking theme I have ever seen.
Why in the world aren't you charging for this.
This is a premium package, and you really should.
If you do... I will pay and so will many many others.
-----------------------------------------------------

Phoon, you are absolutely right.

I'd pay for this if there were a charge upon this...

Tiggz, just continue doing what you can do best: skinning!

Martin Scheller (Anonymous Use

on Nov 01, 2004

Nice Preview Tiggz. My Son and I can't wait for the Release.

@4letterword and Phoon. Do you think about the People in all over the World wich have a Minimum of Money to live?
E.g.: My Wife, my Son and I have €330 per Months to live. I am not able to pay for Skins like many other Windowblinds-Users all over the World. The Reason for a Skinner to make Skins should be Fun not Money.
My Son (age 12) has started to make his first own Skin. If it come true that I have to pay for the Top-Skins, I will not allow my Son to publish his first Skin in a few weeks or Months. Skinners should be a Family. Making Skins with Fun and share it with the Skinning-Community that should be the Reason for making Skins.
If a Friend ask you for Help, maybe to repair something in his House, do you ask him: How much you pay me?
Think about what I said.

>Sorry if my English is not correct but I think you will understand what I mean<

Martin Scheller

chipps007

on Nov 02, 2004

GT2.. ah yes it stood out well from the crowd .
The added '3D'..ness of GT3 is just gona be .... well a real test for my Video card.

'Exceptional' surely descibes the task - but the word falls short of Tiggz skill and imagination !

My desktop awaits.

Just v well done T !!

mbfire (Anonymous User)

on Nov 02, 2004

Tiggz, my desktop's horny now... it wants GT3 LOL

Tiggz

on Nov 02, 2004

yikes!

Hus

on Nov 02, 2004

Lookin' good Tiggz.

VC2000

on Nov 03, 2004

Excellent, Beautiful, a real eye catcher, thanx for the time you took designing this skin, look foward to seeing more of your work. Take Care.

I.R. Brainiac

on Nov 03, 2004

I certainly have no problem with skin branding Tiggs....while I respect TasT's opinions on most issues,this is one subject I have to disagree on.(tho I am most likely in the minority here)
I think it adds identity.

BlueDev

on Nov 03, 2004

Wow, fabulous. Simply stunning skin Tiggz. Once again a brilliant and distinctive work. Kudos. Seriously.

Tiggz

on Nov 03, 2004

I guess branding can be achieved in a number of different ways:
1. overall graphic integrity of the skin, how the whole skin pulls together, the impression it leaves in the users mind
2. colour branding - something like CopperdeckII springs to mind
3. motifs repeated throughout the skin, but not necessarily strong enough images to be considered...
4. logos, such as in the top right of the GT3 start menu
5. skin name in plain text
6. text based logos

I too like a certain amount of branding, but I do understand TasT's perspective and have seen skins that for me went a bit far with it. I'm not a big fan of the skin's name in the titlebar for example, although that is partly an issue of useability as the skin name might be taking up valuable space. However, in less "mission critical" parts of a skin I can find a judiciously chosen font appealing to the eye, a word is after all just a linear collection of shapes in a sense, and if used sensitively can definitely imnprove the flavour of a skin. It's horses for courses I suppose. I am happy with the "branding" on this skin, which, as previously mentioned, is the acid test. If I was making the skin for a paying client the acid test would be whether they were happy with the branding - but essentially, in this case, I am the client.

RPGFX

on Nov 03, 2004

I agree with you I.R. and Skingod... er, Tiggz. Branding to me is a very important part of a skin. When people buy cars, clothes, watches, etc. it is as much about the brand as it is about the item. That is, as long as the item is high quality. As for skinning, if a skin is high quality, I want tags on it. It's a very important part of the skin. Just as long as it's done right, as you and many other great skinners on this site always do. Thanks for this AWESOME skin. I'm using it now, and I'll use it for a long time. Sorry Adni, Cyberskin has been replaced on my machine for now. So... when's GT4? (just kidding)

RPGFX

on Nov 03, 2004

By the way, my custom trobber doesn't show up? Any thoughts on why?

Tiggz

on Nov 04, 2004

you might need to reboot before the custom throbber is changed - or possibly just restarting the explorer process may do the trick

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