NT was a DXer?    Wow, DX really has lost a lot of talented authors.

I think the cheaper version should allow access to builder mode, and the ability to export a limited amount of widgets/themes. It would give the user chance to actually DO something with DX (besides Dling and using others' stuff), and that might entice them to buy Standard or Pro.

Good points in the last 2 posts.

• We need to be able to detect multiple monitors.
• We need to know the resolution of those monitors.
• We need to know the relative position of each one.
  

Hi All. I think my contribution to this discussion will make more sense if I give a short introduction. I've submitted only one DX theme on WC called ShutterGirl (uploaded in 2001). I'm working on a new version now (featuring a new robot girl using a 3D product I broker at DAZ called Bot Armor) and still love and support OD and other Stardock stuff.

However, as far as I can tell Start Menu functionality has still not been fixed in all this time. What I mean is (and please correct me if I am wrong) to replace the OS start menu in DX I can a: create a Folder shortcut and check open as a popup menu which gives me the standard boring gray set of cascading menus (like default XP) except that they are too skinny and cut off any text longer than 18 characters (large monitor using slightly larger than standard font, might be ok for 1024 x 768) or b: add Start Menu 2 to abilities which gives me the XP start menu (with no configuration options) which pops up in the standard bottom left and can't be moved where I want it or skinned unless I use WB or c: do what everyone else does: create my own menus that (even with drag and drop functionality) have to be configured by the user which could take them many hours if they have a hundred or so programs and want to fully replace their OS start menu. I know that was kind of a "run on" but it defines my exasperation.

None of these are suitable options aesthetically and none of the themes I have been able to find so far (scripted or not ) have really found a way around this. So, if you are a newby you can find tons of cool themes that look fantastic and have amazing functions, but few if any that can fully replace the windows desktop "out of the box". I really think this gets at a major reason why DX is not more mainstream and making the big bucks. sVis and others have done a good job detailing what I'm talking about. Theme developers need to be able to more easily create fully functional themes for those that are not DX savvy and/or don't have time to dig into the stuff.

As cool as DX is, it hasn't reached the tiniest fraction of it's potential. I think one big reason is related to the discussion earlier in this thread around _Martin_ not gaining "Master" status. Now this may seem radical, but why have this feudal system (to reach "seller" status) at all? At DAZ, anyone can submit a product. If you know what you are doing, submit something that they think people will want to buy (and then fix anything that fails testing) you become a Published Artist and get to sell your stuff ( 50/50 split). I can tell you personally that 50% is a pretty good deal when you have a broad customer base. I've read plenty in the forums about how much time you have to devote to submitting stuff for free before you can reach Master Status. Then even when you do, you earn a penny an hour or less. Don't you think that would be discouraging to a lot of talented artists who might otherwize contribute some more amazing things? Mind you, there is no lack of talent on WC as things are now, but there should be thousands of objects and DX themes for sale, as well as the free stuff.WC is the ideal place to have a large and thriving store because that's where Stardock points folks consistently.

Which brings me to my last rant (sorry for the length): Even if there were more themes for sale, they're too hard to find on WC. They are not in the shop (as far as I can see) and the search is terrible compared to other sites. I should be able to do a search (not using Google) and find things by keyword that artists have associated with their products. And while I'm at it, the search in the forums is bad as well. I should be able to search within the DX Tutorials section of the forums (for instance) and not get everything else. This may seem a little off topic, but it is really all related to what could make DX better.

I am still very excited about what could be. Thanks for reading.

I know it would likely be a major retooling of the app (unless of course its already planned ); but the killer feature for me would be PowerShell support.

As a visualization specialist/data analyst I can see it as a means to provide some traction into the enterprise analytics/dashboard space while allowing an opportunity for modernizing the scripting engine (some innovative widgets could be created around .NET objects).

I'd like to see a way to reset an object to image default via script.

This would be awesome!

I would love an undo button...lol. To undo the last action, or the last several. I don't know how many times I accidentally deleted something , or changed something, only to be left wishing I hadn't and starting over....bummer.

That's what I said! Lol.

Now don't tell anyone but I may have just created an undo function via some very unorthodox methods. Shh! It's still a WIP and it's to be released as part of a DX builder's theme in the near future.

• Set an object's as a 'contained child' via script - for e.g. make setting IsChild property to true actually make it a contaied child.
• The 'clever' auto parent adjustment where if you set an object as a non contained child of another object it gets attached to the parent of the parent instead - actually makes it hard to deal with objects in an 'expected' way when the actual parent information is lost.
• Your windowfx drawing layer allows animation of window 'textures', can you tap that into the desktopx drawing layer so we can apply those kinds of 'transition' transforms to object displays?

adding an easy way to clear widget cache rarther then finding and deleting it manually

Agree!!

Hell yes!!!!

Hey Guys! What's a problem about which you have told? Just add into your code a few lines like this:

Sub Object_OnScriptExit

On Error Resume Next 
  Dim objFSO,xfol
    xfol = "ENTER HERE THE PATH TO A FOLDER WITH YOUR WIDGET CACHE..."
  Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
   If objFSO.FolderExists(xfol) Then objFSO.DeleteFolder(xfol), True
  Set xfol = nothing
  Set objFSO = nothing

End Sub

That's all... No folder - not problems!

P.S. If any software will block this code you may do the same with WMI:

Sub Object_OnScriptExit
  On Error Resume Next
  Dim objWMI,objFOL,xfol
   xfol = "ENTER HERE THE PATH TO A FOLDER WITH YOUR WIDGET CACHE..."
   xfol = Replace(xfol,"\","\\" )
  Set objWMI = GetObject("winmgmts: \\.\root\cimv2")
  Set objFOL = objWMI.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_Directory where Name = '"& xfol &"'" )
   For Each item In objFOL
    xfol = item.Delete
   Next
  Set objFOL = nothing
  Set objWMI = nothing
End Sub

Nice code! I was thinking the same thing, deleting folders is pretty easy by script, but Stardock really needs to be the one to implement this, not the end-user.

On the other hand, depending on when they get around to all these suggestions, it might just be beneficial for someone to make a clear cache widget and upload it.   I think the folders are located in the same directory on most people's computers, the local application data folder. So it would have 4 buttons to clear widgets, gadgets, current theme, and all of the above....or just one button with pop-up menu options

Anyone want to take a stab at this?

I already made the widget cache clearer. I may do one. But if it's a widget, it can't clear the wodget cache, can it. Likewise Gadget cache, if it's a gadget, etc? I have tried to clear the widget cache before with a widget open and got an error.